I had high hopes for this one and I was not disappointed in the slightest. Not only did it deal with some heavy topics, it did so with a warm wit - it was actually really funny! The characters were flawed and messy but with big hearts trying to navigate their way through their late 20s/early 30s whilst dealing with the sudden death of their close friend. I found that the writer got the tone just right and it made the story all the more real and raw. Overall it was incredible and I can't wait to read more from Gráinne.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

Another triumphant debut from a Belfast writer - we are truly spoiled these days! Thirst Trap both broke my heart and had me laughing: two of the most essential ingredients for an absolute cracker of a read. Three friends living together all on the cusp of turning 30, an age where life choices and directions are questioned, even more so for this trio as they are dealing with a sudden and shocking bereavement. I loved Roise, Maggie and Harley's stories individually and together. O'Hare's writing is magnificent and had me engrossed in their lives from the start. A triumph.

I am not the target age for this novel but I loved its dry humour and glimpse into twenty something hopeless life.

Thirst Trap is a book that explores the experience of living in Belfast as a young person in the 21st century. In the tradition of other Post Troubles fiction, O’Hare’s prose finds its own version of the distinctly Irish tone of voice, straddling restlessness and fatigue to codify the uncertainty and instability that pushes the plot forward.

The story follows three female friends living in Belfast as they reach their thirties. They have been bonded together by the death of a fourth friend, and there is a struggle with guilt and a reckoning with social expectations that works beneath the surface and effects how each character moves through the world and interacts with others.

Our three protagonists share narrator duties between chapters, so while we get to know Harley, Roise and Maggie, we also get to share in how they see the world, hearing things they sometimes don’t even share with each other. The shifts in perspective echo the erratic and restless minds of O’Hare’s characters. Due to the strange case of grief that these characters experience, there is an liquid unreliability that O’Hare mimics through the use of tense in a Proustian (maybe more Faulknerian) way – narrative shifts between present and past in an unpaced and unannounced way that are almost too real for those of us who have experienced trauma. This is familiar; unpredictable rushes of memories that can be so intense they stop your body working.

Similarly, O’Hare shocks us with juxtaposition between humour and depression. Harley being historically bad at piano and taking lessons described with levity ultimately spirals into a trauma memory of the piano at their friend’s funeral the year prior as they carried the coffin. Maggie, Harley and Roise continually revisit moments with their deceased friend, showing their inability to escape, caught in a circular trap (clubbing, dating, returning to bad habits..) and unable to move on despite the fact that it has only been a year. These characters are stuck in a kind of limbo—between their university days and a fully fledged adulthood they imagined would happen automatically—but they feel something unseen hold them back, making them question whether it is each other. The reality is, being left alone with your own thoughts will inevitably lead you to a dark place if your experience is anything like that of these women.

We accompany these three as they discover that the preoccupations, anxieties and concerns of their twenties are not going to magically disappeared - dating, socialising and work all still dominate their lives despite how much they try to resist it. This is a book about the late stages of growing up and growing out of things, or refusing to. Saying goodbye in inexplicit ways and moving on. Realising that maybe you never figure out how to ‘grow up’, and that there are certainly enough people in the world to prove that this is not the end of the world; that in fact it may be just the beginning.

Growing up does not mean to "get away from your friends" just because they remind you of your past, who you used to be. Sometimes it might make it difficult; there are going to be people who hold us back, but O’Hare’s characters seem to have enough insight and trust in each another to be able to tell what’s what in the end and make the right decisions for themselves – perhaps a more true measure of adulthood than their previous misconceptions.

There are broad ubiquitous anxieties, common to lots of us in the modern world but here ventriloquised with enough character-level specificity to make us think "oh yeah me too," or "that’s so me.” Grainne O’Hare knows how to show us ourselves in the her characters; she gives us a place in the friend group analogous with our own experience.

The cast of supporting characters flesh out a realistic iteration of Belfast, with all its sights and sounds. Fergal, the over-the-top date who subjects Harley to countless icks; the landlord who sells them gear.  East Belfast, particularly the Hollywood Arches library, gets a surprising spotlight; O’Hare invokes C.S. Lewis when describing in this part of town, and we see a parallel: there is a desire to escape, a dissatisfaction with the everyday, in these characters that is enduringly common in the Irish experience.

It is comforting to witness a thirty year old cry over a messy part of their life, and have a father who will comfort them like they are still a child. It feels reassuring to know that it's not just me. “That’s so me.”

A note on how much I love the phraseology. It flows so naturally; among the countless stories from the North of Ireland that I have read, few have been able to accurately capture and emulate the voice, the lilt. Some of my favourites:
- to “have a notion” for someone
- “can barely run the length of myself”
- “no but you get the gist”

O’Hare can also be seen crafting simile after searing simile, each new and stylishly refreshing. I find this to be one of the book's greatest strengths, in tandem with her use of familiar colloquialism. The sensation of cocaine is described as someone pushing a cocktail umbrella up one nostril and feeling it open inside your head. The club is a "swaying wheat field of arms against a neon sky"; a house party is filled with background actors "churning craic." Churning! All of her prowess comes together to form a striking new voice, one which immediately fits flush in the new canon, somewhere between Michael Magee and Wendy Erskine. She is breaking from tradition and participating in the new one. She is, perhaps, helping to create it.

The draw of good Post Troubles fiction, for me, is that it rings true to the experience of individuals who feel alienated by the existing canon of writing from the North. It does not represent them, or the now in which they live; it represents the reality of their parents, the one that people from this generation never seem to shut up about. Books like this choose instead to reflect, very skilfilly, the shockwaves of what came before. This book points to the horizon at the other end of a plane of settled land like it sees recognisable fragments of itself in the oncoming future.

n.b. O’Hare is a bigger Swiftie than me, and in this book it shows.

An exciting blend of "Ghosts" by Dolly Alderton, "Blue Sisters" by Coco Mellors, and "The Rachel Incident" by Caroline O'Donogue, "Thirst Trap" was a fun yet moving story about growing up, romantic relationships, grief, but above all else, friendship. From the first chapter, you're introduced to each character's vulnerabilities and insecurities, and throughout the book, it just feels like you're getting to know a friend deeper and deeper. Despite having hectic and messy sequences, the story feels very real and I think relatable to a lot of readers. I honestly wish we just got more of the characters, especially Lydia and exploring the death of a loved friend, but all in all, a great debut that I'm sure will resonate with many people.

Thirst Trap has easily squeezed its way into my top reads of 2025 . A beautiful read with relatable characters that really captured life in your late twenties. It made me laugh so hard which is something I rarely do but the humour. and pop culture references were done so well. I got attached to all the girls but loved Róise story most.

I’ll be raving and recommending to everyone. My book club have chosen this for July and I cannot wait to discuss it!

Thirst Trap in a nutshell is about three friends who have unfortunately experienced the passing of one of their cohort after a falling out between them occurring, and are navigating their lives as best as they can in the circumstances afterwards.

The fabulous front cover of this book is what drew me to this story immediately, which instantly gave me the impression that this would have a humorous side. This is what I loved most about the book; the wit comes across so naturally, and at no point did it feel forced or corny, which can be the case in these types of books.

I would say that the story isn’t to my personal taste, it did drag a little and nothing major really happened within the events of the book. That being said, there is something charming about a book that feels extremely realistic and relatable (I dare say most people could relate to times in their life where they have had similar antics these characters have gotten up to) however I did love the depiction of three friends nearing/in their thirties still living like students and the physical writing itself was of very high quality.

As a late-twenty something woman who is also on the brink of ‘triumph, catastrophe, or maybe just finally growing up’ (let’s be honest, it’s probably all three) this was something I absolutely needed to read.

The book follows three friends- Maggie, Harley and Róise- trying to figure out what to do with their lives and living situation after the death of their friend Lydia. No one can move on- they’re not even sure if they want to- and we get front row seats to them trying to figure out how to fix their messy lives.

‘Thirst Trap’ is such an accurate portrayal of managing friendships in your late twenties and the characters all feel like real people- they’re funny, broken, and at times horrible, and I loved them all regardless. The mix of humour and grief is balanced perfectly and I don't think I've ever read something more relatable. One of the easiest 5 stars I've ever given a book and I can't wait to see what else Gráinne O'Hare comes up with!

Thank you to Pan Macmillan | Picador and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC. This review can be viewed on my Goodreads page at the following link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7573480788

Thirst Trap is a slice of life following three friends in their late 20s/early 30s figuring things out and navigating life after the loss of someone close. Grief isn’t the main focus but it’s a quiet presence that subtly influences their decisions and actions, which felt incredibly realistic, raw and chaotic. The girls truly felt like people I could actually know in real life.

I’d recommend this to anyone in their 20s, it captures this stage of life and its struggles with sincerity and some humor! 3.75 ⭐️

read almost all of this debut from grainne o'hare yesterday and thought it was a complete banger! it's about 3 friends who are dealing, 1 year later, with the death of their other friend and housemate who they'd dramatically fallen out with just before she died. it's a lively, funny and affectionate portrait of three women trying in vain and in earnest to get their lives together and work on how to move on and move out of a crumbling house full of ghosts. recommend!

*arc received from netgalley in exchange for review, out 12/06!*

Really enjoyed reading about the three main characters in this book. Set in Belfast in the year that they are all turning 30 whilst also being one year since the death of the fourth member of their little group. Obviously there is a big theme of grief and loss, not just of their friend (and the complex feelings around the circumstances of when she died) but also of their twenties, relationships, friendships, family, where they live, etc. It’s more character driven than plot, and questionable decisions are made, but it’s got a hopeful outlook and is a reminder that everyone is just trying to make the best of where they’re at in life, even if that doesn’t follow the ‘traditional’ milestones.

Thank you to Picador and NetGalley for the ARC!

Maggie, Harley and Róise are best friends living together in a crumbling Belfast apartment, but the three girls are still grieving the tragic death of their friend, Lydia; their last big fight hangs heavy over their heads, and they are all beginning to unravel.

Incredibly heartwarming, raw, messy portrayal of friendship and womanhood. All tree girls are so unique, and each is beautifully (and frustratingly) flawed. They feel so real, and it's so easy to care for them. There is lots of humour, which works great to balance out the heavier themes of the story. The writing is so sharp, and it flows beautifully, making this such an easy to read, unputdownable book, without needing anything spectacular to happen, as it definitely is more of a character-based story. I truly loved this one, but the ending feels a little rushed and, while I enjoyed seeing all of the girls in a better place, I do wish there was a little more development throughout rather than crammed all in there.

A really gorgeous exploration of friendship and loss. Funny at times, but overwhelmingly emotional and powerful.

A story about complicated female friendships, growing up and grief.

Maggie, Harley and Róise are in their late 20s, living in a Belfast houseshare that is falling apart - like their friendship. They’re grieving the loss of their friend and housemate Lydia, who died a year ago. Their grief is complicated by the fact they had fallen out with her just before her death. We follow the characters trying to deal with all this in different ways.

Thirst Trap is filled with drunken nights out, questionable decisions and lots of love. Bittersweet, messy and immensely readable, WHEN is this coming to Netflix?

What an absolutely fantastic debut novel!!!!!! As soon as I saw the cover for this one I knew it’d be right up my street, but I was still blown away by it.

Róise, Harley and Maggie are all on the cusp of turning 30, and are living together in a falling-down house in Belfast, drinking their weekends away and trying to come to terms with the loss of their friend Lydia, who died before the novel's beginning. What Happened To Lydia looms large over the narrative, and O'Hare drip-feeds us information about the tragedy, and the impact it has had on her protagonists. As well as grappling with a complicated kind of grief, Róise, Harley and Maggie each have their own tribulations. What follows is a beautiful, messy, hilarious and at times profound exploration of the mess grief can make of a life, and what it takes to build yourself back up again.

I loved this, which makes sense as I am 100% the target audience for a Derry-Girls-Turning-30 novel. I loved the Belfast setting (I always do) and it’s easy to fall in love with the trio of protagonists; O’Hare pulls off a wonderful trick of character where the gals are so close that often the narrative feels like a hive mind, their thoughts and emotions bleeding into one another, but they all still felt like vibrant, alive characters in their own right. They’re all about to turn 30, but they aren’t quite adults yet - like many Millenials, they’re stuck in limbo, unable to become “proper adults”. I feel you, girlies. I will say that at times their behaviour felt closer to 25 year olds than 29 year olds, but maybe I am simply a bit boring!

O’Hare’s writing style is sophisticated and clever - she's not afraid to be liberal with her jokes or to make the reader feel complex and tough emotions. The girls have a really complicated friendship, too. They've seen one another through horrible times, but those times have left scars. This results in a story that wrestles with some tough questions about friendship and growing up. But there are also so many jokes - and such good ones! Thirst Trap pulls off that magic trick making you chuckle and then sob, often within one of the short, punchy chapters.
If you liked Roisín Lanigan’s I Want To Go Home But I’m Already There, or Oisín McKenna’s Evenings and Weekends, Thirst Trap will be right up your alley. A messy, character-driven romp with loads of heart.

Thirst Trap is a poignant and humorous exploration of friendship, loss, and the transition into adulthood, capturing the essence of contemporary life in Belfast.

Focusing fairly equally between the 3 friends, Thirst Trap follows Róise, Maggie and Harley as they enter their 30s a year after losing the 4th member of their friendship group in a car accident.

There isn't much in the way of storyline, it's more of a character study. The quick tie up at the end attempts to show an inkling of character growth but mostly the friends are caught up in their own dramas and don't seem to have much capacity beyond that for thinking about others. To me, it felt like the loss of their friend just didn't matter that much and the main recurring mention was that they'd fallen out with her shortly beforehand. This made it quite hard for me to empathise with any of the 3 characters and in fact I felt they mostly acted like a bunch of first-year students.

I had high expectations for this novel but it didn't end up hitting the mark for me.

I laughed and cried with Maggie Roise and Harley. Three girls living together, reeling from a recent-ish tragedy that has shook them all in different ways.

We follow them as they navigate the world after the tragedy.

Oh it was such a rollercoaster, but it wasn't of you see what I mean! It is a slice of life but the emotions had me all over the place. A really enjoyable read!

I adored this one. Easy reading, Irish lit about 4 friends who live together and the trials and tribulations of navigating work, social lives and love lives.

It’s light hearted but not silly, it’s realistic and relatable and just really really enjoyable. There is nothing not to like and I will definitely be recommending it to all
my friends in need of a fun summer holiday read.

Gráinne O’Hare’s Thirst Trap is a raw, vibrant, and emotionally tangled portrayal of friendship, grief, and growing up — set against the backdrop of a crumbling house share in Belfast, endless hangovers, and unresolved heartache.
Following three women — Róise, Maggie, and Harley — as they navigate their chaotic entrance into their thirties, this novel captures that tricky moment when youthful recklessness collides with the quiet realisation that life can’t always stay suspended in a student-era limbo.
The trio’s world is messy and loud: their shared home is falling apart, their love lives are more disaster than delight, and the absence of Lydia, their fourth housemate who died in a sudden accident, hangs heavily over everything. Each character’s personal struggles — Róise’s emotionally guarded romance with her boss, Maggie’s all-consuming and toxic entanglement with Cate, and Harley’s impulsive drug-fuelled escapades — are handled with empathy and unflinching honesty. The novel doesn’t shy away from difficult topics like grief, abortion, substance use, and anxiety-driven disordered eating, but balances them with moments of humour, warmth, and genuine affection.

O’Hare’s writing style is fluid and compulsively readable, capturing both the fizzy energy of nights out and the quiet ache of unspoken regret. There’s a deep authenticity in how she portrays the intensity of female friendship — its intimacy, pettiness, loyalty, and volatility. It’s a story that feels especially resonant for readers entering or living through their own messy thirties, particularly those familiar with Irish culture, though the themes are universally recognisable.

While the novel leans more into character than plot, that feels deliberate — it’s less about where these women end up and more about the emotional knots they untangle (or don’t) along the way. If there’s one drawback, it’s that the character development feels a bit rushed in the final chapter, but there’s still satisfaction in seeing them inch toward something resembling stability and self-awareness.

Thirst Trap is unflinchingly honest, often hilarious, and sometimes uncomfortable — but that’s exactly what makes it so compelling.
Ideal for fans of Caroline O'Donoghue or Dolly Alderton, this is a portrait of female friendship and grief that’s both brash and tender, reminding us that sometimes the mess is the point.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.