What a debut! Love that it is set in Maine. Hazel is a new student and by the end of chapter one, we know she’s going to be known by everyone soon. With a great family by her side, Hazel will have to make some choices at her young age. These choice will affect her entire family. Will she decide to press forward or will the wishes of the community change her mind? This is one that will make for great book club discussions. Perfect pacing and timely topic make it one to grab for your summer reading. Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

After moving from Brooklyn to Maine for her father's new profoessorship, Hazel is living in a small town in Maine for her senior year of high school. On the first day of school, Hazel is called to the principal's office. Unsure of what she could have done by third period, Hazel walks in to meet with Principal White, who she had met and spoken to a few times during the summer at the town pool. She is shocked by what he says to her - it not only impacts her senior year, but her life, her family's life and the town as well. How Hazel deals with the fallout will determine how she feels about the world and herself.

I walked into this book totally blind and I am so happy I did. It took on difficult topics and laid them out in a way that made them digestible with humor and tenderness. I liked the different POVs (Hazel, her parents, and her brother) and think it created a fuller story. The novel touched on many sensitive topics (e.g. cancel culture, "me too", antisemitism and celebrity to name a few) and I think it did it quite well and in a way that didn't require me to close the book to take a break from it, which sometimes happens when you read about these kind of hard issues. I listened to about three quarters and I hate to say it but I just didn't love the narrator for this particular novel, her voice didn't seem like the right fit to me (and that could be a me thing, I had already put a voice on Hazel and it just didn't match).

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the ALC to review

“But sometimes vanquishing the forces of evil, even incompletely, was the best you could do.”

This is a debut that tackles a hard topic – the consequences of speaking up – and tries to do it with humor and empathy. That makes this a hard book to review. The topic is so important and timely. Hazel and her story are one I will think of for a while, but the execution let me a little disappointed!

I liked that we see how Hazel’s traumatic event impacts each family member through their point of view. Wolf, the younger brother, was by far my favorite character. He was a great portrayal of a middle school boy that is not the stereotypical jock.

I will admit neither parent resonated with me as I was frustrated with both of them. Without giving too much away, I wanted to see them play a more supportive role to Hazel and provide more coaching and guidance instead of feuding with each other.

In the end, I really appreciated Hazel’s character development and how she struggles with both sides of what happened but eventually decides to protect herself. Growing up in a small town, the town dynamics were accurately portrayed and realistically impacted the story.

Thank you @htpbooks and @htp_hive for the ALC in exchange for my honest review

3.75 ⭐️

Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross
General fiction, young adult
Pub day: June 17, 2025

This is a book I knew nothing about, and randomly grabbed it off my shelf to read. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The ending of that first chapter had me 😵‍💫🫣😳🤬

The Blum family entertained me with its banter and dynamic. A lot of their conversations weren’t meant to be funny (by them) but I found myself cackling. I heard someone compare them to Schitt’s Creek…and although they’re very different from the family in that show, The Blum’s did have similar dry humor and back and forths.

The author took a serious topic and showed the real life ramifications and results of taking action. I felt for this family, as it impacted each member in different ways.

I flipped back and forth from the physical copy and audiobook for this one! I think the narrator did a great job and matched the story.

Thank you @htpbooks @htpthehive and @harperaudio for my gifted copies!

This one was pretty good, and I enjoyed the story but I am not sure it will necessarily stick with me. An important, timely topic but it's not one I will necessarily be pushing into everyone's hands. Parts seemed to drag a bit, but overall it was a hopeful story that I liked.

(4.5 stars)
I loved Hazel Says No! The Blum family moves from Brooklyn, New York to a small town in central Maine, so that Gus, the dad, can take up a tenured professorship at the local liberal arts college. Mom Clare designs clothes but is creatively stymied at the moment, brother Wolf is 11, wants to act and is going into sixth grade, and sister Hazel is 18, going into her senior year in high school. As anyone with children knows (or can remember their own youth), senior year in high school is a really tough time to move to a completely different part of the country. Add in the culture shock from big city life to small town/rural life and you have a recipe for either comedy or tragedy. This book shows you both.

They all spend the summer getting acclimated to their new surroundings, spending lots of time at the town pool, where the high school principal befriends Hazel because of the books she’s always reading. All Hazel wants to do is survive the year, get good grades and get into a hard-to-get-into college like Vassar. She wants to be a writer. Fast forward to the first day of school, and Hazel gets summoned from class to the principal’s office.

What happens in that office sets up the rest of the book. Given the title, you can probably imagine a bit of what transpires in that office (but I was still a bit stunned by the frankness of a particular sentence spoken by Principal White). #MeToo Trauma! Hazel reluctantly tells her parents (and her brother overhears) and things go from there. There is backlash to Hazel’s allegations, including some antisemitism, as well as some support for her. At the same time, Gus makes a serious misstep in his first lecture and he’s being subjected to a “Cancel Gus Blum” campaign on campus, which devastates him.

The author writes beautifully in the voices of all the main characters. I found Wolf to be particularly fun to read. Even though the subject matter is basically quite serious, there were a ton of amusing moments throughout the book. I loved the portrayal of the Blum family as Jewish fish-out-of-water in Maine, although there does seem to be a small Jewish community in the town since there’s a local rabbi.

I had access to three different versions of this book: paperback, ebook and audiobook, and I actually used all three formats! Emma Galvin did a great job on all the different voices. I believe this is my first audiobook with her as the narrator and I will look for more in the future. This is Jessica Berger Gross’ first novel, although she has written a lot, including a memoir. I loved the conversation between Gross and Galvin that was included with the audiobook.

Thank you to HTP Books (Hanover Square Press and Harlequin Audio) for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Jessica Berger Gross’s Hazel Says No is a quiet, fierce novel that unfolds in the small-town stillness of coastal Maine. The setting, with its pine-lined roads, weathered homes, and foggy shoreline, becomes more than just a backdrop—it mirrors the emotional isolation and complexity of its young protagonist. Maine’s rural quiet allows for an intimate and unflinching look at trauma, resilience, and family, giving Hazel’s story the space it needs to be told with power and clarity.

At the heart of the novel is Hazel, a thoughtful, observant girl whose life is turned upside down when her principal tells her that he has chosen her at the student he will have sex with for the year. Her act of saying “no” to him is not just a moment of resistance, but a radical reclaiming of voice in a world that often conditions girls into silence. Gross tells Hazel’s story with emotional precision, capturing the confusion, anger, and quiet bravery it takes to speak out in a community where people would rather look away. Hazel’s refusal is not loud, but it is absolute—and it ripples through every layer of her world.

Hazel Says No centers not on the violence, but on the survivor’s agency. The story never sensationalizes Hazel’s trauma—instead, it insists on her humanity. It’s a book about what happens when a girl says no and the long, painful, beautiful process of healing—not just for her, but for everyone who loves her.

Emma Galvin’s narration is outstanding—she distinctively captures each voice with nuance and authenticity. Hazel’s chapters are raw and defiant, Gus is warm and reflective, Claire is tense and driven, and Wolf is a charming mix of innocence and insight. Galvin’s performance brings out the emotional depth of each character.

Hazel says no to a proposition at the outset of this wildly bighearted novel about the ripple effect her decision has on not only her life but the lives of her family, her community, and the world at large.

When Gus and Claire Blum move their family from an expensive, cramped brownstone in Brooklyn to a beautiful house with room to spare in a small Maine town, their lives are immediately upended.

Accepting a tenured position at a prestigious college, Gus and Claire believe this change will be good for their family. High school senior, Hazel, and her preteen brother, Wolf, aren’t convinced. They’ve left behind a community and friends they loved for something foreign to them.

And Hazel’s “no” sends a shockwave through the idyllic town of Riverburg.

As her parents work to navigate personal struggles with their own careers, they quickly find themselves embroiled in a bigger battle between their new community and their children.

This is vague because to say more, to include details, would ruin the set up of a warm, funny, bighearted, and timely novel about love and empathy and how adversity unites people in ways both big and small.

I listened to this one, courtesy of @netgalley and @harlequinaudio and Emma Galvin does a terrific job emoting the complicated feelings shared - in third person - a feat to be admired.

There are comparisons to other books and TV shows, but I think this lovely, complicated debut stands firmly on its own, without need for comparison.

Feminist contemporary LitFic? Sign me up!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and alc.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I really wanted to like it given the high praises it has received, but unfortunately, I did not. I did think the audiobook narrator had a nice voice though.

Thank you to Harlequin Books and Harlequin Audio for the review copies of Hazel Says No. In some ways, this story reminded me of Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston—a powerful exploration of trauma, recovery, and the rediscovery of voice and agency after assault. Stories like these, while still far too rare in both real life and fiction, offer something essential: a voice for survivors, and a call for others to recognize the importance of listening, supporting, and empowering young people to speak up.

I absolutely loved the audiobook production—Emma Galvin’s narration was excellent, and the multi-POV approach brought a fresh, layered perspective to a sensitive subject. Including different family members’ voices was especially effective. While some may find the younger brother’s voice less compelling, I found both the writing and performance surprisingly strong. The ripple effects of trauma—how one person’s assault reshapes an entire family’s dynamic and emotional balance—are thoughtfully and honestly portrayed.

I also appreciated the narrative arc that begins with Hazel’s risky behavior and mental health struggles and builds toward her reclaiming her voice and power. It's an honest depiction of adolescent pain and resilience. Teen protagonists can sometimes be self-focused—but that’s developmentally appropriate, and here it adds realism rather than detracting from the story. Readers looking for broader justice or institutional reckoning (e.g., consequences for the principal or recognition of other survivors) may not find that fully explored here, but for me, that didn’t lessen the impact. This is a focused, intentional, and well-crafted story about Hazel and her family—and that, in itself, feels meaningful and important.

Jessica Berger Gross managed to write about a sensitive topic in a thoughtful and unique way through the experience of Hazel Blum. Hazel and her family are undergoing a major life change that is only made more difficult after a call to the principals office.

Though the story centers around what has happened to Hazel and the events the follow, each character has their own perspective filled with depth and emotion. Each of Hazel's family members have a distinctive voice throughout, helping add more layers to the novel.

Jessica Berger Gross perfectly captures small town Maine, from the people to the weather.


*I would like thank Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for the advance audio copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.*

*Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for early copy for review*

I listened to the audiobook which contains an exclusive interview with the author, but this did not add any enjoyment to this book for me. This book was not great. One of the problem I had was that besides Hazel I did not care about the other points of view. I think they hindered the narrative, especially the little brother. Also i felt like a lot of nothibg happened to these unlikable characters. What happened to Hazel was awful. The fact her principle not only basically demanded sex from her, but bragged about doing it before. Her struggling to come to terms made sense. Her depression that led to her lowest moment of smoking her mom's pot made sense. I just kept thinking something more may happen here. A consequence of taking without asking at least. Instead she pulls herself up and becomes a viral hit for telling her story, but I was concerned about the principles other victims. In the end the focus of this story was not what I was interested in which made it bad for me.
Comment

The Blum family of Brooklyn knew it would be an adjustment moving to Maine. However, two incidents that occur nearly immediately upon moving make things even more difficult. They are ostracized by the community and absolutely miserable.

This is definitely a fish-out-of-water story. However, it covers a very serious topic, so I am not sure why they are comparing this to Schitt's Creek.

The first two thirds of this is five star worthy. It tackles a serious issue and you really understand how one small moment of time can have repercussions on everyone's lives. It was well done.

The last third I have issues with. I felt I switched into a Hallmark movie where everything is perfect. I obviously hoped for a good resolution for the entire Blum family, but it went a bit far for my taste. The book went from a realistic look at a serious issue to nearly a fantasy.

Emma Galvin narrates the audiobook. I enjoy her work and she was a good choice for Hazel. However, this is told by the POV of all four Blums. Emma Galvin does not work as well for the other characters, in my opinion.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I could not finish this ALC. The narration by Emma Galvin was just not for me. There wasn't enough distinction between the characters, so I was confused about who was speaking when. I will probably try to read the eBook version instead.

Thank you to Jessica Berger Gross, Emma Galvin, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley for sending me the ALC in exchange for an honest review

I love that this book was written. Hazel navigating a tough experience she didn't deserve gives hope to others that have to be adults when adults make terrible choices. I love Hazel's family too. I feel like some of the challenges and humor could be many families throughout the United States. This is a fantastic family drama and I always love seeing how characters navigate situations in books. This author did a fantastic job and I can't believe this was a debut novel. I will be watching for more books from this author! The narrator did a great job bringing Hazel's voice to life! Thank you HTP audio books for the opportunity to listen to this important book!

I picked up this book because an author/book influencer said it was in the running for “book of the summer” for 2025. I’m not 100% sure it could beat out books like Fredrick Backman or Taylor Jenkins Reid’s newest books, but I was intrigued regardless.

This is a debut novel follows a family who move from New York City to Maine. We get everyone in the family’s point of view- Claire (mom) who is a clothing designer struggling to figure out what’s next in her career, Gus (dad) who makes an unfortunate misstep in his role as a professor at a new college and Wolf (brother) trying to fit in during his first year of middle school. But probably the most important storyline is of Hazel’s (sister) whose encounter with her predatory high school principal that really drives the story as everyone in the family deals with the fall out.

I was most impressed by how the author was able to tell a story about a very serious topic and balance joy with light and funny moments. The characters had such strong voices- the audiobook narrator did an excellent job that I looked into what else she has narrated.

So 2025 book of the summer? Probably not. But I really enjoyed it and will be looking out for the authors future books!

When Gus Blum gets a great opportunity to be a professor and department head at a prestigious college in Maine, the father of two is anxious to take it. Wife Claire is ready to design her own clothing line, and a change could give her that chance. Daughter Hazel is a senior in high school, so she only has a year left before she heads off to college (hopefully Vassar). Eleven-year-old Wolf, who struggles with ADHD, is starting junior high school with dreams of performing in a school play and yearns to fit in and make new friends. The family leaves the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn and moves into their new home in Riverburg, Maine. After a fun summer, things seem to be going well for the Blum family. However, on Hazel's first day of school, something unthinkable happens to her. The impact of a # MeToo event sends the family into a tailspin, leaving the small town shocked and divided.

Author Jessica Berger Gross presents a thought-provoking story in her beautifully written, impressive debut, Hazel Says No. While the crisis revolves around Hazel, each member of the Blum family is a well-developed, interesting, and authentic character. I especially loved Wolf. The novel deals with the consequences of speaking the truth when something bad happens. It sensitively addresses some serious topics yet includes lighter moments as well. I enjoyed this fish-out-of-water family story, especially having grown up in Brooklyn.

Narrator Emma Galvin did an excellent job giving each character a distinctive and engaging voice.

4.25 stars.

This book was a palate-cleanser after many thrillers and it fit the bill. This book made me slow down and think about how one word can change the course of one’s life. This book details the huge ripple effect a sexual advance has on a student’s life and those of her entire family. It was interesting and impactful, just the what I think the author was going for. I really liked Hazel: she was well developed and an easy protagonist to root for. I will say that no huge events happen in the book, which is why I held back that last star. Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Fabulous beginning, slow middle, and tidy ending—overall a worthwhile read and great debut novel from Jessica Berger Gross. Hazel is a high school senior whose family just moved to small-town Maine from NYC. First day of school she is propositioned by the principal, who’s been friendly all summer at the community pool. She says no, reports him, and all hell breaks loose. The chapters alternate between the family members: Hazel, her younger brother Wolf, and their parents, Gus and Claire.
The story of #metoo fallout for the new, Jewish family in an insular town was fascinating and messy. I found myself frustrated by the parents, who seemed a lot less mature than their children, and the subplots didn’t always work for me—underdeveloped but overlong. Everything resolved a little too tidily for all the mayhem that precedes the resolution, but it’s fiction. The main conflict with Hazel explored the ideas of victim blaming and ostracism that go along with these terrible events. I wanted it to be a little more empowering to young women, but ultimately 18-year-old girls still have a lot of doubt and vulnerability.
This author shows a lot of promise and I’m curious to see what she writes next!
P.S. Justice for Wolf, who seemed completely ignored by his family and ultimately the author. His journey felt so underdeveloped to me, and I thought it could have been quite interesting.
Thanks to the publisher for the advance copy!

I enjoyed this. I did feel like there were plot holes that lead to some confusion as to what the point of the story was. But the ending made up for it.