This is the perfect book for lovers of Daisy Jones, but also for any former musician. It describes the angst of early to mid 20s SO well—wanting to find yourself, wanting to be successful, wanting to fall in love. The Nashville setting was also so well described—the good, the bad and the gritty.

Unfortunately, I did not finish this book, as it did not manage to grab my attention. I really like a lot of the music that was mentioned, and have a connection to Ann Arbor, so that was cool, but the story did not connect with me. It does seem like its gotten a lot of good press/good reviews from others, so it might have just been that the style was not for me!

I extend my gratitude to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel impeccably captures the essence of the music world. Music enthusiasts will appreciate the meticulously crafted playlists by Al, along with numerous references to songs and bands throughout the narrative. The fictional characters are portrayed with remarkable authenticity, particularly in their portrayal of the complexities of pursuing a career in the creative field.

The depiction of Al's existential crises in her twenties is strikingly accurate. Her choices often evoked a sense of secondhand embarrassment, yet they resonate deeply with anyone who has navigated the uncertain transition into adulthood. This novel is a poignant exploration of that formative period in life, characterized by both confusion and self-discovery.

In Lo Fi, Liz Riggs captures Nashville at the moment right before it became an "It City", navigated by messy-but-trying Al. The story is relatable and heartbreaking; Al's decisions may be (mostly) questionable, but you want her to find her way, find happiness.

This novel made me homesick, not just for Nashville, but for the city as it existed post-flood and pre-, well, everything that happened to make it what it is now.

4.5 stars.

What a stunning debut! It’s made it on every list as a must read new release and many of my favorite authors blurbed it. I desperately wanted to love it and am so glad I did!

At its core, this is literary fiction about being 24, a person in the world, and figuring out who you are. It’s about being an artist and what that even means. It’s about music and its power and draw. It’s about Nashville and stasis vs. change. It’s about mental health. It’s about everything and nothing and all the in betweens. It’s deeply atmospheric and just captures that *feeling* so profoundly.

Gosh, I loved this. The writing is absolutely STUNNING. I was blown away by sentences that evoked such strong associations and transported me. I don’t typically enjoy annotating but I wish I had annotated this one - I will on my reread. This definitely litty lit fic so don’t go in expecting a plot driven story (prepare yourself: there are no quotation marks, but it actually didn’t bother me and I quickly adjusted).

Ugh, I’m just so excited for everyone to read this. An added bonus layer is the music and the musical references. I will admit, I am both deeply uncool and deeply unknowledgeable in my music tastes (it’s really just Taylor Swift and the Six the Musical soundtrack on repeat), so I didn’t get most of the musical references, but it didn’t take away from my experience at all and will be an added bonus for those of you who are far cooler than I am.

Read this book!

The vibes are absolutely on point with this one. Music fans, this one is for you, with Al's playlists interspersed, with references to songs and bands throughout, and even the fictional characters feel very true to form, with the nebulousness of crafting a life in a creative field. It also hits the nail on the head way to accurately when it comes to Al's existential, twenty-something, floundering crises, and her choices made me cringe for her, while also remembering that adulthood but not knowing anything life stage well.

LO FI was a voicey coming-of-age novel set in the music scene of Nashville. Riggs is most successful in this novel with richly drawing the setting; less appealing, for me, were her many similes and metaphors, which often felt forced and became distracting. I think many readers will find the characters, setting, and coming-of-age themes to be very enjoyable!

Absolutely loved this book. Liz Rigg's describes the underground Nashville music scene with a raw, gritty affection that makes for a reading experience that sounds like buzzing neon lights, crackling amps, and drunk crowds.

This was a cute little read, for a debute author. I had fun reading it and finding out how messy the music industry can be, my only thing was no speechmarks and my brain got confused because of the dashes.