Deep Cuts is a story of human connection, music, and nostalgia. Set throughout the early 2000s, it follows Percy Marks through her college years into early adulthood. One night at a bar in Berkeley, Percy meets Joe who listens to her opinions about music rather than getting annoyed by them and then invites her to listen to one of his songs. The story follows their friendship and feelings for each other through the years as Joe starts his band, Caroline, and Percy tries to get into the music writing scene. This is a story about growing up, finding yourself, and navigating complicated relationships.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I think Brickley did a great job capturing the culture, fashion, and of course the music that was popular in the early 2000s. I don't know a huge amount about indie music that was popular during the time, but I still enjoyed the book, so if someone does know a lot about that type of music I think they'll really appreciate it. The main thing for me was the characters and their relationships. The characters weren't always likable and they were often pretentious, but it felt really realistic and I enjoy those types of characters. To me, this book felt like a mashup of Daisy Jones and the Six and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, so I think this will appeal to fans of those books.

Part coming-of-age, part Indie-rock obsessed, part love story, Deep Cuts hits all the right notes. Do you ever hear a song and think back to the time in your life it was played? Percy sets her life to music and she has a talent for hearing a winning song and envisioning the lyrics that represent a story. As she matures from college student to young adult, her skills are sometimes underutilized but always there. It’s just a question of timing. I particularly enjoyed the beginning part of her journey in the university years when everything is in front of her and transformation abounds.

Thank you to Crown Publishing and Holly Brickley for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I was very excited to read this book - the description is great but the story fell flat after awhile. I felt like I was reading and reading and not much was happening. I was hoping it was going to be as good as a lot of the recent music fiction books I’ve read - sorry it just didn’t live up to my expectations.

I wanted to like this book because the concept sounds so good and I really liked the beginning with them meeting at the bar and talking about music. But then everyone just got annoying and pretentious.

This was a deep, intimate look at music, friendship and life. Richly written characters, beautiful prose, I truly cannot believe this was a debut. The song title chapters were a fun way to keep the music alive all the way through, too!

There's a way to talk about music....and then there's the way that Holly Brickley talked about music in Deep Cuts, her debut novel.

Percy has always been somewhat of a loner. She's passionate about music, but not in the 'I'm so cool' way. With the right conditions, any song can be a good song. In a bar one night in college, she meets her match with Joe. Joe talks about music the same way. He also writes music and wants Percy to listen to his attempts. Joe also has a girlfriend, Zoe.

Each chapter is a song title. From 80s soft rock to indie sleaze, this covers that gamut. We follow Percy from those college days to the pain of her first job and moving from one city to another. This is a story of a friendship, a love of another person, and the heart of music and it's power.

Maybe this pulled me in because all the NYC references were the same as my own - Interpol at the Bowery Ballroom, CMJ, Webster Hall, Union Pool....these are all touchpoints in my life. I felt like Percy was a friend, and I was rooting for her....even when she moved to the West Coast. :)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow. This book was incredible. Percy and Joe’s story is immediately intriguing and I found myself glued to the book the entire way through. A beautiful exploration of music, relationships and early 2000s culture. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.

I will be thinking about the quote below (and several others) for a very long time:
"I think songs gave me a window into a magical life," I said. "Something bigger, or whatever, waiting out there. And I felt like the only way to get there was through the songs. Like the songs, if I listened hard enough, would show me how to get it right."

(4.5 stars)

This was wonderful, and I can't believe it was a debut. Engrossing and richly drawn with some honestly astounding music writing. It reminded me a lot of Tomorrow x3 in the way it goes so deep into a topic I know nothing about (in this case, songwriting/music production) and makes me want to swallow it whole.

Joe's character was consistently a bit out of reach for me and so I was never able to buy 100% into the thrashing passion that the story wanted to sell, which is why this isn't five stars. But it's pretty close. People are going to fucking love this when it comes out.

Holly Brickley's debut novel "Deep Cuts" is a mesmerizing exploration of music, friendship, and self-discovery that transports readers to the early 2000s with remarkable authenticity. Set primarily in Berkeley, the story follows Percy, a music-obsessed college student with a profound ability to dissect songs, who forms an intense creative connection with Joe, an aspiring musician. Their relationship—complex, charged, and deeply intellectual—unfolds against a backdrop of shared musical passion, creating a narrative that feels both intimate and expansive.

The novel's strength lies in its nuanced portrayal of artistic collaboration and personal growth. Percy's journey is particularly compelling; while she struggles with self-confidence, her keen musical insights and deep emotional intelligence make her an incredibly relatable protagonist. Brickley masterfully weaves music into the narrative, using songs as more than mere background noise—they become character studies, emotional landscapes, and windows into the protagonists' inner worlds. The supporting characters, especially Zoe, add depth and complexity to the story, preventing the novel from falling into predictable romantic tropes.

What sets "Deep Cuts" apart is its authentic representation of young adulthood, artistic ambition, and the transformative power of music. Brickley captures the delicate balance between personal dreams and collective experiences, showing how music can connect, heal, and define us. Though Percy's self-doubt occasionally frustrates, her character arc feels genuinely earned. With its rich character development, nostalgic early 2000s setting, and profound musical insights, "Deep Cuts" is a stunning debut that will resonate with music lovers and anyone who has ever struggled to find their creative voice.

Rating: 3.75/5 stars

Thanks Netgalley + Crown for the ARC!

I really wanted to love it! It just was a little too dense on the music writing and I hate to even say that.

This was a highly enjoyable book, smart and warm and well paced. The main characters were likable and I enjoyed the story line of college friends finding each other through music and their lasting connection. The book was excellent in the way the plot remained focused on the lead female character, and how the lead male character was present throughout, without falling into typical "romance" tropes. The growth and maturity of the characters was present in the writing style and made for a fully realistic "coming of age" story arc. Plus the deep dives into the songs were all interesting.

It's intimidating to write a review for such a beautifully written book. It's the best debut novel I've ever read. I honestly wouldn't change a thing about it.

Deep Cuts follows Percy through her college years and throughout her 20's. In college, she meets Joe. Joe is an aspiring musician and Percy has a passion for music and writing. While their relationship is the most captivating part of the book, it was really refreshing that it didn't take over Percy's whole life and identity. The way music is woven into the book is so unique and well done.

Fans of Sally Rooney will love this one. Go into it without learning too much about it. Look up the book playlist to listen to while you read!

I could not believe this was a debut novel. It was amazing! I loved Joe, Percy, and Zoe. They were infuriating at times, as many people in their early 20's are. But you fall in love with them nonetheless. The setting was so nostalgic and really brought me back to the early 2000's. A beautiful story about how music continues to connect us.

Great relationship story well told, but even more impressive is the “telling” of the creative process of music, music fandom, and the ways in which we all grow and mature from college years through young adulthood. Perce and Joe are flawed, but you will enjoy them and root for them anyway.

And how can you not love a book that comes with its own built in playlist!

This was sooo good!!! Any book that mentions Hamm’s beer, Tori Amos and Fiona Apple has my vote of approval. Percy is such an interesting character. I felt her loneliness despite her strength. The friendships, the exploration of music and possible romantic connection make this an easy one to promote!

I know next to nothing about music, but in this heart breaking, soul searching, novel of discovery you don’t need to. Percy has some bad habits, but the ability to identify what makes great music isn’t one of them. Joe is a Peter Pan never grow up musician. There’s quite a little dance that goes on between the two set to the back drop of various songs and life experiences. Going into this novel I had widely different opinions than coming out of this novel. There is just something about it that hooks you. I don’t know if it’s the early 00’s nostalgia or what but Deep Cuts cuts deep.

Debut author Holly Brickley’s Deep Cuts will surely find a wide audience with those who like:
College/post-college coming-of-age novels
Music, music, music…and then more music
Nostalgia for the early 2000s
And don’t mind:
Ridiculous new adult romantic entanglements
A lot of musings about music
Personally, I liked it. While the romantic life of twenty-somethings falls widely outside my interest zone Brickley managed to keep me engaged with her sharp, witty writing and entertaining main character.

Came for the will they won't they between Percy and Joe but stayed for the friendship between Percy and Zoe. I loved the way that this long term female friendship grounds both of the characters and quietly drives a lot of the novel's plot. The writing was good and the references were fun-this was a great read.

Unfortunately not for me. I believe there will be fans of this though, so will probably purchase a copy for the collection.

Thank you to Netgalley, Crown Publishing, and Holly Brickley for the ARC in exchange for a honest review!

First, I want to say that this is an absolutely breathtaking debut. I cannot hammer that home enough. Breathtaking. I truly cannot wait to see what else falls out of the beautiful mind of Holly Brickley. I will standing by with semi-there patience, Holly, for any future books you produce.

Her writing is so classic, so perfectly detailed and touching. Nostalgic, like walking into a place you used to inhabit when you were younger. Her characters feel fully-formed and real to the point where this nearly could be a lost memoir of some indie music nerd from the early twenty first century. Maybe it is. I will not rule it out. And the music? Both fictional and not, they were incredibly picked and done. Someone on Spotify created a playlist and I listened to it while I read (I'm now obsessed with The Beach Boys' "Surf's Up' album). The songwriting scenes between Percy and Joe quite literally made me tear up; an experience so rare and foreign to me that I'm more likely to run into Brian Wilson himself on the street than achieve it.

As a "High Fidelity" fanatic, this book is in what I dubbed (with great inspiration from John Cusack's Rob Gordon, of course) "my desert island all time list." It's the love child of "Just Kids" by Patti Smith and "Cold War" (2018) by Paweł Pawlikowski; from the same vein as earlier mentioned "High Fidelity" (2000) and the tremulous affairs of McCartney/Lennon, Lindsey Buckingham/Stevie Nicks, Gerry Goffin/Carole King.

For any music nerd who is not so musically inclined, such as myself, this book is for you. This book is a mirror of us. For any fan of heart melting fictional relationships, I truly cannot recommend this enough. The world needs this book and its characters. I need to own it physically, immediately.