Young Women

This is the kind of book that you want to devour in one read, and could easily be swept away by it and do so. I think this has the potential to appeal to a large audience, as it exists at the intersection of the disaster milennial woman novel that is so popular today and the #metoo novel. This lulls you in with the promise of a story of being in your twenties and adrift and falling in love with the interesting people you come across, unable to not fall into their orbit, but then it slowly transforms into a novel about becoming desensitised to real life instances of injustice while getting lost in the theory of legality, perfect victimhood and respectability politics. This is very voice-y in the best kind of way, and each character is offerred depth and care and comes across as someone that could easily be real, someone you might stumble across in the city.
Added points for the fantastic audiobook narration, which really made it all come together perfectly.

I lived in London for a short while when I went to university there, and I was transported back atmosphere-wise throughout this book. It got it spot on! On top of that, the writing style and flow of the book worked perfectly. Though not much was happening, I was always interested in the moment. The character voice was relatable and clear. It’s also very contemporary British, which I liked. I don’t get that out of many books (the last one being Open Water).

How feminism is utilised in this book was great – not too serious or preachy, but ultimately ever-present, naturally brought into conversation, and topical. What's more, just because the characters talk about these topics doesn’t mean the adhere to them religiously – the opposite. Emily’s thoughts about Tamsin are often flawed, the result of socialisation in patriarchy. She also judges her long-time friend for wanting a baby – saying she expected more from her – is blind to things in her past that were wrong, etc. Her views aren’t consistent because humans aren’t consistent, no matter how hard we try. You get the idea that Emily wants to do the right thing but is also trying to be adored/desired/seen as interesting, so is caught somewhere in the middle. It was a position I could relate to.

What I loved most was that Tamsin, though she is strong in herself and her opinions about men and how they may treat her, has a moment of feeling small because of one man’s perverted actions. It was a moment of her humanity, a soft spot in her armour. And then that builds to something much bigger and serious.

And then Emily comes into her own, and it is amazing!

The narrator for the audiobook, Tanya Reynolds, is outstanding. If you get the opportunity/aren’t sure if you want to buy the book or audiobook, the audiobook is worth it.

Great audio book, really well produced. Loved the voice, the accents, the intonation. I thought the author chiming in at the end was a lovely conclusion.

In a good way, it had echos of Fleabag. Great skill writing a flawed main character who you don't like 100% find frustrating but are still engaged with.

Many thanks to the publishers for given me the opportunity to listen to Young Women on audio..

Enjoy would be the wrong word to use here but I was completely gripped by this story. Jessica Moor has written a razor sharp book highlighting the grip patriarchy still has today. The book revolves around Emily, a lawyer working for a charity that supports vulnerable women and Tasmin , a Canadian actress who she meets at a protest. They strike up a friendship and Emily is dazzled by the effortlessly glamourous life Tasmin has cultivated. Tasmin shows Emily a side of London and a way of living that is different. As their friendship develops, they share their histories and learn the back story of Emily's childhood friend too.

The book surprised me in the turn it took in the second half and left me with a feeling of heaviness when reading. Moor paints an accurate picture of all the various ways sexual violence against women are woven into our everyday lives from the MeToo movement to our own relationships from past traumas to being self aware daily on public transport and the relentlessness left me feeling weary. I

I didn't warm to the characters really and I felt some of the secondary characters were undeveloped but the examination of how women carry their experiences and how they judge their friends experiences is the star of of this novel, ultimately asking are women complicit in ensuring its a mans world.

It is timely and thought provoking and left me wanting to discuss so many elements of the book with others who have read it. This would be an excellent book club choice.

The narration of this one was excellent and the book worked really well on audio..

A gripping thought provoking read.

**Listened to the audio book**

Firstly I really enjoyed this book, and it took many different directions in theme that reviewing this book is a bit of a challenge.

The narrator of this book was great, and really helped to distinguish between the two central characters. She also made it easier to keep track of the many other characters too.

This book is really engaging, despite not having much plot. It is much more character driven than by the plot. I don't feel like much really happened in this plot-wise, yet it was still so engrossing, and engaging. I really wanted to know what the outcome for the characters would be.
I didn't particularly like both the central female characters, but I still cared what happened to them, and was interested in their choices.

I think I probably need to listen/read this book for a second time to fully get everything Jessica Moor was trying to say, but because I enjoyed it so much it would not be a chore to re-read.

4* Young Women by Jessica Moor is her second novel after the excellent debut The Keeper (which was a nominated New Blood at the Theakstons Festival).

Emily, fresh from working as a solicitor in a silver tier corporate firm, has now taken on a role in a ‘not for profit’ practice concentrating on women’s rights. When she is arrested at a protest, she is befriended by enigmatic Tamsin; a Canadian actress who seems to have a cool and untroubled life, does little work, doesn’t want for money but there is the hint of something in her past.

Juggling her new friendship, Tinder dating and the relationship with an old school friend, Emily confronts issues of consent, sexuality and trust from several angles, albeit sometimes to close to the detail to appreciate what had happened in front of her.

The backdrop is a little stereotypical - lawyer and actress in cool London. Yet beyond that this is a great book. The characters and dialogue are smart and sassy, the plot zips along and the themes are well articulated. Often intense but not heavy, I would thoroughly recommend this book.

I listened to the audio, which was narrated by Tanya Reynolds, who does a sublime job of bringing the book to life without acting out the characters.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of the audiobook.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I raced through it and was immediately compelled from page one – I needed to know what happened to the two central characters. If you have lived in London, it is richly vivid and a sort of love letter to the city, Soho in particularly. In terms of plot, Young Women is a thought-provoking exploration of feminist issues: ideas around consent, abuse and women's responsibility towards each other. Towards the latter half of the book, I did find the central character, Emily, increasingly difficult. She is struggling to come to terms with something in her past, but all the same, she is often a bad friend, selfish, and makes some quite horrific decisions, and I'm not sure she really repents or changes enough by the end of the book. All the same, she felt like a very real character, and though not always likeable, always relatable.

It's also an excellent reading, and I'll definitely look out for more by this narrator.

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.

I previously read the ARC of this title and absolutely loved this audiobook version - the narration was clear and understandable, but with emotion and wit to get you really into the scene.

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.

“When we’re least like ourselves we reveal the most.”

I’d seen this one all over Instagram and got severe FOMO, so I was dead excited to get stuck in.

What started as a seemingly obsessive and toxic friendship forming between two women, suddenly turns into something very different. Although I wasn’t expecting this shift, I actually quite enjoyed it. It was fast paced and engaging throughout.

The writing was really well done, I was totally captivated by it - probably why I’d devoured it in 24 hours! The topics it touches on are prevalent and thought provoking. It really gives a all round view from all these women’s different scenarios and opens up a lot of conversation about consent and the way we see/think about it.

The book deals very well with the subjects of woman’s struggles with the patriarchy and a whole range of abuse from unsolicited touches to grooming and full on sexual assault. It laid bare some ugly truths and although I felt it could have delve further and got really into aspects, it still did a good job at showcasing things.

I did this one on audio and I really liked the narrator. She managed to give both Emily and Tamsin their own unique voice, as well as giving us all feelings and emotions through the narration.

Really good read, poignant and thought provoking - would definitely recommend. It does discuss some heavy topic though, so be sure to check CW/TW’s.

5 stars for being so well written that I struggled to fully inhale throughout, and struggled to exhale through anger, sorrow and tears at the end. Crushed with the knowledge we all have a story. Whether we opt to tell it or not.

T/W sexual assault, grooming, rape abuse of power.

The writing itself is simply stunning, the narration crisp and clear. Set firmly just before, yet inspired by the #metoo movement, so convincingly infact that i believed the story. The characters are something other, they are flawed, they are raw, they are loveable and intensely dislikable.

Emily is doing good work, but good work doesn’t necessarily make you good people, I swung often between respecting her solid moral compass, pitying her lack of compassion and insight, her sheer bloody mindedness and without spoiler being absolutely furious and outraged by her actions. Tamsin is something of an enigma throttled by how life changed for her, an outwardly free spirit yet railing against living in fear of anything or anyone, any more. The relationship between the two had so much promise. Emily wants to be her almost, I don’t think there’s a sexual element to the friendship, just admiration swaying into jealousy.
Lucy, who has been a very misunderstood lifelong friend who needed the same respect as Tamsin, yet was dismissed by Emily for being “always ok” yet she found her voice in the end.

This is deep for sure. It’s unsettling because there’s more than a grain of truth in the fiction. These characters are all of us in some way. The complexities of right and wrong reactions laying always with the woman, and always with the fact we all have a story. An outstanding if intensely unsettling read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Manilla press and Bonnier books U.K. for granting my wish to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

Young Women by Jessica Moor was one of those compulsive audiobooks that had me feeling enthusiastic about my commute and every other opportunity for listening. It is a brilliant portrayal of female friendship in the #MeToo era, which explores victimhood and the boundaries of our responsibilities to ourselves and others.

I needn't have worried that I was older than the eponymous demographic because I could relate to all of the main characters and I appreciated that they were strong but flawed in different ways. Young Women was never preachy but rather conveyed the complexity of balancing our own needs with the expectations of others.

It is strongly set in London and I particularly loved the scenes at the Kenwood pond.

I would recommend this to fans of Dolly Alderton and My Dark Vanessa. If you have any concerns about the content then it would definitely be worth doing a little research before reading.

The narrator for the audiobook, Tanya Reynolds, is outstanding. Gripping material…. Be prepared to put your life on hold! Taut and tense from the first page to the closing paragraphs……loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Set in the early 'Me Too' era Young Women is a superb piece of contemporary fiction. I literally read it in several sittings, it was compelling, exciting and real. Admittedly the last few chapters left me floundering and I felt the story completely had switched into something else.

It has two strong female characters in both Emily and Tamsin. I found their characters to be credible, relatable and the story very thought provoking.

The story focuses on what it is to be a woman in the modern age, sexual assault and other tribulations.

This book and its characters are messy, and complicated, and I absolutely loved it.

What starts as a wry, observational tale about a young woman’s obsession with a glamorous friend, turns into a much darker, much murkier story. To say this book is about the MeToo movement doesn’t quite feel accurate. Much of the plot is about the sexual harassment and abuse these women have faced, all seen through the lens of the main character Emily.

Emily was a painfully relatable character. I saw both past and current versions of myself in her morals and in her flaws, and I know that will ring true for many other women my age. The two other main characters were Tamsin, an enigmatic actress Emily meets at a protest, and Lucy, her best friend from secondary school. Both of these women have been through significant trauma, and Emily – no matter how much she thinks otherwise – is not equipped to really help either of them. Over the course of the book we watch her reevaluate the things she thought she knew, and begin to view the world in a less idealistic way.

Nothing is truly resolved at the end of this book, and I really appreciated that. The book felt so true to life that if the good guys won and the bad guys got punished it would have felt hollow. But there are small wins for the good guys, and small losses for the bad guys, and both the characters and the reader have to be content with that. It’s also an excellent depiction of the pitfalls of white feminism. Over the course of the book, Emily begins to see quite how blinkered her view of the world – and of feminism – is, and it sets her on the start of seeing the world a little more critically, with a little more humility. (But only a little! This is the start of Emily’s adulthood, so we just get to see her take her first steps, which I loved.)

This book explores some really interesting themes, such as victimhood, the exploitation of victims in the media, and the responsibilities held by perpetrators, victims, and witnesses. It’s an ideal book club book; I want to get a group together to read this book so we can discuss in-depth how these ideas present themselves in this book! (So if you have read it, do get in touch!)

And finally, a huge shout-out to the narrator. Tanya Reynolds is an excellent actress, and no small reason behind my choosing the audiobook over the ebook. She brought Emily and all the other characters to life so vividly, and really added to my overall enjoyment of the book. I highly recommend choosing the audiobook for this one!

I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.

I've seen this book being described as almost a tale of two halves as there is a very clear change between the first part and the second part of this book. I found this to be a powerful read, but please read the trigger warnings before reading it yourself.

well written modern narrative, two young women are drawn to each other through their very different lives. There are a couple of story lines and one is the world of film making and sleazy directors, how they treated women who were vulnerable and aspiring to make it. Could have been a true story, the hollywood dream. The two women meet through mutual interest in a common cause and they form a friendship. I really enjoyed the journey of the friendship and they coped with each others issues and the life dramas. despite being very different characters. I really enjoyed the writing, and development of the characters, you cannot fail to be drawn in. Some controversial subjects came up and led you into seeking an explanation and explore your own thoughts. Narration was excellent, an great read. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, really highlighted female struggles and how everyone has a story and how personal this is to them.
Such a breath of fresh air from a book as really unexpected and the narrative was just wonderful and thought provoking

Tanya Reynolds is an outstanding narrator - really brough the characters to life, and ensured everyone had their own voices.

Combining beautiful prose with the ugly reality and flawed people and friendship. This book is a commentary on if there is any one way to be a (young) woman, if there is any one way to react to abuse or trauma as a woman - and how to accept or see those reactions as another woman-supporting-women. What does it mean to support women?

Emily is a flawed character, and you will find yourself hating her and pitying her throughout.

Brilliant and worth a listen.

Young Women is set against the #MeToo era. It’s a fascinating read, and it was interesting to take a look into the lives of Emily and her friend Tamsin.

Emily meets Tamsin at a protest march and they become friends very quickly. Tamsin is an actress who seems to be living a very expensive life. She owns a flat in Soho, eats in expensive restaurants and drinks in even more expensive bars. In contrast, Emily shares a small flat, and works for a charity that deals with women’s advocacy. Her life is very different, and she’s excited by what Tamsin has to offer.

When an actress comes forward to accuse a film director of sexual assault, Emily realises that Tamsin is involved in some way.

This novel looks at how women can be coerced into keeping quiet about assault and in this case, with large sums of money. We see how men have all the power, how acts of sexual assault by males are all too frequent and commonplace, and how women can make themselves complicit whilst experiencing trauma.

I loved the narrator, and she really helped to bring the book to life. She had just the right voice for the main characters of Emily and Tamsin (by that, I mean she sounded as young as they were!).

There’s a lot to talk about in this novel, and I think it would make an outstanding book club book. It would certainly create a great deal of discussion around both sides of the equation. All of the men are written as complication inappropriate behaviours around women, and the women initially take the money in exchange for their silence, only to disclose what happened to them later.

This is a brilliant book, I hope people will read it and discuss the questions it raises about our society as a whole.

This audio book was different to any I have listened to before. I liked the narration although the Canadian accent was grating at times. I very current topic looking at the me too movement. showing it in a different light from different perspectives.