The first half of the book I was sucked in and wrapped up in their will-they-wont-they love story. I enjoyed their banter, the tension, and where the story was heading. I actually liked the first half of the book more than Daisy Jones and the Six.

The second half came around and I felt like it was a push to finish. At that point I was wishing for more characters like in Daisy Jones to bounce between.

Overall, good read though.

Thanks for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really had high hopes for this book given a Canadian author and a storyline that compared to Daisy Jones, however, I found the tone of this book was less kick a$$, more dark/depressing angst. I found the narrative to contain too much over analyzing of music, less being in the moment and so it lost an organic appeal for me. I appreciate the major themes in this book which include belonging and fitting in (especially not wanting to give that up even if you are in a relationship that is not functional). I also found there to be a lack of other characters which made me feel the main characters existed in a world of their own (which is likely what the author wished to portray) however, other characters often offer the opportunity to learn more about the main characters and I wished this had been better sketched out to add necessary character development and dimension. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc of this novel.

I was really excited about the premise of this one, but unfortunately I didn't love it as much as I had hoped. I've seen multiple reviews comparing it to Daisy Jones & the Six which I honestly think is doing the book a disservice because the style of writing is less TJR and more Coco Mellors. I generally love character studies that span a long period of time, but I struggled with both the pacing of this and the characters themselves. The middle was slow and then the ending felt abrupt. I can handle unlikeable characters, but I also felt like I didn't truly know them after spending so much time with them? They still came off as pretentious snobs at the end of the book with not as much personal growth as I would've hoped or expected.

The music backdrop was cool, but at times made parts of the book feel a bit inaccessible if you didn't know the song. I will give Holly Brickley props though for mentioning Ready for the Floor by Hot Chip and unlocking a vault in my mind of forgotten music from my youth.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the digital ARC!

Thank you to the author, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story reminded me of David Nicholls’ One Day - love and life in your 20s set to the background of music in the 80s-10s. Unfortunately, I do not have enough knowledge of American music to fully dive into the topics and and understand underlying forces of the characters. I found it enjoyable still to watch the lives of Percy and Joe from an observational point of view - what would they do and what would they get up to in their lives. They make a compelling couple but I didn't feel attached.
All in all, I found pacing very off - especially at the end it was quite abrupt; the characters were not very fleshed out; there didn't seem to be any development; and the music layer made parts of the story inaccessible; but still an interesting read.

Deep Cuts brought you back in a time where music and CDS were everything. Going to HMV to buy the newest CD releases on Tuesdays - reminded me of my life in the 90s-2000s. Additionally the author bringing up so many musicians I loved took the novel to the next level.

While I couldn’t connect with the characters in this novel, it was still fun to read. I am probably an outlier here regarding Percy and Joe. The will they /won’t they /miscommunications is not a trope I love but makes sense when you’re in your 20s.

Read this if you love music, miss the days of going to record/music stores, and miss listening to CDs from cover to cover.

I give this novel a 3.5.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into Deep Cuts hoping to love it - heck, I was actually *expecting* to love it - but sometimes a premise just doesn’t live up to its potential, and unfortunately, this was the case with Holly Brickley's debut novel. With its focus on music, artistry, and the deep-seated need to be heard, I thought I’d be captivated by this story. Instead, I found myself disconnected from nearly everything: the writing, the characters, and the emotional weight the story was trying to carry.

Admittedly, the reviews comparing Deep Cuts to Daisy Jones & The Six may have soured me a bit towards the former, because I absolutely loved Daisy Jones - and when Deep Cuts wasn't living up to it in the slightest, my disappointment was tenfold what it would have been otherwise. This particular comparison feels like a stretch, and other than the common theme of music, I really don't see where the comparison is coming from. Unlike Daisy Jones & The Six, which pulses with life, complex characters, and layered relationships, Deep Cut's story felt distant. The characters, particularly Joe and Percy, lacked emotional complexity, coming off more as archetypes and stereotypes than fully realized people. Joe was every bit the self-absorbed musician cliché, which I could have forgiven had Percy been a compelling counterbalance. Instead, she felt equally frustrating in her own way, making their dynamic more grating than engrossing.

The premise was promising, but the execution left me feeling like an outsider to the story rather than immersed in it. It seems like I'm in the minority for the most part, though, so I'm sure many readers will love Deep Cuts! I’ll always appreciate a book that explores art and music as a means of expression, but unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley to review. All thoughts are my own and are not influenced by any third party.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I had a really hard time relating and connecting to the characters. I had a bit of a hard time following the story. I feel like this writing is either a hit or miss for me and while I did have high expectations this was unfortunately a miss for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for the early bc opt of this book in exchange of my honest review.

There were some really strong moments, and I liked the themes it explored, but the pacing felt a bit off, and the characters didn’t always feel fully fleshed out. That said, the writing has a lot of promise, and there were parts that definitely kept me hooked. It’s a decent read — just not super memorable for me.

DNF wasn’t for me. Expected something like Daisy Jones but don’t feel it’s along the same lines. Couldn’t relate to the characters which made it hard

My next 2025 read is yet another advance reading copy. How lucky can I get?! This one is described as a dramatic love story on the backdrop of music. Given I had adored Nick Hornby’s “High Fidelity” and David Nicholls’ “One Day”, Holly Brickley’s “Deep Cuts” sounded quite promising, original, and right up my alley.

I was immediately drawn into the narrative as well as the incredible music references, even when those references were about bands and songs I did not know. That says a lot about the quality of the writing. The passion for music and especially for lyrics and their impacts on life was so well described that it brought me back to my youth, my teenage years, and even my early twenties, when I often lived life and reflected on my existence through lyrics.

The title “Deep Cuts” can be taken in so many different ways throughout this novel. I found it to be such a perfect title, much more complex than I expected. Brickley nails the ups and downs, the ebbs and flows of going through life, and going through love, even in its different versions. It’s impossible to read this book and not be inundated by a barrage of personal flashbacks.

The real magic of “Deep Cuts” lies in the development and evolution of the main character, Percy Marks, and our accompanying her on this particular excerpt of her life’s journey. So many errors made, so many lessons learned. There is no such thing as a perfect life, just as there is no such thing as a perfect song. But Holly Brickley certainly captures the essence of that quest for musical, lyrical, and life perfection in “Deep Cuts”. A very solid debut in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book - what a cool debut for Holly Brickley!

Percy and Joe are each annoying on their own, but when you put them together, they become completely infuriating... and for some reason I couldn't get enough of it. The story is layered in the best kind of sexual tension, except that it stems from a shared and deeply rooted passion for music <spoiler>(and of course later becomes truly sexual tension)</spoiler>. Zoe is the BEST character; she's also annoying, but she has a way about her that seems to negate the general annoyingness of all other characters whenever she enters the room.

I suspect that someone with less connection to or knowledge of music might find it a bit challenging to relate to or connect with the driving forces behind this story. But for anyone who loves music, I would recommend checking out this book when it is released on February 25, 2025!

Content Warnings:
- Toxic relationship
- Infidelity
- Sexual content
- Drug use
- Alcoholism

I'm not always a fan of love stories where there's a lot of miscommunication and wrong time, right person plots, but as a millennial, I could totally relate to the 90s/2000s music appreciation/love letter that was this debut book. If pressed, I would say it was a mix of One day x Daisy Jones x The lightning bottles, and while it might not work for everyone, I enjoyed it a LOT! Told from the POV of aspiring music critic, Percy, the story starts when she meets aspiring musician Joe in a dive bar where they bond over a shared love of music. What follows is a love story for the ages that spans years as the two navigate career success and relationships with other people only to find themselves always getting drawn back to one another. Good on audio narrated solely by Jayme Mattler. I really liked this Canadian debut and look forward to reading anything she writes next! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @librofm for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

<b>The First Cut is the Deepest</b>
<i>An advance review of the Penguin Random House Canada / Doubleday Canada Kindle ARC (downloaded February 3, 2025) of the upcoming hardcover/eBook/audiobook (February 25, 2025).</i>

If you've followed my book reviews for any length of time, you'll know and understand why this would be a 5 star rating for me. Holly Brickley's first novel <i>Deep Cuts</i> is obsessively and deliriously about music and the people that perform it, the people that listen to it, the people that analyze it and write about it. But I'll also admit that this book may not be for everyone.

Aspiring writer Persephone (Percy) Marks meets aspiring songwriter / musician Joe Morrow in Berkeley in the year 2000 and over the course of several years their paths will intersect, break apart, come together as careers diverge and converge. Between them is Joe's one-time girlfriend Ella Turner who is there to build bridges and support as needed (she was actually my favourite character). A fragile songwriting partnership is formed over time, but there are resentments and jealousies as well.

<img src="https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/481185180_29573188622279875_2759981055479186660_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=B_4rWjAn8j0Q7kNvgHMmMvj&_nc_oc=AdjHAIfHXAlucp0A8Xch_tXCzZLE-oVLMhL6doVzBHQ0GAiJ85ooqcqpzmIh8HHpvHc&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.xx&_nc_gid=AYZWTPn4TtB9P5nn6z4DCLS&oh=00_AYCUNAHOLDMvcsAqTOuPYD5t4e88oAirjDrjb98awcQ5bg&oe=67BCDC6A">
<i>The highlights of the "Deep Cuts" playlist as displayed on the book's front cover. Image clipped from a screenshot.</i>

If you are the type of person that can be obsessive about the music they love, then this is the book for you. Others may have to approach with caution, but there is still a human story of loss and connection here regardless, and about the pathways which either bring people together or break them apart.

My thanks to the author, publisher Penguin Random House Canada / Doubleday Canada and NetGalley for this advance reading copy of <i>Deep Cuts</i> in exchange for which I provide this honest review.

<b>Soundtrack</b>
There is a complete playlist of the 120 songs which are "every song mentioned or alluded to in DEEP CUTS by Holly Brickley" which you can listen to on Spotify <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/06LlT6TbNiVxRnnSrVi74T">here</a>.

<b>Trivia and Link</b>
There is an interview with author Holly Brickley about her novel <i>Deep Cuts</i> which you can watch at the Literary Prospects YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5o4Dq2OCY4">here</a>.

Oh, boy.
I probably should have DNF'd this when I wasn't connecting to anything, but alas I have an internal drive to know what happens with my own eyes and also an everlasting hope that I wind up liking something. I mean, no one goes into a book hoping that they won't like it.

I couldn't connect with the writing. I couldn't connect to the characters. I just did not like the majority of this, really. I was incredibly intrigued by the musical aspect to it, to the premise, and to the idea of exploring the need to be heard through a lyrical lens over the course of years. It just wasn't for me.

From reading other reviews, it seems like if you were a fan of Daisy Jones & the Six (which I wasn't the biggest fan of, I suppose that should have given me a clue. But again, ever hopeful and always willing to give something a chance), then you might be into this. If the summary pulls you in, and the more than a few glowing 5-star reviews pulls you in more, then I hope that you love it as much as those folks did!!

This is one of those books where I just feel too stupid to fully appreciate it. Music is a huge part of this story, and I knew that going in, but it was a lot heavier than I expected. I adored Percy and the idea that we use music to gain clarity on ourselves, but her constant, pretentious tangents deep-diving into music critiques made my eyes glaze over.

That said, the romance was so addictive! It all begins in the year 2000, when Joe asks Percy for feedback on his song. What follows is years of a passionate, complicated, codependent partnership. Their dynamic is intense, very push and pull, and borderline obsessive. To be honest, I’m not even sure I liked them together. But it was so compelling! I ate it up.

I’ve been seeing this compared to Daisy Jones & The Six, so if you liked that one, definitely give this a try. I know there are readers out there who will fully appreciate everything this story has to offer!

I'm on the fence about this book. There are things about it I liked, and things about it I disliked very much. Ultimately, I think I enjoyed reading it more than I didn't. I always enjoy a sort of more adult coming-of-age story (i.e. starting from university age vs. younger characters), and I have a real fondness for my own university experience, so that aspect of the book appealed to me greatly. Like the main character, Percy, and the author, music has always been hugely important to me, and my guess is we're the same age, so the musical references all resonated with me. The story interested me enough and I cared about the characters enough (even while I didn't necessarily like them all the time!) that I genuinely wanted to see how the book would wind up. But yeah, about those characters. Maybe it's because it's not the 2000s anymore so I'm no longer a twentysomething, but the characters often made bafflingly stupid and frustrating decisions. Most of the time, they were obnoxiously pretentious. I bristle at the idea that there's some objectively "correct" opinion about something as subjective as music, but the characters in this book sure acted like that was the case sometimes! Also, sometimes the book felt disjointed when it veered too far away from the plot and too far into the music criticism/blogging. Like, I'd be happy to read a book of the author's music essays, or I'd be happy to give another novel by her a go, but this felt like two books in one that didn't always cohere for me. I really had trouble connecting with Percy the influencer whisperer or whatever that was supposed to be. As for how the book ended up...I'd be lying if I said that I didn't know from the beginning how things would go. For most of the book, I wished that it wouldn't go that way, and I guess the (faint) hope that it might not helped to keep me engaged. When it inevitably ended the way I knew it would, I guess by that point I felt the characters might have done enough growing and reflection that MAYBE I don't completely hate it? But I think I still would have preferred a less predictable ending. But I get that people read this sort of thing for wish fulfillment and escapism and certain tropes, so I'm probably in the minority here. All in all, I'd say this book is worth checking out, with the caveat that if you're not really into music and especially indie rock of the 1990s-2000s, you'll probably want to skip this one.

I received a copy from NetGalley and I'm willingly leaving a review
TRIGGERS: sexual assault, F/F kissing and touching, exchange of favors via M/M fellatio, drugs.
It's a weird, very slow, disconnected story. I was lost most of the time and disagreed with probably 80% of the decisions that were made throughout. At 42%, the book explains itself: "I find myself wondering what the point is. It feels a bit scattered. We don't even have the focus...". I did love Raj's last email to Percy.

I really enjoyed this book. I can't believe that it's a debut book. This is a mash up of Normal People (write couple, bad timing) and Daisy Jones and the Six (set in the world of music, and music making). I highly recommend this book to any music lover.

Thank you to Doubleday Canada and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. I highly recommend this book to any music fan.

Best book so far this year. Although it is early in the year, this will be the marker that all other books this year will be measured against. The way Percy used music to measure the moments and milestones of her life really resonated with me. How she was so socially aware, and yet in many ways unaware of herself and how others viewed her. The first person point of view worked so well for this story because of that lack of awareness.

I often find it difficult to write a review for a book I liked this much and this viscerally. As if I, like Percy, feel like I'll be judged for coming off too strong or opinonated.

But this is a book worth reading. For its dark and somewhat obsessive love story. For the songs that play such a huge part in the narrative. For the growth arc in not only Percy, but those around her. Also, if you know any of those songs as well as I do, you'll be stuck with at least one of them in your head at the end. Not that that is a bad thing.

Thank you for the ARC book of Deep Cuts. The relationships between the friends was interesting with their interest with music.