I’m looking for books where the female protagonist is unhinged, unreliable, and kind of a shitty person, but you can’t help but empathize with her in some way. Bonus points if it is queer.
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo might be right up your alley.
It’s about a college professor who murders the shitty men on campus. And it’s queer.
-UnicornFart on
Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft
Starlight_City45 on
My Year of Rest and Relaxation comes to mind – narrator is a selfish, self-absorbed, obnoxious and unreliable. I literally hated her *but* I couldn’t help but emphasize and take pity on her.
I do believe there are some queer *undertones* and *hints* depending on how you absorb the story but it isn’t very “in your face” like it’s very dependent on the reader to decide how they interpret it.
FYI – it’s very triggering in terms of mental illness/depression and contains a lot of dark humour. It’s not for everybody but it was interesting to hate somebody so much yet still want them to do well.
Mirukail on
Out by Natsuo Kirino checks most of your boxes except for ‘unhinged’. It’s a calculated, understandable moral greyness. The story isn’t queer, but it passes the Bechdel test with flying colors. Plus, I loved how the narrative revolves around ‘common*’ working women. It is what ‘Women’s Wrongs’ looks like in a realistic society. Salt of the earth literature for everyday anti-heroines.
*hard-working, paid minimum wage, rough and tired from honest living
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They Never Learn by Layne Fargo might be right up your alley.
It’s about a college professor who murders the shitty men on campus. And it’s queer.
Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft
My Year of Rest and Relaxation comes to mind – narrator is a selfish, self-absorbed, obnoxious and unreliable. I literally hated her *but* I couldn’t help but emphasize and take pity on her.
I do believe there are some queer *undertones* and *hints* depending on how you absorb the story but it isn’t very “in your face” like it’s very dependent on the reader to decide how they interpret it.
FYI – it’s very triggering in terms of mental illness/depression and contains a lot of dark humour. It’s not for everybody but it was interesting to hate somebody so much yet still want them to do well.
Out by Natsuo Kirino checks most of your boxes except for ‘unhinged’. It’s a calculated, understandable moral greyness. The story isn’t queer, but it passes the Bechdel test with flying colors. Plus, I loved how the narrative revolves around ‘common*’ working women. It is what ‘Women’s Wrongs’ looks like in a realistic society. Salt of the earth literature for everyday anti-heroines.
*hard-working, paid minimum wage, rough and tired from honest living
Anything [Gillian Flynn](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2383.Gillian_Flynn), but especially [The Grownup](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26025580-the-grownup).
[We Have Always Lived in the Castle](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89724.We_Have_Always_Lived_in_the_Castle) is a classic as is [Rebecca](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17899948-rebecca), though personally I just find the protagonist of that one exasperating.
For something more literary,[Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51648276-drive-your-plow-over-the-bones-of-the-dead).