Ella Baxter’s debut novel New Animal introduces a gritty, honest and complex protagonist in the form of Amelia, an embalmer working as a make-up artist at her mother’s mortuary. Exposed to other people’s grief, trauma and pain on a daily basis, Amelia escapes her mind and body through sex with strangers, all of whom she quickly discards. However, when faced with her own trauma and grief, Amelia’s desires and compulsions are challenged, and finding ways to escape her own mind becomes increasingly difficult. She leaves for Tasmania, where her semi-estranged father lives, and starts a different form of sexual exploration.

Readers should be warned that Baxter tackles some potentially triggering subject matter in this novel, including suicide and explicit, sometimes visceral, sexual imagery. While very few of the events in Amelia’s story are ones the average reader may experience – embalming suicide victims or hiding from emotional pain in a Hobart BDSM club – Baxter’s writing and incredible descriptive detail make the almost absurd experiences of her protagonist deeply relatable. Baxter’s illustration of Amelia’s challenged connection to her body evokes deep compassion, allowing the reader to connect strongly to the character. We come to see that Amelia’s stumble through grief is the epitome of the human experience of loss.

Baxter has created a dark, beautiful, wild and engaging read with an incredible ending to match. The story and evolution of Amelia’s relationship struggles and sexual compulsions are somewhat reminiscent of works by Nina Leger, and I would highly recommend Baxter to any fan of Leger’s The Collection. That said, New Animal’s descriptive imagery and emotionally engaging and unexpected plot make this incredibly appealing to a much wider audience too, so my recommendation extends far beyond Leger fans. If you enjoy bold contemporary Australian fiction, read it, as long as you’re prepared to hide your blush if reading on public transport.

Izzy White is a bookseller at Readings Carlton.