Basically this is a story of 4 women friends who are all sick and tired of being controlled, looked down upon, abused and belittled and they take a stand, using graffiti to send a message to those who have done them wrong.

There was some relatability that came with this story, with being a working woman in a man’s world and each of the individual friends reminded me of women in my friend circle.

The main message in the end is that we are capable of more than we think and of course I am all for this, but the story that took place to get to this, just didn’t do anything for me - I wasn’t humoured and the graffiti side of it wasn’t something I could go along with. In the end also, there just ultimately wasn’t much that changed or progressed for each of the women, I just expected more with what could have been a powerful story and message.

Thank-you NetGalley, Harper Collins and Elissa for the Audio Advanced Readers Copy, in exchange for an honest review.

Being from the same part of the world as Elissa Soave (sort of) and of a similar vintage to the characters in this novel, I fully expected this to resonate for me strongly: and how.

The flashbacks to the women in their school years and early adulthood reminded me of several of my own experiences, and either the author has a fabulous memory or did a solid amount of research, as the specific 90s references are pretty accurate!

I do have some notes, though, that take the shine off the nostalgia and claims at feminism within. The women are surprisingly critical and dismissive of younger women and girls, who are noted by their appearances and interest in selfies and (it's hinted) Instagram. Girls and women who are into that aren't necessarily vapid and lacking interiority, and it's low-key misogynistic to say as much with no challenges. Amy is something of a lesbian stereotype, down to her Doc Martens. One of the characters has a teen child who might be queer, and is close friends (or in a relationship with?) a non-binary kid. Jax and Thomas have uniformly been dismissed as going through a phase and inviting bullying and harassment. Apparently Gay Amy is either a terf or so used to the casual homophobia of her friends that she doesn't react anymore. It is actually possible to be mid-40s and live in the West of Scotland, and accept that queer kids are queer! I hoped that this would turn around by the end, so was horribly disappointed by the milquetoast hand-wavy "aren't they so brave?" dismissal.

If I was writing the ending; I'd have Amy discover that Emma's drunk-driving death was, in fact, a murder by a recently-dumped abusive ex - and the saviour cop would reopen the investigation and bring some justice for the deafening and lethal misogyny we all live in; that the women are reacting to. Speaking of legalities, I'm not that fussed about minor property damage versus systemic (and as previously mentioned, lethal) misogyny. One person with a power washer would probably clean up the graffiti in a couple of hours. Maybe the publishers don't want to have any potential liability for inspiring real life graffiti?

I suspected that the story was going to end with Lenore getting together with Saviour Cop, Amy finally admitting to her 40 year crush on Carol, while Susan continues to not be like other girls and refuse to use lip balm anything like regularly. What I got was no systemic changes, and all the women's problems being fixed by having relationships. Susan is implied to have an attraction to her son's girlfriend's dad - which is all kinds of weird.

I'm somewhat frustrated with the book (as you can likely tell by now) because I strongly suspected that it would end with some personal changes (Susan's promotion, for example) but the wider system is unchanged, and the natural progression of society merely plods on.

Maybe younger women should be leading the charge for change, but middle-aged women can certainly still join in. We definitely won't help by telling kids they're just going through phases and dismissing younger generations as vapid.

Lastly: it's interesting that all the children that the characters have are AMAB. The two mothers appear to be raising them all to be exactly the types of boys who grow into selfish, entitled men. Coddled, spoiled and unable to so much as make a sandwich without leaving a tornado of mess behind them, expecting a woman to pick up and never tell them no!

Feminism isn't just going for job promotions uninvited and occasionally yelling (or tweeting) a slogan, and I'm tired of people thinking that in the year of 2025. With the exception of Amy, if she is in fact a terf, I don't think any of the Graffiti Girls would pick up a novel so loudly proclaimed feminist on the cover.

Take the claims of feminism off the blurb, and it's a great novel about 4 women facing down middle age and what that means in modern society; not as invisible as past generations, but still routinely dismissed and overlooked, and pigeonholed by everyone else around us as simply not mattering that much as our male counterparts. Fed up with their lots in life; lost dreams and unfulfilled potentials (denied in part, because they were girls) and the drudgery of everyday life in small-town Scotland, they decide to do something that people will notice. #metoo comes to Hamilton. Something like that.

Ultimately, I don't regret reading this book - and it's clear that there needs to be more media about female friendship and middle-age and navigating coming into our middle years in a period of so much social flux. I guess I just want it to be better?

Oh; and the audiobook narrator pronounces it "lie-berry" which started to really get up my nose. Also; when I was younger, the word "anorak" was not what we called our coats. Maybe Hamilton was the town that time forgot?

I hate to say it but I hated this book on multiple levels. The intro was incredibly cluttered. I struggled to differentiate the women by name and did not care for the lengthy physical descriptions of each one, not least because the way it reduced them irked me. For an ostensibly feminist book, it felt weird to put such a heavy focus on their appearances. And because there were so many descriptions, none really left an impression.
Every little detail, facial expression, background info gets over explained. Info dumps for the ages, truly. As a result, the scene felt stagnant and never ending. Eventually I gave up.
If the one queer woman named her plumbing business "Plumber XX" because of chromosomes in cis women I am FURIOUS!!
There is a lot of hypocrisy (one says "I don't take crap from any man" but dresses to please the male gaze), I don't know how much of is addressed later on in the story.
The approach to "women rising up" this book takes feels incredibly outdated. I don't mean that because it's about older women, as well. No, the phrases they use, it's all very clichéd, stuff you might've read ten or fifteen years ago, if not more. There are fresher books, including about septuagenarians who've had enough and take matters into their own hands, which they feel more timely. Clare Pooley's HOW TO AGE DISGRACEFULLY, a recent title, comes to mind.

Thank to you Netgalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rounded up to 3.5🌟

This was a really easy, enjoyable listen. Full of various aspects you can imagine from 4 different women who have been friends since they were at school together and now in their 40s.

We meet Amy, Susan, Leonre, and Carole, who have simply had enough of their lives in one way or another, and so they get together for an emergency set the world to rights meal. This is where Amy takes the lead and explains how she has had enough of misogynistic men treating her differently in her job as a plumber as if she isn't capable simply due to the fact she is female.

So they all decide to begin their adventure with spraypainting their own individual unique messages to tell these men and anyone else who reads just what they think, this is their way of standing up for themselves. It begins with the job Amy was shunned from to leave a message on the building, letting them know this behaviour isn't OK and women are capable.

Of course it continues with more twists and additions from all the women, of their lives and how they feel they are being dismissed by others around them including their own family so together they gain strength in each other even if there are some testing times between them.

It's humourous and fun, lighthearted and enjoyable, I haven't had the pleasure of reading / listening to Ginger & Me as yet so having listened to this audiobook I've now added to my TBR list. Definitely similar feels to one of my favourite authors, Shari Low. However, Elissa has her own style and is a great author from this experience. This was well narrated, and all characters were brought to life so well that I felt like I got to know them and their lives individually.

With thanks to Netgalley & Harper Collins UK Audio for this ELC in return for an honest review 🙏🏼📚🎧❤️

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Audio for my arc in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story, full of women empowerment. I loved the four main characters, Susan, Carole, Amy and Lenore. Best friends who decide enough is enough, they’re sick of being pushed aside in their jobs, forgotten about at home by husbands, and so The Grafitti Girls are born. Sneaking around, graffiting walls with female empowerment slogans, this was such a fun read. I loved how close they all were. Everyone needs a good group of friends to hold each other up.

Elissa Suave is definitely an author to keep an eye out for, her debut Ginger and Me was great too.

“Graffiti Girls” is an enjoyable and somewhat relatable story about midlife reinvention and the power of female friendship. While it offers an uplifting take on rebellion and self-discovery, as an almost 40 year old, I felt it reflected and suits an older generation than is written to be - more the 60+ age range, and I did also find its exploration of feminist themes a bit surface-level. Thank you for the arc.

*Graffiti Girls* by Elissa Soave is a sharp and empowering novel about four women in their forties—Amy, Carole, Lenore, and Susan—who refuse to be dismissed by society. Frustrated by being overlooked at work and taken for granted by their families, they channel their anger into a feminist graffiti campaign in their hometown of Hamilton. Led by the charismatic Amy, the group scrawls slogans on local buildings, sparking a revolution that challenges societal norms. Soave masterfully blends humor, rebellion, and heartfelt moments, creating a story that celebrates friendship, resilience, and the fight for equality. A bold and uplifting read!

I really enjoyed this book - the friend group were so funny and had their own lives and yet knew each others souls and as someone who is still friends with my school mates I could really relate.
Thank you netgalley for letting me listen and review. The edinburgh accents were a fun listen!

I really enjoyed this one! Something a bit different.
I related to it, laughed out loud and just generally enjoyed the style in which it was written.

We follow the lives of four 40 something year old women, all in different stages of marriage, relationships, children and work. When they all realise life isn’t quite what they expected it would be in their 40s they decide to try and make a difference, to their lives and others in their local area.

I really liked the way this book was written. How we follow each lady in turn, find out about their past, what got them to where they are today. Then seeing how they make changes, move on, while all pulling together and helping each other.

There’s lots of different vibrant characters in this, from quiet and considerate, to speaking your mind and not worrying about the consequences. As you dive in further the character development is great and you will start to feel for all the main characters.

All in all a fun, interesting read. It deals with a lot of real life issues, a lot revolving around inequality between men and women but told in an intriguing way.

I listened to the audio version of this. It took me a little while to get into, but then got used to the narrators style. I would definitely recommend this book and its audio version.

Four friend in their forties make their disgust at the patriarchy (in the form of their husbands, employers, toxic partners and random local louts) known by forming a group called the Graffiti Girls and spray painting their home town of Livingstone red, green, blue and yellow with feminist slogans. In doing so, each realises her own potential and their lives begin to change for the better. But can they avoid being caught?
I really enjoyed this book. The narrative was exciting and flowed seamlessly, switching between the viewpoints of the four main characters. Carol, Amy, Lenore and Susan. They are all empathetic, kind, compassionate women and their loyal friendship is the mainstay of the story. Their vulnerabilities make them sympathetic, despite their crimes - and really, what woman wouldn't be tempted to join them.?
I felt the message of winning against the oppressive patriarchy was somewhat overlaboured - the reader does get it without it having to be explained to them - but this was balanced by the wonderful writing. Elissa Soave brings a small Scottish town and and its community to life with sharp insight and dry Scottish wit.
I enjoyed the narration - Angela Ness has a lovely Scottish accent, not so strong that you struggle to decipher it, but keeping the story and character grounded in their roots.
I have previously read Ginger and Me, this author's debt novel. Graffiti Girls is her second novel and it doesn't disappoint. In Amy, Carol. Lenore and Susan, I feel I've made four friends for life.
A fun, fesity and feminist listen!

Amy, a 40-something plumber is angry. Called out to a job, she's refused entry and patronised because she's a woman and clearly knows nothing about plumbing. Irked by the blatant sexism, she calls together her best friends for a drink, because she has a plan.

Susan is a librarian with little confidence, doting on her 16 year old son who she does everything for. Teacher Lenore is a gym-bunny after being overweight and invisible as a teen. Frustrated that her ideas are ignored at work, her former partner left her for a younger woman, her solution is to bury herself in exercise and calorie counting. Glamorous Carole has a wealthy banker husband and 4 sons and her "work" is the home and the family. From the outside, she has it all, but incensed by the treatment of Amy, she examines her own life and finds something is lacking.

Living in the Scottish town of Hamilton where they all grew up and went to school, the 4 women share in Amy's anger, all feeling invisible, unfulfilled and under-appreciated. And so they meet up late at night and graffiti messages on the walls of the Miners Institute that had refused to allow Amy to do her job. And so starts the Graffiti Girls.

The novel then dives into the story of each of the women in turn - their growing up, their lives now, the injustices each have faced. For each of them, this small moment of rebellion ignites something big, forcing them to look at their lives and what has been making them unhappy, and make changes. Screaming about the injustices in spray paint somehow empowers them, and other women who read their words.

I loved this inspiring tale, how such different women have stuck by each other and back each other up always. The story is hilarious and sad in equal measure, but carries a message of hope. It's also empowering to see the women take back control of their lives, not just letting life happen to them, no longer accepting the cards they're dealt.

This uplifting novel is beautifully written and narrated, with such warmth, and I loved the friendship between the women, the acceptance that each of them is different, but the bonds they have are strong and lasting. The audio is brilliantly read with everyone well characterised, and I couldn't stop listening once I started!

Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and the publisher HQ for a digital advance copy of this novel.

I loved Elissa's previous book, Ginger and Me, and was delighted to listen to her latest audiobook, Graffiti Girls. The book was brilliantly narrated by Angela Ness.
The story follows four women in their early forties who have been best friends since school. They have each reached a point where they reflect on their lives, and something isn't quite right. The women are not taken seriously, passed over for promotion, judged by appearances, expected to do the lion's share of the work at home and receive no credit and generally get treated as inferior to, and by, men.
The friends decide that they have had enough and that their voices need to be heard, hence their plan to take matters into their own hands and they become the Graffiti Girls.
This story follows the four magnificent and likeable women, Amy, Carole, Lenore and Susan who each have different lives but are bonded by their friendship. A truly beautiful book about friendship and issues facing women in our society. Although the book deals with many serious issues, there are many moments of lightness and laughter. A great read, highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publishers for an audiobook version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed spending time with The Graffiti Girls, also known as good friends Susan, Amy, Lenore and Carole.

I thought the author chose a really good way of telling her story and allowing her readers to get to know her characters. There’s a set-up chapter and a final chapter and in between, each long section focusses on one of the women and the issues she has faced but also includes the other three in the narrative. Gradually we come to know each character and find out what particular struggles they face in life. I’ll let you find out for yourself what they are, as finding out is part of the enjoyment of the book.

There’s a strong focus on friendship in the book with the four women having been best friends since school. Now in their forties, as is the way of things, the friendships have ebbed and flowed depending on life events but they have a lot of history and shared experiences. It was great to read about how supportive they were of each other but the author doesn’t shy away from the niggles and challenges that even close friendships face.

The book raises a lot of serious issues through the experiences of the women and I’m sure many readers will recognise the casual everyday sexism the women encounter. Whether that’s being valued simply for their looks, being paid less than male colleagues, being expected to do everything around the house or being the victim of unwanted attention or worse, we see that there is still a long way to go before there will be anything like gender equality. I was cheering the women on as they went about their campaign to raise awareness of the problems although, like Susan, I would be a little uneasy about the way the went about it!

What I particularly liked about this book is that the graffitied slogans really raised awareness of the issues and got the local community talking. But it also changed the lives of all of the women as they began to stand up for themselves and realise that they deserved more in life.

A most entertaining read: feisty, funny and warm with a powerful message for women everywhere. Hooray for the Graffiti Girls!

Having read 'Ginger and Me' by Elissa Soave I was delighted to have an opportunity to listen to her latest offering. Whilst I don't think Grafitti Girls hit the heights of her previous book it was still a very entertaining read.
The book centres around a group of female friends re-uniting in mid-life and channelling their female rage to challenge the inequalities they and other women were each experiencing in different ways.
Funny, sharp, relateable and very well narrated.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced listener copy of this recommended book.

Fun, heartwarming and uplifting. Packed with love, compassion and a sprinkling of feminist rage. Well written and narrated.

Friends Amy, Carole, Lenore and Susan have known each other since school. Now in their early forties, although they remain close their lives have taken different paths. They each have cause to reflect on how their lives are turning out, and feel rather short-changed.

Spurred on by acts of misogyny and the patriarchy, they decide they will not be silenced any longer, and embark on a clandestine project to make their voices heard by writing their message where it can't be ignored.

A lovely flowing writing style and a varied cast of likeable and familiar characters, whose lives and relationships we become invested in as they navigate and embrace their new place in life.

Well written and very well narrated. I wasn't entirely sold on the premise of the story but it doesn't detract overall. A lovely tale of long lived friendships.

Having absolutely loved Ginger and Me by the author I practically broke a nail in my rush to request Graffiti Girls, and I wasn’t disappointment,

In what feels like a rarity, I could relate to every one of this group of old friends in one way or another, each of them brought something I knew to the table. I really loved the premise of a group of old friends reuniting to put the world to rights. Dripping with the feminine rage and rejection that this wonan over 40 knows well, the graffiti girls are sending a message to all others like them in their area, and further afield when they hit the news, in the fight against misogyny, of being overlooked and undervalued, yet among all of this the author has managed to keep the story funny, relevant and really warm. I was reminded a lot of Shari Low’s character building, within the women, Elissa Soave also drops in a lot of memories and places in a Low type style.

Sharp, funny, relatable. 3.75 🌟

The audio narration by Angela Ness was excellent 🎧

Huge thanks to Harper Collins Audio UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

This is a group of people I could see myself getting along with very well.
Friends since forever each now with their own set of life circumstances that come with its own issues.
Ready to fight a good fight for women. 😁

The narrator does an excellent job, the whole book just flows.
Some very good topics handled, all of them very relevant, but done well, that it highlights them, without feeling like they're drilling them into you.
Soave has just made it from "interested in" to "autobuy author" for me.