4.5 stars

Slags is a story of two sisters on a trip in a campervan travelling across Scotland. Sarah and Juliette's relationship is so raw and real, and I think a lot of readers will relate to one or both of their experiences as women. Both sisters are problematic and a bit grating, but the connection between them and the reader makes it all worth it. As a younger sister, I related to Sarah a lot, especially as she harkens back to her teen years and the relationships (or lack thereof) that shaped her as an adult.

The sisters whiskey-fuelled holiday will bring you laughs and tears, as they realise they don't know each other quite as well as they thought they did, but you're never too old to be girls together. I love how the author positions the reader between the sisters during tense altercations, and again, encourages the reader to side with the sister they resonate with the most. This book does handle some heavy topics as Sarah is pulled into the past, but I think the author does this mindfully.

I received a free ALC and the audiobook was really captivating! I liked the narrator, I think she had a great a dry delivery that suited the book and characters.

A throwback to a different era, Slags takes us back to the early 90s - pre me too, where crushes on teachers were rife, and yes some were rumoured to actually come to fruition; boy bands and hedonistic lifestyles - as sisters Sarah and Juliette take a road trip to Scotland to celebrate a big birthday and they revisit their past lives, demons and all. I thought it was a very entertaining and amusing book, tinged with a sense of sadness and full of nostalgia for readers / listeners of that generation.
Chloe Massey is the perfect narrator, giving a true sense of Manchester to the story and bringing the sisters to life. All in all, a great listen.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the ebook in exchange for a review.

Narrated by Chloe Massey
Presented by HarperCollins UK Audio

An easy enough listen, but not quite the laugh-out-loud riot I was expecting.

The setup is simple: two sisters go on a road trip around Ireland.

There's a lot about how life separates family sometimes - as everyone becomes busy with their own lives, it's hard to keep in touch with every detail of a sibling's life. There's a little hostility in their relationship - quite natural, really - but for the most part this is about their catching up and deciding what's important enough to share.

It was an okay listen, but I did find it dull in some places and as a consequence tuned out a bit. I didn't really like either sibling, but I get the feeling we weren't supposed to.

A massive subject is the difference between a life with kids, and a life without. I'm getting a little tired of the black and white comparison, to be honest - there are plenty of happy couples that choose a life without kids, yet for some reason there's a stereotype that a woman without kids is one who refuses to outgrow her 'party' years. This explored that a little, but not really satisfactorily to me.

There are some funny anecdotes here and there but for the most part it fell a little flat for me. I feel like this is a particular breed of humour that I personally find very hit or miss; it reminded me a bit of Derry Girls (which I loved) but didn't quite match it for me - perhaps because the themes are more adult.

The narrator did a great job - she differentiated between the sisters well, and there was plenty of humour in her tone that helped the jokes hit. The pacing was great, and there weren't any strange pauses.

Ultimately, I feel this one just wasn't my style. I can see others really enjoying this, and particularly readers who understand the nuances of this cultural sort of humour. I found it easy enough and I did enjoy it for the most part, but it was mostly immemorable.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

Slags was brilliantly narrated but a very slow start almost made me give up. Gritty and raw even shocking at times I became gripped. I am a very old woman but this story just proved that every generation of teenage girls goes through the same kind of coming of age traumas and naivety so it was still relatable. I didn't like the abrupt ending and there were several inconsistencies that would have been picked up if proof reading was still a thing but overall I enjoyed listening.

The premise of this book spoke to me...dual timeline between when Sarah was 15 in the 90's obsessing over boy bands and English teachers and switching to the present time where sisters Sarah and Juliette are now in their 40's going on a whisky-fuelled campervan road-trip across Scotland to celebrate Juliette’s birthday.

I thought I'd really relate to Sarah having also been 15 in the 90's and in my 40's now...but I just couldn't connect with Sarah as a character. It was a gritty read with reference to sex, addiction and family dynamics....the style of writing reminded me a bit of Dawn O'Porter. I did love the relationship between Juliette and Sarah but I think this one just wasn't for me.

I listened to this in audiobook format, I thought that the audio narrator was fantastic...she deserved all the stars!

Emma Jane Unsworth’s Slags explores themes of sisterhood, self-acceptance, and nostalgia, While these elements resonate the novel ultimately didn’t work for me.

Despite its compelling premise, I found myself struggling to connect with the story. The exploration of relationships and personal growth is thoughtful, but something about the execution left me feeling detached. Perhaps it was the pacing or the narrative style, but I couldn’t fully immerse myself in the world Unsworth created.

That said, for readers who enjoy raw, unfiltered stories nd a deep dive into family dynamics, Slags may still be worth exploring.

If your teenage years occurred in the eighties/nineties, this is a must-read, especially if you’re UK based, or curious about the British teenage experience at the end of the last century. This transported me back to the first few years of senior school.
It’s a deep character study, and Sarah’s teenage experiences deeply affect her.
From a flasher on a bus to a crush on her teacher, sexual explorations and encounters with drink and drugs, we experience the peer pressure, the desire to fit in but stand out, and ALL the teenage angst.
Now at the start of her forties and single, Sarah’s demons have caught up with her and they appear to be co-existing, if not living comfortably together. She’s been in therapy for much of her adult life, and decides a week away from it all with her sister will hit the spot. Once close, they’ve grown apart, and both sisters have secrets they’ve kept from the other.
It’s a nostalgic piece for those of us who grew up in this era, sharply observed, keenly felt and beautifully written.
The narration by Chloe Massey is bang on.
Slags published on 8 May.
Five stars from me, with thanks to @NetGalley and @HarperCollins UK audio for the ARC.

As a Mancunian I found so much of this book funny and relateable. Unsworth has a real talent for characters and humour, and I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Sarah and her sister which was funny, realistic and warm, without being sickly sweet in any way. The book is also incredibly well written. Highly recommended.

Emma Jane Unsworth’s Slags is a funny, nostalgic, and deeply relatable novel that captures the messy beauty of sisterhood and self-discovery. The story follows Sarah, a woman in her forties, who embarks on a raucous campervan road trip through Scotland with her younger sister Juliette. What starts as a boozy adventure soon evolves into a tender, often hilarious exploration of their complicated relationship and the challenges they’ve both faced along the way.

Unsworth’s writing sparkles with wit and charm, blending laugh-out-loud humor with sharp emotional insight. She deftly balances lighthearted moments with reflections on more serious topics—like family trauma, identity, and the expectations society places on women. The book’s structure, which jumps between Sarah’s teenage diary entries and her present-day experiences, cleverly highlights how the past shapes the women we become.

The dynamic between Sarah and Juliette feels authentic and raw, capturing both the deep love and occasional exasperation that define sisterly bonds. The dialogue crackles with sarcasm and warmth, making the characters feel instantly familiar.

While the novel’s shifts in tone and perspective might feel jarring at first, they ultimately serve to deepen the reader’s understanding of Sarah’s journey. Some readers might find the teenage sections a bit intense, but they add a crucial layer of vulnerability that enhances the overall narrative.

Overall, Slags is a bold, funny, and thought-provoking read that celebrates the messy, beautiful realities of being a woman. Unsworth’s talent for blending humor and heart makes this novel a standout, perfect for anyone who enjoys stories about family, friendship, and finding your way in the world.

I read this book via audiobook and I really enjoyed the narration and the the story of how the girls grew up the struggles in there teens and into adulthood I would like to read more by this author

I wanted to read this book as soon as I read title and the description. It beautifully captures the complexities of sisterhood and the raw, often messy reality of girlhood especially throughout our teen years. Absolutely loved it and can’t wait to read the authors other books!

i really enjoyed the narrator of the book and they made the story flow so effortlessly
The nostalgia had me all in my feels! Getting to relive the 90s in this book was so much fun.
Sex, boy bands and getting drunk on Lambrini was a teenagers dream.
Excited to read more from this author.

Really enjoyed this so many references to things from my teenage years a very nostalgic & well written book I would highly recommend reading it.

I initially tried to read the physical copy of this book and didn’t get on with it, but I loved the audio version. I enjoyed the story and characters but for me the audio just flowed much better. I liked how it showed how things can be seen so different from the perspective of a teenage girl. I also liked the complex sibling relationship.

The story is told in a dual timeline—teenage Sarah in the 90s and adult Sarah in the present—and it dives deep into sisterhood, sex, family drama, and all the weird, beautiful messiness of growing up (and still growing through life). I’ll be honest, I’m not a 90s kid, so some of the nostalgia bits didn’t hit me as hard, but that teenage voice? Still totally relatable. That overwhelming intensity, the bad decisions, the awkwardness—it all felt spot on.

I especially loved the way Unsworth wrote the relationship between Sarah and her sister Juliette. It’s competitive, full of in-jokes and tension, but also layered with love. It felt really authentic, like a real-life sibling dynamic with all the ups and downs.

While I personally found teenage Sarah’s chapters a bit more gripping than adult Sarah’s, the way both timelines reflect and feed into each other is super clever. It’s like watching someone unpack who they used to be and how that person still echoes in who they are now.

All in all, Slags made me laugh, cringe, nod along, and even tear up in places. It’s a raw, witty, and very real look at life and all the complicated stuff that comes with it. Big thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the listening copy—definitely glad I picked this one up!

Slags covers two pivotal period's in Sarah's life. The Summer she is Studying for G.C.S.E's and a camping trip she takes with her sister in current times.
The cover hooked me from the beginning so was delighted to be given an advanced listening copy and it did not disappoint.
This book resonated with me for so many reasons. I am an Xennial! I have a Sister! I live in Scotland and have ties to Greater Manchester! I loved a Boy Band in the 90's one from Greater Manchester (hee! Hee!)
Unsworth casts a humoursly critical eye over what it is like to be a single, childless perimenopausal woman in 2025 ; looking back on her teenage self and thinking how did we get here?
I didn't take to the narrator straight away but I also didn't take to Sarah straight away . Once The story opened up a bit more she really breathed life into the characters.
This story will stay with me a while and I know for sure when I am at the Robbie Williams concert on Saturday with my own wee sister, I'll look around just for a moment to see if I can spot Sarah and Juliet.

such a good & relatable book! the good, the bad & the ugly of growing up as a woman and the relationships you form throughout your life

i think most people will relate in one way or another to the stories told - i spent half the book doubting myself whether the teacher romance was actually real or in her head too so it was pretty well written & convincing enough to really show the depth of the protagonist’s denial

it definitely gave off a lot of fleabag vibes at the start but that somewhat wore off later! i will definitely be checking out more of the author’s work

overall an enjoyable one, and i enjoyed the audiobook/narrator also! thank you harper collins UK audio & net galley for an advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review :)

I loved this book so much!! I loved the back and forth between the past the present and how we could piece other the lives of both sisters. I loved the coming of age feel to the chapters from the past and looooved the way those chapters flowed. It felt like such a real book and definitely tackled a few things that a lot of teenagers would have dealt with. I felt like I couldn’t put this down and wanted to keep saying “just one more chapter”!

I was so gutted when I didn’t get the netgalley proof for this but then I was lucky enough to get the audiobook recently! I did my usual reading the book with the audiobook alongside and it was such a good idea. The audiobook was so fab and definitely added to the feel of the book and the “northern” aspect.

I’d definitely recommend this book if you like a bit of coming of age mixed with aging and trying to figure out life.

A dark, twisty little gem about two sisters tangled up in secrets, grief, and complicated love. The audiobook narration is spot on. It genuinely added to the tension and kept me locked in.

Loved the dual timelines, past and present weaving together in that slow-burn way. That said, for a book set partly in the 90s, I wanted more actual 90s. Aside from a mint consulate it didn’t fully scratch that nostalgic itch.

Still, smart, raw, and gripping.

I didn’t really come to this book but I thought the story was good. I just found myself bored and in disagreement with the status quo. If you were a bit more outwardly confident growing up then you might enjoy it more. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read and review