In recent years, the publishing industry has been inundated with a vibrant variety of “weird girl” books, with Penguin Vintage recently leaning into this popular new trend by announcing the release of a brand new “Weird Girls” book collection. Featuring a range of archival “weird girl” classics and novellas that we all know and adore, the series includes iconic titles like Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter, Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh, and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
This greatly influential subgenre of literary fiction sets out to explore themes of traditional femininity, gender roles, and female sexuality by unflinchingly subverting preconceived tropes and stereotypes surrounding female protagonists. They typically focus on unconventional, deeply complex women as their main characters who undergo and embrace a tumultuous journey of self-exploration, often having to confront extreme internal conflicts and reject conformity in order to find eventual peace and self-fulfilment.
To celebrate Penguin’s release, we thought it would be fun to round up 10 more “weird girl” books that would fit right in with this new collection (and make the perfect additions to your very own bookshelves)! Hold onto your seats, folks, things are about to get pretty strange…
Trigger Warning: This article contains a brief mention of suicide. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Boy Parts by Eliza Clark
Boy Parts by Eliza Clark is a darkly humorous novel that follows a young woman named Irena as she sets out to blur the lines between empowerment and exploitation by taking explicit photographs of unconsenting men. The story delves into Irena’s self-destructive inner world as she struggles to navigate her complex relationships, career rivalries, and the torment of her own immaterial artistic ambitions.
Dealing with themes of gender, sexuality, and power, the novel additionally explores social taboos surrounding female sexuality and pleasure in a way that is both shocking and hilarious. It is a provocative “weird girl” read that re-examines what it means to occupy a culturally objectified female body in the modern-day, whilst also seeking to expose the challenges of preserving internal desires and demons in a patriarchal world that continually seeks to silence them.
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers
Narrated by Dorothy Daniels, an esteemed food critic and convicted serial killer, Chelsea G. Summers’ A Certain Hunger is another dark satire that you should immediately add to your TBR. The story alternates between Dorothy’s life of indulgence, spanning from childhood right up to her sophisticated career in the culinary arts, as well as the events that led up to her eventual imprisonment for murder.
The novel deals with ideas surrounding sexual appetites, gender, and the repressed dark side of the female psyche, all whilst immersing readers in Dorothy’s refreshingly unapologetic, if psychopathic, tendencies. This book is known amongst fans of “weird girl” fiction for its original exploration into female rage and moral transgression, challenging societal expectations around the role of women whilst doing so.
Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Leigh Allen
Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Leigh Allen is another really great dark comedic novel that sets out to satirize reality television. Exploring themes of fear, loneliness, and the sexual allure of the unknown, the story follows the final four female contestants on a dating show called The Catch. These women, stranded together on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest for the filming of the finale, are competing for the affections of a rich bachelor.
Whilst they are there, a mysterious local named Patricia suddenly emerges from the woods, adding an unnerving element to the blatant artificiality already pervasive in the book. The contestants soon realise that the island — and Patricia — contain dark secrets and the potential for a danger beyond their comprehension. Allen’s genius interweaving of a manufactured TV dating show with a plot straight from a box-office thriller culminates in a dazzling blur between reality and fantasy that is simply too good to be missed. Go and read it now!
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata follows a misfit girl called Natsuki who feels as though she doesn’t quite fit in. On an annual visit to see her extended family, her cousin Yuu confides that he also feels the same way, believing that the reason is that he is not a human at all, but actually an alien. Natsuki immediately identifies with his theory, deciding that she too must be from another planet — a planet called Popinbopopia.
This is a novel that deftly explores themes of nonconformity, alienation (literally!), and the societal pressure placed on young people to follow the crowd, particularly in conversations surrounding sex and gender roles. Natsuki’s desire to escape from the tyrannical expectations of the “Earthlings” makes this a poignant and relatable read for anyone who has ever felt pressure for being different, and thus a ‘weird girl’ book that we highly recommend.
My Husband by Maud Ventura
Maud Ventura’s debut novel, My Husband, tells the story of a woman’s obsessive love for her husband and the insane lengths she goes to in order to preserve the appearance of a perfect relationship. The narrative, told primarily from the wife’s point of view, explores her meticulously organised preparations for every encounter, her intense observation of everything her spouse does, as well as her countless attempts to test the limits of his love, all whilst questioning the limits of her own reciprocation.
This is a dark, domestic satire, delving deeply into the secrets and perversions hidden within a seemingly ideal marriage. Its resonant portrayal of extreme perfectionism, suspenseful humour, and the unreliable narrator you can’t help but empathise with makes this an incredible “weird girl” read.
Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth
Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth is a uniquely unsettling domestic horror novel following a woman named Amber Lamb who, after finding “the Great God” in her husband Ralph, moves with him into his mother Laura’s home. Laura’s cruelty towards her own son, as well as her eventual suicide, haunt the loved-up couple, with her vengeful ghost tormenting them in a multitude of unsettling ways.
Amber, desperate to prove how much she loves Ralph and put an end to the evil hold that Laura has over the house once and for all, is forced to make a drastic sacrifice. The novel examines themes of motherhood, mortality, grief, and the darkly complex nature of familial ties and romantic relationships. This is the evil mother-in-law trope multiplied by a thousand, making it the perfect addition to this list.
Bunny by Mona Awad
Bunny, by iconic “weird girl” writer Mona Awad, follows a creative writing MFA student named Samantha Mackey. Upon enrolling at the prestigious Warren University, she finds herself initially repulsed by the freakish clique of overly-feminine girls she has as her fellow classmates. This group of girls calls themselves “Bunnies,” and they are soon shown to be involved with all manner of peculiar occult practices. When Samantha’s status as an outsider is overcome by her intense fascination for the clique’s secretive dealings, she finds herself initiated into their company, a choice which sends her down a spiral of loneliness, desire, and belonging.
The novel cleverly highlights the power of imagination, with Awad purposefully blurring the boundaries between reality and fantasy throughout the story. This book has been highly praised for its darkly satirical portrayal of female friendships, as well as its outrageous use of mystery and magic. The highly anticipated sequel to this book, We Love You, Bunny, is due to be released in the Autumn of 2025 – giving you plenty of time to grab your copy of Bunny today and give it a read. You definitely won’t regret it!
Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval
Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval follows a Norwegian biology student named Jo, who moves to England for university, and there, becomes entangled with an eccentric older woman named Carral, who lives in a disused brewery. The novel looks at themes of queer desire, sexual awakening, and the blurred lines that separate the self from others. Its unsettling depiction of female bodies is brought even further into focus as Jo attempts to navigate and adapt to her new environment, particularly in her new, decaying home with Carral.
Carral functions as a singularly mysterious yet charismatic figure who draws Jo into a co-dependent relationship with astonishing ease. This novel was a sensation on BookTok when it was first published, with many readers claiming that the story completely melted their brains and left them speechless.
The Lamb by Lucy Rose
The Lamb by Lucy Rose is a twisted, coming-of-age folk tale about a young girl called Margot, who lives with her mother in a remote cottage where they consume wayward strangers, known as “strays.” When a mysterious woman named Eden arrives, Margot’s world is completely upended as her mother becomes infatuated with her. This leads to a stark questioning of her lifestyle, desires, and appetite.
This novel is worth reading for its dark, gothic, and feminist take on the folk horror genre, as well as for its complex exploration of mother-daughter relationships, looking especially at its influence over womanhood and female desire. It also considers themes of human survival and feminine rage, while bearing witness to the dark side of female nature. This is a haunting, visceral, and truly unforgettable read that you will not be able to put down.
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder is a novel about an unnamed, stay-at-home mother who experiences a surreal transformation into a dog. It handles themes of motherhood, isolation, female identity, and the societal pressures faced by women to get married and have children, even if their personal aspirations lie elsewhere. We witness as the protagonist grapples with the psychological and physical constraints of motherhood, seeking answers in a mythical ethnography where enraged women transform into animals, and seeking solace and expression through performance art.
Nightbitch was adapted into a 2024 horror-comedy movie by Searchlight Pictures and stars Amy Adams in the lead role. Both the book and the film are ideal recommendations for fans of “weird girl” fiction, with Yoder’s profoundly relevant discourse surrounding motherhood and female art cultivating into a highly compelling story that you will be stuck thinking about forever.
So there we have it! 10 “weird girl” recs you can sink your teeth into whilst we excitedly await the release of Penguin’s new collection. The world of “weird girl” fiction is brilliantly wide, and there are so many other novels that we could have spotlighted here. Head over to our Bookstr Socials and let us know which “weird girl” books are your favourites and which of the Penguin collection you’re most looking forward to reading.
Want to discover more “weird” reads? Check out our article Come One, Come All: A Look at Weird and Wacky Book Genres.
Check out our Bookshop for more thought-provoking book recommendations about womanhood.
