Taming the Bull

The protagonist is Ellie, an isolated, unemployed young woman who tells her story in the form of an apologia. After burning out in her job, she starts successfully investing in the stock market using an app called Matador. She buys shares in an ailing Australian wine company called Royal Estate because the word on the internet is they’re about to be worth a lot of money. Ellie’s goal is to buy 350 grams of gold to bury underneath her house. She’s also preparing for possible catastrophe by stockpiling gas masks and other survival gear.  
 
When her high-school best friend Freya reaches out to ask for help, Ellie introduces her to the world of investing. Ellie feels like she owes it to Freya, who was her savior during their teenage years. Freya then shares this financial knowhow with a group of friends. As stock prices go up and the women get richer, they find themselves coming down with all kinds of ailments. Ellie suffers from panic attacks. She is forced to cash in her investments before the stock collapses. Freya’s friends think Ellie set them up and decide to take revenge – with fatal consequences.  
   

Taming the Bull brilliantly exposes how neoliberalism has transformed our lives and relationships. What starts as Ellie’s attempt to get her own financial situation under control leaves her feverishly grappling with questions of integrity and friendship. This riveting novel deftly weaves together topics like fintech, power dynamics in relationships, and the impact of viral trends.  Taming the Bull raises questions that will stick with you long after you put the book down.