This was so unexpected! I really didn’t know what I was getting into when I requested this book. I hate to admit that I feared it would be a little too academic or dense. I was pleasantly surprised! This book is an excellent case study on friendship, envy, and ambition. I couldn’t get enough of the two MCs and their complicated friendship. Thank you, NetGalley.

Rating: 4.2/5

Helen Hicks goes to the Hayward Writing Intensive after getting her MFA as a last stitch effort to prove to her parents that she can be a writer. There, she meets Cherry Stewart, a young woman without a college degree but with a natural ability to write better than all her peers. However, at the end of the intensive, when the $25,000 grant goes to the person with the potential to write an amazing novel, it goes to Helen. Helen takes this opportunity to her own apartment and invites Cherry to be her roommate, write alongside each other, and both become published authors! Fast forward ten years later, Helen has only an anthology of short stories to show for her grant, while it is revealed that Cherry has sold her first book at auction for a delicious price!. To Helen, this is unfair. She was supposed to be the successful one. She was the educated one. Why can't good things happen to her?

This was a different book than I am used to reading, but it was very enjoyable. I loved the dual perspective aspect of the book, but especially because each person's perspective was not always the most reliable as to what actually happened. The story showed the evolution of a friendship and what can happen to break someone's trust. Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Palmer's last book, Family Reservations, was a favorite of last year and in my opinion, criminally underrated, so I was thrilled to get approved for a galley of her latest! Here we follow Helen and Cherry, two young women who meet at an esteemed writer's workshop in 1995. Both are struggling with feelings of inferiority, but for different reasons, and while very different personalities, they fall into a close friendship that lasts 10 years through the ups and downs of the long hard road to becoming published authors. When one of them reaches this goal before the other, everything unravels.

What I appreciate so much about Palmer is the way she writes complicated female relationships, both within families and friendships. She writes the good, the bad, and the ugly- and it's not always a pretty picture. This seems to turn readers off, and I think it's a shame. When Palmer writes an "unlikeable" female character, it's generally a woman who is both ambitious and very, very hard on herself- she isn't a bad person. Generally, the person she's doing the most harm to is herself- and Palmer does an excellent job of giving these women grace and recognizing their full humanity as they do a lot of self examination while seeking to make things right. I find it admirable when people do this in real life; it's hard work, and feel like Palmer does a realistic job portraying this.

My only quibble here, and made this less successful than Family Reservations for me, is that there are 2 major events we learn about late in the book that greatly impacted one of the characters during one of the time jumps that the book takes. (There are two 10 year leaps ahead.) Both of these events, in my opinion, deserved and needed far more time and attention to unpack. But this was another win for me and I'll certainly pick up her next book!

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing an ALC.

Listening to the audiobook was confusing at times. The story line/ writing style was heavy into philosophy as a character profile rather than a fictional story. That pulled me out of the story for a time, and as I was listening, that added to the confusion. This may be better as an ebook or printed book.
The plot was engaging and the interaction between the two female characters felt realistic, complex and layered. The ending 'plot twist' was confusing.

But overall, this was an engaging story about who we really are vs how we present ourselves to the world. And I appreciated a book about friendship rather than romance. It was a nice change.

3 stars.

his book is about the friendship of two women who the reader is given no reason to like, or even care about. I was also given no reason to think their 'friendship' was anything more than co-dependence. They are unpleasant, their friendship is unpleasant, but it's all in a really low key, banal way. We spend a lot of time in Helen's head while she is being terrible (not terrible like stabbing kittens, terrible like centering herself and hating herself.
There is a twist 80 per cent in that didn't make anything better, although if I had to do this for a book club, at least it would provide something to talk about.

The dénouement continued the drama that I didn't care about. It's particularly odd that it's 30 years after the workshop where these people meet and they all seem frozen from that time. Gossiping about people that they only met for a week.

There's some bi-erasure thrown in for fun.
Tedious.
The narrator was pretty good though.
I was given and audio review copy from Brilliance Publishing via Negalley.

Great read, especially if you're a writer as it delves into the ups and downs of writing, the behind the scenes world and potential drama. I was totally shocked by the twist that Palmer drops in the book and found myself blissfully baffled by what I'd just read! We are taken on a friendship journey between two women who meet in their 20s and how that friendship and their writing careers twist and turn into their 40s. This book will have you looking at yourself and friendships wondering who you really are and how you see yourself.

Cherry is invited to attend the grand Hayward Writing Intensive workshop, bright-eyed and full of energy and the hope that her work will be noticed. Helen is invited to attend the same workshop after finally being accepted. She knows it is her year and that she will be the aspiring author with a noteworthy work to take the grand prize of a year stipend just to write. An unlikely friendship is formed between the two women, but as the years go by, both Cherry and Helen make choices that alter their friendship forever.

Thank you Liza Palmer and Brilliance Publishing for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and a thorough review. All opinions here are mine and mine alone.

I really resonated with the characters in this story. Because the story was heavily character-focused, I, as the reader, got to know the inner workings of Cherry and Helen very well. The good, the bad, and the ugly were all on display for the reader. This made the book stand out to me. I greatly enjoyed following along as the years went by for Cherry and Helen.

This book was excellent as an audiobook! The narrator did an excellent job of giving life to Cherry and Helen as the book progressed. I definitely recommend this audiobook for readers who enjoy deep-diving into characters.

I enjoyed the author's evaluation of female friendships and the importance they play in one's life. For some, the intimacy of those relationship are as important as romantic kinds.

Helen is a distinctly unlikeable min character. Her snobbery and better than thou attitude make it hard to root for her. There were huge swarths of the book that I found myself frustrated with Helen and her contestant navel gazing. The plot was a little uneven, I found myself disliking the story mid way through though the ending brought me back around again.

I did enjoy Stevi Incremona's subtle narration and style.

Young Fools by Liza Palmer is an engrossing, razor-sharp exploration of ambition, ego, and the uneasy line between collaboration and competition. The novel centres on Helen and Cherry, two talented writers whose bond is forged — and ultimately tested — within the high-pressure environment of an elite writing residency. What begins as a seemingly supportive friendship slowly unravels into jealousy, rivalry, and artistic betrayal, especially once Cherry’s secret success comes to light.

Liza Palmer leans into the meta aspects of storytelling here, blurring the boundaries between fiction, truth, and the ways writers mine real life (and real people) for their work. Helen is a fascinatingly flawed protagonist — brilliant, abrasive, consumed with comparison and self-importance — while Cherry is initially more relatable, though not without her own sharp edges. Their dynamic is complex, uncomfortable, and painfully realistic, tapping into the darker sides of female friendship without leaning on melodrama or sensational twists.

Thematically, the book asks big questions about how far we’re willing to go to make something of ourselves, and whether success is worth sacrificing our relationships — or our integrity. It’s an emotionally charged, sometimes cynical take on creatives and the literary world, layered with biting social observation.

As an audiobook, Young Fools is excellent. The narration brings real energy and nuance to both women, making it easy to follow the shifts in tone and perspective. The performance adds momentum to what is already a compelling narrative, making it perfect for listening.

Overall, this isn’t a warm, uplifting read, but it is a smart, gutsy, and deeply intriguing one — especially for anyone interested in the emotional cost of chasing your dreams.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the advanced copy.

This was such a good book. It had me reeled in from the first chapter. The pacing was great and the characters had a lot of depth to them! Would recommend

Listening to the audiobook was such an interesting (if confusing) experience.

On one hand, I didn’t enjoy the writing style as much as I’d hoped. There were instances of extreme telling that felt so heavy-handed (because they were), kind of philosophizing in a way more suitable for a character profile than the book itself. It completely took me out of the story every time because it felt like the other was explaining the character to me.
But on the other hand, the plot itself kept me engaged. The dynamic between the two women was complex and layered, their interactions felt authentic/realistic.
However, the Big Plot Twist was just endlessly confusing. [SPOILERS AHEAD!) I didn’t know which parts had happened to the “real Cherry” and which parts of book-Cherry were actually based on Helen. It wasn’t clearly defined at all and my enjoyment of the story plummeted. I think if this had been executed differently, it would have made this a 4.5 star read for me, despite not vibing with the writing style. But alas.
The narration was wonderful. No notes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Well rounded protagonists, and a fully developed plot coupled with masterful narration make this audio book a winner. Give it a listen; you won't be sorry..

3.5 rounded up

This was a sharp and emotional story about friendship, ambition, and figuring out who you are. I really connected with Cherry’s character as she was warm, grounded, and easy to root for. Helen, on the other hand, was honestly kind of exhausting. Her obsession with being seen as a “serious” writer made her feel out of touch and hard to like. Still, their friendship felt real, especially as it started to crack under the pressure of success and envy. I really liked how the book explored the divide as envy settles in and time passes. If you love women’s fiction, this is a book you’ll want to pick up!

Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the gifted copy!

🎧Song Pairing: We Are Young - fun.

💭What I thought would happen:

I can’t even deduce which genre this is? Is it a sapphic romance where each woman wants someone that looks just like them? Is it a thriller about a long lost identical twin? I have no flippin clue 😂

📖What actually happens:

✏️Writers Retreat
👯‍♀️Friendship
🤡Competition
⏳10 years later

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

Hmmmm. That’s it. That’s my review. 😂

The MC is notably weird but she’s also a fucking asshole with a narcissistic personality. No wonder she has no close relationships. She reminds me of a family member I cannot stand. 🙅🏼‍♀️

I love books about books and writing but this one lacked a plot. Nicholas Cage couldn’t find it on a menu let alone the Declaration of Independence….

Love the cover! I also love the supporting character, Cherry. She deserved better - she’s a fun girls girl.

This novel follows two women, Cherry and Helen. They are, at times, best friends. As a part of an exclusive writer's program called Heyward House, they are both colleagues but also competitors. Helen comes across as extremely self-centered, entitled, with a terrible attitude. Cherry comes across as a fighter and a good friend. The story is very meta as it appears to be about real life events and it makes you wonder how much is about real life. Helen and Cherry both plan to publish a novel and they assume they will be successful. Helen gets very angry, condescending and jealous of Cherry's success. Helen looks up to a woman named Tess because she is wealthy although she struggles with mental health and addiction.

Jealousy is such a gross, pitiful emotion. Helen uses Cherry's likeness in her fiction and really paints herself as being a better person than she is. Helen is super unlikable. But because the book is about fictionalized accounts of frenemies, it makes you really wonder if this is the author's own attempt to do the same. This is not a feel-good, heartwarming tale, and it is not dramatic, over the top. The negativity that Helen brings Cherry is mostly academic. There are no thriller-type plotlines. This is really a book about female friendship and how awful women can be. I did find it to be slightly misogynistic, I think women are better than this.

Audiobook review- the performance was great, the narrator was engaging and the narrative was easy to follow. This is great on audio and produced well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ARC. Book to be published 9/9/25