Blake is ready to enjoy the summer before she heads to college. She has been with her girlfriend for 4 years and they are going to the same college in the fall where they hope to get into an exclusive Black sorority. This book has great representation and an important underlying message about drinking but it also was trying to do a lot. Some of the situations were over-the-top and others were unnecessary. The ending was better than most of the book so I'm glad that I stuck with it.

♡𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
4.5 🌟
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 :
•self-hatred
•suicidal ideation
•racial microaggressions
•transphobic
•alcoholic
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•queer romance
•ya fiction
•secret society
•dual timeline (past and present)
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From the start of this book, i knew it was going to be a little heavy (alcoholism). Just from the first chapter, I could tell Blake (Bee) had an alcohol problem | addiction personality! I liked how Blake character developed throughout this story was done very well. We normally get troubled characters, and they never get help, but this author did a great job! Nattie is a true friend. I mean, ride or die, down to help a friend no matter how that friend could push them away. I loved her character from the jump. Ella wasn't a good girlfriend or friend at all. She is a true definition of a self-centered individual. I never liked her character... just read it when It comes out. So you can judge this book yourself.
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♡𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 May. 14♡
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Thank you, Netgalley, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the (eArc). -eBook for my honest review.

I wanted to reach in the book and give Blake a hug so bad. She just wanted to feel seen and heard. And she felt that most when drinking.

To be honest, reading this was such a reality check. So many of us try to drink the anxieties away to survive in social settings, altering our true personalities.

Big Bad Bee …

Was really just a scared girl trying to figure out what she wanted in life.

I cringed at our interactions with Ella 😩 But loved how Annetta stayed by her side even when Blake was a crappy friend.

*4.5 Stars*

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this book. It was a lot. I really didn't like some of the characters. I really did feel for the main one though, despite all the bad choices she kept making and I really really loved her best friend. Overall, this was very layered and captivating and I didn't know what was going to come next.
(However, reading this while being hangover was a very weird experience...)
But it was really very good, the characters were so complex and it pulled me through the book. The whole book wasn't like everything I read before.
I really like Jas Hammonds' writing and I cannot wait for more books by them!!

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press for the copy of Thirsty by Jas Hammond. This is an important read for teens and adults too. If you’re a teen, you will love this empathetic story. If you have teens in your life, this is a great reminder of how trying to fit in and hide past hurts can lead to risky coping behaviors. This is a solid story with beautiful writing and well-drawn characters that come alive on the page. Blake is a sympathetic character and seeing her struggle with alcohol and trying to confront her demons broke my heart. Thirsty would be an amazing addition to high school classroom libraries or as part of a lesson plan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Book Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As my friend Brittany said, it was a privilege to read this book.

We Deserve Monuments was one of my favorite reads of 2023. Hammonds writes in a way that causes you to hold your breath—to peel back later after layer of her characters and their flaws, struggles, strengths + see them for what they are: PEOPLE. I love how complicated and vulnerable they write their characters. Being a human being is so complex and Hammonds writes in a way that makes you face these complexities head on as the reader. The author’s note at the end of the book RUINED ME.

Blake (I love that her name is Blake because so is my middle name hehehe) has just graduated high school, dating her girlfriend of 4 years, and is working on being accepted into the Serena Society of her new college. As the trials to slowly become members escalate, Blake comes face to face with her problem—alcoholism.

Annette was an incredible friend to Blake, even when they fought. You need people to tell you when you are on the path to self-destruction. You need people who will tell you they are worried about you and that you need to take actions and face the problem. Blake struggles with this realization/addiction throughout the entire book. My heart broke for Blake over and over again as she worked through so much in her life: upholding her new persona, her resentment towards her parents, her desperation to be “fine” in all aspects of life, and keep her relationship in the spotlight. When Annette tells her how means she is to herself when she is drunk, I could not help but be emotional.

The ending of this book was just so so so so good. I cannot express enough how much I loved this book.

Highly, HIGHLY recommend this one, friends. Read it on 5/14/24!

CW: alcoholism, addiction, transphobia, alcohol, racism, racial slurs, vomit, infidelity, gaslighting, sexual content

Jas Hammonds does it again. They are an incredible author. This book explored the nuances of underage drinking, fitting in, and alcoholism. I LOVED IT. Jas is easily an auto buy, top author of all time for me now! I cannot wait to see what they write next.

This is a well written heart felt book that I think my students need to read. There is something in it for everyone, while people might have different struggles, Blake's journey to accept herself, to deal with her drinking, her upwardly mobile aspiration to cover up her shame, her sometimes toxic girlfriend and lack of acceptance from her parents and how much that hurt, for who she is racially and the lack of guidance from her white mother and for her lesbianism. Other issues are explored as well, i a very relatable story

Jas Hammonds writes such fascinating, well-thought-out characters - I couldn't get enough of this book.

I was initially concerned just because this is the second book by this author and I really enjoyed their debut.
I loved this though and was super excited to read it. This story is incredibly dark and I do urge everyone to look at trigger warnings before starting this book.
But I can see this book being great for certain people who are dealing with addition, as this is a lot of what this book deals with.
This book is fast paced and I might actually have enjoyed it more than the debut? I don't want to say a lot about this book because I feel like it's something you need to get lost in.

Oh, my god, Hammonds has enthralled me completely.

I've read some books that have wrenched my heart, but this one ripped it from my chest and spat it back at me full force. And all I can do it fall on my knees and be eternally grateful.

This book is so beautiful. It's ruthless in its portrayal of addiction, alcoholism, sorority hazing, toxic relationships, broken family dynamics, etc., but there are still many moments that are so unbelievably soft and gooey that it balances it all out (Shoutout to Nettie for being one of the most amazing best friend characters I've ever seen in YA). It sinks its sharp teeth in you and gripes you til the end in the best way possible.

Hammonds' writing is my absolute favorite. I especially love how they implemented 'How-To' into the story. I actually practiced this very technique in classes at college, so seeing it used in a professionally published novel made my heart both soar and feel incredibly fond. Plus, they played with the spacing and italics to make the reader feel what Blake was feeling during her drinking binges - totally warped and off the rails. It takes a great amount of skill to pull that off successfully, and Hammonds has those skills.

Overall, Jas Hammonds is one of my favorite authors, and I will go on to consume everything they grace upon the world.

⭐️: 4.5

Jas Hammonds is a damn genius. I don’t know how I cared so deeply for this MC yet constantly wanted to shake her and yell at her. I have never read a book so frustrating, but that 👏🏻 was 👏🏻 the 👏🏻 point! There were so many audible sighs and groans that came out of me while reading. (I swear this is a highly positive review.)

I don’t do spoilers, so this isn’t one (more of a teaser) but Busch Gardens nearly did me in!!!!!!

Please nobody talk to me for awhile. I’m going to be drinking a cherry coke slurpee and processing my feels. 😤🤬🥴😵‍💫😭🥰🥺🫣🫠

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Right from the beginning, Blake captivated me. She has anxiety that she mutes by drinking with her incredibly rich girlfriend and all of the country club teens. Her girlfriend, Ella, and their best friend, Nettie, plan to go to the same college in the fall. They also plan on rushing the ultra-exclusive, super-secret, girls-would-kill-to-get-in sorority for women of color, the Serena Society. With Ella always toting around Blake in high society, Blake finds that people seem to like her more when she’s drunk. Blake also feels like her girlfriend loves her more when she’s drunk and not when she’s being a “nervous Nettie” coined by the girls.

Blake keeps going hard, literally. With micro aggressions within her family, her own anxieties intensify the further she gets along in the rushing process. Blake does sketchy things, but she doesn’t have a problem..does she? Her girlfriend loves “Big Bad Bee”.

This trio of girls really clicked with me. The raw vulnerability and reality of Blake’s life is too real to count. I was sucked in by the beautiful prose, unwavering dialogue, and a shy girl who is just trying to find her place in the world.

This is a dark and sparkling novel. Pick it up when it comes out. 5/5 stars. This book made me fall in love with YA novels again.

4.5 stars

It’s the summer right after graduation and Blake and her girlfriend, Ella, have been invited to join the elusive Serena Society. The Serena Society is a sorority that promises lifelong networking and community to women of color. While Ella’s acceptance is given, since her mom is an alum, Blake has to work harder for acceptance.

However, as the pledging gets more intense, so does Blake’s drinking. Soon, she notices that it’s slipping into every other crevice of her life. With success on the horizon, Blake has to decide how far she’s willing to go to make it happen.

Thanks to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for an advanced copy of Thirsty by Jas Hammonds to review! This is Hammonds’ second book, and since I absolutely loved We Deserve Monuments, I was excited to pick this one up.

Tone wise, this book feels different than We Deserve Monuments, while still dealing with heavy issues like addiction, relationships, mental illness, and race. Blake is mixed (her dad is Black and her mom is white), and she struggles a lot with her relationship with her mom because of this. She realizes that a lot of her struggles stem from this relationship, which seeps into other aspects of her life.

This book also deals heavily with alcohol addiction. Blake becomes addicted to the way that alcohol makes her confident, but her close friends notice that it is not doing good things for her mental health. She goes through a process of realizing the roots of her issue and eventually gets on the way to getting help. Though alcohol is the main addictive substance for Blake, her emotional journey can be applied to other types of addiction as well.

We also get a lot of complex relationships in this book, which Hammonds seems to excel at. I remember a lot of that in their debut novel as well. It’s important in showing that relationships that seem good on the surface might have other problems happening underneath.

All in all, if you like books that might deal with heavier topics and enjoy strong writing and characters, definitely pick this one up when it comes out in May!

This book was incredible! I went through such an emotional journey from devastated to hopeful. I found myself really connecting with different pieces of the characters and rooting for Blake.

The premise of the story was so interesting, with the inclusion of a secret society reminiscent of Greek life and the pledging process. Jas did an incredible job creating an intricate story that not only makes you feel for the characters but also touches on the effects wealth inequality, racism, and mental health issues can have on people.

I absolutely recommend this book to folks who enjoy queer and coming-of-age stories.

An incredible look at what it's like to be enmeshed in drinking culture and the choices we make.

Blake wants nothing more than to join an exclusive society with her girlfriend and best friend. When her bestie worries about Blake's drinking, Blake insists that she's fine. Even as her desired life starts to crumble around her, Blake is *fine*. Or is she?

I read this in a day. The addiction portrayal the decisions Blake made are vivid and intense. The writing is stellar and immersive. And it tackles tough topics like toxicity, gender identity, and race. I can't wait to read more by Hammonds!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

Drinking is so imbedded in our culture and Hammonds displays that oh so well. Blake finds false courage and acceptance by drinking when she enters high school. Such a chaotic time in most teens life, when they are trying to understand themselves and their place in the social settings the find themselves in. Blake gets mixed messages about her own drinking and her drunk behavior. The story thread of Blake's family had good elements - her mom's comments, he dad's distance, but her parents relocation did not add anything to the story and seemed weird. There were other elements that didn't ring quite true as well. But, the underlying story of teen binge drinking was the key to this book. Good for Blake that she could just decide one day not to drink. Too many people struggle much more. Glad the author included her finding help, support, and a group of like minded people at Jameswell.

Thirsty is a near-perfect teen novel (older teens/high interest). This book deals with not one, not two, but at the very least, three hard-hitting topics.
Blake has harbored resentment for years due to a thoughtless remark from her mother. This does lead to one of my favorite quotes from Blake's brother--"She's a white woman. Of course, she says sh!t like that sometimes."
There's homophobia and transphobia; once again from people who should be better. These issues aren't just given a cursory glance, but the main event is Blake's problem with alcohol. As with so many teens and young adults, Blake needs a socially acceptable bolster, and alcohol is it. I like how instead of just being presented with examples of her behavior and its consequences, we hear how it happened and why--from Blake as well as other characters. Everyone has their own take.
The wrap and ending for this story is just so good and, I have to say, surprising. I was expected the usual tropes-rehab or losing everything and everyone. Instead, Hammonds took a less jaded, more realistic approach and it works.
I could blather on since I've barely touched on half the things in this book. I'll just say that you should read it and enjoy the story!
#NetGalley

I absolutely loved Jas Hammonds' debut novel WE DESERVE MONUMENTS and was very eager to read THIRSTY: A NOVEL. Honestly, I wasn't sure how THIRSTY would measure up in comparison. It's very different--and it exceeded my expectations. It's fantastic!

Blake, Ella, and Annetta seem like the perfect trio of friends at the start of summer following their senior year. As we meet Blake and her girlfriend Ella, they seem like THE couple. Yet, as we're drawn into Blake's story, we see the subtle cracks, written in such a brilliant, nuanced way by Hammonds. Blake's story is especially compelling, from her desire to have a different life from her parents to her fear of not being good enough to her drinking spiraling out of control.

Blake's attempts to deal with her drinking and the continued pressures to keep doing it at all of the Serena Society social events are not easy and are not a linear progression. It's this approach that makes the novel go from very good to outstanding. Too often stories of struggles, like drinking, are treated as problems with simple solutions, which is not very believable.

Jas Hammonds gives us a character who really, really messes up; yet, it's very satisfying to root for her. I am so excited to get this book into my hands and the hands of my students!