Have you ever wondered what it would be like to break the law? Maybe you have, or do, regularly. I am absolutely a rule-follower though, and so even the thought brings me out in an anxiety rash. Thankfully I can live vicariously through books, and it was in this spirit I picked up Graffiti Girls from NetGalley. 

Amy, Carole, Lenore and Susan went to high school together. Now in their 40s, they’re rapidly realising that they are being continually undervalued by - well, everyone, to be honest. Their partners, children, employers and customers take them for granted and they’re constantly hearing that their best years are behind them. 

Fuelled by the sting of one slight too many (and a few wines), the four embark on a covert campaign of graffiti vandalism around their hometown of Hamilton, scrawling feminist slogans on walls in the middle of the night. Soon their actions are a hot topic amongst media and locals - and while there is some condemnation, there is a rising tide of agreement and sympathy with their message. Maybe they’re not so past-it after all?

I lived just near Hamilton for some years, and being of exactly the same age range as the Graffiti Girls I could relate to so many of their experiences - if not me directly, from some of my friends. Life challenges across relationships, parenting, careers, and friendships are all covered here. If I were to have a small niggle it would be that occasionally some dialogue didn’t scan entirely authentically - I suspect due to over-zealous editing rather than the writer’s own voice. But it’s still recognisably Lanarkshire in location and vibes, complete with some d’nicely obscured local landmarks.

Many readers in their 40s and beyond will recognise the sense (fleeting or regular) that life is passing us by, or that early promise we may have displayed hasn’t quite come to fruition. We can all pinpoint missed opportunities, or wrong choices we’ve taken, and this book taps right into that.

There’s a lot of seemingly awful men in the book - though some unexpected outcomes kept my interest piqued - but few of them were irredeemable, and I felt that played well against the flawed heroines. I enjoyed the flashback scenes to the friends’ high school experiences - it really rounded out the characters and provided authenticity to their motivations and behaviours.

There’s so much to relate to in Graffiti Girls, whether you’re a rule follower or breaker. Now, where’s my spray paint?

You can (pre)order your copy of Graffiti Girls from Amazon (UK)

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This title will be released on March 13, 2025. Thank you Harper Collins for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.