Young Women | Jessica Moor

A story of two young women in the city of London set against the backdrop of the ‘me too’ movement. Young Women is an unflinching and important read.

This, essentially, is the story of accidental friendship, of being a 20-something in London, and of how complicit we can be by remaining silent when having a voice.

The polar-opposite appearing protagonists are as fascinating as each other, if not a little cliched. Emily, a lawyer (working for a women’s rights charity) who feels life has become staid, meets Tamsin, a Canadian actress, at a climate change protest, and they soon become inseparable friends as Emily enjoys Tamsin’s apparent zest for life.

What follows is an exploration of devastating events with men that have affected each woman’s life and how they continue to impact their lives.

Moor takes you through the streets of London and its nightlife with such vigor you can find yourself feeling intoxicated and drawn into the centre of these women’s orbit.

Moor is an incredibly skilled writer; she can tackle issues surrounding sexual violence, assault, and discrimination sensitively, as told through the experiences of Emily and Tamsin, the two ‘young women’ the book title refers to. Yet, despite the dark themes, her prose is effortlessly easy to read. The plot is suspenseful and full of unpredictability that keeps you guessing all the way through.

Young Women is a compelling novel about the patriarchal society and women's role within it, told in a mainstream and accessible way. It is in no way an easy read, but it is uncompromising, challenging, and enlightening, focusing on what it means to be a woman in a man’s world.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK, and Manilla Press, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Young Women is out on May 26th but is available for pre-order now.

Young women

I found this book raw, real, emotional and empowering.
At first this book appears to be a coming of age story in London, following female friendship and it’s messiness. However it goes on to tackle sexual assault in many forms, from being touched on the tube, to rape, and the complex issues of accepting money for silence. This book looks at the way sexual assaults are regarded, especially by other women.
I think a really important story was told here. The narrative was fast paced and slightly messy at times but I

I enjoyed the plot, I really did but about half way through I started to get bored with the ranting type of article search that was going on.
The start of the novel was going somewhere but it is as if the author got stuck at where to take it as it began to ramble on and not really go anywhere.

Young Women was an insightful and interesting novel about issues that still arise today. Most women can say they have been sexual assaulted at some point in their life and this doesn't mean most have been raped. Sexual assault can be anything that isn't consensual. This story was so important in educating all about consent and that is the key message I took away from this book.
Tamsin was such an inspiring character and how she wasn't scared of Art really made me admire her. Her beliefs surrounding men proved she was a strong confident woman even with the trauma that she faced. Initially, I thought I was going to read a story about two women with an amazing connection and what I got was a story about two very different women with very different opinions in regards to having a voice and when/how to use it.
This book gripped me right from the beginning, I really liked Tamsin and her whole badass personality. It was dark at times when the stories of sexual assault were coming out but it is so important to hear these different stories. I will be recommending this book to all!

This was a really addictive read, and a very interesting look at two sides of an argument, are women morally bound to share their experiences of sexual assault to stop their attacker from assaulting more women? Emily, as a women's defense lawyer and Tamsin have different opinions and it threatens to ruin their friendship. A good and thoughtful read.

I found this book to be quite a gripping but easy read considering its backdrop of the #metoo movement. Although I found it to be interesting I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed- all the characters appeared to nicely move on from the various traumas they had suffered and for many women that is not the case. It does a great job of trying to explain the difficulty women face when coming forward with an allegation-the women are the ones who suffer while the perpetrator appears to get off scot free. I can't say I particularly warmed to the main characters however was eager to carry on the book to see the ending.

When Emily meets actress Tamsin her life changes into boozy dinners and cocktails at expensive bars and they become inseparable tamsin is the friend Emil has always longed for but soon Emily starts neglecting her previous life her work helping vulnerable woman and when a bombshell news article about a decade old sexual assault case breaks Emily realises that tamsin has been hiding a secret
The story has sexual assault rape harassment and abusive relationships and money in exchange for silence
This is a very powerful story and I couldn’t put it down a really good read
Thank you NetGalley and Bonnier Books Uk and Jessica Moor I look forward to reading more great books by you

This was an interesting read. I found it a slow burn covering intricate female friendships and loyalty with secrets unravelling slowly. I enjoyed this book but I wasn’t wowed by it.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advance e review copy.

So sharp, beautifully written and powerful book about women navigating life in their teens and twenties, and specifically power, sex and consent. The main character, Emily, is complex, not always likeable but someone who I came to respect and identify with. The way she falls for the beautiful and mysterious Tamsin felt very real.

It’s such a timely book, talking about consent, about men having power over women, and women taking back control. I thought it handled the subjects in a measured way, a clever way, that drew you in and made you care about the characters. I loved the ending - I thought it was real, satisfying and incredibly powerful: it gave me shivers. An assured, sharp and thought-provoking book.

This was an interesting read and felt very honest in the friendship and relationships we have as women and the struggles and secrets we keep.

I'm not sure what to say. I kept expecting the hit the big storyline but it never came. The story still held my interest but it was like there was a build up to something but I'm not sure what it was. Tamsin and Emily seem like two lovely girls and could have made a great long-term friendship.

As soon as I read the blurb I knew this book was for me, I love a good story about life changes etc. I would highly recommend this to any female reader. Thank you so much

Honestly I'm not sure how I feel about Young Women.

It covers some pressing issues about women existing under the patriarchy. At first it revolved around two young women who became friends, both living in London, and it seems its mostly about their friendship but then it soon delves into more serious topics. One of the main issues covered in the story is to what extent can women be complicit in perpetuating rape culture by accepting money in exchange for silence. This leads onto female power and choice and what they have to do move forward with their lives.

I felt that the narrative had a sudden shift and I wasn't sure what to make
Of that. I was definitely left with some questions.
Also felt like the book lacked a little depth however this isn't a criticism on the author as I don't think any book could truly cover the complexity of all there is in this modern world about female rights and womanhood.

Overall its quite a fast paced read that is completely relevant and I think everyone should have a read as it definitely gives us as readers a lot to ponder over.

Thank you to Netgalley and Manilla Press for the chance to review this book.

A drastically different approach to the shift the #Metoo movement has created. This story of fusional friendship, of being a 20 something in London and of how complicit we can be by remaining silent when having a voice, is definitely a game changer! Even though they are polar opposite the 2 main characters are as fascinating as each other even if a tad self-centred (but you were too at 20!). The writer takes you through the streets of London and its nightlife with such verve, you can find yourself almost dizzy in the middle of a page. The almost bohemian atmosphere is intoxicating without becoming cliché. The plot is well thought out and masterfully crafted which allows the narrative to shine and make you think instead of just using a movement as the flavour of the month. A writer to watch closely!

Despite the subject matter this book was easy to read and I zipped through it in 3 days.

CW for sexual assault, sexual coercion.

It is essentially a #metoo story with the central element being a fictionalised story of the young vulnerable actress and the powerful director. Think Harvey Weinstein. However there are numerous other little sub plots woven into it that are all different women's experiences of male abuse in some form or other; from a groping from a stranger in the underground to a 'relationship' between a child and teacher.

I can totally see what the author was trying to do here. Not just to show how in some way or other every woman has a story to tell but also to get us to look at what happens when and if you do tell your story. That even women who come forward are often somehow punished themselves in some way. Lose of reputation, not being believed, impact on careers, relationships etc and yet they were the victims. Whilst the perpetrators often seem to get away scot free.

However this book also asks what is women's responsibility to other women. If we stay quiet or even except money to do so are we complicit in any women's 'assault' by the same man who comes after us.

Of course the answer is no. That would be victim blaming. Accepting such a pay off does not make you responsible for the man's actions in the future. Also the idea that those choices are simple are utter nonsense when we live in a capitalist patriarchy.

The problem with this book is it brings up those questions but does absolutely nothing to answer any of them. The first half of the book which deals with the development of Tamsin and Emily's relationship is good. I wanted to know where it was going but once we know who Tamsin is it all kind of gets messy.

Emily suddenly becomes the worse friend ever and completely destroys Tamsin's trust trying to pressure her into coming forward and even attempting at one point to unmask her without her consent. Urgh. She shows herself to be a fairly unlikeable person in various different ways with various different characters and so we are also faced with these issues and no actual character that you really care about or are rooting for. Tamsin for a tiny bit but then once we know her secret we basically leave her behind as a character so we have no investment in what happens to her beyond that point.

Sadly I found this book fairly unsatisfying. It does deal with important issues and conversations but it scratches the surfaces of it all by trying to do too much in one book and therefore really gives us nothing much of substance as a result.

I found myself counting the number of 'British' symbols used in this slightly haphazard novel. I won't list them here, but Tesco Meal Deals featured, and rather than grounding the plot in a clear UK setting, I found it grinding. That, and the complete focus on the buying and eating of food made the beginning feel like a cookery book. Stir in some Tinder and some travels on the underground and there you go: 'contemporary British' novel. OK, I got that. But I didn't feel like any of that gave the narrative any substance at all. Meanwhile, rather frustratingly, there were glimmers of really good narrative style, especially when the (very important) themes of the novel started to emerge. What begins as a light, fluffy story about female friendship deepens into themes of 'MeToo' and sexual assault of women - which, OK, I see the author might have wanted to build up to, but it was not so much a build-up, as a screeching swerve.

Grateful thanks to the publishers and to Netgalley for the pre-pub copy.

This is a slow-burn book that heats up at the forty-percent point. Emily, who is supressing her own brush with toxic masculinity, observes the effects of sexual assault on two friends. Her old school friend, Lucy, was groomed into a sexual relationship with her English teacher when she was a sixth-former, while Emily’s new friend, Tamsin, was sexually assaulted by a Hollywood producer when she was an 18-year-old actress. Now, a few years later, other actresses have come forward to say the same man attacked them. The book is an exploration of how the two women deal with their experiences and of how society both accepts and challenges predatory behaviour. It also questions the way Emily reacts to her friends and how she treats the two women differently from each other. Ideal for fans of feminist fiction who a seeking a take on the #MeToo movement.

Powerful, thought provoking, uncomfortable and a interesting read. It is anew take in the #metoo movement that asks fresh questions though two well written characters. It started well and kept my attention though I felt it failed away a bit towards the end, despite the uncomfortable reading about the sexual assaults and in general the topics that arose around them it makes for compelling reading I found it hard to put down , I loved the way author captured London life, it my favourite city and she did it justice. This book isn’t one for the beach but it’s one you should read. I look forward to the authors next novel.
Thanks to Bonnier Books UK and Manila Press for the ARC via Netgalley,

This started so well and then tailed off for me. Could see what the author was trying to do but it failed to hold my attention to fully appreciate it.

I absolutely loved this, I couldn't put it down! Jessica Moor is an incredibly skilled writer, she didn't shy away from writing about such a sensitive topic and she did a tremendous job.

Young Women is all about what it means to be a young woman in the 21st century, how the #MeToo movement has (and still does) brought light to the many issues surrounding sexual violence, assault and discrimination told through Emily and Tamsin's experiences.

This is in no way an easy read, but an enlightening and educational one written with a accessible way for readers to learn about what it means to be a woman in a man’s world.