

A complex, rewarding novel about the many forms of sisterly relationship and what we are prepared to sacrifice for the ones we love, Lyon’s tale of two sets of siblings in a carer-patient dynamic is acutely observed and compellingly written.
Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021
Saskia and Jenny are twins, alike in appearance only: Saskia has a single-minded focus on her studies, while Jenny is glamorous, thrill-seeking and capricious. Still, when Jenny is severely injured in an accident, Saskia puts her life on hold for her sister.
Sara and Mattie are sisters with another difficult dynamic: Mattie needs almost full-time care, while Sara loves nothing more than fine wines, perfumes and expensive clothing, and leaves home at the first opportunity. But when their mother dies, Sara must move Mattie in with her. Gradually, Sara and Saskia learn that both their sisters' lives, and indeed their own, have been altered by the devastating actions of one man...
In turns razor-sharp, provocative and precise, Consent is a blistering novel of sisters and their knotty relationships, of predatory men and sexual power, of retribution and the thrilling possibilities of revenge.
Publisher: Atlantic Books
ISBN: 9781838952471
Number of pages: 224
Weight: 197 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 16 mm
Edition: Main
MEDIA REVIEWS
'I raced through this gripping read about sisters, guilt, grief and revenge... I couldn't put it down.' - Daily Mail
'Blistering... The most truthful exploration of sisterhood I have enjoyed since Fleabag' - The Times
'So, so clever and so concise yet just goes into the most profound issues in such depth' - Vick Hope, Women's Prize for Fiction Judge 2021
'This tightly and beautifully written novel folds time and longing into every sentence and every page. It takes risks with form to reveal a profoundly human story, and it leaves us with an unexpected sensation: that this is real life - it contains all kinds of deep and difficult loves, and not all of us can survive them. It's a brave, even dangerous book and so compelling that I read it from cover to cover over the course of one night.' - Preti Taneja, author of We That Are Young
'Combining ethical dilemmas with material indulgence, Consent is a heady, intoxicating blend. In slick and sensual prose, Lyon challenges what it means to be a sister, a carer, an addict, an enabler and maybe even a murderer.' - Ruth Gilligan, author of The Butchers
'Mesmerizing... An intense, intimate novel of love, grief, and murder [with] a deliciously dark conclusion.' - Publishers Weekly
'This novel captivates in plot... It follows two sets of sisters whose lives converge and diverge in eerily similar ways.' - Entertainment Weekly
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“Women's Prize for Fiction 2021 Longlisted”
Thank you to the publishers for this review copy. I admit I had not heard of Annabel Lyon before the women's prize announcement.
But on checking out this book I knew from the description that I just had to read...
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“Annabel Lyon – Consent”
Saskia and Jenny are twins but only equal in looks, their personalities could hardly differ more. Where Saskia is diligent and studious, Jenny enjoys life at the fullest and is always looking for some more thrill.... More
“Darkly addictive”
Consent is a darkly addictive read that looks at human nature in a raw and unflinching way that at times made me uncomfortable. The chararcter description and development was fantastic. For a book that is relatively... More
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