A moving coming of age Sapphic YA story featuring a Black teen and her girlfriend who are both trying to get into an exclusive sorority their first year of college. Tackling heavy family issues, mental health, the pressure to succeed and alcoholism, this was great on audio yet not quite as good (for me) as their last book). Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Jas Hammonds's 'Thirsty: A Novel', narrated by Alaska Jackson, offers a compelling exploration of alcoholism and the journey towards sobriety in young adult fiction. Through characters like Annetta, Blake, and Nattie, Hammonds delves into themes of friendship, self-discovery, and racial identity with depth and sensitivity. Jackson's narration enhances the experience, deftly navigating between characters with subtle changes in tone, ensuring an immersive journey for listeners.

From the magnetic opening chapter to its hopeful conclusion, 'Thirsty' captivates with its raw honesty and poignant storytelling. Blake's struggle with addiction, Nattie's unwavering support, and the complexities of Blake's relationship with Ella create a narrative tapestry that lingers long after the final chapter. Anchored by Jackson's skillful narration, 'Thirsty' is a powerful reminder of the human spirit's resilience and the transformative power of self-acceptance.

I did not think I was going to like this book as much as I ended up liking it! The message in the book is strong and well-written. No one covers addiction from one’s point of view. Usually, it’s everyone else’s point of view. Even though you see the struggle Blake goes through trying to accept her faults, you get the feeling how who she is while she does. She was fighting a lot of her demons and others who were close to her. Blake was so blinded by love that she didn’t even realize she was in a toxic relationship! This book was well written and relatable for someone who is either in that position or has needed to be strong for someone in that position. Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to read the book and give my honest opinion. Thank you, Jas Hammonds, for writing such a touching book that will help others. Your development of the book was handled with care and you can tell!!

Idk if y’all know this, but the first book by Hammonds made me cry into my chicken strips at lunch one day. And because of that one day, I KNEW I was going to read everything that they wrote. So when I saw that they had this one coming out and I was going to have the chance to meet them in person, I KNEW I had to get my hands on this book. And let me tell you, even though I LOVED their first book, I think I liked this one just as much.

So there’s no secrets and grandmas in this one, but there are some things that would usually five me pause. As some of y’all may know, one of my triggers is addiction. Not because I suffered from it, but because I was one of those left behind by it. Because I was there for when it hurt some of the people I love most. I thought that maybe I wouldn’t be able to read this one, but since it was about her having the addiction and in a toxic relationship, it only showed a small part of the family members she hurt. Or that’s what I unpacked from being able to read it. So if you’re ok with that, maybe you can read it also.

Now that that’s out the way, I want to talk about the writing style. I don’t know what it is about Jas’ writing, but they always suck me in. And the way they wrote certain scenes, like when Blake blacked out and when the raw emotion I felt in her character. I was so enveloped into this story. Everything was just so real and raw and realistic. Jas is definitely a new fave!

Another thing I really liked about this book was the sorority aspect. As someone in one of the D9, I have a very unique connection to this book. And I don’t want to say anything, but some of these things hit very close to home. I gotta say, I had to put the book down for a minute because I found myself like reliving some things. I joined in 2008. I don’t think I’ve thought about that part of it since then lmao So this was a bit hard to read. But only because I related to it so well. This part of the story was also very realistic and very raw.

The romance in this was pretty toxic. And I gotta say, I was yelling at Blake from the beginning until the end. I HATED her girlfriend. And I knew from the beginning how it was going to end. They were either going to kill each other or they would break up and they would heal, but they wouldn’t be together. I’ll let you guess which one it is. I’ll just say, even though there’s no grandmas in this one, I still cried. The entire book was traumatizing, but also very healing. And I love that it felt like that because in the author’s note Jas also said it was healing for her to write about. They definitely conveyed that message through their writing.

This is the second book by Jas and the second book of theirs that I gave 5 stars to. I don’t really know how I’m going to make myself wait another year. But I will be waiting. I hate reading books early for this reason lol Why did I do this to myself?

Sadly, I was approved for this 12 hours before it was archived and didn't get a chance to download it. So my review is for the platform, not the book.
Sorry.

Thank you Macmillan Young Listeners for the free audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. I love Jas' writing and once again they did not disappoint. They do a great job at taking complex circumstances and writing them for young people.

An intense story of high school, drinking, the pressure to belong and the desire to follow your own path. Dealing with topics or racism, drinking, lots of heavy stuff

I was only a few chapters into Thirsty when I realized that this book would likely become one of my favorite reads of 2024, and that feeling stuck with me for the remainder of the book. Jas Hammonds is such a talented writer, and one whose work I've been meaning to read for a long time. This book was truly unputdownable, and I devoured it, which was particularly surprising given the heavy nature of the content and themes (including alcoholism, peer pressure, transphobia, classism, and racism).

What I loved:
- The writing style: Jas Hammonds writes in a way that is both beautifully lyrical and also so, so readable. There was a slow-building tension throughout the first three-quarters of the book that made me feel like I couldn't put the book down for even a minute. I absolutely needed to find out where Blake, Ella, and Annetta's stories would take them.
- The relationships: It's so challenging to have such a large cast of characters who all have different, complicated relationships with each other, but this was one of my favorite parts of Thirsty. I especially enjoyed the depiction of Blake's evolving relationships outside of her romantic partnership with Ella.
- The resolution: There were so many directions Jas Hammonds could have taken the story, and (without giving away any spoilers) I appreciated the ending that we were given. It may not have been neat and tidy, but it provided the believable closure I needed.
- The setting: There's just something about a "summer story", and as a former lifeguard who spent whole summers poolside, I was immediately sucked into the story.
- The audiobook narration: This is the first book I've listened to narrated by Alaska Jackson, but certainly won't be my last. The narration was EXCELLENT. Each character had a distinct voice, and the acting was emotionally resonant.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced listener copy!

Only listened to the first three chapters before this was archived, but immediately purchased the audiobook upon release. Love the writing and performance by the narrator.

A gripping and emotional journey of a queer teen, Blake, who is risking it all to join the exclusive Serena Society before college. Blake's struggle to balance her dreams with the pressures of pledging and drinking is portrayed with raw intensity. The narrator, Alaska Jackson, brings each character to life with remarkable authenticity. The story's suspense and emotional depth kept me captivated from start to finish. Loved how the aftermath was handled.

Wow. This was phenomenal. I honestly had no doubts that I was going to love this because I adored We Deserve Monuments and this book is so different yet just as amazing.

It follows a biracial lesbian main character, her girlfriend, and her best friend as they try and get into this elite sorority group for black women.

Blake is an alcoholic but that's not acknowledged until almost the end of this book and a big hunk of this book is her partying and drinking and abusing alcohol to the point where it starts to ruin her relationships and her friendships. She is peer pressured into drinking constantly during this pledging process and her girlfriend is super problematic. There is a wealth difference between Blake and her girlfriend and that is discussed pretty in-depth. I really loved Blake's relationship with her best friend and overall this book is incredibly important. It's engaging and you're going to get sucked in and it's gonna end up as a favorite for you too.

Thirsty by Jas Hammonds

Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillan.audio, and @jashammonds for the opportunity to read this #advancedlistenercopy in exchange for #honestbookreview! Thirsty is now available for purchase.

This was a tough, messy, and worthwhile read! I’ve never read another book quite like this that was fiction but felt and read like a memoir. Hammonds perfectly encapsulated what it’s like to be trapped in your teenage years with mistakes running aplenty and not a single clue what is right and what your boundaries are. This main character stumbles through her teenage years whilst reconciling the biases towards her as a biracial and lesbian woman. This is heartbreaking but so entertaining and worth the read!

TWs: r*cism, infidelity, involuntarily being outed, alc*holism, bull*ing, more

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4/5

When I first started this book I wasn't sure if it was going to be the right fit for me. It's not really what I've been reading as of late and honestly, it started a bit slow for me. However, once I got into I was so glad I took a chance on the book. I think Jas Hammonds does a great job of exploring the pressure of fitting in and what it can cost you. While how Blake is trying to fit in and the struggles she has isn't something directly I've had happen I still could see myself in her. Remembering more about the pressure I went through and how heavy it all felt. I found the book emotional in the best way. While for me it moves a little slow at times it's still a fast enjoyable read.

This was such an amazing story about young love and peer pressure. The narrator did a phenomenal job telling the story and encapsulating the fear and doubt in Blake's story. I enjoyed the characters, even though some of them I wanted to smack. I felt so much for Blake and her struggles in the story and I think this book does a great job of warning the reader about the dangers of excessive drinking. It also deals a lot with identity and with peer pressure which is a great moral to teach, especially for my high school students who may be feeling the same pressure to be perfect and to "fit in".

Thirsty is a harsh, emotional, extremely realistic and eye opening book about alcohol addiction, toxic relationships, belonging and finding yourself. I think this would be beneficial to be read by teenagers and would possibly be extremely eye opening.

This is definitely a harder book to read with all the issues that arise, the conflicts, the emotions but Hammonds dealt with them with care and grace. It was extremely heartbreaking to see Blake spiral downwards as you can't help but get super attached to her. I loved the amount of growth that she does in this book and the hope that this book gives in the end.

The plot was well fleshed out, we got to see all the aspects of Blake's life, the good and the bad. The reasoning behind the drinking. This was a beautiful, poignant coming of age story that truly deserves to be read.

🎧 The narration by Alaska Jackson was great. I felt she had the perfect tone and emotions at the right places to make you truly feel for Blake. She truly played her character really well.

✨️ Thank you to @macmillanaudio & @jashammonds for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thirsty is a fantastic addition to all YA collections. This novel touches upon important topics such as addiction, hazing, race, identity and economic inequality. Readers will devour this novel. A first purchase for all YA collections.

This was so real it was painful. I love the parts where B is experiencing all her teenage angst. I was so sad when she hid from her mom and I understood that this is something young people do. I love her journey.
I am also glad I never tried to join a sorority.
The narration was wonderful!

Sometimes I get so scared to read about younger adults or teens and addiction.
Always afraid it will be slightly glamorized. Meaning the vice and grip and destruction of the person gets a bit overlooked but the party and alter person when under the influence gets too too humanized. So I was initially scared to read this.
I was so wonderfully proven wrong in my fears.
The alcoholism was so real world. Portrayed specifically that when the self loathing came about, so did the alcohol. In which the main character did admit that there were times even the alcohol would not help her mindset, only enhanced it. Yet, yes there was always this thirst for it. (in a way)

I truly enjoy all the other aspects of this book. The main character navigating being biracial, being black in a predominately white town. Running from what? Herself? Her loneliness.
All of that and more.
Beautiful book.

Thank You Net Galley, Jas Hammonds, and Macmiillan Audio for advanced copy of Thirsty. Releases May 14, 2024. Thirsty gives off Euphoria vibes College edition, narrated by Alaska Jackson who did a wonderful job with all the voices. This was a very easy read and enjoyable listen as the book is so well written. There are many trigger warnings which are listed by the author. I cannot relate personally so I was ok reading past the trigger warnings. The cover of the book is beautiful and is a perfect scene representing the book.
The book is about Blake, her relationship with Ella. How both of their parents react to the news of their relationship status. The story covers Bi-racial family and how that affects the kids and the parents and their way of thinking. Blake finds herself spiraling with trying to keep up with becoming a Serena society with her girlfriend. Blake deals with her life problems with drinking too much and how this is affecting everyone around her.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it took a real look at over drinking and how it can be hard to get a handle on it, especially when those around you do not take it seriously or do not have your best interest at heart. I really enjoyed the audiobook and would definitely recommend it