_Cigarette Lemonade_ takes an unflinching look at two disillusioned twentysomethings who will not or cannot conform to the structure of American society. Dizzie, a desperate transgender woman, and Smoak, a hired gun, take a job moving drugs across state lines. The job goes well, until it doesn’t.

The novella is a clear example of author Connor de Bruler flexing his literary muscles, but he manages to do so in the most understated way possible. His prose is sparse, with only the occasional flourish of metaphor. He demonstrates his mastery of the form with what he doesn’t say, abandoning unnecessary descriptions of the main characters (we are left to imagine what they look like entirely). When he chooses to be descriptive, it is with visceral imagery of violence, and settings that seem to evoke loneliness and desperation.

Strikingly, although she is subject to bigoted scrutiny, Dizzie’s former name is never revealed, even when others call her by it. De Bruler gives us a transfeminine main character who has become hardened and capable by the necessity of her transition in less-than-progressive Southern areas, and it shows in every choice she makes. As crackdowns on trans individuals spread through the US, Dizzie is the unfortunate main character queer readers need. Her determination, toughness, and at times, poor judgment make her at once relatable and aspirational.

Reading _Cigarette Lemonade_ was the perfect start to my summer. I hope the novella gets noticed, even studied for the way it deals with transgender characters.

i got so much action and storyline for just 100 pages; i felt like i got the content amount of a full length novel. i could see this book making a perfect movie one day. completely unhinged vibes

Cigarette Lemonade was my introduction to Conner De Bruler's writing, and I must say, it left a lasting impression. Despite being a novella, it packs a punch with its well-crafted narrative and fast-paced storytelling.

The novella delves into the aftermath of a murder, immediately immersing the reader into a world of tension and suspense. What sets this story apart is its ability to flesh out characters remarkably well within a limited word count—a feat not easily achieved. The protagonists, both LGBTQ, are portrayed with depth and nuance. One is transgender, while the other hints at being queer or bisexual, adding layers of complexity to their interactions and motivations.

The narrative is gritty, raw, and unapologetically dark, touching on themes like homophobia, graphic violence, drug use, and sexual situations. These elements may be triggering for some readers, but they contribute to the authenticity and realism of the story.

One of the novella's strengths lies in its ability to keep the reader engaged. I found myself turning pages eagerly, eager to unravel the characters' pasts and motivations. However, I did wish for a slightly longer exploration of certain plot points and felt that the ending was somewhat rushed. Despite this, the overall experience was highly satisfying.

What stands out about Cigarette Lemonade is its departure from the typical angsty narrative often associated with LGBTQ literature. De Bruler's fresh approach brings a refreshing perspective to the genre, offering a compelling and thought-provoking read.

In conclusion, Cigarette Lemonade is a gripping novella that showcases De Bruler's talent for character development and storytelling. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea due to its dark themes, for those looking for a compelling LGBTQ narrative that defies conventions, this book is a must-read. I look forward to exploring more of De Bruler's work in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and Swann + Bedlam for an ARC of this book.

This book was a RIDE. I cannot say that it was particularly good, but it was a romp the whole way through. There are some parts I wish had been extended. I like fast reads but the story could have benefitted from fleshing some parts out. You'll love Smoak and Dizzie, and their dynamic. This was a very good springtime read: not really heavy despite graphic violence. We get noble main characters who are bad people, we get a trans girl whose story is bigger and beyond that, we get a heist, we get double crosses throughout- a lot is packed in here.


Publisher: this review will be published to Goodreads, Storygraph, Instagram @ireadwhateveriwant , and my blog at https://melreadswidely.blogspot.com/ approximately 1 week before publication

I really liked this novella. Like other reviews, I wish part of the ending wasn't so abrupt, especially since I was very invested in both characters! Trying not to give anything away, I wish that one of the main characters had received a little more attention during the last chapter. Other than that it was an excellent story!

This story is about two young drug mules and the mayhem they get themselves involved in. This 95 pager, brought me back to the feeling of watching an episode of the Sopranos. I’d definitely recommend it those looking for a fast paced amusing story of an unlikely criminal pairing.

It was a very enjoyable quick read!

Was a really enjoyable little novella. It did feel like it could possibly have been a little longer though. I thought the characters were really well written and perfectly captured young people who were out of their depth.
The story was also really descriptive I could almost visualise it. I think this would make a great movie

many reviews were saying that the end to this book was abrupt, or that they felt as if it's too sudden, or that they felt as if it's a letdown. so i did what any sane reader would do: i started reading the book in reverse, at least for the three last chapters.

with the end of the book crystal clear to me i started at its actual chapter 1, which i think made me experience the story in a way that i never would've had i gone in blind.

here's a list of things i observed:
-dialogues are as quick and snappy as its prose but that doesn't take away its chance to distinguish characters.
- i'd mentioned quick and snappy prose because it's quite evident that the stylistic choices employed here leaned more towards economical ways to deliver scenes rather than musical ones, which isn't exactly a bad thing. it's just that i know of a version of myself (circa 2019-2020) who would've DNF'ed the book from chapter 1 just for this alone. that said, 2024-me finds the style adequate for the story it's trying to tell.
- when i say the prose and dialogues are quick and snappy i mean paratactic syntax outnumbers hypotactic ones. this kind of style isn't exactly unpleasant, but it <i>does not</i> prioritize pleasantness at all. i understand that this is not for everyone.
- the ending is very much consistent with its a) style b) story c) subject matter. it is abrupt because it's meant to be abrupt. idk but reading the ending first made the coming-together of these three seem much more deliberate for me.

would i recommend it?
- to someone looking for a quick read regardless of the subject matter, yes.
- to someone looking to de-stress, no.

I really enjoyed the Southern noir element in this book, it had a great overall feel to it and thought it worked super well. The characters felt like they were supposed to and thought had a great suspenseful atmosphere and thought they concept worked well. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed in the genre. I enjoyed what Connor de Bruler wrote and can't wait for more.

This just…wasn’t really for me. It kind of reminded me of Justified and had some good atmosphere, but it was way more graphic than I expected violence-wise. I had to skim all the torture parts (which were a lot despite the short length) and honestly, if it wasn’t 95 pages I probably wouldn’t have finished it.

Also I had issues reading it on the NetGalley app, so luckily I was able to send it to my Kindle. Thanks to NetGalley and Swann + Bedlam for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this little novella. There was an air of surrealism throughout it's run that I deeply connected with. It was simply a vignette into the world of extremely flawed people. In a way, reading it felt somewhat disconnected, but in the same way reading the Great Gatsby feels disconnected. I also loved how completely southern this book was as someone from the south. Red clay, Buc-cee's, burned-out motels at random highway stops, and off-brand cigarettes made it feel as if Dizzie and Smoak were two people you could see passing through town at the local gas station. The whole book felt like a deep-fried fever dream in the best way possible. I believe that this book achieved exactly what it was aiming for. I look forward to it's release in June.

This story opens with the two main characters hiding a body in the woods, and the action doesn’t slow down until the last word. After the opening scene, we are carried back to the beginning, when Dizzie, a young transgender woman, and Smoak, a young man dreaming of becoming a hit man, are hired to carry out a drug deal. Their employers are a group of Chinese women looking to pick up some easy money. This book fits into the Southern Crime Noir genre and the story and characters remind me of books by Elmore Leonard and Cormac McCarthy. The action is intense, and you have to pay attention to the characters and the situations. Things change constantly as Dizzie and Smoak try to not just finish the job they were hired for, but to survive. It was interesting watching the relationship between these two grow from mistrust to a friendship of sorts based on their circumstances.
Set in South Carolina, the book is rich in description and transports you to the gritty South. There are scenes with graphic violence and an explicit sex scene. You could probably page past the sex, but the violence is pervasive and is woven into the story line and impossible to avoid. I enjoyed the book – the writing was so vivid I felt I was watching a movie and I never flinched from the blood on the page.
I gave this book four stars for the story and writing, but it missed being five stars because I felt the ending was rushed and too abrupt. Maybe I just didn’t want the story to end.

<i>I found this book available on NetGalley.</i>

3.5

<i>Cigarette Lemonade</i> by Connor de Bruler is a well-written novella about drug dealing following Dizzie, a fierce transgender lead, and her hilarious companion, Smoak. I really liked the writing of this book, but what I liked most was the fact that, despite the story only being around 95 pages, both Dizzie and Smoak were really nicely fleshed out characters. I had a great time reading about them.

What threw me off a little was the ending, as I found it to be kind of abrupt. Other than that, I really enjoyed reading this novella.

This was more violent than I expected, but there were a lot of parts of this book that I liked. The chapters feel very episodic, moving from one setting to another without much transition, and I think that it worked very well with the story that this book is telling. The characters are interesting, and in fact, I would have liked to know more about a lot of the characters. It's fast paced, which works well in connection with the episodic nature of the chapters. I read it straight through without putting it down, and there is a lot more action than you would expect from a novella of its length.
To me, it did feel like some of the scenes were a bit rushed. There were places that I wanted to see more of a description of the scene, or more explanation for why Dizzie and Smoak reacted the way they did to conversations or circumstances. Sometimes it felt like characters were introduced only to be left behind at the end of the chapter.
3.75/5 - rounded up on Goodreads
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

I don't read many thrillers, but I read the description and was intrigued. I really enjoyed Dizzie's character as I don't see much trans representation in this genre. I liked that this was a quick read that kept me interested as someone who has a short attention span when it comes to books outside my favorite genres.

As short as the novella, Cigarette Lemonade, is... it ended up being a DNF for me. I love the cover, and the basic summary sounded interesting, but the plot was too meandering through things that didn't really feel important. The entire first half of the book, the main characters Dizzie and Smoak are driving, staying in sketchy motels, or messing around with drugs and dangerous people. The whole story just feels like it's lacking a *why*.
Even by halfway through the book, I wasn't sure of the characters' reasoning for what they were doing. Just because? Maybe. But unfortunately it didn't hold my interest enough to finish.
The writing style and the descriptions on page were written well though, so it wasn't a total loss.

This has a very interesting premise but it was a bit weird and seemed like it was trying too hard to fit too much of a good thing in such a short book.

This was a really interesting and engaging read. I was rooting for Dizzy and Smoak throughout the story and really enjoyed getting to know them.

Prosey like an ash-colored rose. From the title, I suppose Smoak is pronounced like Smoke and he hides a body on page one. Dialogue’s snappy, world-building (not talking fantasy) is thick but in a very authentic, pithy way. Massage parlor back room deals with an optimistic all-girl crew. Medium-size drug deals, frowny faces carved into wrists, beautifully ugly highway scenery. The sense of smell is especially specific and evocative.

Dizzie is fun and relatable despite being a trans woman and a dealer, because she’s an average bumpkin into sarcasm, looking to blend in, not latch to any identity to preach about. Once she becomes too high-strung and dangerous, it’s justified being partnered with a jag-off stranger.

Smoak sucks but in a way that makes the plot interesting. Though he dresses like a dad, he’s very pity-me-socialist and cause-a-scene-over-assumptions. Line cook sleazy. When they have to interrogate people, he seems too cruel when the narrative offers no tell that his victims are actually lying. We need them to contradict something or be too vague for things to seem more clever, that the duo doesn’t just get lucky in their bloodlust.

Before a third in, things are super eventful and high stakes yet Dizzie doesn’t react during or after at all? That def took away the five star rating. And how is she suddenly not shy or dysphoric or scared of assault to pee like a man with door open and walk out without a skirt after in a motel room with him?? At first, I thought she was adrenaline and wine drunk, horny… I guess it sorta makes sense later but only half.

I like the bits of humor, there could be more. Question and answer bits need commas. Ex. “It’s messed up, isn’t it?” Not sure I love or found the ending too surprising/shaded in. But maybe that’s “pointless” life.

Not going to lie, I picked this book on NetGalley because I loved the cover. I didn’t even read what it was about. What a surprise! It’s a novella about two drug mules, Dizzie and Smoak. Two people that probably should not be drug mules. It’s right around 100 pages of drugs, violence, torture and murder.
I really enjoyed the novella. I feel there could be a follow up story since the it ended so abruptly. It was super fast paced and overall a great novella.
Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read an advance copy.

Great crime noir, cat, mouse chase! Loved the characters, ending felt a little rushed, but I liked the way it did end. I had already planned out a different ending so it was a nice little curve ball to go in the opposite direction.