This was exactly the kind of angsty book I love. Similar in style to Sally Rooney, Meg Mason & Coco Mellors. I loved this book, really funny in parts but also hard hitting.

Slags is one of the best examples of a female-led complex-lead coming-of-age books I’ve read - and there are many around at the moment.
The story isn’t predictable and I was caught off guard towards the end with some of the revelations. It’s very funny and relatable while still giving space for pain, trauma and reflection.
I would highly recommend it.

I quite enjoyed listening to this. Didn’t quite know where it was going to go at the start, but it was actually quite deep in the end. My only qualm is whether it could have dug more deeply into the issues it raises. Good narrator in the audible version too.

Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth – Short Review

Slags is a raw, riotous exploration of sisterhood, obsession, and the messy truths we carry. The story follows Sarah and Juliette, estranged sisters on a whisky-fuelled campervan road trip across Scotland, digging into their shared past and personal demons. Unsworth’s signature wit and emotional candour shine through as she navigates generational divides, sexual politics, and the chaos of growing up. Bold, funny, and unflinchingly honest, this is a coming-of-age tale wrapped in adult reckoning. A fierce celebration of flawed women and the bonds that both bind and break.

Slags is a humorous and touching novel about sisters, friendship and past traumas. It is set in the 1990s when Sarah is 15 and about to sit her GCSE’s and in the present day when she’s in her early 40s. While on a tour of Scotland in a motorhome Sarah and her sister Juliette share secrets, and reveal hidden parts of their past that still impact on them today.
I love the references to pop culture in the 1990s and I found the Book to be brutally honest while maintaining some hilarious moments. It felt almost autobiographical in its style and content while being completely relatable. Highly recommended

The messiness of growing up in the 90s you wish you’d forgotten (extreme edition).

The plot: the story flips between Sarah at 15 (boy bands, Malibu, disastrous crushes) and Sarah at 41, when she and her sister Juliette take a campervan trip across Scotland for Juliette’s birthday - only to dig up old grudges and even older memories.

What worked for me: I enjoyed the freedom in how the characters explore their sexuality and the complicated sister dynamic. It’s very, very (and I mean very) messy - sometimes in a way that works, sometimes not. The audio narration did its best, but it didn’t make me enjoy the story more.

What didn't work for me (but I wish it kinda did): For me, it had wannabe Derry Girls energy without the same spark. A “could-have-been-something, but wasn’t” sort of read.

It’s short enough to finish in a couple of afternoons. If you’re in the mood for a chaotic 90s vibe and spiky sisterhood, it might still hit the spot.

3/5 ⭐

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Really thought provoking and defo for my contemporary readers. I enjoyed it despite it being outside my comfort zone of books

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review it if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to listen and review it if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review, please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media: The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (X). Thank you.

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

Slags
Emma Jane Unsworth

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟


I was obviously attracted to this read by the title. Who wouldn't be!?
I had no clue what to expect from this having never read this author before nor read the blurb.
However, I was completely rivetted from the first page to the last.

We take a trip (present day) with sisters Sarah and Juliette as they head off in a camper van for a road trip round Scotland.
As they drive and catch up on life for them both now - Sarah slips into reminiscing about their childhood, family and school life back when she was 15.

I'm pretty sure that there is going to be something for everyone in this read, it's a bit out there for some maybe, but even if you've not had the same experiences yourself, the feelings and aspirations of a school leaver explored here have got to ring true for most.

The thing that really hooked me was the setting.
Manchester in the early 90's - ok a teensy bit too late for me (I was late 80's) - but this took me right back to my own youth and no, I wasn't the Sarah of the group - but I definitely hung around with the Sarah and Nessa of my own school.

I haven't been "back home" for many years but still have such an affinity with Manchester and this whole book was like time travelling back to all the good times of my own teenage years.
I loved the mention of Town, Deansgate, the clubs and pubs the girls went in and even my own little part of Manchester (Blackley) formed a major setting here - and that has never happened in a book before!!

This was a totally wild ride that explored family relationships and expectations, as well as how the scars from the past can direct attitudes and decisions made throughout life.
We also see how that need to appear a certain way that all teenagers succumb to, can often be misleading and create barriers in friendships and future relationships.

I loved the writing style which transported me back to Manc with the girls and just felt as though I was back chatting with my best friends in the park.
I also enjoyed touring the camping spots of Scotland with the pair - definitely not the way I'd be holidaying there.

This crazy and fun read has sparked an interest in checking out the other books this author has written - so watch out for more reviews to come in the near future.




💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

This was an enjoyable listen with a great narrator who kept me engaged. The story follows two sisters on a road trip who are also taking a trip down memory lane so we are transported back in time to their childhood and teens in the 90's. I enjoyed the themes of childhood trauma, the sister bond and the exploration of a girls sexuality as well as the pressures that come from your teens to appear older than you are. The author done a good job at exploring these and it was humorous at times whilst still tackling difficult subjects around girlhood.

Overall I enjoyed listening to this book and wanted to see where the story went, but I just didn't connect with the story or the characters as much as I was hoping. The narrator did a good job.

Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth took a little while to draw me in, and at first, I found the protagonist, Sarah, quite unlikeable. However, as the story progressed, I became increasingly absorbed. Unsworth handles complex themes such as teenage obsession, desire, friendship, and trauma with nuance and honesty. The novel really shines in how it moves between past and present, gradually revealing the emotional weight behind Sarah’s behaviour and choices. The interplay between memory and reality adds depth, and by the end, I found myself far more sympathetic towards her. It’s a bold, raw book that doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths, but it’s all the more powerful for it. While it may not be immediately gripping, Slags rewards patience with a rich, layered narrative that stays with you. A gritty, emotional read that explores the lingering impact of adolescence and the way we carry old wounds into adulthood.

Emma Jane Unsworth's "Slags" is a darkly funny and resonant novel, and its audiobook rendition is very good
. For listeners who appreciate a narrator who truly embodies a story, this is a standout. The performer navigates the complexities of the main character, Sarah, bringing her to life with an intensity that makes her journey feel incredibly personal and immediate.
The novel traverses the challenging concepts of being a woman doing ‘unconventional' things and society's reluctance to accept ageing women. It also explored the bizarre relationships that developed between sisters who end up thrown together by birth often meaning you have a lot in common, but not put together by choice.
What truly elevates this audiobook is the narrator's remarkable ability to differentiate and inhabit various characters.

The story is fearless in its tackling of challenging issues and as a consequence it wasn't always an easy listen but it was nonetheless overall and enjoyable and important book

The story follows our main character Sarah across two timelines. The first as a chaotic, love struck teenager in the 90s and the second as a 41 year old on a whisky fuelled campervan road trip with her younger sister in the Scottish Highlands. It explores sisterhood, identity, trauma and the struggle of growing up female.

I laughed out loud at so many moments. Sarah has sharp wit and the absurdity of her teenage years were hilarious. The 90s setting felt so real - the obsession with a teacher, smoky bedrooms, rebellious friendships, teens trying to act older than they are. Young Sarah’s voice is chaotic and I could really relate to her struggles growing up. In the present day, Sarah and her younger sister Juliette embark on a road trip through the Scottish Highlands to celebrate Juliette’s 40th birthday. Their banter and sibling rivalry are funny, whilst underlying tensions surface around mental health, childhood trauma and identity.

Even though I loved the humour and nostalgia, the plot occasionally felt thin. I didn’t think about the story much once I put the book down.

If you were a teen in the 90s you'll like the nostalgia of this book. 2 sisters, now hitting their 40s, go on a weekend away, and the story flips between their teen years and now. If you have a sister, you'll love the connections. Brought back some memories

Quotes that jumped out at me.

"Teenage girls have wills of iron and hearts of glass"

"She remembers women her age staring at her all those years ago. She used to think they were staring out of envy. Now she knew it wasn't envy, it was incredulity , they were looking at you think of the girls they had been 5 minutes ago wondering where the fuck she'd gone".

"being the decliner of breakfast felt like spiritual bankruptcy"

"I'll tell you another thing motherhood did, it took away my instincts, repacked them and sold them back to me"
Thank you @netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

This was quite entertaining. I didnt completely resonate with it, but I liked it none the less.
The narrator kept my interest.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Every Woman Aged 30–50 Needs to Read This Book!

This book got me. I laughed, I cried, and I found myself deeply reflecting on moments I'd long forgotten. It’s one of those rare reads that sneaks up on you, subtle in its storytelling, yet powerful in its emotional punch.

Whether you were the party girl, the geek, the big sister, the overlooked one, or even the so-called "mean girl," you will see yourself in these pages. The characters feel so familiar it’s almost uncanny, like catching glimpses of your younger self in a mirror you didn’t realise was still hanging. The way the author unpacks how teenage experiences shape who we become in adulthood is profound, relatable, and honestly, important.

This is a must-read for any woman navigating life in her 30s, 40s, or beyond. It's emotional without being too heavy, funny without losing depth, and completely unputdownable. It was also the perfect palette cleanser from all the fairy smut I’ve been binging lately 😂😂

Highly recommend! Add it to your TBR immediately

Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth
Narrated by Chloe Massey
Publication date 8th May 2025

Thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for this audiobook.

I was born 1981, so I was a teenager in the 90’s, so going by the blurb, I was hoping for a trip down memory lane… but I hardly resonated with any of it. I didn’t find it that funny either, I had high hopes but felt a little disappointed, felt like the story didn’t really go anywhere, the story of them older was a bit boring. This is only my opinion, so please make your own mind up 🙂I rated it 3.5 out of 5.

Narrator was great. Clear, good accents.

Wow—this book is a ride, and a wild one at that. Emma Jane Unsworth doesn’t hold back in Slags, and honestly, that’s what makes it so gripping. That being said, I am not sure 'Slags' lives up to its name, but maybe that is the point? It’s raw, messy, and brutally honest about what it means to be a woman today—complete with all the bad decisions, self-doubt, and desire that come with it.

The writing is sharp, funny, dark, and slightly unhinged. There’s a real energy to the prose—it’s witty, biting, and painfully relatable at times. You feel like you’re inside the heads of these women, and it’s not always a comfortable place to be.

The characters spiral a lot, and sometimes it feels like they’re going in circles—chaos, regret, repeat. If you’re someone who likes a tidy plot or a hopeful ending, this probably won’t be your thing, which is perhaps why I haven't rated it as high. But if you’re into books that feel honest, even when they’re ugly, this one nails it.

What I loved most is how Unsworth writes women—flawed, complex, angry, hilarious. There’s zero sugar-coating, and that feels refreshing. Just be prepared: it’s intense, and it might leave you feeling a bit bruised.

I think in theory this should have been a very me book. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with either of the storylines and can’t put my finger on what bothered me. I probably expected it to be more funny and didn’t expect the teacher storyline. Unfortunately not for me, but the narrator does a great job!