Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg #SpoiltCreatures @aetwigg @TinderPress #BookReview

 

They thought they knew everything about us. The kind of women we were.

It was a place for women. A remote farm tucked away in the Kent Downs. A safe space.

When Iris - newly single and living at home with her mother - meets the mysterious and beguiling Hazel, who lives in a women's commune, she finds herself drawn into the possibility of a new start away from the world of men who have only let her down. Here, at Breach House, the women can be loud and dirty, live and eat abundantly, all while under the leadership of their gargantuan matriarch, Blythe.

But even among the women, there are power struggles, cruelty and transgressions that threaten their precarious way of life. When a group of men arrives on the farm, the commune's existence is thrown into question, hurtling Iris and the other women towards an act of devastating violence.

Fierce and unapologetic, Spoilt Creatures is an intoxicating debut about transgression, sisterhood and the seductive nature of obsession. It pulls back the skin of patriarchal violence and examines the female rage that lurks beneath.

Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg was published in hardback on 6 June 2024 by Tinder Press. The paperback edition will be published on 27 March 2025. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

I first came across Amy Twigg many years ago via her book review blog. I always admired her carefully thought out and extremely well written reviews and it is no surprise to me that she has gone on to write this perfectly crafted novel. Not only that, but she was voted one of the ten best debut novelists of 2024 by The Observer. 

Spoilt Creatures is everything that I want and need from a novel. I am a huge fan of stories that are based around communes/cults and Breach House is the perfect example of how a group of people can be brought together, for varying reasons, and fall under the spell of someone who is far more powerful than them, 

Told in the first person by Iris, the newest inhabitant of Breach House, the narrative has an almost dream like quality to it at times. Iris has always been something of an ordinary woman, haunted by the death of her father when she was a teen, and continuing a strained relationship with her mother. Iris and her live in boyfriend Nathan have recently parted, and she finds herself back in her childhood bedroom, living with her mother, surrounded by things that are too familiar, working in yet another short term job.

When Iris meets Hazel for the first time, she is is intrigued and more than a little bit smitten. This woman who eats artichokes straight from the jar taken directly from the shop shelf. This woman who feels mysterious and who is both welcoming, yet cold and distant at the same time. Iris has seen Hazel before though, in the woods a few days ago, she watched as Hazel picked wild mushrooms. Something about her making her stare for too long. 

Hazel lives at Breach House. A farmhouse outside of the village, occupied by women only and overseen by matriarch Blythe. Iris is increasingly intrigued by the house and telephones constantly in the hope that she can join them. Eventually, she is allowed to visit, and she stays. Breach House is different to anywhere that Iris has ever been before, the occupants are an eclectic mix of young and older women. Some live and sleep there, some of them arrive during day time only and then return to their families. All of them are running, or hiding from something.

Blythe is a large woman. Strong, rugged, takes no prisoners, runs a tight house and is respected by all of the other women. However, she does need to keep a close eye on them, and if her glance strays, then some of the women begin to act like children would. Pushing the boundaries, taking risks. 

It is one of these events that is the downfall of Breach House and all of those who live there. The women's inability to stick to the rules leads to paranoia and distrust, and eventually to tragedy and to horrific violence. 

Twigg's writing is luscious. Her description of Breach House, both inside and the surrounding area is just delicious. The shimmering, blistering heat as the sun beats down on the women and the plants, followed by the torrential rainfall. This adds such depth to what is already a simmering hot pot of angst and anger. 

There are some characters who really stand out, those who take the lead roles and these are beautifully created. Terribly flawed, yet with their own vulnerabilities, there's a passionate anger that flows through them all, moving the story on and creating a feeling of doubt within the reader at times. 

A novel filled with female anger, full of often misguided friendships and the alienation of a group of people who don't fit the norm. An excellent read. Highly recommended by me. 

Amy Twigg was born in Kent, and is currently based in Surrey. 

Her novel Spoilt Creatures won the BPA Pitch Prize and was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Competition. 

In 2024, she was selected as one of the Observer's Best New Novelists.

Spoilt Creatures is her first novel.

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