Acclaimed writer Saba Sams’s debut novel grew from her desire to read a convincing birth scene; it was while crafting that episode Sams came up with her narrator Jules who serves as witness to this birth. The rest of Sam’s book flowed from these images, a slice-of-life, short story that just kept going. Sams sets out to interrogate dominant concepts of motherhood, intent on questioning the narrowness of notions of what does or doesn’t make a family. For Jules family is synonymous with convention. She grew up in a suburb close to Brighton, experiencing her parents’ careful attention as close to smothering. Jules dreamt instead of having her own child, establishing a relationship where she’s the one in control. As an adult, Jules moves to central Brighton where she ends up working at a shabby nightclub Gunk. A dilapidated space that appeals to rich students intent on rebelling against their bourgeois origins. Gunk’s owner is an older man Leon who possesses a kind of sleazy charisma, Jules eventually marries then later divorces him but takes on running his club. It’s there Jules becomes entangled with the much younger Nim whose unexpected pregnancy will bind them together in entirely unexpected ways.

Sams is drawing on aspects of her own life here, she had the first of her three children while still a student, and her family circle is opened up to friends and relatives, rather than locked down in nuclear family mode. A form that clearly no longer works for women, if it ever did. Sams is interested in mothering as a practice: who mothers, who’s mothered and how. She also wants to chronicle the essential messiness of everyday life: Nim’s feelings for Jules; Jules’s complicated emotions for ex Leon and so on. Sams’s novel unfolds at a languid pace, the claustrophobic world within worlds represented by Gunk underlined by the claustrophobic atmosphere that pervades her story. Sams’s accomplished prose is often direct and visceral, but it can also be lyrical and tender echoing elements of the tentative bonds being formed between Nim, Jules and the unnamed child – although sometimes that tenderness threatens to tip over into sentimentality.

Sams touches on external, social issues around mothering – such as the surveillance culture mothers are routinely subjected to – but I wanted her to dig deeper, to say more about the political and economic aspects of contemporary parenting. Instead, the primary focus here is on Jules and her evolving state of mind. And I just didn’t find Jules entirely convincing. I couldn’t fully comprehend what was driving her desperation to have and raise a child. It seemed so vastly removed from any consideration of the child itself and its potential needs. It felt, to me at least, as if Jules’s impulse was closer to yearning for some unobtainable object or commodity – an extension of consumerism. However, it transpired that this type of transactionality was very much part of what Sams was seeking to explore and undermine, it’s just that this aspect of her narrative came a little too late, and was a little too superficial, to satisfy. For all that this was a well-observed, absorbing read, likely to appeal to fans of authors like Gwendoline Riley.

Thanks to Netgalley and to publisher Bloomsbury Circus for an ARC

I liked the author‘s previous book enough to request this on NG, even though Send Nudes was short stories, not a genre I usually like.

This is Sams‘ debut novel (another great debut!) and I really liked it.

Jules runs a nightclub alongside her useless ex Leon, where he sleeps with students young enough to be his kids. Leon employs shaven-headed enigmatic Nim. Jules agrees to help when Nim becomes pregnant and their relationship grows.

I can't say any more for spoilers but this was an unusual, quirky book.

I did enjoy the author's previous short story collection but this book was definitely more memorable for me. It was a very interesting look at motherhood and relationships with vivid and memorable characters that leapt off the page. The writing was great and it was such an intriguing plot that I couldn't put it down and devoured it in one sitting.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

I read Gunk* by the pool over a sweltering Bangkok weekend in December. Despite the vastly different settings if I closed one eye Sams managed to transport me back to the sweaty seafronts nightclubs of Brighton that luckily I only have a few memories in. The story encapsulates the grotty British seaside energy, the empty winter promenade and the always mouldy weathered battered flats (said with love as an ex brightonian 🫡) perfectly.

We’ve had a slew of books in last couple of years promising to expose “what it’s really like to become a mother” but Sams newest entry has been by far the most intrguing to me. Some of them have strayed into warning messages or just a liturgy of complaints, Sams’ felt more honest than that. The novel is full of intricate moments that pass in a flash and characters with such singular tics which make it wholly believable these three people exist in the nightclub and beyond. Ultimately, it’s an interrogation of, desire, co parenting and queering the nuclear family unit, I was reminded of both Sophie Lewis and Torrey Peters works throughout reading- great people to sit amongst imo.

Gunk is set in Brighton, where I used to live, so I was intrigued to read this book. Jules and Nim work in a nightclub alongside Jules' ex. The story examines ambiguity in relationships, friendships and a different take on motherhood. It was a quick read, and an interesting one, of the current lives led by younger people than myself and I wondered how much was autobiographical. Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsnury Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Gunk.

Saba Sams’ debut novel Gunk (thank you @bloomsburypublishing via @netgalley for a review copy) is a visceral and raw exploration of unconventional relationships, love and the desire for motherhood. Jules, working alongside her ex-husband in a grotty student bar on the Brighton seafront - aptly named Gunk, lives a routine existence until her ex hires nineteen-year-old Nim to work behind the bar. Something about Nim’s presence captures Jules’ interest and they form a close and, at times, intimate connection. When Nim becomes unexpectedly pregnant, Jules agrees to help and what ensues is a complex but tender examination of the possibility of alternate ways of living, outside of the conventional, nuclear family. What I appreciated about Gunk was Sams’ refusal to give answers; listening to Sams in conversation at Blackwell’s, she talked about how she wanted to blur the categories we often put people in - such as ‘family’, ‘friends’, ’work colleagues’ - and the love or boundaries we confer to people in these separate categories and I think she does a good job of that with Jules and Nim. Often their relationship can be confusing and there is a lot that is miscommunicated as they navigate their changing roles in each other’s lives. I also loved how prevalent the setting was in Gunk. Having been a student in Brighton in the early 2010s, not only did the book bring back strong memories of student nights out (which always ended in a trip to Buddies) but it took me right back there to the seafront and how it felt during the different seasons. Although a speedy read, Gunk packs a punch and leaves a lot to ruminate on.

Honestly wizzed through this so quickly. I read Saba Sam’s’ previous book/short stories so was very intrigued for this and I throughly enjoyed

This was such a beautifully raw, candid story that really dived so deep into complex emotions and feelings that you can't help take something so positive and profound away.
The books discusses family dynamics, what it is to be a woman, motherhood and difficulties and challenges in adulthood. It's so real in a gritty way but also gentle and tender to the reader, it explores different expressions of love and that not one love fits all, and the different perspectives of difficult situations hold different emotions and levels of understanding. Nim was spectacular, a character of her own and so profound.
Such an eye opening, emotive story.

I received a review copy of this book (thanks to Netgalley and the publisher) and initially wondered if I was the wrong demographic to enjoy it, being in my 60s. I'm pleased to say that I was wrong and I enjoyed the novel very much indeed.

It's the story of Jules and nim, who both work in a student bar/nightclub in Brighton along with Jules ex. The experience of this kind of night work in hospitality is well described, as are the relationships between the three main protagonists, the writing is accomplished and beautiful.

Sams explores friendship, love, being a mother in a fresh and moving way - I immediately started talking about this book and recommending it to friends and family. I'd say don't hesitate - just read it.

I’ve been looking forward to reading this one for so long, and it did not disappoint. Gunk is a tender, thoughtful exploration of love and the complex web of emotional responsibility—what we owe others, and what we hold back.

Saba Sams resists the urge to neatly categorise her characters, particularly the women. Instead, she presents them as messy, layered, and achingly real. This refusal to reduce them to types or tropes is one of the novel’s greatest strengths.

The Brighton setting feels integral to the atmosphere of the story. It isn’t just a backdrop, but a living, breathing part of the book that amplifies the mood and emotion.

What I found particularly powerful was how the story embraces ambiguity. The questions it leaves unanswered don’t feel like loose ends—they feel deliberate. They invite reflection, lingering in your mind long after the final page.

4.5

Oh this was really beautiful. I haven't stopped thinking about it. I loved Send Nudes by Saba and have been eagerly awaiting her novel. Her writing is so well crafted, tender and the way this explores the complexities of love and motherhood feels so real and vivid. My only small criticism is that I felt like it concluded quickly and i'd love to have read more of Jules and Nim as they settled into their new life. I loved this and it'll stay with me for a while.

I loved this book so much. I read it in an afternoon and have thought about it every day since. The writing is vivid & beautiful. I was in Brighton with them. Jules & Nim have such an interesting dynamic and I loved their stories and I feel like the dynamic was something that I'd never read about before. Saba nailed it.

Review: Gunk by Saba Sams

Rating: 4 Stars

I read Send Nudes a few years ago when I was getting back into reading and really enjoyed it. This is my second Saba Sams and it was incredibly different - it was such a raw story. Gunk is an exploration of motherhood, friendship and longing for a family, but maybe not in a conventional way."I just think: you want a baby and I've got one. It makes sense." If you enjoy messy characters this one is for you.

Jules, who has been divorced from her ex-husband Leon for five years, still works alongside him at his grimy nightclub, Gunk, in the heart of Brighton. While she spends her nights serving drinks and watching Leon flirt with students, she quietly endures the emotional toll of her situation, pacing home in the early hours of the morning.

The arrival of 19 year old Nim disrupts Jules’s routine. As the two women become closer, Nim reveals that she is pregnant, and Jules agrees to help. Over time, their bond deepens in unexpected ways, leading to a twist that leaves Jules questioning her future.

Despite being a slightly emotional read around human connection, intricate dynamics of friendship, unspoken feelings and infertility, it was still fast paced, and the humor dispersed throughout made it easy and quick to read. It’s not really plot driven, as the opening pages are the ending and focusses on the characters, their flaws and their relationships

Thank you to the publisher for gifting this via netgalley!

Note: It does feature some heavier topics including infertility, drug abuse, parental relationships.

What a tender, raw and emotional story.

Gunk really resonated with me. The perfect read for anyone who has ever woken up at 4am in a strange place and wondered exactly what they are doing with their life.

Nim explodes into Jules life. Jules is still working in Gunk, the grotty Brighton night club owned by her ex-husband Leon. He hires Nim to work the bar and there's an instant connection between the two women. They don't know it yet but an unexpected pregnancy is going to change their lives forever.

"I just think: you want a baby and I've got one. It makes sense."

It seems so simple on the surface. But life is infinitely more complicated and nuanced. I was totally captivated by Nim and Jules story and loved every minute. I loved being witness to Jules and Nims relationship. Their fragility and their complexity. I was hooked from the first page.

The writing is beautiful, gentle and intimate. Sams exquisitely captures pregnancy, birth and parenthood. The longing of wishing for a child. My children are not so little anymore, but this book made those vulnerable days feel like yesterday.

A really moving novel, bittersweet to the end. Very much recommended.

Gunk by Saba Sams is a poignant exploration of love, relationships, and the complexities of family. Jules, who has been divorced from her ex-husband Leon for five years, still works alongside him at his grimy nightclub, Gunk, in the heart of Brighton. While she spends her nights serving drinks and watching Leon flirt with students, she quietly endures the emotional toll of her situation, pacing home in the early hours of the morning.

The arrival of nineteen-year-old Nim, with her shaved head, mysterious distance, and quiet sweetness, disrupts Jules’s routine. As the two women become closer, Nim reveals that she is pregnant, and Jules agrees to help. Over time, their bond deepens in unexpected ways, leading to a surprising twist. When Nim gives birth to a baby and disappears, leaving Jules to care for the newborn, Jules is left with a future full of uncertainty, grappling with the unanswered questions about Nim’s whereabouts and what lies ahead for her and the child.

Gunk is a deeply emotional story about the fragility of relationships and the intricate dynamics of friendship. The narrative beautifully portrays Jules’s journey of longing for a family while coming to terms with the stark reality of infertility. The novel captures the rawness of human connections, the quiet ache of unspoken feelings, and the bond between two women who, despite their differences, share something profound.

This book is a bittersweet reflection on the choices we make, the lives we create, and the people we let into our hearts. It’s a moving, heartfelt exploration of what it means to find family in the most unexpected of places.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This, for me, was very different to SEND NUDES but of course has Sams's signature wit and ability to describe the grotesque and taboo in such a delicious way. This had me holding out for just one more page all through, proving her right to the many accolades she has received! Will recommend!

I really enjoyed this. Would I have liked it as much if I hadn't just had a kid? IDK. But I liked how short it was, and the fast pace, and the focus on characters and relationships. My one critique is I thought the ending was a bit deus ex machina and a bit too quickly resolved. But overall a really good book - very impressive. She really does have a way with words and language - lots of great similes in this, and the setting (Brighton) is evoked very well.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

<i>It was not possible, I realised then, to build a new destiny through your child. If you had any control over them at all, which seemed doubtful to me now, it was only in the very early days. After that, you had no choice but to do what you could with the person you were given, and with the person you were yourself. Simply, you had to allow life to happen.

Her head was satisfying to touch, like the neck of a horse.

We could have been in Paris, if it weren't for all the Tesco's.</i>
</i>

This is a little more conventional than I expected from Sams. Though it's set in grotty flats and a seedy club, at heart it's another motherhood book, even if it rattles the contours of that narrative. We even get a summary soundbite: 'we've been caught up in trying to define what we have. I tried to limit her to employee, to housemate, to surrogate. In turn, her approach was expansion; she reached up for romantic love. I see that we've been trapped by language, by legitimacy. But there is no need.'

A bit too much baby stuff for my personal taste.

I must confess I spent the first third of Gunk thinking it was probably not the right book for me. I was wrong. It got under my skin and really made me care, for Jules and for Nim.
It is set in Brighton. This is always a winner for me, as I lived there for 14 years and love it. The descriptions of the seedy student nightclub were excellent and very familiar.
Mostly, it was a story of unlikely friendship, the impact of trauma, and the power of love.
A quick and easy read, that will challenge you and grab your heart.
I definitely recommend it.

Jules works in a bar called Gunk that is owned by her ex husband.
When a nineteen year old girl Nim comes to work there, they become friends.
Jules has been trying for a baby for years and found out that she is infertile.
When Nim becomes pregnant she tells Jules that she will give her the baby after it’s born.
A sad story about relationships and friendships.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.