
By Giulia Piceni, Collage by Ashtami Ravi.
Books driven by the female gaze are an invitation to understand the world through women’s perspectives, offering insights that are often overlooked or silenced in traditional narratives. These female gaze books explore the internal conflicts, societal pressures, and emotional complexities that define women’s experiences, shedding light on their desires, traumas, and identity struggles
In 2025, let’s turn the page and embrace books that break from convention, offering new ways to think, feel, and engage with the world. Whether through biting humour, delicate defiance, or searing emotional truths, these female-gaze-driven books provide a candid perspective on women navigating life on their own terms. From art school provocateurs to quiet heroines and self-destructive dreamers, these characters embody the contradictions and struggles of modern womanhood—each one representing a step toward redefining what it means to be a woman in today’s world. Here are five reads that will push boundaries and inspire fresh perspectives this year.
5 Female Gaze Books That Will Challenge Your Views in 2025
1. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Already a contemporary classic, this is a must-read for anyone in their 20s. In the year 2000, a 26-year-old white woman narrates her life on the Upper East Side of New York. Her unusual goal is to sleep for an entire year as a form of hibernation. With the help of an eccentric psychiatrist, she manages to obtain enough drugs to nearly achieve her goal. Her only moments of wakefulness are brief trips to the bodega for essentials—mostly coffee—before returning to her self-induced slumber.
The humour in this story stems from the protagonist’s lack of sympathy. Despite the recent death of her parents and her choice to cope with her grief through sleep—rather than suicide, like her mother—she lives in a bubble of privilege. Her ego only emerges during arguments with others: Trevor, a manipulative older situationship, and Reva, a social climber with whom she shares a toxic, love-hate relationship. Although they don’t enjoy each other’s company, they thrive on their established power imbalance. When alone, she feels insignificant. She doesn’t wish for death—she simply wants to stop existing long enough to reset her perspective.
This book is a must for art-girlies on the brink of burnout. While we may not afford a year-long sleep, small, intentional changes can still lead to transformation.
2. The Vegetarian by Han Kang
The book begins with a Korean woman who, seemingly overnight, decides to stop eating meat. This simple choice triggers a chain of social conflicts and revelations. The story is narrated from a third-person perspective and shifts between characters connected to the protagonist—her husband, brother-in-law, and older sister. Notably, the protagonist remains emotionally distant, as the story refrains from presenting her direct thoughts.
The novel explores the role of women in a male-dominated society. Her husband is more concerned with how her decision reflects on him, leading to increasingly harsh actions in the first part of the book. The brother-in-law objectifies her, becoming fixated on a bluish mole, which becomes the focal point of his fantasies. Eventually, the protagonist is institutionalised in a psychiatric hospital and diagnosed with hysteria and anorexia. Through flashbacks, the narrative reconstructs her journey and the events that led to her current state.
Apathetic and seemingly disconnected from reality, she has retreated into a new dimension of existence, leaving her older sister at a loss for how to help her. This section delves deeply into the pain of living under societal pressures where defiance—especially regarding a woman’s relationship with her body—is often met with incomprehension and resistance.
The book’s calm tone contrasts sharply with its discomforting themes, challenging readers to confront the oppressive weight of societal expectations and the silent sorrows they impose.
3. I Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
This novel, written several decades ago by an author who is no longer with us, belongs to the speculative futurist and sci-fi genre. A brief yet thought-provoking read, it is narrated by a nameless young woman living in isolation who decides to write her story. Instead of starting from the very beginning of her life, she recalls a defining moment from her teenage years when she, along with forty other women, found herself imprisoned in an underground cell. The narrator has no memories prior to that moment, making the other women her only point of reference. Unlike her, these women retain fragmented memories of their past lives—memories of skies, sunlight, and fresh air. However, they remain unaware of how long they have been imprisoned or the reasons behind their captivity.
They are treated like animals, monitored, and fed by male guards who control every aspect of their existence. As the narrator navigates puberty and the changes it brings, her confusion and lack of understanding set her apart as the most naïve among the prisoners. Yet, amidst this grim reality, themes of internal growth and self-discovery begin to unfold.
The novel delves into profound questions about humanity, defiance, and personal identity. It is more than just a feminist dystopian tale; it explores camaraderie, resilience, and the universal struggle for self-determination. The story is deeply intertwined with the author’s identity as a Jewish woman who experienced the horrors of antisemitism firsthand, having fled Belgium with her family during turbulent times.
This powerful and timeless work is perfect for anyone seeking inspiration in the pursuit of self-determination as they embark on a new year.
4. Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
Originally a novella, the story has been expanded to twice its original length. In Book I, we follow Natsuko, a woman aspiring to be an author, during a weekend visit from her older sister, Makiko, and her teenage niece, Midoriko. Makiko’s visit is more than just a family gathering; she is meeting a surgeon to discuss breast augmentation, highlighting her struggles with ageing and self-image. Meanwhile, Midoriko communicates with her mother solely through written notes, her diary brimming with anger and disgust toward her body’s development and societal expectations of womanhood.
Makiko, nearing 40, works in a sexualised job and blames motherhood for the toll it has taken on her body. The tension between her and Midoriko emphasises generational conflicts surrounding identity and femininity. Natsuko observes these dynamics while grappling with her own aspirations and insecurities.
Book II shifts focus to Natsuko’s life at 40, where she has achieved success as a writer but faces a new challenge: she wants a child despite lacking sexual desire. As she explores artificial insemination, Natsuko navigates societal pressures, personal relationships, and the complexities of motherhood and independence. The story critiques beauty standards and gender roles, highlighting the performative nature of femininity.
It offers a visceral examination of identity, motherhood, and the societal structures that define womanhood, delivering a profound study of women who confront and reshape their realities.
5. Boy Parts by Eliza Clark
Eliza Clark’s debut novel, released during the pandemic, introduces readers to Irina, a compelling and deeply flawed protagonist living in modern-day England. An art school graduate from London, Irina now resides in a small town. Placed on sabbatical from her job at a bar, she explores her true passion: photographing men. Her provocative and often taboo work garners attention for its extreme, boundary-pushing themes. Irina’s creative process involves inviting random men to pose for her in submissive and unsettling positions, transforming her art into a challenge against societal norms.
Despite her creative ambitions, Irina is a queer self-destructive woman navigating a life filled with drugs, parties, and reckless behaviour. Her arrogant and hateful attitude alienates friends and potential romantic partners, but she views her independence and self-reliance as defenses against vulnerability.
A pivotal moment occurs when Irina meets an unassuming man in Tesco. He is the polar opposite of her chaotic world: mundane, interested in anime, and training to become a primary school teacher. His stability and conventionality intrigue her while offering a stark contrast to her destructive tendencies. He recognises her emotional armour and attempts to break through it, hoping to “fix” her: a reversal of the traditional trope where a woman saves a man. However, Irina finds his efforts irritating; she refuses to believe in the possibility of change or redemption.
Clark crafts one of the most perfectly unlikable characters, forcing readers to confront their own emotional growth. Irina’s story is a masterclass in portraying human flaws, challenging societal expectations, and exploring the messy intersection of art, identity, and relationships.