Rosewater follows Elsie, a young woman living in South London who is tired and struggling with existential dread. Despite writing poetry, she is constantly rejected from jobs and fears she will never make money doing what she loves. When she is suddenly evicted from her social housing, she turns to her childhood friend, Juliet, for help, and begins to discover something new in her heart. Liv Little adeptly explores various themes such as race, sexuality, familial estrangement, community, and the impact of art in a nuanced and powerful manner throughout the book.

As a fan of coming-of-age novels, I was thrilled to receive a copy of Rosewater. I found the main character Elsie's world, filled with self-doubt, alcohol, and passion for art, to be engrossing. While the novel started off a bit too slow for me, it quickly picked up the pace midway through. The only aspect that I found difficult to reconcile was Elsie's behavior, which at times seemed immature and selfish, despite her being in her late twenties. Nonetheless, I acknowledge that everyone grows and matures at their own pace, and this is merely a personal preference. Overall, Rosewater is a beautiful, captivating, and moving story about a queer woman's journey to discover herself while navigating a complex and challenging world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Projects for sharing an advanced digital copy with me in exchange for an honest review! “Rosewater” comes out April 25th, 2023!

Rosewater by Liv Little is beautiful and very relatable. Wonderful debut novel about a queer Black poet, Elsie, and her struggles as a 20-something. She struggles emotionally and financially but has found a way to pick up the pieces of her life. Thanks to her friends and love of poetry, she continues to move forward.

Rosewater by Liv Little is an engaging queer coming-of-age debut that glued me to its pages and kept me invested from beginning to end. Rosewater offers a complexity I found fascinating: complex characters and their flawed if believable decisions, engagement with very real issues of social justice, and an ode to poetry and community.

Elsie, a Black lesbian poet struggling to get back on her feet after a devastating eviction, ends up crashing with her longtime best friend Juliet. The two have a long and complicated history since Juliet previously confessed her romantic feelings towards Elsie and was rejected. Despite this, Juliet is there for Elsie to lean on as she undergoes setback after setback—some of which Elsie does herself as a form of self-sabotage. As Elsie finally gets some breathing room and starts to re-imagine the shape of her life, she also begins to re-imagine the nature of her relationship with Juliet.

I love stories with complex, messy queer characters, and Elsie and her social circle certainly fit the bill. Her struggles feel realistic, and the emotional narrative as she both struggles to find her footing and reconnects with her poetic art are compelling. The poetry spread throughout this novel was easily one of my favourite parts, as it was gorgeous and heartfelt and cut to the emotional quick. This novel blends both coming-of-age and romance elements and the transition between the two was mostly smooth.

The dramatic parts of this novel were sometimes over the top with how quickly events exploded and were subsequently resolved. This contributed to a noticeable inconsistency in pacing. Miscommunication also featured predominantly as a plot device which is never my favourite.

Still, the emotional journey Rosewater takes the reader on is to be commended; it gives us characters you want to root for and a gorgeous tapestry of intergenerational lesbian identity, cultural history, found family, and community. Rosewater was a strong debut and I will be looking forward to Liv Little’s future work. For those looking for a compelling queer literary fiction novel, Rosewater is certainly worth picking up.

Thank you to Get Lifted Books and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

Meet Elsie. She is 28, funny, and independent, and living alone in south London. Her life has not been easy and her life consists of writing poetry and working long hours for little pay in a bar. Her coworker, Bea, relieves some of her dread, but the one morning she wakes up with Bea next to her, the cops are also beating on the door.

She is being evicted. Now. With no options, she calls her friend, Juliet, who she hasn’t spoken to in a year. Seems to be some baggage there.

The poetry is lovely. What could have been a good story of love and healing, was just dull.

NetGalley/ April 25, 2023

This was a solid four-star read up until the very end. I was fully enjoying this well-crafted tale of Elsie, a 28-year-old poet who ends up living with her estranged best friend after being evicted. I love a good “mess of a woman figures out her life” story and I thought the love story here was integrated well into the genre.

Unfortunately, the realism of the relationship and the characters was abandoned in the twelfth hour for a generic “Hollywood” ending that asks us to ignore the great questions the rest of the book raised and just didn’t match the tone of everything that came before.

I am also a 28-year-old who is tired and trying to navigate adulthood. This was beautifully written and so tender. Add it to the list of sad girl books that help you feel less alone in your struggles.

I don't think I agree with the Such a Fun Age comp.

Rosewater, debut novel of Liv Little, is the story of a queer Black poet called Elsie, who is struggling financially and emotionally, especially after breaking things off with her best friend Juliet. Thanks to her love for poetry and the support of her friends, she tries to pick up the pieces of her life and find her path in the world.

I love coming-of-age novels, especially if the main character is not a child, so I was really excited when I received a copy of this book! I really enjoyed Rosewater: Elsie's precarious world, made of self-doubt, booze and love for art, feels as real as her character, who is immediately well described and easy to root for. The novel starts a bit slow, but quickly picks up the pace and introduces lots of new characters, revelations and situations that Elsie needs to face with strength and determination. I have to say, there is way more drama than I expected, especially in the second half of the book, which I didn't mind at all! There are also A TON of different topics included in this story, the most important and deeply explored being friendship, love, sexuality and identity. The ending, though a bit quick, is quite satisfying and a nice conclusion to the story. There is only one thing that I struggled with: the character of Elsie, who is 28/29 years ago, often behaves and speaks as if she was 19, immature and selfish. I didn't expect her to talk like a full adult, but sometimes her poor choices and irresponsibility made me forget she is not a teenager anymore. That being said, I'm fully aware that people grow at difference paces, this is just a personal preference.

Rosewater remains a beautiful, gripping and emotional story of a queer woman realizing her feelings for her best friends while looking for her place in a challenging world.

* I'd like to thank Liv Little, Zando Projects and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. * Rosewater is out on April 25th, 2023.

Thank you netgalley and Get Lifted books for an e-arc of this book.

I have to say, i like being surprised because I only read or requests for book just for it’s title. This one surprised me. It was enjoyable for me. When they claimed that it had a Queenie vibe, but a more improved and mature one, they weren’t lying.

The book explores themes like adulthood, queerness, sexuality, black love, mental health, etc. The book dragged a little bit in the middle and because the book is character-driven, the plot moves along slowly. Also, I felt the ending was too abrupt.

My favorite character would be Maggie, who kept pushing Elsie to go for it. We all need a friend like her. My fav quotes from Maggie:
"Go and enjoy yourself. Celebrate your win”, “

"Also, it might be good for you to tell people how you feel rather than keeping it in and assuming they should just know. Even if they don't respond how you want them to, at least you will have said it."

If you liked Queenie, you’ll definitely enjoy this one.

Elise is a delightful mess and at 28 shes just tired. She spends her days writing poetry and her nights working for minimum wage at a dive bar. When she is suddenly evicted, she turns to her childhood friend Juliet for help. Finally able to breathe for the first time in a long time, Elise begins to develop feelings, but will she be able to act on them before it’s too late?

This is one of those books that I think people are either going to love or hate. I thought it was a beautifully written queer love story. I loved how wonderfully flawed the characters were, and the journey that Elise to find her love. Sure, Elise was not the most likeable character, but the author had me rooting for her despite her flaws and I loved it. This book touched on a variety of topics, but it did a great job with ensuring they were portrayed in a realistic way.

I really enjoyed this one and I hope you pick it up on April 25th!

As a special treat this book also offers the poetry of Kai-Isaiah Jamal.

Great debut novel set in London about the life of a 20-something gay poet with Guyanese background. Gritty and real in its depiction of some of the difficult challenges of being gay. Raw with emotion - the good times and bad. Great read. Thank you to #netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to review.

Rosewater by Liv Little follows the life of a queer black poet, Elsie, who is struggling to survive. Amidst all the chaos, there is a rediscovery of love and healing.

Elsie wakes up after a night out to an eviction notice from her social housing. With her steady foundation threatened, Elsie turns to her childhood best friend, Juliet, for help. I loved how Liv tells the coming-of-age story of a late bloomer. There were instances where I was like, "Go get it, girl," and there were times when I wanted to knock some sense into her.

She explores themes such as generational trauma, queerness, mental health, sensuality, love, healing, and many more. I just really wished she didn’t rush the ending. It was a good read. I really did enjoy this story although it was at a slow pace. Elise is a mature and better version of Queenie. This book gives off Queenie and Luster vibes but well written. If you enjoyed both books you will definitely enjoy this one.

A gritty, in your face account of a queer girl in a desolate future. Struggles with poverty and eviction.
I was not able to finish the book. It was too much of a downer for me.
Book was very well written. Just not my cup of tea.

I really loved this look at Elsie, a queer Black woman in London trying to find her way in life with no support from her biological family. I say biological, because her found family, mostly her best friend since childhood, Juliet, offer so much love and support to Elsie. This felt like such an honest look at what people sacrifice and experience in the pursuit of art and their dreams, especially when they don't come from money and don't have a fallback option. The portrayal of the Black poetry scene and Black queer scene in London felt so real and sadly relevant as gentrification continues to wipe out small safe spaces for queer people of color in a lot of major cities.

Above all, this is a warm hug of a book. It's about Elsie coming into her own, realizing she is capable of love, and hoping that her dreams finally start to come to fruition. I couldn't put it down, and I highly recommend.

This might be the best book I’ve ever read. I loved it. I loved the characters, their spirit, their trials. I wanted to dive in and be a part of their group. I wanted to support them and lift them up. I never wanted it to end.

This is an engaging read and you really become immersed in Elsie's love life, family, friendships, and financial struggle of trying it make it on your own career and life-wise. For Elsie, that's to become a poet and just call a place her own AND this is what makes this books so highly relatable. I would easily love to be friends with her. I enjoyed how Little surprised me with the love component in this.

I did question the trajectory of the plot and where we were going. It did seem to drag and feel a bit overwritten in certain areas. But also, what kind of disappointed me the most was not really being able to see Elsie's dreams play out fully as a poet.

I received this book as an arc from Netgalley.

This book follows Elsie being evicted from her apartment. She moves in with her best friend and the book continues from there. This book is a clear example of finding love where it has always been. It explores family and the relationships Elise has. Also, Elsie deals with self-sabotage and how it can develop within herself. This book just shows how life can be messy and how people constantly have to adapt to their circumstances. It was just interesting to see where this book would go. I think I would check out the audiobook because there are Elsie's poems and I want to hear how they would be performed. I really appreciated the Guyanese dialect and the descriptions of food were just amazing. I feel like my review does not fully capture my feelings about the book but I would recommend this to a specific group of people.

Rosewater
 
An abrupt pounding brings Elsie to full consciousness after a night of heavy beats, sweaty limbs, and copious drinks. She’s cushioned between her mattress and Friends-With-Benefits coworker Bea, when a couple of bailiffs announce themselves with thudding fists, jabs of her doorbell, and a final eviction notice. Elsie does what’s familiar to her and less panic inducing: she freezes.
 
Elsie had been living her life in limbo for many years now. When given the option to shape up, produce stellar grades, and raise her parent’s late in life twin sons OR find somewhere else to sleep? Elsie kicks in Door Number 2 and leaves Bristol to take a crack at London. She’s 28 and failing to make ends meet with her under the table bartending job. And she’s disconnected from everyone in her life. Even her beloved Nan. Circumstances force her to reach out to her childhood pal Juliet. Despite not having spoken to each other in three months, Juliet swoops in and the pair manages to fumble around erstwhile confessions of affections while living together. But not for too long.
 
Let me tell you, I love a coming-of-age story. Especially one in the later years where your eyes drift across the page and you humph at the character and think “She’s too damn old for this.” I loved Elsie, I wanted to simultaneously shake her and hug her while she careened through the e-ink of my kindle. Liv Little set the tone of this incredible story through the records of Neo-Soul Elsie spun on her record player, and the nag champa Juliet lit in her plant and herbed living space. The clothes! The Black hair! The Family generational trauma! Black Queerness! The Childhood Crush! Black Women’s Mental Health! I inhaled this. And I can’t wait to read what else Little has in store for us

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

It’s hard to finish a book that you were excited for, and realize it isn’t quite the experience that you wanted. What worked for me is that this is queer friendly, with a POC main character. It’s also told from a period of time in your twenties that I don’t think is explored very often. But there was something missing from the story that kept me from connecting to it. Largely I felt that the pacing was rushed and the story itself tried a little too hard. I do also think this should be marketed more as a romance novel. I greatly appreciate the opportunity and hope the next book I read from this impressive imprint is a different experience.

I absolutely adored Rosewater! There’s certainly more than meets the eye with Liv Little’s debut novel and there are some unexpected turns that will have you experiencing all the emotions.

Rosewater is a gorgeously written queer love story. Throughout Rosewater, protagonist Elsie learns to confront her feelings, rather than running away from them, and allows herself to be vulnerable. Although Elsie begins the novel thinking her life is a mess than is beyond repair, she slowly picks herself up again and starts to heal. Little sensitively, and powerfully, explores many topics throughout the book, including race, sexuality, strained relationships with family, the importance of community and the power of art.

Utterly captivating and incredibly emotional, Liv Little’s debut novel is an absolute must read!

thank u netgalley! and thank u fando for sending me a physical copy!!! will be posting reviews to my socials soon.

i've seen some conflicting thoughts from other readers but i personally loved this one. elsie was v complex and at times unlikeable but i still couldn't stop myself from liking her and rooting for her. i def have felt like i've been slipping and unable to pick myself back up before so it was so easy to empathize with her struggle and how perpetual that can feel at times. the book was definitely pretty slow-paced (took me a dang minute to finish) and not a lot really HAPPENS for the majority of the book (mostly just elsies struggles/sexcapades/etc), but i still really enjoyed the ride. i love that elsie is queer, love that shes a poet, love that shes cynical and angry and sensitive. i wanna hug her!!! and i wanna hug juliet too tbqh.

overall i'd give this one 3.5 stars but i'll round up to 4 cus ima sucker <3