This novel follows Iris, who, after a breakup and the loss of her father, moves into an all-female commune led by the controlling Blythe. What begins as a seemingly empowering space for women quickly reveals itself as coercive and toxic, with the women trapped under Blythe's manipulation. While the writing is strong and explores themes of female rage, friendship, and power dynamics, the secondary characters are predictable, and the dual timeline adds little depth. Though not perfect, it’s a compelling debut for fans of cult-themed novels.

I suspect this is a perfect book group read, as you'll either love or hate it. A clever idea, explored with aplomb, good to see that female rage is getting an airing, whether the whole cult aspect rings true though, I'm not sure. Thought provoking.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley & Tinder Press for an ARC of this book.

I absolutely loved this book and definitely lived up to every part of the hype I had been seeing online. A great story about a woman who joins a female cult to find herself and some meaning in her life. I was left feeling uneasy and uncomfortable about the life these woman had created for themselves, led by a woman who claimed to be all-knowing and powerful but when it came down to it, was clearly just manipulative and fed off the power she was able to harness from women in traumatic situations crying out for help, somewhere, anywhere that could provide them with a 'safe' home.

The relationship that developed between Iris and Hazel very much mirrored the false pretence of Breach House, leaving Iris feeling lost and alone in a place where she was meant to feel part of a community and left with a longing for love she is struggling to find in her life. I hoped for Iris and Hazel to develop their relationship into something real so that something good could come out of something bad and the ending was perfect to their storyline throughout. Iris was finally able to focus on herself and put herself first.

This story was incredible and I loved every moment of it.

I couldn't read this as an ebook for some reason so will get it when it comes out! Sorry! (Leaving a 4 star review to be fair.)

This was a bit lukewarm for me. The writing was really nice but the plot was rather predictable and the characters not overly memorable. I love a cult book as much as the next person, but this was missing something.

Spoilt creatures follows Iris, a woman reeling in the wake of a breakup and feeling lost, listless and unmotivated as she moves back in with her mother. When a chance encounter with Hazel leads her to hear of Breach House, a rural, all female commune where women can go to rest and revitalise themselves, an oasis of safety from toxic relationships or cluttered lives, under the watchful guidance of their leader, Blythe. At first Iris feels empowered, connected, and at one with the commune - however, Blythe’s authoritarian leadership and unwavering determination to close the commune off entirely from the outside world, soon creates an unsettling feeling of disquiet.

This novel really did create a fantastically real sense of dread and apprehension - as things began to spiral, factions within the commune begin to split and squabble and the secrets get bigger and harder to keep, my heart felt like it was in my chest.

I loved the cult like vibes of this, and I thought Blythe particularly was brilliantly written - you can feel how imposing and intimidating she is even through the page. Though many of the other supporting characters felt more like they were being written through more of a haze, kept at arm’s length from us - I feel like this was a stylistic choice, and it did add to the feelings of total immersion in the group, shared / communal identity and uncertainty around self.

This provided some really interesting commentary on isolation, conformity, manipulation, communal life and sisterhood (literal and spiritual / chosen) which I really enjoyed, and Blythe genuinely elicited a reaction in me on several occasions

The slowly creeping darkness was perfectly disturbing and kept me absolutely invested whilst reading - however, whilst I will admit that it has taken me a slightly embarrassingly long time to actually write and post this review, I haven’t remembered as much of this book as I had anticipated at the time and it hasn’t stayed with me in the way I was sure it would upon finishing.

If you like books that leave you unsettled, have cult vibes or unhinged women then this is well worth a read! Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

A very solid debut from Amy Twigg with "Spoilt Creatures". When Iris's life suddenly shudders to a halt (the break up of her long term relationship, moving back home with her mother) she finds herself stuck in a rut and longing for something different. On the recommendation of a friend she reaches out to Breach House, a commune of women in the countryside not far from where she is from. She finds herself entranced by one of the women there and soon enough life at Breach House is her whole world.

As someone who enjoys fiction with darker elements this satisfied that itch for me. I think Twigg cleverly portrays the way that power struggles can play out between women, and also what it means to be pulled into the orbit of something or someone who we willingly give our power to, not realizing in the moment the damage that it will do.

The story at times felt jilted, but I suspect that that was a deliberate move on the part of the author, in order to bring us further into how strangely life functions in the all too consuming Breach House. What happens is predictable in a lot of ways but that doesn't make what unfolds any less horrific, indeed it probably makes it more so because you can see it coming so clearly. Twigg has captured something visceral and dark that makes the reader squirm with discomfort, perhaps holding up a mirror to the parts of ourselves that we don't necessarily want to admit to.

Overall, a good debut and interesting read for the right audience.

This is one of the best debut novels I have ever read! Wow, wow, wow...
It is one of those books that you will think about for years to come!

This was just OK for me - I think because I just didn't gel with either the characters or the storyline. I expected some big reveal about what had gone on in the commune and there wasn't any.

A wonderful debut! A raw, captivating story that follows Iris, listless and directionless as she joins a group of women living in a remote countryside commune. The apparent initial idyllic nature of the commune shrouds the true dynamics of the group, with rage, manipulation, and violence bubbling underneath. When a group of men join the commune, the fragile micro-society unravels. I enjoyed the darkness of this book, the intimate, mundane descriptions or anecdotes attributed to characters which made them feel whole and real. The writing style was uneasy but compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

My month of mediocre/disapppointing reading (not including Exile by Aimee Walsh) shows no sign of abating. I had high hopes for Spoilt Creatures, it having been named by the Observer as a best debut novel of 2024. Despite some lovely writing, the way the story unfolded was rather predictable and the characters a little colourless.

In the wake of a break up from her partner Nathan, Iris is lacking purpose and direction in life. She’s back living with her mother and working a dead end job when she meets Hazel, a charismatic woman living in an all-female commune in the Kent countryside, headed up by its domineering founder Blythe.

The commune is supposedly a haven for women to escape abusive relationships and toxic families, where the women can live safely and sustainably off the fat of the land. What becomes apparent after Iris moves in, is that there is coercive control at play and a calculating unwillingness by Blythe to let any part of the outside world interference in the women’s lives.

This is a cult/commune type novel that reminded me of other novels I’ve read in recent years. It wasn’t as good as Amy & Lan by Sadie Jones, but it was a lot better than The Silence Project by Carole Bailey, both of which featured similar themes.

A decent, if a bit plodding at times, read at times that just didn’t quite live up to its billing. If you like books about cults this may appeal. 3/5⭐️

Well this slapped, what a great debut novel.

Comparisons to Emma Cline's The Girls are completely warranted, although this does have different characteristics and themes I think and felt different without the real life angle of the history behind The Girls.

The writing was assured and detailed with some lovely descriptions and a few stunning sentences.

Iris finds a place to call home on a farm in the Kent countryside with a group led by Blythe, a woman who seems to be carved from stone. Can anything be as idyllic as Iris wants to believe Breach House is though?

I admire the way the author avoids rote characterisation - Hazel remains hard to understand but does feel fully realised.

Some of the other women at the farm might not quite inhabit their own space in the book fully - they feel less real but there is a hive mind element to life on the farm that makes complete sense considering the type of people who are drawn to places like this one.

There was perhaps a slightly slower/longer than needed middle section but this was still a very compelling novel.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Spoilt Creatures is an excellent debut from Amy Twigg. The writing is superb throughout, and the plot is compelling, complex, and unflinching.

Restless in life and just out of a relationship, Iris moves back in with her mother. Walking the fields one day, she sees a woman; there is something magnetic, seductive, a bit unkempt about the woman, who she comes to know as Hazel, and who will lead her to Breach House, a rural refuge of sorts in the Kent Downs for women in need of respite, recuperation, renewal. Here she finds a group of women in some way rejecting society and the disappointment, even the violence of men, under the wing of the formidable Blythe, large in stature and presence. This is a place of solidarity and empowerment, for women to be themselves, to lift each other up, to grow their own food, and create a safe and sustainable all-female haven; but is it really? Under the sweltering summer sun, Iris begins to notice situations, dynamics, actions and reactions that leave her uneasy, and this idyllic scenario slowly unravels into a nightmare after a misguided invitation to the farm sets off a chain of dark events.

With strong cultish vibes, tense throughout and at times suffocating, Spoilt Creatures explores what happens when idyllic visions and brutal reality collide. In this isolated, contained setting, these women’s grievances with the external world morph into grievances with each other, and the house is brimming with mistrust, manipulation, rage and a thirst for retribution. Even in the occasional moments of sisterhood, of tenderness, there is an uneasiness, a sense of volatility lurking beneath the surface. Infatuated with Hazel from the start, Iris desperately wants to connect with her, rise to her challenges, manage her subtle cruelties, make Hazel need her the way she needs Hazel. There is an assuredness, a sharpness, and a visceral quality to the writing style that captures first the playfulness, then the feral depths the women fall to away from the expectations of society. Exploring themes including the need to belong, parent-child relationships, vulnerability and isolation, manipulation, power struggles and female rage, this is a dark, unsettling read and a striking debut.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the DRC.

Interesting dynamics in an all female cult, hidden away, a haven for a young woman running away from her life. But not everything is as it seems...

What a book this was and a debut to boot! I met Amy last year at a reading for her book and she was wonderful. 'Spoilt Creatures' for me, was fantastic and worthy of 5 stars. It reminded me a lot of Emma Cline's book 'The Girls' both compulsive and obsessive in their content.
I enjoyed 'Spoilt Creatures' enormously as we follow Iris as she embarks on a new life living within a commune of women. The women are there to seek safety and refuge from ex partners, abusive relationships and, a change in their lives. Living in such close confinement, relationships and obsessions are bound to stir. As other reviews have said, an unapologetically bold novel that was fierce and obsessive. The novel has a reflective quality that made me think one thing when actually, although there were strong hints, another woman is brutally murdered as the women turn against each other. A fascinating read, one that had me wondering what I would do if I found myself like Iris. An interesting look at abuse and, how despite knowing and questioning what they were told to do, not having the confidence to walk away from it all. A thrilling and gripping read. Each word is carefully thought out.

What a gorgeous, intoxicating fever dream.

Enter Iris, a young woman deeply dissatisfied with her life and in pursuit of a fresh start for herself. She decides, somewhat cautiously but brimming with anticipation, to leave behind her home, possessions, relationships, and go to live at Breach House. A woman only commune set deep in the woods, and led by the formidable, yet electrifying Blythe. Everyone here is fleeing something, or someone. Some kind of unresolved trauma.

At first, Iris relishes her new sense of belonging. She tends to the allotment, develops new skills and crafts, builds her strength and along with it, her connection with these women. She falls into a rhythm with them, a somewhat disordered harmony, and soon becomes used to their raucous habits, even finds them endearing. She finds satisfaction in being able to prove herself, develops a sense of purpose.

But with the outside world desperately trying to worm its way into their sheltered cocoon, and the ominous demands of Blythe ever increasing, fractures form between the women, threatening to rupture the harmony between them, and create far reaching ripples of destruction.

A luscious story of girlhood and female rage, detailing its intracicies and contradictions, the capacity it can hold. It was impossible not to see myself in parts of it. In Iris’ naivety, her willingness and feeling of obligation to persevere, now feeling so bonded to the women. The insurmountable tether she felt to Blythe and her authoritative presence. Her relationship with Hazel in particular was spell binding, every rise and fall, the constant undertone of restless, simmering anxiety, interspersed with such a gentle queerness and warmth.

It quietly gnaws away at you, draws you in so easily you barely notice, your senses muted, inescapably immersed in the lives of these women. Just as I started to get a hold on what was unfolding, the dynamics at play (or so I thought), the narrative shifts unexpectedly.
I love not being able to predict what’s coming next, and simply being whisked along by the tension building, just happy to be involved.

Something about the repetitive nature of their work soothed me, the conformity, at times seemingly almost blending into one sole organism. The allure of being protected from the harsh reality of the outer world. As the story tore along, I unconsciously began to align myself with the narrator; bargaining with myself as she does, rationalising the women’s behaviour, justifying it at all costs. I became so enmeshed with the environment of Breach House, it became hard to detach myself.

At times, as hard as it was to tear myself away, I had to pause. I sometimes felt their pain a little too much, it became so very real! My stomach dropping, a gnarly rock starting to form in my chest. My mouth fell open multiple times. A sign that you’re a witness to something great. It’s been such a long time since a novel provoked such a visceral reaction in me, and I loved EVERY utterly disturbing minute of it! Just a glistening spool of chaos unravelling slowly, tenderly.

Truly the most unforgettable debut, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy in June!!!

This book featured in the 2024 version of the influential and frequently literary-prize-prescient annual Observer Best Debut Novelist feature (last year included Tom Crewe. Michael Magee and Jacqueline Crooks – and previous years have featured Natasha Brown, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Douglas Stuart, Sally Rooney, Rebecca Watson, Yara Rodrigues Fowler, JR Thorp Bonnie Garmus, Gail Honeyman among many others).

The book is told in first person by Iris – alternating between sections in 2008 and 2018.

In 2008, fresh from a rather passive break-up with her long time boyfriend, Iris is forced back to live with her widowed mother (Iris’s father having died in a car accident which lead to revelations about his life) in her childhood home whose decay and drift seems to match that of her mother’s own life. Iris is searching for a way out and when she hears about some form of women’s refuge/safe space set in remote farm in the nearby Kent Downs she is attracted there – even more so when the person she speaks to at the farm is a striking woman she bumped into on a recent walk with her mother (who she finds out is called Hazel) – both Hazel and Iris seeing their pre-meeting as some form of omen and Iris strongly attracted to Hazel.

From the 2018 sections the years later: “Ten was a good number, often considered the angel number. It signified wealth and power, good luck and prosperity. Ten little monkeys, ten bottles of beer on the wall. Ten lacerations across the torso and abdomen, ten separate puncture wounds to the arms, legs, cheek. Ten years was a good amount of time to make amends.” we know early on that something terrible happened – with the commune (Breach House) notorious among true crime followers, and its matriarchal figure (Blythe) still something of a cult figure among some girls, even while in prison.

The commune is something of a safe haven for women fleeing “the malfunctioning world of indecision and patriarchy”:

It also functions as “its own ecosystem” where the women grow their own food and fiercely protect their privacy, particularly from any male visitors and the male gaze, their contact with the nearest village limited to selling their produce at the market and the occasional gardening job.

Gradually though we, and Iris, begin to see that there are cult like elements to the set up: the fierce exclusion of outsiders, the reminders of the dangers of the outside world that bought the members there in the first place, the threat to expel those who do not go along with the community’s will, the way in which the women compete and yearn for the unpredictable approval of Blythe, the threat of violence both to outsiders and to those who break ranks.

When a series of events brings the outside world into closer contact with community: some village men invited over for a drunken night in Blythe’s absence; the visit of the two adult male children of Sarah – the second in command whose family home was Breach House; the village men spreading incriminating photos of their visit around the village; a visit from police who have been told of fears of coercion at the House – the women close ranks even further and compete even more to avoid Blythe’s censure and with the threat of violence being realised.

And as the commune and book rushes towards the horrific ending we are anticipating, Iris comes to realise that the side-effects of misogyny and abusive patriarchy have been internalised both by the members of the commune and its leaders.

In the accompanying interview to the Observer feature, the author namechecks Daisy Johnson and Sophie Mackintosh as authors that she loves to read (together with Shirley Jackson who was an influence on both) and I think this book is likely to appeal to other fans of both authors (both of whom I note in passing were Booker longlisted for their own debut novels).

My thanks to Headline, Tinder Press for an ARC via NetGalley.

This was an interesting novel, exploring a cult within inside! It was interesting to read it from a UK perspective, and seeing how it went downfall. A claustrophobic read!

Amy Twigg is a fantastic debut author and one that I sense will go from strength to strength and build a loyal following as she does. Spoilt Creatures is set in a commune in Devon and I think it's brilliant that the author managed to capture the malaise of young womanhood that is so popular in the literary world right now but she is one of the few writers at the moment who manages to do this without sacrificing plot or narrative drive. The book is a compelling dissection of female want and the demands of community. Amy Twigg deftly captures the beauty and claustrophobia of the rural world and there's a richness to her descriptions and a darkness to her descriptions of psyche that make for a fantastically new gothic read.