Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Publishes
May 14, 2024
336 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
From Jas Hammonds, award-winning author of We Deserve Monuments, comes an unflinching novel about addiction that Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie and I'm the Girl, called "sensitively wrought and gorgeously written."
It's the summer before college and eighteen-year-old Blake Brenner and her girlfriend, Ella, have one goal: join the mysterious and exclusive Serena Society. The sorority promises status and lifelong connections to a network of powerful, trailblazing women of color. Ella's acceptance is a sure thing—she's the daughter of a Serena alum. Blake, however, has a lot more to prove.
As a former loner from a working-class background, Blake lacks Ella's pedigree and confidence. Luckily, she finds courage at the bottom of a liquor bottle. When she drinks, she's bold, funny, and unstoppable—and the Serenas love it. But as pledging intensifies, so does Blake's drinking, until it's seeping into every corner of her life. Ella assures Blake that she's fine; partying hard is what it takes to make the cut ...
But success has never felt so much like drowning. With her future hanging in the balance and her past dragging her down, Blake must decide how far she's willing to go to achieve her glittering dreams of success—and how much of herself she's willing to lose in the process.
"Readers will be gripped from the very beginning. A gut-wrenching story" ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Hammonds expertly weaves explorations of class, family, queer identity, race, and substance reliance into a glittering, harrowing narrative that is compulsively readable, gorgeously written, and intricately crafted." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A profound must-read." —School Library Journal (starred review)
"A sensitively wrought and gorgeously written exploration of a young woman's hard-won journey back to herself. Hammonds is a formidable talent whose unflinching vulnerability and empathy will inspire the same of their readers." ―Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie and I'm the Girl
"Jas Hammonds remains one of literature's most electric voices. Breathtaking and courageous, Thirsty will change lives. Blake Brenner's story challenges our social norms, perception of addiction, and expectations for all kinds of love. I was dazzled and devastated by every page, and ultimately left profoundly moved." ―Jen St. Jude, author of If Tomorrow Doesn't Come
"Thirsty is the first lungful of air when you're drowning. An astonishing, compassionate, and deeply complicated novel about addiction, friendship, and loyalty that will leave your heart singing. Don't miss this!" ―Mark Oshiro, New York Times bestselling author of Into the Light
This information about Thirsty was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Kay Ulanday Barrett.
Jas Hammonds was raised in many cities and in-between the pages of many books. They have received support for their writing from Lambda Literary, Sundress Academy of the Arts, and the Highlights Foundation. They are also a grateful recipient of a MacDowell James Baldwin Fellowship. We Deserve Monuments is their debut novel.
Link to Jas Hammonds's Website
Name Pronunciation
Jas Hammonds: Pronounced like "jazz"
The Flower Sisters
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Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some to be chewed on and digested.
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