Don’t judge these books by their delicate pink covers. Their contents may shock, scare, thrill, or even offend you.
Whether horror, science fiction, or contemporary fiction, these novels written by women featuring devilish female characters deliver much more bite than what their soft, feminine cover color reveals.
No matter which of these five delightful reads you choose, you will have a fantastic reading time!
Pink covers hiding dark tales
“Bunny” by Mona Awad
A TikTok and YouTube favorite, Mona Awad’s debut novel, “Bunny,” centers on the MFA student Samantha Heather Mackey in her final year in a creative writing program at Warren University. Samantha hates her cohort cruelly deemed “bunnies” and is distant from her professors and spends most of her free time with eccentric friend Ava.
Only when she’s invited to join the Bunnies for a smut salon does Samantha begin to understand the full extent of the power of imagination and muse. “Bunny” gained popularity for its shifting points of view in writing and its confusing conclusion.
Recommended for fans of weird literature.
“Invisible Woman” by Katia Lief
A feminist psychological thriller about a woman’s decision to revisit an incident from 25 years ago that cost her a friendship. Joni Ackerman gave up her promising film career to stay home and raise children while her husband, Paul, could build a career as a safety net for the family.
Joni is forced to investigate what ended her friendship with Val while addressing issues in her marriage. During this tumultuous time, she seeks comfort in Patricia Highsmith’s classic murder mystery “Strangers on a Train.”
“Invisible Woman” by Katia Lief examines the complex nature of marriage, friendships and what we tell ourselves and one another.
“Annie Bot” by Sierra Greer
Compared with an episode of “Black Mirror,” Sierra Greer’s “Annie Bot” explores the relationship between a custom-made cuddle bot and her owner. The novel is told from android Annie’s perspective as she continually develops her consciousness and understanding of the world around her.
Doug, the man who designed her based on his ex-wife’s appearance, regularly insults her, which causes her to question how she can please him. He’s also embarrassed to have Annie and other bot as his female companions.
“Annie Bot” is a near-future novel about the intersection of technology and humanity.
“She Regrets Nothing” by Andrea Dunlop
Laila Lawrence just wants her birthright. As the 23-year-old granddaughter of the wealthiest men in New York. After her parents die, Laila leaves her hometown in Michigan and moves to New York.
Her parents’ estrangement from the family comes to light, while Laila decides to pull skeletons from the family closet and create some new ones. The young woman is torn between family loyalty and keeping the lifestyle to which she’s become accustomed.
“She Regrets Nothing” by Andrea Dunlop shines a light on the dark side of wealth and family conflicts.
“Youthjuice” by E.K. Sathue
A gory and satirical take on New York It-Girl Culture, “Youthjuice” by E.K. Sathue centers on 29-year-old Sophia after starting her work at HEBE. The woman-owned company prides itself on delivering the highest levels of beauty to its customers.
Sophia soon learns of the internal issues at HEBE, including the gruesome ingredients in its addictive moisturizer. The closeness she shares with HEBE’s founder complicates her feelings, and she must decide what to do.
“Youthjuice” markets itself as the “American Psycho” of beauty influencer novels.
Conclusion
Pretty pink covers don’t always contain sweet stories of first loves and happy endings.
With provocative heroines in challenging situations that will leave you puzzled and transfixed, each of these novels would make a great addition to your To-Be-Read List.
