Rytual (Chloe Elisabeth Wilson, Penguin)

In her unsettling and sharply constructed debut, Rytual, Chloe Elisabeth Wilson dissects the seductive promise of transformation through beauty, rituals and belief systems. Marnie Sellick once dreamed of writing screenplays. Now, she’s adrift, barely holding it together at her job at an inner-city Melbourne spin studio, grieving her mother, and nursing the wounds of a problematic relationship. When she’s offered a job with the cult beauty brand rytuał cosmetica, Marnie finds herself pulled into a world that promises more than glowing skin. The novel is high-concept and psychologically rich, with the dark, compulsive pull of a Black Mirror episode. Though the premise suggests familiar critiques of beauty culture, Rytual goes further – unpacking the brand’s mission to reject masculine norms, embrace the ‘divine feminine’, and ‘break the cycle’. Marnie, emotionally detached and unsure of herself, becomes the perfect conduit for exploring the power of belief and suggestion. The supporting cast – including Luna, rytuał’s magnetic founder, and Rose, a fiercely loyal employee – propel the novel as the stakes quickly spiral. While the pace keeps the story gripping, the book touches lightly on how belief takes hold, and some readers may need to suspend disbelief as events escalate. Rytual is a compelling, fast-paced exploration of control, ideology and the fragile boundaries between empowerment and manipulation. Its open ending is sure to spark discussion (and possibly outrage), making it ideal for book clubs and readers drawn to provocative fiction.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Jess Lomas is reviews editor for Books+Publishing. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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