'She was fierce, with a pair of wings, but somewhere along the way she sold them'.

'A Beautiful Lack of Consequence', is a book of short stories in different genres, and of varied length (some are simply a paragraph) but all have a feminist theme to them. Some of the stories are angry, some are dismayed and resigned, yet others are frustrated vents and some are simply thoughtful musings'.

With titles like, 'Man in a Can' and fairytale twists on offer, 'The free accommodation was handy, for sure, especially after I'd run away with literally nothing except for the clothes on my back. But taking care of seven men? That lost its shine on day two...', there really is something for every mood. I appreciated the story about the girl who begins to become aware of her looks and her body as a teenager, and how this focus changes and morphs over time as she becomes a young woman, a mother, a middle-aged and then an old woman. I think many of us can relate with a sense of sadness, 'I spent years obsessing about how good I'd look when I was older and now I'd do anything to go back a decade'.

This is definitely a 'pick up' and 'put down' book as the mood takes you. I found many of its messages so true and poignant as well as wry and thoughtful.

'The world is not safe for us, not built for us, not changing fast enough for us'.

this was an absolutely incredible read!
30 short stories about the experiences of womanhood that at times was so creepy and confronting i had to put it down… but every single one was incredibly written and memorable.
seriously if you want to feel the familiar burn of feminine rage and you love a show like black mirror, you will love this!

the stand out for me was ‘council of dead women’ i think that might be burned into my brain forever😔

thank you netgalley & cornerstone for the opportunity to read it early!
lucky for everyone else i was very delayed in writing my review and it’s actually out now!

i loved this collection of short stories, very visceral, lots of different and interesting formats used, really interesting formats. would recommend!

This was a beautiful read that held a mirror up to womanhood in a dark and visceral manner. Even though there often a bizarre presence to some of the stories it still holds a light up to the relatable nightmare of being a woman.

Absolutely gorgeous. This made me laugh, gasp, and rage. Not always in that order. Radojevic has created a short story collection with a strong and clear narrative centering women and feminism. Her stories cover the expected topics, relationship dynamics, families, work, politics etc. They also touch on consumerism, nature, and fairy tales. There is a key story focusing on trans acceptance and there has never been a more important time for this.

This book jumped from contemporary, to dystopian, to sci-fi, to fantasy so brilliantly. Every writing technique and genre felt so purposeful for each story. No story felt out of place and even after finishing there a number that have stuck with me so strongly that I can't stop thinking about them.

This book made me feel proud to be a woman and I can't wait to buy this for all the men who have told me they don't understand, and for all the women in my life who have felt alone in their emotions.

Writing a short story collection is no easy feat but Monika Radojevic has set the bar for 2025.

A Beautiful Lack of Consequence is a brilliantly unique collection of short stories; united around the theme of the pressures and challenges of being a woman.

The book starts in a surreal fashion with Salt Badgers. Each story after that was unpredictable, and overall it was unlike any short story collection I’ve read before. Some of the themes touched on were a little dark, and others were wryly funny. Weaponised Incompetence was one of my favourites, as well as Salt Badgers. A really impressive debut, and I’d highly recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Cornerstone, and Merky Books for the ARC.

A Beautiful Lack of Consequence is a delightful collection of short stories that explores many issues relevant to women. From navigating relationships to confronting societal expectations, Monika Radojevic crafts narratives that resonate deeply, celebrating both the ordinary and extraordinary moments that shape our lives.

Each story offers a unique perspective, and even the ones that stressed me out left a lasting impression, making the collection all the more compelling.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I usually hate short story collections, but this one has changed my opinion on these types of books. Radojevic spun these individual stories together so well, although there was no direct relevance I really felt the threads that kept these characters connected. I adored the longer form ones, a few of these would make fantastic novellas or even full length books. I also liked the step into fantasy and horror some of the later ones took, they were experimental but they worked.

All these stories had one thing in common, their commentary on women. From first person perspectives to short conversations, every story told an unflinching and familiar narrative, one that left me feeling seen and understood but slightly unnerved. This take was my favourite part of these stories, no matter how short or character/plot focused each story was, I knew there was a message there. Relevant, timely and bold, this is a collection that pulls no punches and was a thrill to read.

This short story collection hit me with punch after punch that left me absolutely breathless. This collection has about 30 stories, ranging from a few paragraphs to 10-15 pages long, that explore living as a woman with razor-sharp authenticity.

Every single story hijacked my emotions; I cried with rage and laughed with joy, and overall I'm just blown away. It comes at a very important time in world history, some of the stories so relevant it's hard to believe they were written before the events of the last few months.

I love the diversity of settings, characters and even genres, covering realistic contemporary through to futuristic dystopias, myth retellings, and fantastical afterlives. Radojevic is a master of words and I really want to pick up her poetry collection now.

Some of these I wish could be expanded into a novella or longer novel, but I also love the collection as a whole and I think the stories all work really well with each other. I particularly liked the 3 or 4 "palate cleansers" in between some of the heavier stories.

The collection of short stories highlights the state of constant danger that women face every day, with dark humor and satire. Thought provoking and one for the times we're in.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC to review!

4 stars!

This hit me in many ways, sometimes I chuckled, felt angry, sad, relatable, and so many more. The collection has lots of different things going within it but all linked to the female experience and what women have gone through, feel, do/have done, think, feel. There is so much in short ways that all give a punch.

Fantastic!

Read "A Beautiful Lack of Consequence" to review for Mslexia issue 105 - What's New in Short Stories. Thank you for the arc!

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.