Ella Baxter’s debut novel is an original story that examines grief and intimacy in a modern Australian setting.

We’re introduced to the character Lia, an emotionally unavailable young woman who fills her time on dating apps, having casual sex and working as a cosmetician at her family’s mortuary business. At the crux of the novel is Lia’s intimacy issues; while she is close to her eccentric family, she struggles to maintain meaningful relationships.

When a tragedy befalls her family, Lia escapes to Tasmania to avoid confronting her feelings of grief, leaving her stepfather, Vincent, and brother, Simon, to deal with the fallout. In Tasmania she stays with her estranged biological father, Jack. Despite his absence throughout her life, Jack supports Lia during this tumultuous period and ultimately helps navigate her grief.

The novel takes an unusual turn when in an attempt to quell her anguish, Lia gets back on her dating app. What follows is a confronting sexual encounter which ultimately propels her into the world of BDSM.

Baxter provides an informative and perceptive account of the kink subculture and highlights that while in the right setting it can be empowering for some, the culture’s lack of regulation is a source of much contention. Lia’s inexperience and vulnerability places her at the mercy of this highly unregulated subculture, leaving her even more traumatised than before.

Despite the unconventional premise of this novel, I found the characters and their grief believable. This was primarily because of Baxter’s astute ability at creating recognisable experiences and emotions in unfamiliar settings. This is an interesting first novel.

Reviewed by Akina Hansen