As with any short story collection, there were highs and lows, but the highs in this one were so, so good. I almost wish a few of them were expanded into full books rather than short stories. Highly recommended.

This is difficult for me to really rate.
Short story collections are always hit and miss for me. There will be stories I really enjoyed and ones I just didn't get. This is no exception. While the topics at hand are important and some of the stories really hit me. Some I just felt I didn't really get the meaning of.

I adored this book - one of my favourite reads so far this year. I absolutely devoured it in the space of a few hours. A thoughtful, introspective but darkly funny at times look at what it means to be a woman right now. A relevant book for all women and girls at all stages of life. Some stories were funny, some tragic, some satirical but all moving in their own way. I enjoyed the fairytale character/goddess/mythical creature interludes and the palate cleansers after the more disturbing and thought provoking stories. Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing an ARC for this book.

It's safe to say I devoured this thought provoking read by Monika Radojevic. A series of short stories looking at the every day struggles, truths, and ups and downs of being a woman I found myself completely hooked throughout. The intense, easy writing style of Radojevic made this a for sure page turner with each story captivating me just as much as the last. Saying that, I did have my favourites throughout this book, a personal standout being "Woman on the Internet" but what I found this did was highlight the fact that everyone who reads this book will have their favourites stories they find themselves connected to and relating to the most. There were even some stories I wished were longer so I could simply explore more of the characters and their stories.

Now, this book comes at such an important time and I'm confident the words and tough subjects raised throughout this read will kick start conversations we as a society we need. We live in a world where violence against women is on the rise across the world and the collection of stories presented to us here highlight the uncertain life we as women live in as well the struggles, the anger, the abuse, violence and at the core, the female rage that lives deep within so many of us.

Monika Radojevic captivates her audience as we are taken on a journey that doesn't shy away from highlighting common myths, stereotypes and even fairy tales that centre around women and the potential harm is has sent our way and the anger that simmers beneath us. Topics around motherhood, career and social life, social media, abuse, historical violence against women bleed through the pages of this book refusing to shy away from tough subjects that even us as women may find hard to honestly talk about at times.

As we read more of this book its clear that this is a fantastic, current and relevant book that provides its reader with facts, the occasional statistics and creative stories that leave us totally gripped. The modern tales, descriptions and themes are sure to create conversations around the world for there is no doubt in my mind so many will relate to this book. I ended the final chapter feeling proud to be a woman, emotional and ready for more discussions. This is one I will most certainly recommend to family, friends, and anyone open to looking deeper into the society we live in and life as a woman especially through a more creative lens. I'm confident this book will kick start more conversations around these topics at a time where we must discuss violence against women and womanhood even more.

No matter where you are on your journey of womanhood you will find a relatable story within these pages. This anthology is a masterpiece that captures the female experience in a uniquely metaphorical light.

I almost DNF’d the book 5 pages in. Salt badgers? WTF? I don’t have time for this. Then I realized I have two salt badgers of my own & the story resonated deeply with my journey through motherhood.

I want to give this work 5 stars, but some of the stories are lackluster compared to the standouts & a few are taken from the author’s previous book.

Fierce fragments of femininity. Compelling voice which explores the world and its injustices with sardonic humour.

This was an absolutely fantastic short story collection exploring themes of womanhood, motherhood, sexism, and racism amongst others. Some stories were disturbing, some were funny, some witty and all biting satires of our society and its attitude. I particularly liked the idea of the palate cleansers and the stories to read your 5 year old. My highlights were Woman on the Internet, She who swallowed a universe and Council of dead women but each of these stories were strong in their own way. A must read!

I recommend this collection because of its contemporary feel and the many important themes it deals with.
I can say this easily; there are many stories in this collection, some of which are very short - there will certainly be something for everyone.

Loved it loved it loved it.
Absolutely devoured this.
The themes are so hard hitting and relatable for women and the writing was so beautiful and raw.
I really enjoy a short story (short attention span so they suit me perfectly) however there were a few that I wish were novels because I got so into them and they really just stuck with me after reading.
I came away from this collection with a sort of sadness overpowered by a strong feeling of pride for women and what we can endure.
I would and will be recommending this to literally all my friends.
Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC, I am beyond grateful to have found a new and wonderful author to follow.

Alexa play Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poet’s Department while I read A Beautiful Lack of Consequence! It’s giving girlhood, female rage, lived female experience et al. This is going to be talked about when it’s released and I’m giddy that I’ve already read it through once. I need a copy on my bookshelf come March (that cover though 😍)

A big thank you to, Random House UK, Cornerstone + Merky Books for the opportunity to read this before it’s published on 20th March 2025 #ABeautifulLackofConsequence #NetGalley

I enjoyed this book, it was different to my usual kind of book but I'm glad I gave it a go as I really enjoyed it.

Firstly, I’m so grateful for this ARC copy, it’s been amazing to read and I’m very grateful to Random House UK for letting me read and review it!

‘I don’t know about you, but to me, a symphony of women in full-throated, belly-aching laughter is the most defiant, beautiful sound there is. It’s because the sound of our joy is also the sound of hope, and if we needed to, I think we could do it forever.’

Monika Radojevic’s short story collection bounces from remodelling the stagnant myths and fairytales that have shaped the perception of women throughout history, through to co-opting the very real fears that contemporary women contain within themselves each day.

Radojevic’s use of genre and technique flits between satire, dark humour and bathos to tackle the dystopian pasts, realities, and futures of the female experience. Throughout her thirty beautifully constructed tales, there are jump-scares, palate cleansers, and surrealist shifts that challenge how we perceive female experience and female anger, and what we can do when it comes to holding this knowledge within ourselves.

How does capitalism barricade attempts to secure women’s safety? How can childcare (read: badgers) and corporate careers co-exist? What on earth do we do about the bystander effect? I could list so many questions that Radojevic opens and explores within her narratives - there really are too many to note. However, it is clear that the burning statement is, indeed, her collection’s title that criticises the often horrifying lack of consequence of violence towards women. What Radojevic does with this title, though, is also subvert it towards redefining how this can also benefit women.

Radojevic’s writing style is visceral, stabbing, and necessary. Whilst she doesn’t provide answers to the questions she raises, her surrealist entry into thinking about these themes is highly provoking, and reading this collection felt like having my brain prodded and reshaped as if it were plasticine… (in a good way).

In her acknowledgements, Radojevic cites writers, such as Angela Carter, as influential predecessors for her writing style, and this is beautifully clear within this short story collection. However, whilst she adopts the thematic undercurrents of writers like Carter, Radojevic differentiates herself through her ability to stun the reader through her structural variation and enjoyably jarring humour.

I have given this collection a rating of 4.5 (rounded to 5) as, whilst I enjoyed it, it is not the sort of book I could devour in one hit due to its discussions of heavier topics. However, on this note, I really appreciated Radojevic’s structural splicing that interweaves what she calls ‘Palate Cleansers’. These super-short stories, flash fiction almost, of 1-2 pages disrupt the heaviness of prior tales and add either moments of poetic uplift or act as turning points to the existing mood.

If you love collections that thematise girlhood, untangle female experience, articulate rage, and playfully exploit and subvert allegories, then you’ll love this short story collection.