Reviews
Haunting, nostalgic and sharply observant
In the literary tradition of Margaret Atwood and Sylvia Plath, this brave and original novel explores female agency, choice, and liberty set against a rich and authentic 1970s backdrop. It had me frothing at the mouth. Timely, terrifying and bold, Westward Women infected me in all the best ways!
Westward Women is a wholly original look at what it means to be female, itching with fear and promise and the desire to find your true self in the face of constant interference. Alice Martin writes with eloquence . . . the question of who will understand and protect, turn away, or take advantage is explored in an epic road trip novel that is impossible to put down
Exceptionally written and all-consuming, this is an intimate, nostalgic, and downright terrifying fable about women's instincts as a means for survival. Westward Women had me at every turn, and stayed with me long after I'd put it down
Westward Women is a speculative feminist road trip thriller unlike any other. An incredible ride from start to finish, this is a novel you'll want to both savour and burn through. A chilling, unforgettable, and ultimately hopeful story that will get under your skin and stay there
This novel. An all-American fever dream of manipulation, bodily autonomy, and what it means to be free. I'm still haunted
Westward Women has an air of prophecy enhanced by its close attentiveness to the intimate lives of girls and women. An audacious first novel to set beside Margaret Atwood's provocative first novel The Edible Woman
An astonishing debut that will leave you thinking long after you close its cover. A story about misunderstood women that is so needed at this time when society seems to understand us less and less. No need to pack a bag, just head west with Alice Martin . . . I promise you'll be glad you did
This is speculative fiction in its truest form: no easy outs, no cheap gimmicks. In Westward Women, an altered world unearths the mess of love and hurt and power that defines our real and everyday lives. A remarkable debut
A dazzlingly skilled novel. Clever and insidious, it gets under your skin like a virus and doesn't leave until the last page
This taut and shocking debut is part Western, part zombie thriller, and all cautionary tale about what happens when women's bodies and desires are marginalized for too long. With twists you won't see coming, Martin weaves an alternate history that's only too relevant today