That uniquely magical moment when a novel knocks you flat and makes you ask, “Did that really just happen?” The joy of reading a passage multiple times to revisit the delightful insanity that liberates the reader from their reality.

In "Cruelty Free," author Caroline Glenn delivers a number of these moments in a playfully sinister new novel. In the tradition of Miranda July’s "All Fours" and Rachel Yoder’s "Nightbitch," the off-kilter entertainment of an unhinged plot is paired wonderfully with an exploration of deeply meaningful themes. "Cruelty Free" will have readers contemplating, cringing, and even crying throughout the pages of this impressive work.

A star’s tragedy sparks a dangerous rebirth

The ransom note read: “Dear Ms. Devlin, We have your baby. Prepare $5 million in cash.”

Once a Hollywood icon, Lila Devlin, experienced the incomprehensible loss of her young daughter ten years ago. A botched police investigation and a failed attempt to pay the ransom resulted in the girl’s death shortly after she was abducted from her home. The pain of losing her only child was multiplied by betrayal from her closest friends and colleagues after speculation that Lila may have been involved in the unsolved crime.

Ten years later, Devlin has gone into hiding, traveling the globe in search of peace, desperate to escape the grief of her loss. Any meaningful healing is hampered by her resentment of the incompetent investigators, greedy tabloid journalists and sycophantic friends who made their fortunes on her devastating loss. Lila returns to Los Angeles, determined to rebuild her life and move on through forgiveness. She aspires to accomplish something remarkable in memory of her daughter, by launching a new cosmetics company that pledges to make rejuvenating medicines accessible to people of all backgrounds and economic status.

Lila’s ambitions are met with indifference, excuses or blatant hostility but she presses on and gains a number of important allies. Her new company flounders, old friends ignore her and her attempts to reconcile the past are mocked. When Lila finally has a chance to confront a ruthless celebrity blogger, this story takes a dramatic and shocking twist. Lila intends to forgive the man, but her meeting turns suddenly toward retribution. She finds that revenge has a particularly pleasing taste, and she wants more.

“There is something inside of me that is gnawing at me and it won’t leave me alone, and this is the only thing that will make it stop. I just need it to stop.”

The complicated pull of revenge

"Cruelty Free" incorporates a wonderfully diverse cast of supporting characters. A brilliant young intern, Maya, inspires Lila to change the world through her compassion and determination; she reminds Lila of the woman that her lost daughter might have become. Lila’s closest companion, Sylvie, becomes a trusted partner in her more malicious endeavors. The reeling heroine is kept in check and on track by this quirky accomplice, who always speaks her mind. Throughout the novel, Sylvie calls out injustice and ignorance that most people are unwilling to confront. She’s also a conduit for several memorable insights which she shares with Lila.

“It’s okay to be scared, but you gotta keep going. Like a shark. If you stop moving, you die.”

Lila wreaks havoc but remains loveable. Readers will find that they remain sympathetic with this troubled protagonist, even as her crimes grow increasingly heinous. She is, at her core, a woman struggling against her grief, injustice and betrayal. In this fictional world, we can cheer on an indomitable female figure as she finds retribution through extravagant violence.

"Cruelty Free" is driven by revenge but also explores a number of additional themes that create multiple layers within the story. Author Caroline Glenn explores how the right support system can help a person through unimaginable grief. There are insightful passages on resilience and how to scrape joy out of life after everything has been lost. Finally, the author elucidates the many ways that an ally can potentially stab you in the back, literally and figuratively.

Marked by shocking scenes of revenge and memorable characters, "Cruelty Free" demonstrates how powerful and propulsive words on a page can be. Readers will experience moments that make you cringe and others that make you cheer.