Young Women - Jessica Moor

Genre: Contemporary Fiction | Womens Fiction

Released: 26th May 2022

Publisher: Bonnier Books | Manilla Press

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.

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.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title as part of a read-along in partnership with Tandem Collective UK. Head to https://thetandemcollective.com/ for more information.

CW: sexual assault, rape, violence, swearing, alcohol, jail.

Comments

REVIEW: This Could Be Us by Clare McGowan

Genre: Fiction | Literary Fiction Release Date: Expected 1st June 2023 Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group | Corsair Kate has done the unthinkable. She'd worked hard to build a perfect life for herself, while ignoring her growing unhappiness. But when her second child was born profoundly disabled, reality hit. Unable to cope, Kate left - disappearing without a trace. She ends up in LA, with a glittering career and a new family of sorts, but the guilt is still suffocating. Husband Andrew was left to pick up the pieces and care for their disabled daughter and angry, confused son. Bereft and broken, he leaned on Olivia, Kate's best friend. She's been by his side ever since, ignoring her own needs to meet his. Years later, Andrew has written a memoir about his daughter learning to communicate against all odds. But when Kate's new producer husband decides he wants to make a film of it, their worlds collide once again. Now, Kate must return to the life she abandoned and reck...

REVIEW: Live, Laugh, Lesbian by Helen Scott

Genre: Non-Fiction | Memoir | LGTBQ+ Release Date: 19th October 2023 Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Part memoir, part guide, part conversation and all queer joy — Live, Laugh, Lesbian is a brilliantly warm and friendly journey into the queer experience, not only from the author but from plenty of other lesbian, queer, bisexual and pansexual contributors who bring a unique viewpoint and voice and also show a beautiful diverse, intersectional scope of the queer spectrum and welcomes in queer people and allies of any kind to come feel the love. The book is very conversational, talking to the reader in a fun, friendly way — at times I rolled my eyes as the use of “famalam” but as a previous patron of Colours and Chicagos I’m not in a position to judge the Essex-isms. It’s full of anecdotes and observations that were witty and relatable as well as talking is through the more difficult side of queerness like dealing with workplace discrimination, religious trauma and coming out to family...

BOOK TOUR STOP x RANDOM THINGS TOURS: Thirty Days of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen

" This town has secrets that are best left alone." Author Hannah is a success, on paper at least. She's receiving critical acclaim and praise worldwide and her work is regarded as some of the best. She writes literature, not just books. But the reality is, outside of the literary circles nobody actually reads her work. But when she finally snaps at a book event and publicly criticises the genre fiction books that outsell hers, claiming they're easy and mindless she's challenged to write her own crime fiction novel in just thirty days by an author she loathes. Desperate not to lose to him, her editor arranges for her to spend a month in a quiet, cold village in Iceland hoping that the solitude will spark inspiration. But instead of writing a murder story - she's in one . Just before she arrives, the body of a young man is pulled from the icy waters and her search for ideas soon becomes a search for a killer. And if she's not careful, she might end up the...

On Bee's Bookshelf

Search This Blog