The story is told from the perspective of Carla, an ambitious doctor who is on the verge of realising her dream of being the first female surgeon at a very prestigious hospital in Melbourne. She’s talented, dedicated, and hardworking, but commitment and skill might not be enough to make her dream a reality. From outside, the hospital oozes ‘wisdom and authority’ but inside lives a culture of misogyny and toxic cover-ups that is a battleground for any woman trying to survive and climb to the top.
Her main competition for the top job is Toby, her toxic boyfriend whose father is also the head of Plastic Surgery at the hospital. Toby isn’t subjected to the harassment and misogynistic jokes that Carla has learned to laugh off. She’s focussed, knowing it’s a game she needs to play if she wants to get to the top. When she meets Tess, another young female doctor who’s not so willing to turn a blind eye to sexist behaviour, she starts to question the lack of humanity shown to patients by the surgeons, as well as their unacceptable behaviour towards their female colleagues.
The chapters of Cut are broken up with pacey, short fragments and recollections of memories from ‘before’ and ‘during’ that build the tension and a feeling of dread. While some of the plot seems a little extreme, with everyone seemingly out to get Carla, it’s the more subtle misogyny that got to me. It’s the reality women face every day, not just in the medical profession. At its core, this is what Cut captures.
Definitely a book to read and discuss with your friends or book club.
Reviewed by Anabel Pandiella
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan is a doctor who writes fiction for adults and young adults.
As a clinical geneticist, Susan hunts for answers to undiagnosed genetic conditions in children – a kind of DNA-sleuth for kids, minus the trench coat.
Susan is an Honorary Clinical Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne
As a writer, she uses story to make sense of the world she lives in. Her YA novel, Take the Shot, was published by Affirm Press in 2019, longlisted for the Children’s Book Council Awards for Older Readers, and shortlisted for the Readings Prize for Young Adults. Her adult novel, Cut, was shortlisted for the Kill Your Darlings’ Unpublished Manuscript Award in 2017 and is to be published by Affirm Press in 2022.
When she is not drumming up new ideas for stories, Susan hangs out with her husband, their two kids and their gorgeous neurotic dog Snowy.
0 Comments