Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth
DNF

Sadly this is one that I just could not persevere with.

The plot felt really disjointed and very slow pace. Sadly I also found the main narrators character unbelievable and not relatable. If I don’t feel that emotional connection between character and reader then it’s never going to work for me .

Ive really liked this author before and it’s such a shame that this was a hard no.

Been trying for a while but I simply cannot get through this one.

I honestly thought it would be right up my alley-- I'm a Northern girl, and I recently really enjoyed Brown's 'We Pretty Pieces of Flesh'. The provocative title drew me in and the premise seemed interesting, but I struggled to understand or in any way relate to Sarah. Maybe it was the third person narration that kept me at a distance, or the slow-pacing, or the constant switching between the past and present, or just the weird way the author wrote about sexual encounters. I felt at times it was trying too hard to be edgy, which I really dislike, and other times like it was trying to be funny, but we obviously just have different senses of humour. I found Sarah's teenage chapters especially trying and the dialogue insufferable.

Before I launch into my review, I would like to say a warm thank you to Emma Jane Unsworth, Harper Collins Uk, Harper Fiction, and Netgalley for the Advanced Digital Reader Copy of this title. For anyone with their eye on this title, here is my personal review of the book to help you decide whether you are interested or not. All opinions offered are my own.

I saw the title of this book and was interested in getting my hands on an advanced copy. I read the blurb and studied the cover, and I was reminded of series such as Skins and Heartbreak High. Needless to say, I was expecting lots of shenanigans, drugs, booze, promiscuity, and teenage angst. However, I will never know.

I tried to read this book but almost immediately I found that I didn’t care for the voices in the book. I can’t quite put my finger on it but although there were some humorous lines, I found the book dull overall. I also found the jumping between timelines to be a little confusing, which is unfortunate because I like this device in novels usually.

I was put off by the teenage years and the teenage chatter. I could almost hear the words coming off the page and I just felt the kids sounded irritating. It wasn’t for me, and I feel that this is one of those books with a niche audience. You are either going to find it deep, meaningful, and profound. Or, like me, it’s just going to appear dull and not as exciting as the blurb presented. As a teenager at the same time as these characters, I just couldn’t relate in the way I thought I might.

As a DNF text, I have awarded a 3/5 so as not to hugely influence the ratings for those who gave the book a full sampling.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange of an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book - I found it relatable, raw and honest, and surprisingly deep. It made me feel nostalgic somehow too. It reminded me slightly of Normal People by Sally Rooney!

I thoroughly enjoyed this read from start to finish. I found the exploration of topics to be brutally honest - which is often shied away from with our modern day lives. I think this really added depth to the characters and their narratives. The topics explored were tough, so definitely check this book's blurb and synopsis before reading ahead.

I liked the characterisation, I felt Sarah and Juliette were quite likeable characters and they came with an element of honesty which is sometimes also hard to come by with these kind of narratives.

It felt like a breath of fresh air! Sometimes, due to the timeline changes, I found it hard to keep up and follow what was going on, hence the *** rating. This is at no fault of the author though - it is just my struggle with timeline and perspective jumps! I think the timeline jumps were needed to really understand the depth to the narrative - I just need to get better at following them!

Quite hard to know how I felt about this one. An interesting premise and I was invested in the sisters by the end but I’m not sure the slow start had quite the pay off I wanted. An interesting look at sisterhood and the unreliability of memory, but not one I’d return to.

I like this book but wouldn’t say I would rush to read it again. Not sure why it is called slags, maybe to get people to buy it!
It jumps back and forth from young self to older self but nothing really exciting happens. An okay read.

This is a funny and poignant reflection on family relationships, attitudes towards female sexuality and the scars of our past. Sarah and Juliette are embarking on a campervan road trip around Scotland to celebrate Juliette’s fortieth birthday. Interwoven throughout this narrative is a separate timeline detailing their teenage years and how they have evolved into the women that they are today.

At times hilarious, at other times disturbing, this is a gloriously vibrant depiction of sexual promiscuity and the choices that women make (or sometimes don’t) when social pressure and expectation gets a little too much. Well worth a read!

Unfortunately for me at the 30% mark this is a DNF.

I can completely see why and how this book would resonate with a certain demographic of women, but for the life of me I just can't get into it.
Sarah's comments on her sisters husband Johnnie did make me laugh, but other than that I've found this book to be rather slow and I've struggled to relate to Sarah or Juliette in a way that piques my interest to continue with their story.
The cover of this book and the title drew me in immediately, but I think I was expecting a bit more of a comedic take on a sisterly road trip rather than the complicated dynamic that I've seen so far.

Following Juliette and Sarah's road trip across Scotland, they start digging up demons from their pasts and unanswered questions. The book alternates between Sarah in the present and Sarah as a 15-year-old going through a multitude of emotions and hormones. Reading Sarah’s story in her teen years felt raw and relatable, especially her embarrassing and delusional moments. The story between the two sisters was beautiful; both adored each other but simultaneously infuriated with each other. I loved this book so much. It was fun but also so deep and emotional. This book definitely isn’t for everyone, but I sincerely enjoyed it!!!

This dual POV novel follows Sarah in her teens and in her 40s. At first, present-day Sarah comes across as confident and put-together, but as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that she is deeply insecure and clinging to the past. Meanwhile, teen Sarah is incredibly well-written—her perspective feels like reading a real teenage diary. However, she is also quite deluded, and those delusions set her on an unstable path in life.

One of the book’s most thought-provoking themes is how some people use sex as a coping mechanism, reducing their bodies to mere “machines” for pleasure. It’s an intriguing and sometimes unsettling exploration of self-worth and trauma.

I wish Juliette had been more present throughout the story, as I was invested in her character and would have liked to see where her journey led. The build-up to Sarah’s teacher storyline kept me turning the pages, but I found the plot twists in the present-day sections underwhelming. The pacing also had some issues—some chapters were unnecessarily long, which made it difficult to stay engaged at times. However, once I reached about 40%, I really started enjoying the book.

Unfortunately, the ending fell flat for me. I was hoping for a different reveal regarding the band member, which left me feeling a bit disappointed.

Overall, this was a nice, easy read with engaging themes, but it had some flaws that held it back. A solid 3-star read.

Emma can do no wrong as she is one of my fav authors! This was so messy and refreshing of that even makes sense‽ I love it so much!

This was not my usual choice of read but being roughly the same age as Sarah I thought it'd be a fun trip down memory lane.
Sadly the style of writing didn't gel with me, I did connect with Sarah regarding schoolgirl crushes and boybands obsessions but that was it really. I think my lifestyle growing up in the middle of nowhere was just too different from Manchester.
As adults I do believe that u will really connect with the story if u have siblings close in age, especially a sister. This is something I cannot relate to but I'm sure will hit some raw nerves with others.
Many thanks #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #slags

I’ve just finished reading Emma Jane Unsworth's latest, Slags, thanks to HarperCollins UK for the ARC! I enjoyed this book but it was definitely a change of pace for me. I requested this book because the title and cover drew my eye, and they reflect the book really well.

I’ve been reading a LOT of romantasy lately so this was a bit of a jolt and initially, I struggled to get into it but by the time I hit the 20% mark, I was all in.

Slags tells the story of two sisters who go on a road trip to rediscover their relationship, and themselves. Its a coming of age story in two halves - once as teenagers, and again as women approaching 40.

Sarah's journey is raw and relatable. Her internal battles, especially with alcohol, body image and sex, mirror experiences many of us have faced. However, I do wish we could have seen more of Juliette's teenage years to fully grasp her character.

Living in Manchester, I appreciated the local references and the wave of nostalgia they brought. Unsworth captures the essence of the city, making it almost a character in its own right.

The narrative of this story jumps between the 1990s and the present, which, combined with short chapters, sometimes left me feeling a bit dizzy. During the flashbacks, I wondered if I was reading Sarah's diary, given the introspective and fragmented style but this wasn’t made clear to the reader.

The story never went where I thought it was going to, which was nice as it kept me on my toes but in some instances it left me wanting a bit more. The abrupt ending left me wanting more closure, but perhaps that's the point. To reflect the unpredictability of life.

Slags is a raw and honest exploration of sisterhood, personal demons, and the passage of time. Its character driven narrative may not be for everyone, especially those who prefer plot driven stories, but I really enjoyed it.

In essence, Slags is a novel that will resonate deeply with some and not as much with others. A true "Marmite" experience. Me? I’m a marmite fan.

Hilarious account of a chaotic road trip to celebrate a younger sister's 40th, intertwined with the elder sister's first-person fifteen-year-old narration of obsession with her English teacher and aspiring to being a 'slag' in late 90s Manchester. By turns witty and devastating.

Slags is certainly funny, but is a significant step down from Unsworth's previous books. It retains her signature humour, but lacks the sharpness of Animals and Adults.

I requested this a while ago but delayed reading it as I wasn’t in the mood for something heavy. But, actually it isn’t. It’s beautiful written, thought provoking and well-observed but somehow light even though it touches on themes such as addiction, sex and consent. I would recommend this to anyone and I also really loved the trip through the Scottish highlands! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this hilariously funny and lighthearted novel. It was the perfect combination of humour and real life problems.

I have posted my review today on instagram and will, repost closer to the publication day in May.



Sisters Juliette and Sarah decide to go on a road trip across Scotland in a campervan to celebrate Juliette's birthday.
Their already difficult relationship is tested further when they are forced to confront teenage trauma.
I really enjoyed the dual timeline and felt it added a serious understanding to why the sisters have grown into the women they are in the present.
A fun, hilarious novel I think all women can relate to.

I also love the cover which is relatable and eye catching, dfimielty piquing readers interests.

I really liked the witty start to this book and thought I was really going to enjoy this it, but in the end this book just was not for me. The story premise was interesting and dealt with interesting topics. But I could not get on board with the writing style.

A lot of the narration is all over the place, which I understand to represent the main character not being a reliable narrator, but it just felt annoying by the end (sorry). It felt maybe too informal, as if written as a brain dump in a diary, I definitely felt the fmc’s voice but I think the problem ended up being I hated their voice.

Unfortunately I just think this one was not for me. I am grateful to have gotten the opportunity to read it and get an arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you netgalley

3.5 stars. Not my usual genre and it goes quite deep and covers some sensitive topics but it kept me reading. Kept me interested and invested. A story about Sarah revisiting her past and refreshing her relationship with her sister. 2 timelines which kept the pace going. I’d definitely read more from this author