Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley is a stunning literary love story woven with the power of music. The chemistry between Percy and Joe crackles, their connection deepened by the songs that shape their relationship. Brickley captures longing, heartbreak, and desire with beautiful nuance, making every musical reference feel alive. The novel pulses like a great mixtape—raw, nostalgic, and deeply atmospheric. I loved this one and all the nostalgia!

I really don't get the comparison of this book to Daisy Jones and the Six. Why, because it has music? It was not at all like it. I am not saying I didn't enjoy it because I did but sometimes the book comparisons really miss the mark.

Percy is attending Berkeley (my daughter's alma mater) when she meets Joe, an aspiring musician. You think if any two people belonged together, it's these two, but alas, there are a lot of speed bumps along the way. First of all, he has a girlfriend, Zoe, who Percy really likes. Joe and Zoe (Joey and Zoe love Bowie) have their own secrets. Percy and Joe start writing songs together. If there is one thing Percy knows, it's music, even if she is rather a downer on a lot of her ideas. They are really cute writing together and I found those moments to be some of the best in the book.

This isn't Daisy Jones, it's Deep Cuts and it stands on its own merits.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for a copy for review.

When I started reading this book, I thought I had started a different book. I quickly realized that this was not what I thought it was, but I was hooked. It kind of reminded me of Girls, in the way that Percy was a little insufferable and had privilege that she didn't seem to understand. I liked her and Joe's dynamic, even if I didn't understand it at times. What I enjoyed the most was her female friendships. Her and Nomi, her and Zoe, those were the relationships where the dialogue was fun and funny to read. I would've kept reading even if there was no Joe in the story. Thank you NetGalley and Crown for this ARC!

Deep Cuts is a highly enjoyable book about two people who keep circulating through each other's lives, set to the background of the indie music you listened to in the 00s. I really enjoyed the music focus of this book, especially as it included people involved in multiple ways in the music scene, and lots of fun and nostalgic references to music of the time period. More than that, though, I thought the story about the relationship between the two characters was true to life and intriguing.

I loved being in the company of Eileen Percy Marks as she navigated her life from Berkeley college sophomore to Columbia MFA to “intelligence specialist” (paid to identify “trendsetters” who can help market products) to music writer; from inexperienced to experienced in relationships and love.

I loved her mom, such a great mom, who understands her daughter so well and provides such good advice and does not really mind when Percy, still living at home, decides to drop her first name—chosen by her mom--and go by Percy, the woman who writes this book.

Percy is so honest, so smart, so clear in telling us why she thinks songs--not music but songs—particular combinations of lyrics, chords, and melody, from the past half century of pop rock—matter. (I confess I had not heard of, much less heard, most songs she writes about. My awareness of pop rock songs pretty much ended around the time Percy, a millennial, was born. But she made me want to track down these songs and listen to them with her words also in mind.)

Percy lets us see how her—and my, and maybe your—life has been and is shaped by songs. And I love that about this book.

But there is so much more to love about this book.

I loved Percy’s stalwart friends: Zoe Gutierrez, who Percy meets in college and stays in Percy’s life to bring reason and calm; and Percy’s MFA friends, Nomi--whose maturity and kindness keep Percy on course to get that degree--and Raj, who tries unsuccessfully to teach Percy to tune into her senses—pure experience—rather than remain in her preferred and comfortable focus on how the world seems.

And then there is Joe Morrow. A book could be written about Joe, the gifted singer-songwriter whose rise to fame is helped a lot by Zoe, and even more by Percy as his sometime collaborator. I love the fact that Percy, not Joe, is the main character in this book. I love that we see the world of this book through Percy’s eyes rather than Joe’s. She is so much more open, more insightful—and writes better lyrics! —than Joe.

Percy has many great conversations about music and writing with Zoe, Nomi, Joe and other less prominent but memorable characters in the book. For me, the book acquires a songlike quality from the rhythms and modulations of these conversations, and from Percy’s reflections on her experiences as, and after, they happen.

At one point in the book, Percy wonders if her writing eventually will be seen as profound and universal or problematic and contemporary. I think this is the fundamental concern of almost any storyteller. As Percy tells you what it was like, specifically in the early 2000s, to pursue deep cuts—rarities in music or special relationships that go deep and last—I think her story—brilliantly told, with no wasted words—transforms from the story of a particular woman in a particular time to a universal story about learning who you really are and what you need in order to live a meaningful life of your own.

Obviously, I have been speaking of Percy as if she were a real person, not a character vividly imagined in this first novel by the author, Holly Brickley. But this is my way of conveying how terrific this debut novel is. I think it is a novel that should be read by all millennials—and all parents of millennials, like myself--who read novels. And I look forward to reading Holly Brickley’s next book.

Thank you Crown | Penguin Books for providing an advance copy in galley form for review consideration via NetGalley. Please note: Quotes taken from a galley may change in the final version.
All opinions are my own.

Deep Cuts is an electrifying exploration of music, ambition, and self-discovery, set against the backdrop of early 2000s indie culture. The novel masterfully captures the raw energy of creative partnership through Percy and Joe’s evolving relationship—one fueled by passion, friction, and the unrelenting desire to be heard. With sharp, immersive prose and deeply authentic characters, the story moves effortlessly between late-night campus bars and pulsating city clubs, making every moment feel alive with the weight of artistic struggle and personal reinvention.

What makes Deep Cuts truly shine is its ability to balance wit and heart, offering an intimate look at the joys and agonies of chasing artistic dreams. Percy’s journey is both compelling and relatable as she grapples with her own voice in the shadow of collaboration. The novel doesn’t just explore music—it hums with it, evoking the pulse of creativity and the bittersweet price of success. Smart, engaging, and emotionally resonant, this is a must-read for anyone who has ever fallen in love with a song—or the person who wrote it.

I loved this book SO much.

I couldn’t put this book down—it was so nostalgic and instantly transported me back to that time.

The story takes place in the early 2000s and heavily focuses on the indie music scene. Percy, obsessed with music, meets Joe, and together they begin collaborating and writing songs. Over the next eight years, their lives intertwine as they drift in and out of each other’s worlds.

Music has always been an integral part of my life, especially during high school and college. I was going to shows multiple times a week, surrounded by a music community, constantly dissecting lyrics and discovering new sounds. I related to Percy in so many ways. The story beautifully captures the angst and vulnerability of being young.

There’s so much to love about this book. It’s a wonderful coming-of-age story and a love story with real depth. We get glimpses of MySpace, the Obama election (bring me back to that time, please!!!), and the cultural moments that shaped an era.

I loved the song titles as chapter headings, the deep dive into different songs, and the rich conversations around music. This book is for all the music nerds out there. I can’t recommend it enough!!!

Thank you NetGalley, & Crown Publishing for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVED this book! The relationship between Joe and Percy is magnetic, and their chemistry leapt off the page from their very first encounter through all of the ups and downs of their 20s.

I was really impressed by the pacing; Brickley manages to capture each character with complete vulnerability and rawness. Deep Cuts is so immersive. I would recommend for fans of Coco Mellors and Daisy Jones and the Six.

This book and I did not get off to a great start, but I found myself really enjoying it in the end.

The central romance didn’t interest me much (Joe is kind of the worst and I found myself wishing Percy just like Raj more), but the music content did.

Though Percy exhibits one of the more annoying traits of music snobs in that she thinks she’s some sort of pioneer but is actually into the same stuff as everyone else, I loved her sense of song and the way she talks about the power of music.

I too am a “music person” but not a musician beyond a basic ability to play piano passably, and I really appreciated the way the book reckons with how difficult it is to talk about your personal connection to music while still making what you’re saying relatable or even comprehensible to others. The evolution of how much Percy struggled with this and was frustrated by it into a real understanding of how to express herself through her musical opinions really resonated with me.

I found her character to be bothersomely inconsistent at times (especially toward the beginning of the book), and that did impact how I felt about the novel overall. She has a sort of social cluelessness that appears and disappears when it’s narratively convenient, and is sometimes slick and witty and at other times so awkward as to be almost combative, but without the charm of naïveté or the blamelessness of neurodivergence.

It was hard to buy her odd social interactions as anything other than plot driven. A shame, because this could easily have been written in a way that conveys an introvert’s struggle in group settings, or the struggle to seem smooth and at ease with a person one has romantic feelings for.

That aside, I liked her in the end, and in addition to the terrific reckoning about how to express personal sentiment through someone else’s music, I enjoyed the nostalgia trip back to the music and pop culture of the early 2000s.

In all, a lovely paean to the personal value of music, and an infinitely better story than any of the other music-meets-women’s fic books that have shown up in the last decade.

Thank you for the arc!
I locked in and read this in one setting. An electric, compulsively readable examination of the indie sleaze scene of the early 2000s, and one woman looking for her role in it all. I was incredibly moved by much of the musical analysis, even if it was for songs I have no connection to. The novel handled the weight and importance of music beautifully. I loved it.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really loved the music/songwriting parts of the story. I am a sucker for a good bridge and it was fun to see all of that in the story. What I was not a big fan of was the couple in the story. I didn't feel their romantic chemistry and I don't think I was able to see the male character growth when he was off touring in his band so I was not convinced he was a good match for her.

@crownpublishing | #partner In my day to day life I don’t listen to music all that frequently anymore, often opting for audiobooks instead. That wasn’t always the case and I well remember the urgency and sense of being understood that the right song at the right time can deliver. I think that’s why books with big musical components work so well for me, most recently 𝗗𝗘𝗘𝗣 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗦 by debut author Holly Brickley. ⁣
⁣
Spanning roughly 10 years beginning in the fall of 2000, 𝘋𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘊𝘶𝘵𝘴 follows Percy Marks on a musical journey from Berkley, to NYC, to San Francisco, and beyond. Percy isn’t a musician herself, but her ear for music and her love of lyrics run deep, and she isn’t afraid to share her opinions with anyone, whether asked or not. Before leaving college, Percy becomes friends with a young singer/songwriter and his girlfriend with whom attraction and friendship run deep, but it’s complicated, as life so often is. The trio never swerve very far out of each others’ orbits, yet a piece of connection is often missing for Percy.⁣
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This was a story I loved from the start. Besides the music, the era is rich with touchstones we all recall and Brickley beautifully mined those. The bonds she created felt truly authentic and as such were comforting, hopeful, and achingly raw. I suspect the heavy layer of music may not resonate with everyone as much as it did me, but putting the music aside, I still would have found 𝘋𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘊𝘶𝘵𝘴 to be a truly beautiful story and Percy Marks to be a character I won’t soon forget. I can’t wait to see what Holly Brickley does next! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This book brought up a lot of nostalgia for me. Percy and Joe dissecting songs, the college town vibes, going off in the world and starting careers that pay the bills but it’s not your calling…

Most of the songs in this book are completely foreign to me. But I could relate to that feeling of finally getting your hands on new music and going to shows with your friends. (I was a Latin Alternative fan living in New England in the 90’s…Yeah, that took guts).

Enough about me…Back to Percy and Joe: Best friends in college, deep attraction to each other but the timing was never right. They go off into the world, but somehow keep circling back to each other because of music (a lot of times not in the healthiest way).

Loved Zoe, their mutual best friend and the one who knew them perhaps more deeply than they knew themselves.

Perfect ending.

Loved!

"Honestly, how many different ways is it even possible for the same two people to break each other's hearts?"

It feels weird to call this book cozy, but it was for me. It felt comfortable, like a peek back in time - conversations my friends and I would have over PBRs on a Friday night in 2001. Searching through mountains of CD's for just the right song. Analyzing conversations in your head - searching for what went wrong (or what went right). I loved all the music references, although I can see how it could be too much for some readers. I loved the descriptions of concerts, and how hard it is to create a song. I loved the faults and imperfections of Percy and Joe. How they made each other crazy but could never let each other go. How many more times can I say love? LOL.

I see the similarities drawn re: Daisy Jones and the Six, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. There was a lot of the same vibes (and I loved both those books as well). It felt very High Fidelity to me too. In closing, if you were in your late teens-early 20's during the early 00's do yourself a big favor and read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you @prhaudio for the early listening copy and @crownpublishing for the early reading copy


This book is being compared to a mix of Daisy Jones and the Six and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. I definitely see that but also the movie High Fidelity meets the book Love is a Mix Tape.

I am a music lover and always have been. Lyrics have always felt like my communication and I can think of every song that was playing in the background of every meaningful moment in my life. The love that Percy and Joe have for music was so relatable to me.

Their story is more of a slow burn, which is my favorite kind. I loved the writing and felt so nostalgic while reading this story as you get to drift back to the late 90s and early 2000 with this one. I’d say if I wasn’t highlighting something Percy or Joe was saying I was searching songs I completely forgot that I loved on my spotify.

I enjoyed Jayme Mattler’s narration. She has a raspy voice that was perfect for Percy.


Music can transform you and this book beautifully encapsulates that.

Loved the flash to the past complete with vitamin water and Snapple cans! The comp to Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow felt accurate to me, if music replaced video games. Two people with a shared passion for music have their lives cross for the decade following college. Recommend!

This book started off a bit slow for me, but once I chose to abandon all other books I was also currently reading, I got sucked in for sure. Then I didn’t want to put it down. I really got invested in Percy & Joe’s lives. Some really great side characters in this one too, especially Zoe! Loved her. I would say this definitely gave me Daisy Jones vibes, which I adored. Well-written, awesome character development—a slow-burn, “Will they/won’t they” story with mistakes made as young adults, growth/change during years spent apart, etc. Highly recommend this read! Thanks for the ARC!

Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley follows Percy Marks through her college and early adult years as she finds and looses friends, jobs and love. Through all of this, music is how she relates to the world and understands herself. She learns that music can also be a way to use her voice to be heard. This book was not for me- I felt like I was along for a ride that I had no idea where I was starting or ending. A music buff would most definitely enjoy this more as there was a great deal of discussion and commentary on music that went right over my head. While this has been compared to Daisy Jones and the Six (which I loved), this fell flat for me. If you are a music person, it definitely might speak to you so give it a shot!

A mixtape of great songs, excellent writing and one horribly toxic relationship.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Percy and Joe meet at Berkeley in late 2000 and immediately bond over their shared passion for music; hers, more intellectual, treating Joe - and the reader - to her many opinions about various artists and songs; his, rooted in his own budding talent as a singer / songwriter. Over the next decades, "Deep Cuts" accompanies Percy on her way from Berkeley to New York and back to the Bay Area, her path irrevocably linked to Joe and his rising stardom.

A lot of reviews have compared this book to previous standouts "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" and "Daisy Jones & The Six", but while "Deep Cuts" is indeed another book about best friends becoming collaborators, including the tug and pull that entails, and while one of them does make it big as a musician, I don't personally see a lot of other similarities. "Deep Cuts"'s strength lies in its music, though here, the music is mainly non-fictional (in fact, there are now great playlists including all the songs referenced in this book, which I highly recommend you play). At the same time, Percy's opinions on different musical pieces are sometimes unnecessarily long and can take away from the actual story. As for the "Will they or won't they" angle of Joe and Percy's friendship, and even their collaboration on different musical pieces, I found their relationship to be incredibly toxic and juvenile, and really did not root for them at all.

The "About the author" and the "Acknowledgments" sections of the book make it abundantly clear that a lot of Percy's story seems to be based on the author's own experiences - Holly Brickley| also studied English at UC Berkeley and received an MFA in fiction from Columbia University -, lending the book a semi-autobiographical feel. In this case, this was a good thing that notably contributed to the authentic quality of the story. That, along with the excellent song choices featured in the novel, and the author's obvious talent for writing, make this a wonderful debut despite its rather annoying protagonists.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Deep Cuts" releases today, February 25, 2025.

As an indie music fan and millennial, this book struck home! The relationship between Percy and Joe felt so real to me and their borderline-pretentious music fandom will strike a chord with anyone who was tuned into that world at the time. Awesome debut!