Emily met Tamsin in jail - after being arrested at a climate process. When she left that cell, she had no idea how much her life was about to change. Her new friend was an actress, living a life of glamour, excitement and extravagance that soon had Emily lured in and forgetting everything about who she was before as she basked in the warmth of Tamsins spotlight and friendship.

But then, their shiny new life shatters as awful traumatic secrets from Tamsins past claw their way to the surface and the darkness even her shiny spotlight can't keep away takes over all over again.

Early on this book, Tamsin says 'It's gross, and it's gorgeous. And they can both be true at the same time.' - that is exactly how I feel about this book. It's simply gorgeous, beautifully written and striking, but enters the gross, dark and uncomfortable parts of reality in bold and uncompromising honesty.

Young Women takes this world that has been created for men and puts it under a microscope - asking us how we've been conditioned to survive in it, how we can further it or be complicit without even realising it. It asks us to see our privilege in different ways, and realise how it can decide our path in life.

Even in it's perfectly imperfect, somewhat haphazard storytelling, you can't ignore the deafening messages that jump from the pages.

With a bold, arresting look at female friendship and solidarity, this novel speaks some harsh realities about the unspoken truths of living as a young women today and the blurry lines between retribution and revenge. Anyone who has ever been a victim of abuse will be able to understand the shame we are forced to feel, the undeserved guilt and terror - and just how blurry something so clearly wrong can be.

Emily and Tamsin were flawlessly flawed - their friendship was stunning. Tamsin described herself as an 'Artsy stray cat' - whereas Emily is solid, dependable, predictable - and she doesn't quite fit in with the upper echelons of society. Of course, we've met pairings like this countless times in novels, but the charm of these two women is undeniable.

This speculative piece will leave you reeling - and if you're willing to forgive the brutal murder of an innocent Ferrante novel for notepaper, Young Women will be the book you just have to share.

This book tackled such important issues with such delicate care. I was so engrossed and even though I like to consider myself quite well educated in issues in todays society, I was still learning something new through this book. This is a must read!

I really did enjoy this book - it was contemporary and pacey, relatable and incredibly well-written and characterised. But I was conflicted by it seeming to reflect so much of the Me Too Movement and big hitting media moments of the past few years; for me the subject matter did veer onto slight claustrophobia in this respect. Yet I can see why the story spanned that way and the authors desire to reflect on the high-profile as well. Moor engages the reader with universal stories of women and men, love and friendship, abuse and manipulation, handled in a very contemporary and familiar way. Actress abused by powerful director. Pupil in love with her teacher and taken advantage of by being told she is loved; seemingly surface relationships, when examined again are abusive and riddled with power dynamics and fear. All together a very dynamic and heart-wrenching novel from Moor. I am excited to see what she writes next as her style and characters are superb.

An intelligent read. A book certainly of our time with current day issues at the forefront. The issues were well set out and as one could imagine, with the characters in the story depicting said issues in a sensitive and understanding manner. A book of human relationships.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc

I’m still trying to process this book since finishing it but I just say that I’ve decided I dislike Emily and cry one I’ve spoke to that bad read this bad the same reaction to me.

How can she work for such an organisation and act in the way that she does?

She was out of line and so naive to the way in which her old teacher was acting and made Lucy seem silly for the way she reacted.

This is labelled as a feminist book and I don’t think their was much feminism in Emily who is the main character. The book is very character driven which I don’t mind overall but I think also Moor wanted us to hate Emily but I feel like maybe that was the wrong move because it takes from the feminist point of view because true feminists who want people to feel empowered and reclaim their power do not act in the way that Emily does

‘Young Women’ is the debut novel by Jessica Moor, winner of the ‘The Observer’ Top Novelist of the Year Award.

When Emily meets enigmatic and dazzling actress Tamsin, her life changes. Drawn into Tamsin’s world of Soho living, boozy dinners, and cocktails at impossibly expensive bars, Emily’s life shifts from black and white to technicolour and the two women become inseparable. Tamsin is the friend Emily has always longed for; beautiful, fun, intelligent and mysterious and soon Emily is neglecting her previous life – her work assisting vulnerable women, her old friend Lucy – to bask in her glow. But when a bombshell news article about a decades-old sexual assault case breaks, Emily realises that Tamsin has been hiding a secret about her own past. A secret that threatens to unravel everything.

Emily is a lawyer at a Women’s Advocacy Centre, who’s bored with her life. Her best friend, Lucy wants to settle down and start a family, whilst Emily still lives for the weekend. One day she bumps into Tasmin and they forge a new friendship. Tasmin is fun and spirited, until decades old sexual assault cases resurface and Tasmin withdraws from society when she has to face old ghosts.

A cleverly crafted story about sexual exploitation and the aftermath, this story delves into toxic relationships and masculinity and privilege in light of the Me Too movement and makes for difficult reading at times. With scenes of sexual abuse, this book is an intense read that really highlights the deep, dark issues of society. The characters are an interesting mix, Tasmin being an actress has multiple faces whereas Emily, is unlikable, selfish and even though, her job is to defend women, she’s not that good at it. I pitied Lucy, who tried to confide in Emily, only to be pushed away.

This debut is a strong one and timely one highlighting the continuing issue of consent and women seizing back control.

A story about the complexities of being a women and it’s navigation, ‘Young Women’ is a dark and thought provoking read that made for uncomfortable and gripping reading.

You can buy ‘Young Women’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

‘Young Women’ is a gripping take on the #metoo movement that takes it into another direction and questions whether there is a responsibility to report these matters or not, questions victimhood, and it a complex look at female friendship. At first, I thought it was going to be a story about a dark and obsessive female friendship. In a way, it was but it felt very much like a book of two halves, the first exploring this concept and then it jumped to the #metoo stuff. I felt it could have intertwined the two sides a bit more and thus would have given the reader a more seamless reading experience. But then I instantly question myself saying ‘was the jarring switcheroo a reflection on how shocking the #metoo movement was’? See this is what I love about books, they are subjective for the reader and everyone takes something different away from them.

Let me know if you read this one.

Ok, let me caveat this by saying no review that I write will ever do this book justice. This is a powerful, confronting, challenging study of young women during the start of the #metoo movement. The writing is incredible and the characters so vivid that I was immediately hooked. I was moved in a myriad of different ways throughout. I both loved, and was infuriated by, Tamsin and Emily at different points but ultimately I am just filled with compassion and anger at the situations women face on a daily basis. The billions of questions we have to ask ourselves during our interactions with men are handled so magnificently within these pages. I’m going to be thinking about this book for a long long time. Incredible debut.

Not normally the type of read I would choose. Out of my comfort zone however I found it an intriguing and great read. I read it through very quickly.
At first I was undecided about Tamsin and her temperamental and impulsive behaviour. She was very much drawn into the metoo movement. As an ex-lawyer she brought to light many issues affecting women including sexual violence, assault, sexual discrimination against women. It highlighted women working in a man’s world and how they are perceived by men. It shows the great impact on each of the lives of the women’s in the story and how they lived with the devastating consequences

Young Women, the second novel by Jessica Moor is an unflinching look at female friendship, relationships, violence against women and misogyny. Set in modern day London in centres around the friendship of two young women during a sultry summer against a backdrop of Me Too allegations, online dating and growing up.

When Emily first meets Tamsin they’re at a protest and about to be arrested and thrown in the back of a police van. They form an instant connection and an immediate friendship is born. They are complete opposites of one another; Tamsin is a beautiful burgeoning actress who was born in Canada, can speak a number of languages and lives in a gorgeous flat in the heart of Soho. Emily is a lawyer who works for a Women’s Advocacy Charity, is in a flat share with a woman she has little in common with, eats pasta meal deals from supermarkets for most meals and is getting over the break down of a significant relationship.

The friendship between Emily and Tamsin is authentic, particularly in its depiction of the early stages of female connection. It is a unique thing, those halcyon days of meeting somebody new and falling in platonic love and Moor sets both an intoxicating and engrossing scene. The passages describing their intimate conversations, their lengthy dinners at Tamsin’s flat drinking champagne and their wild nights out in expensive bars armed with posh cocktails in London are heady. Everything feels slanted in sunlight, it feels fresh, exciting and alluring. Nothing can go wrong when you’re with a friend who gets you the way Tamsin and Emily get each other. Or do they?

Moor writes beautifully, showing us this burgeoning relationship, allowing us to almost fall in love with the two women ourselves. At times I felt like an interloper, nosing on a private conversation which I shouldn’t be privy to, but I just couldn’t look away. The thing is, wherever there is light and sunshine, there is also darkness and shade and Moor brings this in spades.

I wondered at times if this was going to be a book with a Single White Female slant and there were occasions it certainly fees like it could tip into a sexual or romantic relationship, but Moor takes it in a completely different direction. The almost obsessive friendship between the two women is laid bare, and Moore casts their glittery, fun filled relationship deep into shadow. The darkness comes in the form of a looming secret, and a seemingly constant bombardment of utter despair at the way some men treat women.

This is definitely a book of two halves, with the second being much darker in tone. There are some difficult passages and at times it is emotional. Moor doesn’t pull any punches, taking us down an avenue lined with misogyny, the question of consent and the fragility of being a woman in a man’s world. I found some of it, not difficult to read per se, but quite brutal and uncomfortable, and that is a testament to the writing which is really powerful.

I read this in a day, picking it up when I was on my lunch break and spending all afternoon waiting to get back to it. It deals with heavy subject matter but I found it an absorbing and compelling read. Tamsin and Emily are both so well written that I was fully invested in them immediately and really couldn’t put it down. I have a copy of Moor’s first book, Keeper, on my bookshelves which I’m going to bump up my To Be Read pile because with writing this good, why wouldn’t I?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I was worried that this book would take a simplistic approach towards the issues of sexual assault and the #MeToo movement, but I was completely wrong. Moor fully embraces the complexity of women's feelings towards these issues, especially on the emotive issue of whether to speak out, and who that really helps in the long run. Tamsin was a little bit of a manic pixie dream girl character, but I really loved (hated?) Emily and particularly her relationship with Lucy - it felt very realistic (if a little narcisistic) that Emily might not have realised what her friend suffered until years later because it was cool and hot to get with the young male teacher. I'd definitely recommend this to all my friends.

Found this to be a very hard read. It was a great insight into friendship, control and sexual abuse but was slow going for me. I also struggled to engage with the characters.
It was a brilliant insight into examining the abuse of women in the world of showbiz and how they look at themselves and continue on with their lives but this was not a book for me. A thought provoking read by a very up and coming young author.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different to most other books in the fact that I could really relate to the main characters Emily and Jess in lots of different ways, such as their past experiences, feelings and being a female and having been a young woman.

We first meet Emily and Jess at a protest where they get arrested and then spend a night sharing a bottle of wine. They instantly click and become friends, although their relationship does have a similar feel at times to that of lovers.

The book tells stories that thousands and thousands of women have encountered before, whether its traumas that happen through life with men, such as them taking photos without consent, shouting out crude things as you walk by, sexual assault and lots of other small little things that add up over a lifetime.

I loved Jessica's writing style and found the book to be very real and honest whilst observing such small things in real ways

I will definitely be recommending this book and looking out for others by this author.

Young Women is a fascinating story set in London at the height of the #MeToo movement. Through the stories of Emily and Tamsin, it explores what life is like for young women in the 21st century and it raises thought-provoking questions around assault, sexual violence and discrimination. It covers some very sensitive topics and the content means it is not always easy to read, but I think it is important that these topics are discussed and the book deals with them in a helpful way. The characters are complex and nuanced and it is a powerful read.

This is sharp, beautifully written and incredibly powerful. I have been completely pulled in from very early on in this one. It has definitely been a book that is bound to be a success.

Emily is a complicated character who on occasions I have found particularly dislikable. This hasn’t changed the book for me though as I have been addicted to this intense and intriguing read.

This is the exploration of friendship in the wake of a global sexual assault. I openly admit to reading this at a time the media has been filled with a very high profile case. That’s really added an element to this for me.

This is definitely relevant. It is a book that I have enjoyed from beginning to end. I admire the author for including consent as a theme for a book. It’s definitely as aspect not discussed enough. I definitely feel this is a book which is perfect for our current times and absolutely needs to be read.

I have loved this book. This is definitely one I will be recommending.

This was one of those books that you can kinda tell where it’s going all along but nonetheless it’s still an enjoyable read. It dealt with some important issues which a great deal of women have to go through and tackled the issues in a very real way.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘Young Women’ instantly grabbed me from the first chapter; Emily meets Tamsin at a climate change protest in London and is like a moth drawn to a flame. Emily is a millennial young woman who is trying to hold onto her freedom as her best friend chooses the path of settling down. Tamsin is a free spirited actress who instantly holds her attention but as the two women spend more time together, Emily begins to understand that there is a darkness beneath Tamsin’s veneer.
This book tackles the topic of assault in a fresh way, almost making the reader question things from all points of view and almost all of the female characters unfortunately have experiences of abuse to varying degrees. The young women that Moor has constructed all have different ways of coping with the events that have happened in their lives and it gives the plot a far more thought-provoking and more complex storyline. I devoured this novel and am really excited to read plenty more from this author.

For the first portion of Young Women I thought I knew exactly where the book was going. Tamsin is the manipulative young woman who wheedles her way into Emily’s life, adjusting her behaviour to be exactly what she thinks Emily needs; a life that’s much more exciting and daring than the one Emily is currently living – a diet of meal deals and a flatmate she hardly ever speaks to. And Tamsin’s an actress so she’ll have no problem putting on a performance and pulling the wool over Emily’s eyes until her true motives are revealed. Except it’s not as simple as that.

Everything changes in the second part of the book when the story becomes much more nuanced, as do the characters. Gradually we learn that Tamsin and Emily, and Emily’s friend Lucy, have experiences in common none of which have resulted in action being taken against the perpetrators. (It may be a concidence but in each case where they’ve reported what they’ve suffered it was to a woman yet no action was taken.) A neat counterpoint to this is Renee, Emily’s boss at the Women’s Advocacy Group, who is relentless in her support of women who have suffered sexual violence.

In a turnaround, it’s Emily who sees herself taking the dominant role in her relationship with Tamsin. Here’s her chance to demonstrate her activism by supporting Tamsin in calling out the actions of a powerful and influential figure in the film industry. Emily pictures the two of them being seen as a ‘force to be reckoned with’ taking part in joint interviews as the story reaches the press. She even fantasises about quitting her job to make time for it all. (Ironically, Emily’s has been careless in her handling of an actual case she’s been assigned at work.) Emily is sure she knows exactly how Tamsin will respond, congratulating herself on ‘getting good at writing her’ so she’s disappointed at Tamsin’s reaction. She’s even more shocked at Tamsin’s subsequent actions, although her own are not exactly laudable. What happens next explores issues of consent and the extent to which there is a responsibility to speak out. Does failing to do so somehow make you complicit?

Although I had some reservations about Emily’s risk-taking behaviour towards the end of the book, Young Women raises some interesting moral questions, bringing to mind cases that have made the headlines in recent years.

Thankyou so much netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I did enjoy this book, it's not really my go to read so I was sort of out of my usual element with this one but I am glad I gave it a chance. It did have me hooked but also some parts I did loose my way so had to sort of really focus and re read. I'm usually a fast reader but with this one I had to slow down so I could understand and make sure that I didn't miss anything out as It can be a book that can make you loose your way in my opinion but none the less I did enjoy it. Thankyou again for the opportunity to read it

Emily and Tamsin, both twenty-something women living in London, meet after being arrested at a protest and Emily is captivated by Tamsin’s vibrant personality and affluent lifestyle, quickly becoming enamoured with the young actress. A solicitor working for a women’s advocacy charity, Emily is idealistic and, at times, naïve, characteristics which lead to her making mistakes and undermining her friendships, both with Tamsin and her best friend, Lucy.

There is a shift in the narrative about halfway through, as the plot moves from Emily’s slightly obsessive relationship with Tamsin to a #MeToo commentary, as sexual assault accusations begin to emerge about a famous arty film director. Emily soon realises that Tamsin has been keeping a secret about her past that is linked to this current news and struggles to understand the decisions that she makes in the aftermath. There are so many incidents of assault or abuse of power perpetrated against women in this novel as well as the further humiliations and scepticism women are subject to when they report them. It’s utterly depressing how they are dismissed or their stories trivialised by the people who are supposed to help them and highlights systemic prejudices that need to be addressed.

I found Emily to be quite unlikeable at times and struggled to understand some of the decisions she made, particularly towards the end, as people don’t live up to her idealistic view of the world. However, I think she does seem to have some self-awareness about her actions and comes to terms with the fact that people are complicated and can’t always be perfect. The writing is astute and precise and I enjoyed the first person narration from Emily’s perspective.

Young Women is an absorbing novel about the intrinsic complexities of female friendships and an exploration of female autonomy and consent in a patriarchal society. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it as the issues it raises are timely and interesting and Jessica Moor relates the challenges and injustices women face every day within a compelling narrative.