Gunk
by Saba Sams
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An electrifying first novel from "a fresh new voice in fiction" (Emma Cline), the story of two women circling one another--working side-by-side, sleeping with the same man, inching toward friendship--until an unplanned pregnancy reveals the true nature of their connection.
Jules has been divorced from her ex-husband Leon for five years, but she still works with him at Gunk, the grotty student nightclub he owns in central Brighton. She spends her nights serving shots and watching, from behind the bar, as Leon flirts with students on the dancefloor. In the early hours of the morning, she trudges home to sleep alone. But then Leon hires eighteen-year-old Nim to work the bar with Jules--Nim, with her shaved head and steady pour, her disarming sweetness and sudden distance--and Jules finds herself jolted awake. When Nim discovers she's pregnant, Jules agrees to help. As the months pass, and the relationship between the two women grows increasingly intimate and perplexing, it emerges that Nim has her own unexpected gifts to give.
Now, alone in her small flat, Jules is holding a baby, just twenty-four-hours old, who still smells of Nim. But no one knows where Nim is, or if she's coming back. What could the future--for Jules, Nim, and this unnamed baby--possibly look like?
Raw, surprising, tender and wise, Gunk is an exhilarating debut novel exploring love and desire, safety and destruction, chaos and control-- and family in all its forms.
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Book Details
- ISBN
- 9780593804995
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Authors
- Saba Sams
- Publisher
- Knopf Publishing Group
- Published Date
- March 3, 2026
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 240
- Physical Info
- 1.11 in H x 8.36 in L x 5.44 in W (0.77 lb)

What started out as a quirky, sad-girl litfic, ended up containing a much more nuance and emotional depth than I expected from it! I recommend this one to readers who love stories of unconventional, complex relationships. It’s an easily bingeable read and I can’t wait to see what this author does next.
𝗚𝗨𝗡𝗞 by Saba Sams [#gifted from @aaknopf]What a weird little book, but a weird little book that I enjoyed very much! 𝘎𝘶𝘯𝘬 tells the story of two women, Jules and Nim, who meet at a “gunky” student bar in Brighton. Jules has been there for a long time. She was once married to its girl-chasing owner, and stayed on after their divorce, every night forced to watch his antics. Nim is just barely legal and a bit of a mystery. She doesn’t like to talk about where she’s from or why she left. She’s just barely getting by.An unlikely friendship develops between the two, a friendship both truly need, but that neither really understands. Layered on all this are the book’s opening pages where Jules is in her apartment holding a newborn that’s not hers, but Nim’s and Nim is nowhere to be found. This is Sams’s debut novel and she packed a lot into a slim book at under 250 pages. Jules was an especially well developed character, and Nim less so, but with solid reasons for that. From those opening pages it was clear that Nim would be the enigma in this story and Jules its anchor, but what came as such a pleasant surprise were the complexities of their fragile friendship. Sams also did a brilliant job with the Brighton setting. She completely transported me there. All in all this was a lovely, heartwarming story that I’m very glad I found. And…that cover? Perfect spring colors for Easter weekend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
...and they find a friend in one another. During Nim's pregnancy, they grow closer together, and their relationship grows more complicated as well. After the birth, Jules finds herself not only with a newborn, but with new questions as she looks back on her time with Nim.While I was intrigued by the synopsis, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, so I'm happy to say I really enjoyed this book!The writing was so easy to read and kept the pace of the story moving nicely. The descriptions never felt over the top, but they also helped to paint a vivid picture in my mind as I was reading.I thought that the split timeline worked well with the storyline and didn't leave me confused. The main characters felt real and complicated to me, so I appreciated watching them change and grow over the course of the story.If this sounds interesting to you, I definitely recommend it and I can't wait to read more by Sams.
Wow, what an addicting book! The dynamic between Jules, Leon, and Nim was relatable and fascinating. Heavy on the theme of female friendships/relationships, motherhood, chaos, and impulse, this book really highlights the emotions and confusion we endure in life. I was consumed by the plot. The writing was also beautiful. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Really enjoyed this!! The story felt new and unique to me and yet at the same time real and relatable. I was enamoured by the writing, the story, the characters, it was an all rounder for me!! 10/10
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