This was such an amazing story about young love and peer pressure. The narrator did a phenomenal job telling the story and encapsulating the fear and doubt in Blake's story. I enjoyed the characters, even though some of them I wanted to smack. I felt so much for Blake and her struggles in the story and I think this book does a great job of warning the reader about the dangers of excessive drinking. It also deals a lot with identity and with peer pressure which is a great moral to teach, especially for my high school students who may be feeling the same pressure to be perfect and to "fit in".

Thirsty is a harsh, emotional, extremely realistic and eye opening book about alcohol addiction, toxic relationships, belonging and finding yourself. I think this would be beneficial to be read by teenagers and would possibly be extremely eye opening.

This is definitely a harder book to read with all the issues that arise, the conflicts, the emotions but Hammonds dealt with them with care and grace. It was extremely heartbreaking to see Blake spiral downwards as you can't help but get super attached to her. I loved the amount of growth that she does in this book and the hope that this book gives in the end.

The plot was well fleshed out, we got to see all the aspects of Blake's life, the good and the bad. The reasoning behind the drinking. This was a beautiful, poignant coming of age story that truly deserves to be read.

🎧 The narration by Alaska Jackson was great. I felt she had the perfect tone and emotions at the right places to make you truly feel for Blake. She truly played her character really well.

✨️ Thank you to @macmillanaudio & @jashammonds for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thirsty is a fantastic addition to all YA collections. This novel touches upon important topics such as addiction, hazing, race, identity and economic inequality. Readers will devour this novel. A first purchase for all YA collections.

This was so real it was painful. I love the parts where B is experiencing all her teenage angst. I was so sad when she hid from her mom and I understood that this is something young people do. I love her journey.
I am also glad I never tried to join a sorority.
The narration was wonderful!

Sometimes I get so scared to read about younger adults or teens and addiction.
Always afraid it will be slightly glamorized. Meaning the vice and grip and destruction of the person gets a bit overlooked but the party and alter person when under the influence gets too too humanized. So I was initially scared to read this.
I was so wonderfully proven wrong in my fears.
The alcoholism was so real world. Portrayed specifically that when the self loathing came about, so did the alcohol. In which the main character did admit that there were times even the alcohol would not help her mindset, only enhanced it. Yet, yes there was always this thirst for it. (in a way)

I truly enjoy all the other aspects of this book. The main character navigating being biracial, being black in a predominately white town. Running from what? Herself? Her loneliness.
All of that and more.
Beautiful book.

Thank You Net Galley, Jas Hammonds, and Macmiillan Audio for advanced copy of Thirsty. Releases May 14, 2024. Thirsty gives off Euphoria vibes College edition, narrated by Alaska Jackson who did a wonderful job with all the voices. This was a very easy read and enjoyable listen as the book is so well written. There are many trigger warnings which are listed by the author. I cannot relate personally so I was ok reading past the trigger warnings. The cover of the book is beautiful and is a perfect scene representing the book.
The book is about Blake, her relationship with Ella. How both of their parents react to the news of their relationship status. The story covers Bi-racial family and how that affects the kids and the parents and their way of thinking. Blake finds herself spiraling with trying to keep up with becoming a Serena society with her girlfriend. Blake deals with her life problems with drinking too much and how this is affecting everyone around her.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it took a real look at over drinking and how it can be hard to get a handle on it, especially when those around you do not take it seriously or do not have your best interest at heart. I really enjoyed the audiobook and would definitely recommend it

This was my first book by Jas Hammonds but won't be my last! I loved the inner monologue of the main character and how poetic her thoughts were at times. I feel like this book is extremely relatable and most people would be able to resonate with some part of this book whether it be struggles with substance abuse, feeling like you aren't enough, or just dealing with the pressures put on us by our peers or society in general. I loved Annetta so much, she was such an amazing character and friend to Blake. I loved their journey and that she stuck by Blake through all the hard times and helped her come out on the other side. I'm glad that the book ended on a hopeful note that things can get better. I feel like this book really highlighted that the people we surround ourselves with have a huge impact on our lives.

Man, Thirsty was an excellent and, at times, uncomfortable read. The story follows Blake Brenner during the summer between her senior year of high school and first year of college. Her, her girlfriend Ella, and best friend Annetta are all spending the summer trying to get chosen to be part of the Serena Society, an exclusive society for women of color at their college. But all the parties are starting to show just how out of control Blake’s drinking has gotten.

Blake felt like such a fully formed character. It’s so easy to understand why she feels a bit out of step with her friends and their social circle. She isn’t wealthy like Ella, Annetta, and most of the society girls. She’s biracial and her white mom has never tried to understand Blake’s experiences with race. She’s a lesbian, but her parents didn’t seem super happy or supportive when she came out. So she drinks… a lot. To make herself feel like she fits in more, to make herself Big Bad Bee, the life of the party. But she can’t seem to ever drink in moderation, she blacks out, spirals into negative thinking about herself, and most people don’t notice or don’t care.

This book really tugged at my heartstrings. It’s so hard to watch Blake continue to make bad decisions around alcohol. But I could always see and understand her thought process. It’s frustrating, but also still understandable why some of the people in her circle don’t think she has a problem since “everyone drinks” or “everyone gets wild at parties” and thoughts like that. I think that’s why it can be so difficult for some people to realize they have a problem when binge drinking is so normalized for high school and college students.

It’s really gratifying to see where Blake ends up at the close of the book with the different conversations she starts having with her friends, girlfriend, and family members. This book isn’t always an easy read, but I definitely encourage people to check it out for a unique coming of age story. It never felt like an “issue book” that was only concerned with tackling Blake’s problem with alcohol, it was an extremely well rounded story that touched on all different aspects of her life.

Thank you to MacMillian Audio and NetGalley for an early audiobook copy!

Jas Hammonds debut was one of my favorite books of 2022 and I was so excited to get to this one. While this is inherently a very different story from "We Deserve Monuments," Jas Hammonds' same writing style and emotions really shined in this YA take on alcoholism. This book follows Blake, her girlfriend, and best friend as they try to gain entry into a secret society before their freshman year of college. Throughout this book, Blake comes to terms with her unstable relationship with alcoholism. The depiction is handled so well, and Alaska Jackson's narration was superb.

This book tore me apart. The narration kept me hooked - adding flavor and life to the characters.
Hammonds puts uncomfortable topics front and center -
Family connections. Lack of communication. Sexuality. Addiction. Alcohol consumption as normal behavior. Self hate. Toxic relationships.
Desperate to be a part of her affluent girlfriend's life, Blake forces her into acceptable shapes. Their relationship, started at 14, may have started as healthy, after 4 years became toxic, feeding into Ella's need to dominate. Blake does anything for Ella.
A crucial read for our youth - queer, POC, lack of wealth.

Wow! I didn’t come into this book thinking i would love it but I did! Blake Brenner does it all in this book at the glimpses into her path are relatable and incredibly well written.

The beginning we see on top of the world, wild Blake and we watch as her summer before college unfolds with her girlfriend, her family and her wild partying. I honestly have to say that I *considered* rating this book 4.5-4.75 because the realness of her drinking, her self loathing and the folks around her was so really it gave me real feelings of anxiety. However, that’s the sign of a well written book, so I’m sticking with a full ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Advance listener copy provided by Macmillan Audio and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

This was 4 stars for me!

I note, I listened to the audiobook.

This book hit a lot of dark topics including alcohol abuse. I think reading a book with so much depth and meaning does good for a reader, as it takes one out of their comfort zone. It's more educational and paints a bigger picture to the outside world and the hardships others suffer.

This Novel was beautifully written and I found myself relating to the Characters as their hardships took turns throughout. I also really valued the lessons taught with meaning and understanding and keeping it realistic to the age. I think we all sometimes find ourselves reliant on one form of comfort when we get through hard times in life. I think this book was a breath of fresh air and the realistic nature of the events was well thought out and executed.

I really enjoyed this book with all its heartache and emotions.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

This was such a good story. I was first intrigued by the title and the cover. I knew it might be a coming-of-age type of story so I was wondering why it was called thirsty until I read the synopsis. I really related to Blake because I also drink when I get nervous (not the the extent that Blake does though) and her self-deprecating thoughts were very relatable. I could understand her anxiety and self-hate so I really felt for her when she was having such a hard time and pushing herself to great lengths to try to get into the Serena Society.

My favorite character was probably Annetta though because they were so caring, kind, and loyal. I loved that they were trying to hard to help Blake and kept trying despite how many times Blake pushed them away. I was glad the two of them were able to make up in the end and stay friends.

I was a little surprised that the story kept going after Blake and Ella had their break-up conversation but the chapters afterwards were really important to the plot and Blake's recovery overall. I really enjoyed how the story ends on a very hopeful note.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Jas Hammond, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley.

Alaska Jackson is the narrator of this young adult novel. This is the first novel I've heard narrated by Alaska but it won't be the last. Her ability to use slight changes in inflection and tone when speaking with the voices of the adults or other young characters helped immensely to keep who was saying what separate. This is key to a successful audiobook experience.

This is the first novel I've read by Jas Hammond but it won't be my last. This was incredible. This is primarily a young adult coming of age story with a biracial main character, Blake. Blake is working at the local country club in her small town the summer after high school with her girlfriend, Ella, who is from the wealthier side of town. Both girls are looking to join the exclusive Serena Society their freshman year at university. The Serenity Society is a secret club for WOC only at Jameswell university. It boasts an impressive lineage of powerful alumni members and exists to help WOC rise in a deeply white supremacist society.
This novel explores class, race, substance abuse, toxic relationships and biracial identity struggles.
I liked that this featured white birth mothers who struggled with racism/antiblackness. This isn't reflected enough in media but is an extremely common experience for multi-ethnic kids with white parents.
What this novel had to say about the use and abuse of substances by young adults is important and necessary. I would say this is appropriate for middle and high school age youngsters. Nothing too graphic but most of these topics need to be discussed as early as possible.

Thank you to Jas Hammond, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to Netgally, the publisher and the author for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

WOW. Where do I start??? Jas Hammonds does it again, this book covers so many themes. This is a story of self discovery, queer identity, addiction and its complications. I wanted to hug Blake, when wanting to be seen so bad causes you to do anything to fit in and try to stay afloat. Much like We Deserve Monuments, its beautifully written. Can't wait to see more from this author.

The book was so much more than I expected any white woman who is actively on her journey to anti racism. This is a fantastic starter book. The book alerts on a lot of racism, but it's an uncomfortable book from a mother's perspective. It is totally worth it.
It's a fantastic book with fantastically uncomfortable topics.

As a white woman, I feel like I'm Ill-equipped to review this. But, I know that other white women need to read it.

♡𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
4.5 🌟
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 :
•self-hatred
•suicidal ideation
•racial microaggressions
•transphobic
•alcoholic
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•queer romance
•ya fiction
•secret society
•dual timeline (past and present)
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From the start of this book, i knew it was going to be a little heavy (alcoholism). Just from the first chapter, I could tell Blake (Bee) had an alcohol problem | addiction personality! I liked how Blake character developed throughout this story was done very well. Blake character was very relatable because i mean who haven't had a drunk black out night and just wanted to forget their problems? We normally get troubled characters, and they never get help, but this author did a great job! Nattie is a true friend. I mean, ride or die, down to help a friend no matter how that friend could push them away. I loved her character from the jump. Nattie was also a relatable character because you will alway have that strong friend in your corner that will tell you, you have a problem and try to solve the problem with you. Ella wasn't a good girlfriend or friend at all. She is a true definition of a self-centered individual with narcissistic tendencies. Her character unfortunately is also relatable because you will have some people in your life that will try to peer pressure you into doing stuff you shouldn't be doing and they know it. I never liked her character... just read it when It comes out. So you can judge this book yourself, because this book I have to say might just be my favorite for the entire year of 2024!
The narrator did a phenomenal job bringing this story to life.
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♡𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 May. 14♡
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Thank you, Netgalley, and Macmillan Audio for the (ALC)-Audiobook for my honest review.

Holy moly did I read this book fast a lighting. I loved this book so much I read it in a day. It was just so good to listen to and the narrator was great.

I really enjoyed We Deserve Monuments. So, when I saw Jas Hammonds was coming out with a new book, I knew I needed to read it! Similar to We Deserve Monuments, this is a deep and engaging, coming of age story. This book deals with difficult topics including alcohol abuse, racism, and cheating.

I really felt for Blake. I found her to be an easy character to like and empathize with. I think many people will be able to connect with her relationship with alcohol and the pressure to drink. Allison of the side characters in this book were so well written. There is a lot of depth to their relationships.

I thought the narration was great and really brought the story to life for me. The narrator did a fantastic job setting the tone.

I highly recommend reading this book if you enjoy coming of age stories that deal with difficult topics. We Deserve Monuments is a must read in my opinion too! I’m looking forward to reading more from Jas Hammonds in the future!