Let’s be real, sometimes you just want a book that makes you say, “Wait… what the literal HELL did I just read?” Something that’s feral, feminine, and completely, horrifically unfiltered. If you’ve ever finished a novel and thought, “This was disturbing… I need more,” welcome. You’re in the right place. This is your official starter pack for unhinged girl literature: a genre where the women are weird, wild, and usually completely insufferable (and just a little murderous). To start us off, here are eight books for when you want to read about women who are simply not doing well, and thriving because of it.
1. Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
For the girl who thinks that societal expectations are cultish (because they kind of are)
From the author of Convenience Store Woman comes a darker, weirder story about Natsuki, a girl who’s pretty sure she’s an alien. And honestly? She might be. Earthlings is about escaping the soul-crushing system that we call “normal life” and choosing delusion over conformity. Trigger warnings abound, but if you want a book that makes you sit in stunned silence after the final page, this is it.
2. Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
For the girl who’s one email away from losing it
A stay-at-home mom thinks she’s turning into a dog. No, literally. This is body horror meets postpartum psychosis meets suburban existentialism (and somehow it’s funny, too). Nightbitch is the kind of book that makes you want to howl at the moon and then order a bunch of meat online. An unhinged ode to motherhood and primal rage.
3. Boy Parts by Eliza Clark
For the girls who love a little American Psycho but want it slay
Irina is a hot, morally corrupt photographer who takes explicit photos of men, and that’s just the beginning of where she spirals from. Boy Parts is sharp, twisted, and laugh-out-loud funny in the most messed-up way. It’s about power, art, and being a woman so insane that it becomes a performance. Perfect for when you want to feel seen and scared at the same time.
4. She’s Always Hungry by Eliza Clark
For the girl who’s a bottomless pit (metaphorically… or not)
If you didn’t know by now, I’m a certified Eliza Clark stan. Her newest fever dream novel features a collection of short stories about women that are always hungry—sexually, emotionally, existentially, even just generally. These stories are sticky, indulgent, and disturbingly relatable. You will not be able to put it down without wanting more.
5. Chlorine by Jade Song
For the gifted kid who now goes to therapy
Meet Ren, a competitive swimmer who’s trying to become a mermaid (yes, really). Chlorine is a haunting and glittery coming-of-age story about queer identity, bodily autonomy, and the toxic pursuit of perfection. Dreamy, disturbing, and beautifully written, it’s a story that any person once deemed a “gifted child” can relate to.
6. A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers
For the girl who thinks she could kill with style (and somehow not get arrested)
Dorothy is a food critic with a refined palate and a taste for human flesh. Yep. A cannibal girlie, but make it highbrow. This book is Hannibal Lecter meets Sex and the City, and it’s as delicious as it is depraved. If you love a femme fatale with no regrets and way too much vocabulary, Dorothy’s your girl.
7. Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
For the girl who owns dry shampoo and has zero empathy
Eileen is weird. Not in a quirky “oh, she’s so random” way, but in a please stop narrating your bowel movements kind of way. She lives with her emotionally abusive father and works at a juvenile boys prison. When a new psychologist blows into town, she finally snaps. This book is grimy, miserable, and brilliant. Perfect if you like your protagonists as unpleasant as possible.
8. Bunny by Mona Awad
For the girl who barely survived her BFA program
Think Heathers meets The Secret History with just a dash of Frankenstein. Samantha, a loner in a graduate writing program, gets sucked into a pink, glittered cult of rich, weird girls who call each other “Bunny” and might be performing ritual sacrifice. It’s a twisted love letter to female friendship, creativity, and full-blown psychosis.
If you’ve ever felt like the main character in a haunting film directed by Sofia Coppola, these books are for you. The protagonists are messy, the plots are unhinged, and I think we all can admit, sometimes you just need to read about a woman who is completely unraveling to finally feel a little more put together. Happy reading, you little psychos!