We follow Joe and Percy from college to adulthood as they navigate heart ache, career highs and lows and their friendship. I loved the references to songs from my youth and found myself pausing my reading to queue up a particular song. This one is definitely for the music lovers. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

Deep Cuts had an intriguing premise and some really relatable moments about talent, music, and the complexities of creative partnerships. Percy and Joe's relationship was definitely compelling, though I did find Percy’s constant over-analysis a bit exhausting at times. Their dynamic was layered, with the tension between their artistic desires and personal struggles creating an interesting conflict. I enjoyed the music scene backdrop, especially the way it captured the indie-rock vibe. That said, the pacing felt a bit uneven in parts, and I wished there was a bit more development in some of the emotional arcs. Overall, it’s a solid read for anyone who loves stories about music, creativity, and self-discovery.

**Rounded up from 3.5 stars**

Thanks to the publisher, Holly Brickley and NetGalley for a free eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

When this book was described as a When Harry Met Sally meets Daisy Jones and the Six, I couldn't click on it fast enough. However, while the writing was solid, I think I will be in the minority of the readers that didn't enjoy this novel. A large part of my disconnect with the novel was the constant rumination and talk by the MCs of music that I didn't grow up hearing or have heard of - so this may be a "me" problem.

This book and the writing definitely kept my attention through solid plot weaving. However, to be honest, I absolutely detested both main characters and didn't care what happened to them and whether or not they got together - a grown-up Zoe was the only character I liked. It was clear to me that both the main characters were in a toxic, co-dependent relationship that continually spiralled with each not really knowing what they want from the other. I'm not a music nerd but while Percy kept touting that she wasn't one and liked "popular" songs, both Percy and Joe just came across as obnoxious.

* Netgalley ARC *

Full of music references and early 2000’s nostalgia.
The romance was realistic; sometimes people go back and forth with the same relationship until they get it right.

Good character studies, flawed main characters. I think it would be really interesting to see the published physical copy with a variety of formatting (blog posts, emails, texts, etc.). I would actually read this again and play the songs mentioned at the same time.

I have seen other people on bookish social media reading and reviewing this book and I am confident that for every person there is a particular taste, and this book will find its way to those people with just the right taste, but for some reason, it wasn't exactly mine.
Even when a book doesn't grab me I want to focus on what is good, because there is a lot of good.
- I find the writing itself is very thought-provoking, and almost has a dream-like quality to it. I feel like I'm watching Lost in Translation again, or listening to music with the lights off. If you like reflective books with depth, this would be it.
- I think the book does a good job at commenting on human condition. I think it presents itself well at describing and showing readers an earnest look at growing up, being young, self-discovery, etc.
- For anyone who enjoys music, an audiophile, I think this book would be great. There are so many references to albums and songs that span generations given one character is a musician, the other is a lover of music who worked in a record store. It's sort of an unofficial playlist guiding you through the characters journeys.
I really wanted to love this book, but I found the pacing very slow and I just couldn't connect to the characters. It wasn't an eager page-pushing novel for me, which is when I know I love it. I see a lot of potential and know a couple readers who gave it 5 stars so I would still recommend it! It just didn't sign to me particularly. A lot of talent to be found in it regardless.

Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley is a messy, obsessive, utterly absorbing love letter to music, self-doubt, and the weird, winding road to figuring yourself out. Set in the early 2000s, it follows music-nerd Percy and aspiring songwriter Joe as they bond over deep-cut tracks and sharp critiques. Percy helps Joe refine his songs, but as his indie-rock star rises, she’s left questioning her own place in the world of music.

This book is perfect for anyone who loves music as much as they love a good slow-burn, will-they-won’t-they friendship. The writing is sharp, the nostalgia is real (you will make a playlist), and Percy’s intense, opinionated voice makes for a fun ride.

How is this a debut? Bravo Holly! I am all over the place with this book but let me try and get my thoughts out. Even if they sound like verbal diarrhea. 

Have you ever listened to the Garden State soundtrack? Reading this book felt the same as listening to that record. You feel a bit out of place but somehow there is a lot of clarity. That feeling of catching up with old friends or something like that. Musical comfort with a bit of weirdness. 

Deep Cuts is a melodic cornucopia of the thoughts of a musical jerk. I must say, musical jerk, is a perfect way to describe the main character, Percy. She's obsessed with all the elements of a song and can break it down perfectly even if it's fallacious to others. Her two best friends pull her this way and that throughout the early 2000s in the most crazy beautiful way. 

I, myself am part of a fandom of a band that loves analyzing every element of their songs and it becomes a bit of a game when trying to nail down the song's origin and "hidden meaning." It's fun, nostalgic and really gets your heart pumping and oxytocin flowing. 

The beginning is a bit of a build but the last 30% is a rollercoaster. I recommend this book for anyone that loves music, is interested in digging deeper or likes to sink into the kind of story that has a direction that's meant to be but takes its time to get there because it has a lot to show you.

• arc review: deep cuts by holly brickley •
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I was drawn to this book. The title and the eclectic cover made me feel like this was going to be a great read... and I might be able to predict the future because Deep Cuts rocked my socks off. I simply had a hard time putting this down while on my trip in Japan, devouring the words on the bullet train and in my Tokyo hotel room.
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If you love music, if you love a deeper and perhaps more complicated romance, this book is 100% for you. Told from the pov of Percy Marks, we experience the story of how her and Joe Morrow find themselves battling their early 20s through song writing, musical criticism, friendship, and love. Percy and Joe meet one night in a bar during college, and their quips about music struck up a friendship. Percy starts to help Joe with his songwriting and the rest of the novel unfolds.
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What I love about this book is that, yes there is a love story intertwined, but it's more about Percy finding herself and grappling with her insecurities that she isn't talented enough to have a place in music. The layering of deconstructing songs and seeing music from Percy's eyes is brilliant, in addition to how Joe (although a dumb guy in his 20s) respects and adores the feedback and intellect that Percy brings to the table. The friendship that flourishes between Zoe, Joe's girlfriend, and Percy is also a great part of this book.
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The writing is witty and smart. If you like the writing of Gabrielle Zevin (i.e. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow) or Sally Rooney (i.e. Normal People) this book should be high up on your list. Available February 25, 2025. And for all my Canadian/BC girlies, Brickley is originally from Hope BC, which I thought was really cool!
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Page & Pour Rating: 5✨️
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Thank you to @penguinrandomca and @netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read share my thoughts about this book.

Oh, this one, friends, this one is one you're going to call your university roommate to talk about. One that's going to make you dig in your closet for an actual freaking mixtape someone made for you. One that's going to have you going for long walks with your favourite late 90's/early 2000's playlist on. It's going to be one of those that you tell everyone who lived through the stuff you lived through to read.

Holly Brickley's debut has a lot going on. Percy's a full-on music nerd, who finds her way into friendship with Joe, an aspiring songwriter, and Zoe, his longtime girlfriend, during their undergrad years. It's not a love triangle, really, but it also is. Joe becomes a successful singer-songwriter with Percy's writing help while Percy tries to find her own way with Zoe's help. That's a very, very small nutshell for a big book.
I'm 15 years older than the characters, and I now desperately want someone to write this book for my university years (and if you read this, and know that book is out there, please put up a big freaking bat signal for me). There is so much here - identity, navigating the absolutely awfulness of being neuroatypical and trying desperately to find your people, the way women have to navigate that very differently than men, trying to love people the best way you know how even when you don't really know how, what writing means to some of us, what writing about music means to some of us, what music means in our lives. So, so, so, much here.

I wanted to drown in this book. I wanted to go to the shows, be on the dance floors, whack some characters (including Percy) upside the head occasionally. This is about being young and messy and all the inevitable crap that goes with that. It's about going through awful stuff and coming out stronger and knowing yourself better on the other side. I loved it, can you tell?

Percy, Joe and Zoe are going to live in my head for a long time. Loved Opal and Nev? Read this. I was surprised at the end, genuinely - not where I thought it was going to go. That's the only thing that makes it a 4. 5 and not a 5 for me.
Thanks to NetGalley

I would love to do a book club of this with women my age, as well as with the women I teach, who are almost 40 years youngers than I am. I think we would all find things to relate to in the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Canada for the e-arc.

I just finished this book, thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.
This book was a 3/5 for me. The story line was interesting enough but I found the transitions between timelines to be a bit confusing. The 2 main characters Percy and Joe were well developed, you could feel the connection between them throughout the book, I just felt that there was something missing. Some books grab you and keep you engaged the whole time, this one didn’t do that for me.

Honestly, I don’t feel I have the skill set to write the incredible review this book deserves. From the first few pages, I was completely immersed in the story and its characters.

There are so many aspects I loved about this book, but foremost, is the fact that it’s a love letter to music, particularly Indie music. The catalog of songs mentioned is extensive, and they are brilliantly broken down by the FMC, Percy. I loved her knowledge, and many opinions about music. One of the joys of this book was listening to the songs while reading.

While in college in the year 2000, Percy meets Joe, a musician. They become friends, and Percy helps Joe hone his musical skills and becomes his muse and critic. However, when feelings become involved, things get messy.

Deep Cuts takes us through the aughts, including 911, the blackout, the introduction of new technology, and the political and economic upheaval of those years. It felt a bit like sifting through a time capsule.

This book is about growing up, the struggle to find one’s voice in the world, talent, friendship, jealousy and love. Holly Brinkley perfectly captures the challenges and frustrations of becoming an adult, and the mistakes that are inevitable along the way.

Not only did this book take me on an immersive journey, I love that I know more about music than before I read it. I was shocked to find out that Deep Cuts is Holly’s first book, and I certainly look forward to reading any book she writes in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first half of the book I was sucked in and wrapped up in their will-they-wont-they love story. I enjoyed their banter, the tension, and where the story was heading. I actually liked the first half of the book more than Daisy Jones and the Six.

The second half came around and I felt like it was a push to finish. At that point I was wishing for more characters like in Daisy Jones to bounce between.

Overall, good read though.

Thanks for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really had high hopes for this book given a Canadian author and a storyline that compared to Daisy Jones, however, I found the tone of this book was less kick a$$, more dark/depressing angst. I found the narrative to contain too much over analyzing of music, less being in the moment and so it lost an organic appeal for me. I appreciate the major themes in this book which include belonging and fitting in (especially not wanting to give that up even if you are in a relationship that is not functional). I also found there to be a lack of other characters which made me feel the main characters existed in a world of their own (which is likely what the author wished to portray) however, other characters often offer the opportunity to learn more about the main characters and I wished this had been better sketched out to add necessary character development and dimension. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc of this novel.

I was really excited about the premise of this one, but unfortunately I didn't love it as much as I had hoped. I've seen multiple reviews comparing it to Daisy Jones & the Six which I honestly think is doing the book a disservice because the style of writing is less TJR and more Coco Mellors. I generally love character studies that span a long period of time, but I struggled with both the pacing of this and the characters themselves. The middle was slow and then the ending felt abrupt. I can handle unlikeable characters, but I also felt like I didn't truly know them after spending so much time with them? They still came off as pretentious snobs at the end of the book with not as much personal growth as I would've hoped or expected.

The music backdrop was cool, but at times made parts of the book feel a bit inaccessible if you didn't know the song. I will give Holly Brickley props though for mentioning Ready for the Floor by Hot Chip and unlocking a vault in my mind of forgotten music from my youth.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the digital ARC!

Thank you to the author, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story reminded me of David Nicholls’ One Day - love and life in your 20s set to the background of music in the 80s-10s. Unfortunately, I do not have enough knowledge of American music to fully dive into the topics and and understand underlying forces of the characters. I found it enjoyable still to watch the lives of Percy and Joe from an observational point of view - what would they do and what would they get up to in their lives. They make a compelling couple but I didn't feel attached.
All in all, I found pacing very off - especially at the end it was quite abrupt; the characters were not very fleshed out; there didn't seem to be any development; and the music layer made parts of the story inaccessible; but still an interesting read.

Deep Cuts brought you back in a time where music and CDS were everything. Going to HMV to buy the newest CD releases on Tuesdays - reminded me of my life in the 90s-2000s. Additionally the author bringing up so many musicians I loved took the novel to the next level.

While I couldn’t connect with the characters in this novel, it was still fun to read. I am probably an outlier here regarding Percy and Joe. The will they /won’t they /miscommunications is not a trope I love but makes sense when you’re in your 20s.

Read this if you love music, miss the days of going to record/music stores, and miss listening to CDs from cover to cover.

I give this novel a 3.5.

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

I went into Deep Cuts hoping to love it - heck, I was actually *expecting* to love it - but sometimes a premise just doesn’t live up to its potential, and unfortunately, this was the case with Holly Brickley's debut novel. With its focus on music, artistry, and the deep-seated need to be heard, I thought I’d be captivated by this story. Instead, I found myself disconnected from nearly everything: the writing, the characters, and the emotional weight the story was trying to carry.

Admittedly, the reviews comparing Deep Cuts to Daisy Jones & The Six may have soured me a bit towards the former, because I absolutely loved Daisy Jones - and when Deep Cuts wasn't living up to it in the slightest, my disappointment was tenfold what it would have been otherwise. This particular comparison feels like a stretch, and other than the common theme of music, I really don't see where the comparison is coming from. Unlike Daisy Jones & The Six, which pulses with life, complex characters, and layered relationships, Deep Cut's story felt distant. The characters, particularly Joe and Percy, lacked emotional complexity, coming off more as archetypes and stereotypes than fully realized people. Joe was every bit the self-absorbed musician cliché, which I could have forgiven had Percy been a compelling counterbalance. Instead, she felt equally frustrating in her own way, making their dynamic more grating than engrossing.

The premise was promising, but the execution left me feeling like an outsider to the story rather than immersed in it. It seems like I'm in the minority for the most part, though, so I'm sure many readers will love Deep Cuts! I’ll always appreciate a book that explores art and music as a means of expression, but unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley to review. All thoughts are my own and are not influenced by any third party.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I had a really hard time relating and connecting to the characters. I had a bit of a hard time following the story. I feel like this writing is either a hit or miss for me and while I did have high expectations this was unfortunately a miss for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for the early bc opt of this book in exchange of my honest review.

There were some really strong moments, and I liked the themes it explored, but the pacing felt a bit off, and the characters didn’t always feel fully fleshed out. That said, the writing has a lot of promise, and there were parts that definitely kept me hooked. It’s a decent read — just not super memorable for me.

DNF wasn’t for me. Expected something like Daisy Jones but don’t feel it’s along the same lines. Couldn’t relate to the characters which made it hard