A Cigarette Lit Backwards is a coming-of-age story set in the early 2000s that explores the pursuit of acceptance among high schoolers. The protagonist, Kat, is a middle-class white teenager in North Carolina who engages in casual sex, drug use, and other risky behaviors in an attempt to fit in with her peers. A Cigarette Lit Backwards offers a nostalgicically humorous look at the challenges of adolescence. The themes of identity, authenticity, and the importance of genuine connections are universal.

Really loved this one. Instagram Review here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci0IN5SLQDa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

A fun and sweet coming of age novel about growing up punk (or maybe punk adjacent) in the early 2000s.

16-year-old Kat just wants to fit in on the punk scene in her small North Carolina town, and though she gets her start as a self-described poseur, she quickly becomes authentic through a lucky (or maybe not so lucky) misunderstanding.

I always struggle a bit with the pleading authenticity of punk in this era, because punk (surprise!) has been done before. Though it evolves during this time from its roots in the early 1980s, it’s not exactly an original breed of music or lifestyle. Still, the characters here are excellent and Kay’s perspective feels at once painfully raw and sweetly hopeful in a way that ought to resonate with most readers no matter when they came of age or whether they had any affinity for punk culture.

I’m what these characters would have sneeringly described as a “preppy,” despite the fact that we like the same music and we’re both early adapters of the genre at this time. I find this form of gatekeeping to be fairly obnoxious (if you’re not authentic to “the lifestyle,” you shouldn’t be allowed to like this music), but it’s a pretty accurate look at how these things tend to go. And Kat’s brand of this is born more of naïveté and a desperate search to find her little corner of the world than it is of malice or snobbery, which makes her a likable protagonist in spite of her tendency to embrace musical gatekeeping.

Musically it’s also a fun trip down memory lane, and plot-wise it’s a lovely reminder that while growing up can be lonely and heartbreaking, it can also be a wonderful way to get to know and love yourself.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really story, character-driven graphic the that dealt with the topic of girlhood beautifully but I felt there was just something missing.

I enjoyed it and I think it could be powerful for the right audience, but I would suggest treading carefully because there are numerous heavy topics discussed (such as drug use, sexual assault, and mental health issues.

Kat is an angsty, desperate-to-be-noticed, 16-year-old in Chapel Hill, NC, She is into the punk scene and her life changes when she is let backstage at a Trippy Dope show and a photojournalist takes her picture, transforming her in other's eyes into a punk groupie. Now that she's getting the attention and recognition she craves, she goes down an increasingly dangerous and ill-advised descent into drug use and sexual assault to keep up her reputation. I think I am too old for this novel, or maybe just too straight-laced, because while I have certainly made some dumb decisions in my day, reading about Kat's exploits had me cringing and wanting to shake some sense into her. I was very uncomfortable. I was hoping for more of a resolution at the end, but I guess leaving things somewhat open is a realistic choice.

This was such a cool book to read. We follow 16-year old Kat as shes growing up in the punk scene in North Carolina. The story in character-driven moreso than plot-driven, and we are really getting an insight on what Kat is feeling as shes trying to fit in with the punk crowd while still discovering who she is and her passions. I really enjoyed the early 2000s references it made and the relatability aspect of the yearning of wanting to fit in and feeling like a poser while doing so. I just wish there was more to the plot.

Thank you ABRAMS and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Kat is a 16 year old punk in North Carolina in the early 2000s. She is obsessed with music, boys, and excited about getting into a performing arts school next year. When she goes to see one of her favorite artists, she ends up backstage where pictures are taken and a story is concocted, labeling her a Groupie. Rumors start going around, losing and gaining her friends. She tries to keep up the pretenses while figuring out her new place in her crew. As the months go on, each decision that Kat makes sends her down a spiral where she ultimately feels loss and starts to not recognize herself.

As an alternative teen in the early 2000s, Kat was (at times) relatable and I loved most of the music references (though her downplaying AFI for the wonderful band that they were, are, forever will be did hurt my heart a little). Kat makes a lot of decisions that do not seem out of character for a teenager, though are frustrating to read as an adult. In fact, this book reads very much like being in a teen’s mind, which is a pro and a con at times. Almost like a stream-of-consciousness LiveJournal post (this is a compliment). I found myself, though relating to Kat in very small amounts, not really connecting with her. But I was still invested and needed to know what happened to her.

The pacing of this book was not consistent throughout. The middle part, after The Concert, was a bit better. The beginning was a lot of info dumping in a way that could have been better executed, while the end was rushed. I actually don’t think the ending did much for the book and the story might have benefited from 20 or so more pages. I liked where the ending was going but it just needed a bit more. I know literary fiction pieces love open endings, but I really needed more for Kat’s journey.

I enjoyed the setting and time period but this slightly missed the mark for me. While not the same, it does give off some similar vibes to the movie THIRTEEN, so fans of that may enjoy this one.

Some CWs: sexual assault, drug use, adult/minor relationships

This book was a sweet portrayal of a teen girlhood but for some reason, I was hoping it would be a bit grittier and give me a little more to relate to and root for the characters.

This was a strongly character driven book. I enjoyed getting to see the punk scene through Kat’s view, but thought the plot was a bit lacking. I wish it went deeper into the conflicts and experiences she had. The setting and character descriptions were very well done, the portrayal of the punk scene felt very accurate and immersive. I enjoyed the narration of Kat’s thoughts and thought her naivety was delightful in contrast to the serious issues she’s surrounded by. Overall I was just left wanting a deeper dive into the conflicts in her relationships.

A Cigarette Lit Backwards (sidenote: i love this title) follows sixteen-year old Kat as she struggles to find acceptance in the punk scene of the early 2000s - and exactly what the spiral for acceptance looks like. And I use spiral literally, because once she goes backstage and meets a rockstar and gets labeled as a groupie she finally gets the acceptance. And her decisions afterwards are an off the rails self destructive bender.
I really don't have any opinions about this book. I wouldn't say I loved it, but I didn't hate it. I wanted Kat to get her shit together and make better decisions. I definitely had higher hopes for this book - and the writing. There were topics discussed that were fleshed out and I thought really worked - drug use, sexual assault, sexism (the freud penis envy part, where she talks about envying the power people with penises have,,,,only freud reference with rights). But the prose was very to the point, and maybe that's just not my taste because I felt disappointed. I also felt a lack of completion, I got to the end and I genuinely thought my e-arc had been missing the last chapter or something. However, as a stylistic choice, to end it where things are turning I get it.

ANYWAY, good but wasn't great. I really don't know what star rating to give it.

thank you netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Some coming-of-age novels evoke nostalgia, a longing to go back to that time when the stakes were low and your whole life was possibility. And some coming-of-age stories incite visceral memories of the sheer agony of attempting to fit in and be cool, being on the edge of childhood and adolescence and never feeling comfortable in your own skin. A Cigarette Lit Backwards falls firmly into the latter category.

Kat is a 16-year-old punk trying desperately to fit in with a group of kids who are totally indifferent toward her. When she is mistaken for a groupie, her social standing suddenly lifts and leads her to a series of increasingly poor decisions to try and maintain her ill-gotten street cred. This book was fully cringe, as the kids (probably don’t) say, but purposefully so. I think anyone who has made questionable choices in the pursuit of cool will recognize a bit of themselves within Kat.

Of course, as an adult it's terrifying on a whole other level - reading about other people’s recklessness gives me second-hand anxiety - and as a story, it felt very surface level. I wish Kat’s backstory and home life were explored/explained further and the ending left me perplexed.

Thank you NetGalley and ABRAMS, The Overlook Press for the copy of A Cigarette Lit Backwards. I think I’m too old to be in the demographic for this book. I remember the early punk music days well, and this felt like a light/YA version and never really rang true. The writing never grabbed me and I didn't feel like I got to know or understand any of the characters

Oh, this book. It was so easy to get into, and although the punk/alt scene I grew up in was a couple of decades earlier and much tamer, this setting was recognizable in many ways. I cared about Kat and her story, but parts of it were also frustrating because I wanted Kat to make different decisions in places.

This is such a slice of time/place in the early 2000s in NC. I really enjoyed it and was willing to go where it took me, even if I wanted more for Kat. The book left a lot open at the end, which I appreciated. Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a joy to read. A brisk, well-paced novel that was humorous and dark, prickly and tender. Many chapters read as vignettes initially, but what Tea builds towards is such a feat--this novel was a time machine, and a welcome glimpse into a particular punk scene. I loved it. 

Thanks so much to the publisher for the e-galley!

I don't know, guys. I think I'm the target audience for this particular novel — I was Kat's age in the early 2000s, and so many of her experiences resonate with me — but it really just left me feeling, 'so what?'

Maybe that's the point. Or maybe I'm exactly NOT the target audience since I literally experienced Kat's life. Regardless, this one just wasn't for me. I think it's written well, and I liked that the style of the writing matched the character's voice. It's short, to the point, and packed with nostalgia! I just didn't care for Kat, or any of the characters, and that's a must for me in literary fiction (anything that isn't thriller/horror, honestly).

Kat is a teenage girl wholly wrapped up in the punk scene of the early 2000s. She details her day to day life, revolving mostly around friends, boys, and not being seen as a poseur. The crowd she's hanging with is not a great one, and they only get worse as the narrative continues. She makes the bad choices that most teenage girls make, and her situation starts to reflect these choices. At the end, she's forced to contemplate her future and the steps she needs to take to move forward.

It didn't stir much emotion in me, but maybe it will for you.

Thank you to Tea Hacic-Vlahovic, Overlook Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

"I DON"T GIVE A DAMN "BOUT MY BAD REPUTATION!"

Tea Hacic-Vlahovic's A Cigarette Lit Backwards follows Kat, a would be North Carolina punk on a unique coming of age journey. Despite the front she tries to put on for her peers, Kat cares very much about her reputation and desperately wants to be cool no matter the cost. Hacic-Vlahovic is able to capture the cringy realism of being an angsty teenage girl exploring the limits of herself and the world around her. As Kat dives further into self-destructive relationships and behavior, her youthful naivety often prevents her from seeing the full scope of her situation as she normalizes her sexual assaults and drug use. But even these moments feel brutally honest in the way they're written, and as Kat is faced with the disillusionment of her popular punk fantasy, it seems like we leave her in a place where she's able to start becoming her own person instead of a stereotype poser.

ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

An absolute masterpiece! Reading this was like seeing a bright star on a dark and cloudy night. Definitely something everyone should read at least once.

Tea Hacic-Vlahovic is a fresh and vigorous voice inviting us to a lyrical world. I feel somewhat cooler now having read this book. It’s literary and accessible.