Women Are the Fiercest Creatures by Andrea Dunlop

A Five-Star Book Review

It’s a true reward to find a gem of a novel at the tail-end of the reading push for the year. Add on bonus points for that book being one that you’ve had on your shelf for months, and you’ll find where I am after reading Women Are the Fiercest Creatures by Andrea Dunlop.

This book has not gotten the hype it’s deserved on social, and let me tell you why.

Summary of Women Are the Fiercest Creatures (No Spoilers)

The book opens with an ominous scene that alludes to three women about to take down an uber-wealthy man who has wronged each of them. Then, we slide back in time to meet these women: Anna, the ex-wife of Jake, tech entrepreneur, and mother to his two adolescent boys; Sam, the yoga studio owner and single mom with secrets in her past; and Jessica, the twentysomething influencer who’s newly married to Jake and just announced her first pregnancy. What follows is a slow-burn, character-led story about how much women give up for others and what it takes for them to release their ferocity.

What did I enjoy about Women Are the Fiercest Creatures?

I loved Women Are the Fiercest Creatures because of the characters and the delicacy with which Ms. Dunlop, the author, handles their flaws. None of these women are perfect, and we’re not shielded from their bad behavior. Yes, I empathized with the scorn and neglect and inequality each faced, but I loved that they made questionable decisions and walked moral tightropes.

Sam says that “women are the fiercest creatures” because the act of creating a child and giving birth is the most powerful there is. I have one biological child and two by marriage, and I think motherhood in any way, shape, or form makes you fierce in some manner. But I’ll also say that motherhood is not the sole requirement for women to be fierce creatures. (Ms. Dunlop wasn’t implying that, but I wanted to add.)

Is there anything I wish was different about Women Are the Fiercest Creatures?

Anna and Sam narrate this book, so we don’t learn as much about Jessica. I know this is intentional. She is the young, nubile new wife meant to solicit envy amongst all. But I would have liked to learn more of her point of view.

What are my final thoughts about Women Are the Fiercest Creatures?

I loved Women Are the Fiercest Creatures; it’s nabbed a last-minute spot on my Top Reads for 2023. This book hasn’t been raved about enough, so I hope you’ll pick it up and find out how good it is for yourself.