EJU can't write books fast enough for me. Spending time in her pages is like spending time with your closest, cleverest, funniest and most annoying friend. Or in this case, sister. She writes about living in a female body in all its marvellous unpredictable grotesquery which makes the beautiful of desire in these pages all the more potent.

Emma Jane Unsworth’s novel poses the question what happens to women who haven’t followed society’s script? Sarah’s in her early forties, used to viewing the world through an alcohol-fuelled haze, she’s struggling with her decision not to drink so she’s burying herself in work. Her friends all seem to be married off, babied up or just tired. For them staying in is the new going out but Sarah misses their frenzied nights on the town. A road trip through the Scottish Highlands with younger sister Juliette offers a rare opportunity for Sarah to reflect on her life so far, the relationships that mattered, the ones that left stinging scars.

The account of the sisters’ journey’s intermingled with flashbacks to Sarah’s teens. The Gulf War’s raging, Britney Spears has just released her debut single, and Sarah’s obsessed with her English teacher Mr Keaveney. He’s a welcome distraction from a troubled home life. The teenage Sarah was firmly invested in the fantasy of romance and the right man as the solution for everything and anything. In her present men only offer opportunities for sex, and even that's rarely worth her time. Juliette took a different path, apparently content with predictable husband Johnnie and their two young children in a stereotypically cosy, middle-class home. But then Juliette reveals she too has doubts about her life and what comes next.

Unsworth’s story features some glorious instances of acid humour and wry observation. And it’s often convincing as an examination of the possible consequences for women of following, or refusing to follow, the rules. It can also be a touching portrait of sibling bonds, the shared cultural references, the shared yet divergent histories. The plot’s slightly meandering but that doesn’t really matter, this is more about secrets revealed, about disappointments and unexpected pleasures. Unsworth’s later attempt to instil a sense of tension that builds to an unexpected crescendo - when the sisters unexpectedly confront someone from their past – felt unnecessary to me. But otherwise, this was a surprisingly entertaining, often insightful read.

Come for the title, stay for the exploration of the complex sister relationship. Set over 2 timelines - the sisters as adults in the present day, taking a trip together, and back in the 90s, when they were teenagers and when reputations were born.

The love/hate /annoy balance is captured really well here, especially as the sister's life paths ended up taking very different turns. Highly enjoyed!

Spending time with an Emma Jane Unsworth book is a bit like a “great” night out in my youth, judged great because I usually can’t remember a thing about it the next day, so it must have been great, right? Now I'm older I'm not so sure I want to be spending my time on these one-and-done book ups, where I can’t remember the plot.

I’m thirsty for something I can deep it with, the ones that will change me in some profound way. Slags, wasn’t it for me.

We follow two sisters in a campervan on a fortieth birthday in Scotland. The book toggles between timelines following the sisters from teenagers to tragic-in-a-campervan.

The book suggests an examination of 90s slag culture, and the current opposing adult lifestyles of childless-by-choice versus married-with-kids. It’s just not that deep. So, is it funny and full of gorgeous nostalgia? No.

In summary: two sad women with a needlessly horrific animal death scene.

I feel like this book showed up late to the party, the cool people were already leaving as they were arriving. Had this come out six months earlier, maybe I would have been more excited, but as it stands its giving chicken and mushroom pot noodle.

Thank you for the arc of this book.

Slags follows Sarah and her sister Juliette as they go on a camper van trip for Juliettes 40th birthday. We also follow them at 15 in the 90’s when they were obsessed with boybands, getting drunk and their fit teacher.

I wanted to love this but I really just felt a bit meh! I don’t really get what the point of the book was? Parts of it I found quite funny but overall I just don’t really have many thoughts. It was fine.

3.5 stars rounded up

Slags is a bold, funny and emotionally honest exploration of sisterhood, sex - and the messy threads that tie women together. The dynamics between the sisters felt incredibly real, it was sharp, loving, complicated, and I was deeply invested in their relationship from the start.

The humour is spot-on: dry, quick and full of those perfectly observed in-jokes that make you feel like part of the group. There’s also a nostalgia here, especially for anyone who grew up in the '90s - it really captures that particular cultural moment in a way that felt vivid and familiar.

I was especially impressed by how the writing subtly shifted across timelines, those tonal changes felt effortless. The way it explores sexual relationships is often confronting, but also honest and grounded in reality. It doesn’t flinch, and because of that, it lands with weight.

That said, the pacing didn’t always work for me. I found myself waiting for a turning point, for the penny to drop… but it never really did. As much as I enjoyed the characters, the story itself felt like it didn’t quite go anywhere. By the end, I was left wanting something more - some deeper resolution or emotional hit that never arrived.

Still, it’s a sharp and engaging read with a lot to say and the content itself is brilliantly observed. One I’d recommend to anyone looking for something smart, raw and fiercely female.

Brilliant, the title hooked me in but the story captured my attention. Exploring the relationship between two sisters, close in age but whose lives have traken very different paths. You may not always be close to your sister but they are often the only person who really knows you.
The storylines were relateable and slightly nostalgic for me.

Came for the title and the author, left mildly disappointed.
Overall, I enjoyed the connection between the sisters. It felt like an honest portrayal of having a sibling, someone you love wholeheartedly and who can simultaneously drive you up the wall.
The writing style is unapologetic and messy, very much in Unsworth’s familiar tone.
There are funny moments, but mostly it just felt disjointed and ultimately not for me.

3/5 ⭐️

Funny and relatably chaotic.

Easy to read and very enjoyable. If you grew up in the 90s you will love the references. Very well written.

I enjoyed the scenic descriptions of the shared journey the sisters took, both physically and emotionally. Their dynamics were interesting and looking back at some of what we got up to in the 90s was fun and nostalgic. It was honest and freshening frank but I didn’t overly connect with the characters and the flow felt a little off so for that I’m giving 3 stars. I would be interested to read other books by this author to see how they compare!

I initially tried to read the physical copy of this book and didn’t get on with it, but I loved the audio version. I enjoyed the story and characters but for me the audio just flowed much better. I liked how it showed how things can be seen so different from the perspective of a teenage girl. I also liked the complex sibling relationship.

This book was absolutely wild, sharp, and so much fun to read. Slags is the kind of bold, brilliantly messy story that grabs you from page one and doesn't let up. Emma Jane Unsworth has such a distinctive voice — funny, furious, and totally fearless — and she really goes for it here.

At its heart, Slags is about friendship, female rage, identity, and all the complicated ways women navigate power, love, and self-worth. It’s part satire, part psychological drama, and part chaotic ride through the weird corners of modern womanhood. I laughed, winced, and genuinely had moments where I had to stop and sit with what was happening.

What I loved most was how unapologetically honest it felt. Unsworth isn’t afraid to get uncomfortable or push boundaries, but she always does it with purpose. The writing is razor-sharp and often hilarious, even when the subject matter gets dark or raw. It reminded me how rare it is to read something that captures both the absurdity and the pain of being a woman in a way that feels this real.

If you're into fierce, funny, and slightly unhinged books about friendship, feminism, and finding your way through the chaos, definitely give Slags a go. It’s unlike anything else I’ve read this year.

I was really looking forward to "Slags". The cover really speaks to me and the premise sounded so promising!
I liked the switches between the present day and Sarah's younger self, but I must admit that I liked the past better. Maybe because of that nostalgic feeling or because I could relate way more to younger Sarah. But I didn't quite feel the connection between present Sarah and me. Also, I had my problems with the author's writing style, I didn't really like the long chapters (just my personal preference), but that made it a bit heard to truly enjoy this story. I see why others might enjoy this novel and I guess I will recommend it to the right person, but I wasn't the target groupfor this one.

Slags, by Emma Jane Unsworth, is a fun novel filled with references to the '90s. There are many hilarious moments, although a few parts fell flat for me. Overall, it offers an enjoyable trip down memory lane.
I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC ebook that I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I found it to have some really good moments, but unfortunately the majority of the book just fell flat. I couldn’t really figure out what the message of the story was.

There were some tender moments, and as someone from Manchester and who went to Manchester uni I found it quite nostalgic.

But overall I just wasn’t sure what message we were sending about ‘slag’ culture really, which was a shame.

This book was a blast! It follows two sisters—Sarah, the older, career-focused sibling in London, and Juliette, a stay-at-home mom in Manchester—as they reconnect on a road trip to Scotland in a creaky old campervan. The narrative alternates between their present-day journey and flashbacks to Sarah’s wild teenage years in the '90s, full of messy first loves, questionable choices, and a steady stream of peach schnapps.
The dialogue is sharp and authentic, capturing the hilarious, sometimes bittersweet bond of sisterhood. There’s a raw, confessional quality to the younger Sarah’s chapters, where we see her balancing bravado with vulnerability.
With plenty of nostalgic nods for '90s kids, this is ultimately a touching story about the unbreakable thread that ties siblings together, no matter how much time or distance comes between them. Highly recommend!

An utterly perfect blend of dark and twisted humour, tender yet cringey nostalgia and an almost painfully visceral honesty. As a nineties teenager I loved all the perfect little details of Sarah's flashbacks (hair mascara, Naf Naf, Bacardi Breezers!) but it was seeing the relationship between the sisters, and their own relationships with themselves now and in the past, gradually develop alongside the clever but subtle twists and superbly plotted reveals of where Sarah and Juliette's pasts might lead them next that kept me invested. So clever, sharp, insightful and achingly funny!

Is comedy a deflection or a pragmatic approach to getting on with things in a world of misunderstanding and confusion? Certainly, Slags culminates in a confrontation that is more chaotic than climactic. But this is an undeniably fun read, the levity often lifted by an underlying sense of sympathy, affection and tenderness. Unsworth is riotous, rewarding company.

Calling all aging party girls.

Slags is set in two timelines. 1990s - Sarah is 15 and has a big crush on her teacher, Mr Keaveney. She and her bestie love stalking her favourite boyband, drinking and chatting shit.

Today - Sarah is 41 and the party days have lost their lustre. She needs a break from working too much and drinking too much. She sets off with her sister Juliette on a whisky-fuelled campervan trip across Scotland.

An enjoyable story about being an unreliable observer of your own life, unexpected self-discovery, and sisterly love.

This book felt like a real trip down memory lane for me, being that I was a teenager in the 90's and live in Manchester! With that in mind, I definitely preferred the nostalgic feel of that timeline, but also appreciated the realness of the older timeline.