This book has a lovely, fun premise: it’s a sapphic love story + faerie heist plot, with the Art Nouveau trappings of fin-de-siecle Paris. I was pleased by the Art Nouveau aspects, particularly the art poster black market idea (which allows Pacton to show her great familiarity with actual works by Steinlen, Mucha, Toulouse-Lectrec, and others).

Unfortunately, I’m not sure the overall book was quite my thing. The various thefts were fun, but while some of them were quite clever others were rather facile (and seemed to rely on quietly sneaking past people who were momentarily distracted). The ease of stealing was oddly juxtaposed with characters insisting that failure was a real possibility with dangerous consequences, but I never felt a sense of peril.

I’d be interested in trying other things from this author, but this one didn’t quite land for me.

it's cute. but that's it, really. sapphic friends to lovers and cat moms, sybilesme did not disappoint me <3 but everything else was just there, this story wouldn't stay with me forever, unfortunately. others might love it more than i did, so don't let my rating stop you and please do give sybilesme a chance.

my biggest thank you to jamie pacton and the team for providing an arc!

It was okay, I kind of lost interest at some parts and not much was happening. However, the setting and some characters were good.

Super beautiful and great for fans of The Cruel Prince. Story was engaging and fresh. I would read this author again, as I never have before.

3 stars DNF at 43%

The book was great I liked the premise of it, friends to lovers, sapphic romance, the time setting but I found it quite long, it took forever for the two characters to get into the fae land and that is where I lost my interest within the book.

The writing was good and so was the plot premise just not my thing.

Although I had some issues, I found The Absinthe Underground to be compelling! It was an entertaining adventure set in a 1920's French-like word. The France-a-like captured the feeling of the world of the 1920's-- the glitter and wealth paired with the poverty. However, I could have done with more worldbuilding with the Fae world. It had no real distinct feeling to it.
Although I liked both main characters, they never really felt like they had a genuine influence on the plot. Their actions rarely developed the plot. Also, I thought Sybil was not a great friend at the beginning.
However, I found the relationship between Sybil and Esme to be quite sweet. Their affection for one another was apparent and well-written. Also, I was quite interested in the plot and what would happen next, which made for a quick read. I'm certainly not disappointed I read it .

3.5/5

I lost interest by the second half , but this was still a nice read. The Absinthe Underground has some great prose, I really enjoyed the atmospheric settings the author created, as well as the world building and the romantic relationships.

Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink for accepting my request for an ARC of this book!
5/5
Home— especially with Sybil there— was Esme’s favorite place
Right off the bat, Esme is a mood. Who doesn’t want to have many cats and read? She was my favorite character from the beginning. The overall vibes of their world was so cozy. The best time to read this book is on a dreary day in a fuzzy chair with a cup of tea. The vibes in this book were truely immaculate. I had enjoyed Fae and the worldbuilding. Even though I felt like the reader wasn’t in Fae for long, there were little details that made up the world there that made it come off the page. I loved all the history and background Pacton did for this book. It was really interesting learning about how she took inspiration from different things.

Thank you Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Absinthe Underground has been on my radar for months. From the beautiful cover to the book’s synopsis, I knew this book would be perfect for me. As a fan of romantic fantasies, I was so happy to read this book because sapphic romances are often forgotten in the genre. I always love queer friends to lovers, and Jamie Pacton does well in developing the relationship between our main characters. Fans of atmospheric fantasies and fairytales will absolutely be delighted by this beautiful tale.

THE ABSINTHE UNDERGROUND is a cute sapphic heist story with Faes and a city drawing from Paris Belle Époque. Quick and easy to read, it’s the kind of book that offers comfort thanks to its simple plot and sweet romance.

The premises are SO interesting and original: poster thieves trying to get the most beautiful and rare posters to sell them to a rich collector? A mysterious cabaret owned by an elusive woman? Friends pining after one another? All the ideas were absolutely brilliant.

I was swept away by the first third of the book. The atmosphere is magical and intriguing, the poster thieving bit is very original and there’s a cosiness that feels like a hug, despite the stakes. Esme and Sybil are deliciously complementary and the LONGING was just too good.

Then the plot thickens and the vibes are kind of pushed to the side, which I’m a little bit sad about. Everything felt a bit too simple for me, I’d have liked it more if the story either leaned more into the vibes or the plot, but not this mix of both that felt underwhelming at times. It lacked depth from many aspects of the book to really call it a favourite. Still, I had a good time reading. I was very curious to know how it would all progress and the romance kept me hungry for more.

Overall, it’s a strong book with even stronger ideas that could benefit from more depths. But the atmosphere was very well done and the SAPPHIC PINING?? Through the roof, really.


Thank you NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced digital copy. It was fun to read. I liked the beginning but the second half was hard to finish because I've kinda lost interest.

For review from Netgalley. Thank you!

The Absinthe Underground is a beautifully written heisty vibes novel. Atmospheric settings and queer fae characters with sapphic pining. Esme and Sybil have a lovely friends to lovers and such a healthy dynamic. I found this to be fun and cosy read which kept me entertained and engaged. Would love to see more from this world!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. There were so many things I enjoyed about this book. The atmosphere, setting, fairy world, and lore instantly transported me to a world I didn't want to leave. The sweet and supportive sapphic romance, the cats, the green fairy, and the neurodivergent main characters all created a cozy fun escape of a book that I would highly recommend. I found that the pacing was a little tough for me at times because it went from sipping tea with three cats on their lap to nearly dying in a bottomless chasm in a few pages. I also found the choices and actions of the girls often didn't make sense to me, even with undeveloped prefrontal cortices. However, the whimsical tone, and the fact this book avoided falling into the trap of being too cozy with not enough conflict made it enjoyable and very readable. I would have made this book my whole personality as a teenager, and look forward to sharing this one with my neurodivergent, fantasy-loving kids when they're old enough too.

The title and that Mucha-esque cover drew me into this book, so the fact that it's ALSO sapphic?! Sign me up. This book delivers the rich world promised by the former, set in a more magical version of Belle Epoque Paris without shying away from the realities of living in poverty.

My only complaint is that I wanted MORE - I wanted to linger in each beautifully painted setting, I wanted to dwell in the unfulfilled desire, I wanted to really feel the nail-biting seriousness of the stakes. In short, I think I would have preferred this book not be YA; the setting and characters just deserved (and could have carried, in my opinion) twice as many words to let us really fall into this marvelous world.

My thanks to Holiday House/Peachtree/Pixel+Ink and NetGalley for the ARC.

★ ★ ★ • 3

The Absinthe Underground is a cozy dual POV, urban fantasy story about two girls who steal to get-by in a rough city. The book has a bit of a slow start, but it’s perfect for anyone that loves sapphic friends-to-lovers and fae.

Medium length relaxing read with a heist plot, but I personally found the ending a little underwhelming. Although, the book has these two sweet main characters so I didn’t mind that so much.

Thanks so much to the publisher and the author for providing an ARC for me to review!

If I could give this book seven stars I would. The beautiful inspiration behind it combined with the fantastical magical elements and queer longing is the most incredible thing I’ve read this year. I mean the author’s note literally made me cry because of how perfect it all fit together. 1890s Paris avant-garde inspiration is just chef’s mf kiss thank you JP

3.5 stars for the Absinthe Underground! No spoilers ahead.

I was lucky enough to get this darling from NetGalley. I was in a reading rut and it was the perfect thing to pull me out of it.

Absinthe Underground was fun, just like the drink. Esme and Sybil will remind every queer woman of themselves in some small way or another: the questioning if your feelings are reciprocated, to stay friends or something more, or how long you're willing to go before admitting who you really are. I liked their dynamic (and their plethora of cats), and you'll root for them from page one.

Absinthe Underground doesn't take itself too seriously. If you like the aesthetic of the 20s, homages to Mucha and his fellow artists, and historical urban fantasy, then this is the one for you. It's full of Fae whimsy and fun banter.

My criticisms are simple. I wish the plot slowed down a bit, as 2/3rds in I was feeling slightly rushed as a reader. The world in which we follow Sybil and Esme is relatively historically founded, but I wish the language reflected that a bit more (my personal taste is I don't enjoy modern language in historically influenced fantasy, so take that for what you will). I also wanted to feel more grounded in "place," with more description and exploration of Severon before we dive into the world of Fae.

If you're in the mood for a lighthearted, queer fantasy with low-ish stakes, I think you'll really love Absinthe Underground. It stands out uniquely in the realm of modern fantasy while adding some great new twists. Looking forward to reading more from Jamie Pacton!

I really like the concept of the book, as well as the cover. I found this an enjoyable read that would resonant best with ya crowd.

The Absinthe Underground is a cozy romantasy that's just as intoxicating to read as is consuming it's namesake. From the beginning you dive into a lush, atmospheric world woven together with hidden bits of magic and whimsy. Add in the sapphic pining, heist plotline, and dazzling fae realm.. what more could you ask for?

I got sucked into the story from the moment I picked this book up and flew through it in just two sittings. While I greatly enjoyed this book I did have a few issues with it - one being that it seemed almost too fast-paced. The fact that this story takes place over just a handful of days did not help this at all. I also wish we had gotten to know the two main characters (and their friendship) better and seen more of them pining for one another. I feel like this again could be tied into how fast-paced the story was. Overall though I had a great time reading this and hope Pacton writes more stories in this realm so we can see it further developed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute and cozy read that delivers what it promises; however, I don't think the story and characters will stay with me for a long time.