This was an amazing book and I really enjoyed it! I really enjoyed the way the book was written, especially in the moments when Blake was drunk and how that influenced her. It was an amazing read!

This book took my throat in its fist and never let go.

Welcome to the land of teenage alcoholism— where appearance is everything and money is king. Blake, a gay biracial teen, has always felt othered. The sparkle of class and the party is enough of an high to chase — she’ll chase it to oblivion, over and over again, even if it kills her.

The book centers around the pledging process of a secret society for collegiate black women. If you make it, doors open for you, and any alternative is unthinkable.

For me, the “How to” chapters are where the fist caught my throat. It's unnerving how well Jas Hammonds captures young alcoholism and it's surrounding wake. So many want to watch Blake burn— but the shine of the life she wants is so bright she won't give up the chase and we can't turn away even as she careens towards her bottom.

This book is a triumph— it's a 10/10. It's depiction of young addiction is something I hope everyone will read and share widely. Thank you Jas Hammonds for this layered beauty.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an arc to review.

Jas Hammonds has done it again. They have been an auto buy author since I read We Deserve Monuments, and Thirsty confirms I made a good choice. I was so invested in the characters and couldn’t wait to see how things would turn out. Jas clearly has a thing about writing stories that focus on belonging. They have this way of writing such layered and complex stories that still feels simple in its delivery. For me it’s an author superpower.

I’ll return with additional thoughts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced eARC.

How do you quiet the negative voices? The anxiety? The depression? So many people suffer from these things and many find ways to deal with them, some good and some bad, none good in extreme. Blake uses alcohol to help her be the girl she wants to be. And the girl she things everyone else wants her to be. When things get out of control as she tries to join a secret sorority Blake has to try to find herself, without alcohol, and with friends and lives new and old. This is a tough book to read. I think anyone with anxiety or depression will see themselves in Blake, in her coping mechanisms, even if alcohol isn’t their method of choice. This book is beautiful, painful and in many ways life changing.

The first chapter is a mishmash of thoughts of biracial, lesbian, party girl Blake, aka Big Bad Bee, and immediately, a band tightened around my chest. Jas Hammonds's story pulled at me like a magnet and didn’t let go until the end.

Drinking. It’s so normal. Partying and getting drunk and maybe getting reckless. Or careless. To let go. The peer pressure can be enormous. Because you can’t be funny when you don’t drink, right? But it’s not only the people around us who force us to drink. What if we only find the courage when we drink? What if we drink because we only then become a funnier and bolder person? Or what if we only drink because we think other people will like us more? That’s what this book is about.

I know about the pressure. I never liked alcohol but drank because other people expected me to. And I didn’t want to be the odd one out. After my second kid was born, I never started again. It just happened, and now I haven’t drunk for years. Sometimes I take a sip. And immediately know why I don’t like alcohol. I just don’t like the taste and the smell. And still, people frown when I tell them.

Thirsty is a harsh story. But also a hopeful one. Blake falls hard. She’s not a happy drunk. She drowns. She wants to belong. And almost destroys herself. But in the end, she also pushes herself up to the surface. And starts breathing again. For herself. No one else.

I believe Thirsty is an important book. For teens to know they can choose their own path. But also for adults. We all can feel that pressure to belong. If we just respected everyone’s choices and saw the beauty in our differences. If we just saw the beauty in ourselves …

This author is definitely on my auto-buy list! Their words, voice, and style are so engaging and compelling that I would buy a grocery list written by them. Thirsty is a great novel. Yes, it is about alcoholism and addiction but don't see that and think this is only an issue book or some finger-wagging warning to teens. This is a touching, powerful, and moving coming-of-age narrative that explores finding one's self in the college landscape and how peer pressure and desire to be accepted and lived can sometimes lead us down a toxic path. Jas Hammonds does this so well but what I like is that their novels also carry a thread of levity, and I always turn the last page feeling hopeful about the character's futures.

Humorous but also deals with a very important subject matter. Drinking culture in college can be very damaging and the author handled this heavy topic in a very relatable way. The author has such a unique a funny voice. I could read her work for ages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for an ARC of this book!

I was thrilled to read Jas Hammonds' sophomore novel! We Deserve Monuments blew me away and Thirsty did not disappoint.

Thirsty tells the story of Blake, a freshly graduated high school senior struggling with alcohol addiction. Blake is often surrounded by friends, including her girlfriend Ella. Some of them see her struggles and some turn a blind eye. Compounding Blake's drinking problem are pressures to fit in with friends in higher social classes, a determination to gain entrance to an elite secret society, and a strained relationship with her parents. This story is difficult to read at times because you have to watch the characters make poor choices, but it is such an important story for teenage readers. This book would pair well with Mindy McGinnis' Heroine in that they do not glamorize substance abuse in any way, but allow readers to view those struggling with empathy rather than judgment.

Thirsty is an important and compelling read and one I will be adding to my classroom library without question.

Jas Hammonds has done it again! Having been completely captivated by their storytelling in "We Deserve Monuments," I pledged to read everything they ever write. True to that promise, I picked up this ARC of "Thirsty" (thanks to Netgalley) and, let me tell you, it was a journey I didn't even know I needed.

This book dives into the tumultuous summer before college for Blake Brenner, her girlfriend, Ella and her best friend, Annetta. They're aiming to join the elite Serena Society, a sorority that's more than just a social club - it's a gateway to a network of influential and groundbreaking women of color. Ella seems destined for acceptance, but Blake, with her working-class background, has much more to prove.

Blake's character is a masterpiece of complexity. She's navigating this intense transition period, and it's not just about fitting in with the Serenas. It's about grappling with her identity, her past, and her future. She turns to alcohol for confidence, but as her drinking spirals, it begins to invade every aspect of her life.

What I love about this book is its raw portrayal of the struggle between ambition and self-destructive tendencies. Blake's journey is heart-wrenching yet so real. You feel for her, get frustrated with her mistakes, and ultimately, you're cheering for her. Jas has a gift for making characters feel like real people - flawed, struggling, but ultimately lovable.

"Thirsty" is not just another coming-of-age story. It adds a layer of complexity with the theme of alcohol abuse. Blake isn't just finding her place in the world; she's learning to do it without the crutch she's relied on for so long. By the end, you feel a sense of pride in Blake's growth and resilience.

"Thirsty" is a beautifully written, emotionally charged narrative that tackles some hard-hitting themes with grace and authenticity. Jas Hammonds continues to prove they are a force to be reckoned with in the literary world, and I can't wait to see what they come up with next. Highly recommend for anyone who loves a story that's as inspiring as it is entertaining.

Ugh. I love a story about growth. Not gonna lie, I was unsure in the beginning but I fell in love with Big Bad Bee.
This was a beautifully written and honest look at how addiction can take over every aspect of your life until not only the people around you don't recognize you but you yourself don't recognize you. I loved how we were able to experience friendship, identity and the desperate need to belong through the trio of friends. Through the book there is a discussion on the meaning of family, race relations, and the discovery of one's self. Bee's how to guides throughout the story were the perfect way for us to experience the weight of the emotions she was carrying and helped to transition us into a new season in her growth process. This was another solid read.

Jas will forever be an auto buy author for me. The way they put their heart on the page works for me every time.

Oh, how this book made me feel. Thirsty by Jas Hammonds is an incisive exploration of teen alcoholism and the social pressures of high society. Being a fish out of water can be a hellish experience -- one so hellish you turn to vodka just to cope. This book was wonderful in its explorations of queer identity and racism in upper crust PWI society, packing one hell of a punch amidst a really fun and quick novel.

Thank you for the digital ARC!!

I've been craving a sorority-bound contemporary for ages, since the whole premise of sorority life lends itself so well to scandal, mystery, and intrigue, and THIRSTY more than lives up to my hopes. Exploring the intersection of race and queerness in a sorority setting, this book both sheds light on and criticizes the nature of sororities, nepotism, and class. With compelling twists, drama, and an unflinching examination of addiction, THIRSTY is powerful and needed, and readers will empathize with its themes of love, fitting in, and inclusion.

I recieved an e-ARC from the publisher and devoured this book in less than 2 days! I was a big fan of Hammonds' YA debut and was excited to read Thirsty. Blake's journey made my heart hurt and soar as we experience her journey pledging to get into the Serena Society. I highly recommend!

Wow - what a moving read! From the first few pages, I was hooked and finished this in two sittings...it would have been one if I hadn't started it so late in the evening! In "Thirsty", Blake shares her summer before her freshman year of college spending time exploring her relationships and completing tasks in hopes of joining the highly regarded Serena Society; the more she learns and discovers, the more she turns to alcohol. This book covered so many important themes like love, feminism, identity, and addiction that readers of any age could learn from and appreciate. I also loved the inclusivity and diversity - it felt authentic and real, unlike a lot of novels I've read which seem to sprinkle in POC or LQBTQ+ characters to check off a box rather than to raise their voices. Blake's character arc was fantastic and led to one of the most satisfying endings I've read in a long time. Thank you so much for this ARC - it's one I'll be thinking about for a while!