It was an interesting read! I liked the writing style and how each chapter flows into the next. The characters weren't that interesting but the story captivated me.

Deep Cuts is the kind of book where you want to strangle the characters at every turning point yet you're so enthralled with their lives you can't stop reading. Holly Brickley breathes life into the 2000s college scene and each character is so unique you feel you're really there with them.

I quite enjoyed the autobiographical writing style (it kept making me think, did this actually happen to someone?) and all the music references.

The ending feels like a deep breath after a long journey, I loved how cathartic it made me feel.

Deep Cuts is a wonderful debut, I would devour anything else Brickley can come up with.

The novel is about a young woman, Percy, of college age, who is trying to find herself, her place in society and her vocation. Her superpower is the ability to analyze and talk about popular songs, though she has limited to no ability to play music. She is drawn to music and to Joe, the singer in the band Caroline. Joe and Percy collaborate on songs Joe is writing. The improvements catapult the songs and the band, though Percy and Joe seem to never really happen.
I enjoyed reading this book. The story felt autobiographical. The details of college living, partying and how the music becomes the wallpaper of those times, was bang on! I loved how the protagonist stumbled upon her potential fulfilling career, how Joe and Percy realized to what depths they needed each other! This is a great book by a first time author! 4.5 or 5 stars.

Rating is hovering between a 3.5 and a 4

To begin, this is an impeccable debut novel. Holly Brickley nails the atmosphere of the early 2000s (I think? I was merely an infant during those days) and the malaise of feeling nostalga for a life that you're currenty living.

We all know someone for whom music is a transcendent experience - they never just listen to a song, the evaluate it, pull it apart, and try to inhabit the mind of the people who created it. This is a story about a person like that.

The main character, Percy, would eat sleep and breathe music if she could (it could be argued that sometimes she does actually do this). And yes, sometimes that makes her a pretentious drag in conversations (She is very aware of this fact). And yes, sometimes it can alienate her from people who are just trying to connect with her. But it's her passion. Percy is nothing if not passionate. And sometimes the tiniest bit self-aware, thank god, or this book would have been truly insufferable to read.

Sometimes, though, Percy's passion can cause issues in her relationships. It hurts people and pushes them out of her life. But it also sometimes reels them back in.

This is a love story between her and Joe. It's also a story about loving words and music and being and loving messy people.

It's a story of two people who are growing and changing and trying to figure things out (and yes, sometimes they are insufferably pretentious in the way only college students in Califormia can be). They're trying to reconcile these changes with their relationship with each other and what exactly they want from each other - even to the very last page.

I really enjoyed this story and think that it's for people who like messy love stories about messy people (that is absolutley steeped with nostalga) who take a long time to come back to each other and figure their shit out. I think this book can easily be the next Daisy Jones or Normal People.

3.5⭐️I went back and forth between thoroughly enjoying this book and feeling like I was reading a convo between college students who aren’t self aware enough yet to realize they don’t actually know everything.

I love the chemistry between Joe and Percy. Both on a personal level and the way they create together. I love Zoe and I do get the comparisons to Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow as it had similar vibes to me, but to me missed some of the magic by getting lost in the music rambling at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author Holly Brickley for the advanced reading copy, all the opinions are my own.

Thank you Net Galley for the advance copy of Deep Cuts.
This book is not entirely my type of book. However, there is a market for this book. The connections made to songs was fun and made the reader nostalgic for memories of their own, Some of the references brought memories of my own, others just great music.
The book drags on starting at about page 80, but picks up again for the last half. There are many moments where I wondered what the point was, but I realized it was all about her missing relationship with Joe. A subtext of the connections between music and our relationships kept me going on.
The ending? Quite abrupt……not sure it had the desired effect.

Tʜɪs ᴡᴀs sᴜᴄʜ ᴀɴ ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴅɪʙʟʏ ɢᴏᴏᴅ sᴛᴏʀʏ. Tʜᴏsᴇ ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡʜᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ Dᴀɪsʏ Jᴏɴᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ Sɪx ᴡɪʟʟ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀғᴜʟ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ ᴏғ ᴍᴜsɪᴄ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘs.

Eᴀᴄʜ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴀ sᴏɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ᴀʟsᴏ ᴀ sᴘᴏᴛɪғʏ ᴘʟᴀʏʟɪsᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ sᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀᴅ. Tʜɪs ᴡᴀs ᴀ ғᴜɴ ᴘᴇʀᴋ ᴀs I ᴡᴀs ғᴀᴍɪʟɪᴀʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴜsɪᴄ. 🎶

Hᴀᴠɪɴɢ ɢʀᴏᴡɴ ᴜᴘ ɪɴ ᴀ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴡɪᴅᴇ ʀᴀɴɢᴇ ᴏғ ᴍᴜsɪᴄᴀʟ ɢᴇɴʀᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴғʟᴜᴇɴᴄᴇs, ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴀs ᴀ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ. Mᴜsɪᴄ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ʜᴜɢᴇ ғᴀᴄᴛᴏʀ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʟɪғᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛs ᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛs ғʀᴏᴍ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʜᴏᴏᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴍʏ ʟɪғᴇ. I ᴀʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴏsᴛᴀʟɢɪᴀ ᴛʜɪs sᴛᴏʀʏ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ. Sᴏ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴘᴀʀᴛs ᴏғ ᴛʜs ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ sᴘᴏᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ

Tʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ ɴɪᴄᴇ ғʟᴏᴡ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀs sᴏ ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇɴ. I ᴡᴀs ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇʟʏ sʜᴏᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs Hᴏʟʟʏ's ᴅᴇʙᴜᴛ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ. I ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ ᴡᴀɪᴛ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ sʜᴇ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇs ɴᴇxᴛ.

I ʜɪɢʜʟʏ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜɪs ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʟᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴜsɪᴄ, ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs.

🖤 ᴇᴀʀʟʏ 2000s 🖤 ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ/ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ᴛɪᴍᴇ
🖤 ᴅɪsᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ʟʏʀɪᴄs ғᴏʀ ᴅᴇᴇᴘᴇʀ ᴍᴇᴀɴɪɴɢ
🖤 Nᴏsᴛᴀʟɢɪᴀ

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DF696jPOBc_/?igsh=MWFhMzgxeWp0ZHRmaA==

I thought that I was going to love Holly Brickley’s debut novel Deep Cuts it was being compared to Daisy and the Six and Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow, I thought it was going to be like What You do to Me (one of my favourite books) it fell short of those comparisons. This is a story of coming of age, the characters are messy, tumultuous, and narcissistic. I was not invested in the characters I found them dull and did not exactly root for them one way or another …

There is plenty of music talk. I liked that Brickley knows her music but at times I lost interest. I wish there was a playlist that went along with this book. I often found myself stopping to read to listen to music that Brickley’s characters were discussing.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Good read reading about students in college being college students while loving music meeting new friends and discovering themselves.

I have just finished reading Deep Cuts by Author Holly Brickley.

This book sounded very intriguing to me, being about the music scene, and starts off in the campus of Berkeley in the year 2000.

I must say that this really was not my kind of book. I started off open minded and looking forward to reading it.

However, I just could not get past the constant chatter and really could not get behind the characters at all.

I would not have finished it – which is rare for me, except I received a copy to read and review, so felt obligated.

I am sure it will find an audience but was not the case for me.

Thank You to NetGalley, Author Holly Brickley and Penguin Random House Canada for my advanced copy to read and review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC.

Deep Cuts is set in the early 00s and follows Percy Marks and Joe Morrow, who both endeavour to carve out a career in music (Percy with her writing, Joe as a musician). Percy acts as Joe's muse - helping him take his craft to heights he wouldn't be able to reach solo. They have an intense will-they-won't-they relationship that last years as they seek to establish their identity and career independent of one another, but they often circle back to each other.

The setting felt very nostalgic, and I found Percy to be a flawed, complex, and yet compelling character. Her love (and the author's love) for music came through in the writing, and I appreciated the way the author wove songs and their meanings into the narrative. However, I found this book never got off the ground plot-wise or romance-wise. It meandered too much so I was never fully invested in the story or in Percy and Joe's relationship. I wanted to be swept up in their love story, but I did not find their push-pull dynamic compelling enough - it just fell flat. Overall, this was a romance didn't grab me.

I think that for the right person, this would be a knockout. Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with Percy or Joe. They seemed like people I would have avoided in university, and I couldn’t bring myself to care about their relationship. I would still recommend this to music lovers and fans of a more unconventional romance!

I was excited to get an advanced copy of this book .… and I really really wanted to like it..
But I didn’t.
Lovers of the book referenced it to Daisy Jones and the Six and High Fidelity (both of which I liked). I don’t see the comparison.
I love music but even this was too much for me. Every time I turned the page there was a another diatribe on the structure and appeal of pop music through the last 30 years. At first it was cute; then it got annoying and pretentious. By the end, I was just not interested … in neither the music references nor the characters; all of who were wholly unlikeable, acerbic, and, at times, even mean.
No hearty endorsement from me.

Percy and Joe meet during an impromptu conversation about music in a campus bar. They immediately connect because Joe writes songs and Percy loves to analyze them. Then Joe asks for Percy’s feedback on one of his songs and thus begins their tumultuous partnership. Can their similarities overcome their insecurities? Will they have the courage to listen to each other to create their own harmony?

I really liked this novel. It is, at its heart, a love story. I connected with the characters and was compelled to finish it in one sitting. I found it easy to read—the author uses narration, blog posts and DMs between characters to tell Percy’s story. Some of Percy’s insights resonated strongly with me. I enjoyed the song analysis. I cheered, cringed and teared up at times. I thought both Percy and Joe gained insight into themselves and their actions as the story progressed. I was satisfied with the ending. I suspect this novel will appeal to readers who enjoy music and/or coming of age stories.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and authors for providing me with an ARC of this novel for an honest review. All of the opinions offered in this review are my own, so take ‘em or leave ‘em as you like.

Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley is a nostalgic novel that blends the energy of the 1990s and early 2000s music scene with a heartfelt second chance romance. The story follows two characters who reconnect after years apart, offering them a chance to mend old wounds and rediscover love. Brickley’s vivid descriptions bring to life the era’s live concerts, compact discs, and unique style, making the music an integral part of the narrative that stirs deep emotions and memories.

While the novel is rich with cultural references, its core is the personal journey of its characters. Their path to reconciliation is both relatable and touching, appealing to readers who appreciate romance with a nostalgic twist. Although at times the emphasis on the music scene may seem to overshadow deeper character insights, the overall narrative remains engaging and warm.

Deep Cuts is an ideal read for anyone who cherishes the magic of the 90s and early 2000s. It reminds us that love and music can have a transformative power, drawing us back to the moments and places that shaped who we are.

Thanks to @netgalley and @penguinrandomca for the advanced copy of “Deep Cuts”. As an elder millennial, who was also in university and trying to find myself when 9/11 happened and also as someone who has constantly been infatuated with music and lyrics- this book spoke directly to my teenage angst millennial soul. Essentially this is a novel about three people who meet at Berkeley- Percy, Zoe and Joe. Percy has a lot of opinions about music and loves to overanalyze every song and Joe. Well he’s a songwriter and he could listen to Percy talk forever. And Zoe is their best friend who is the glue that keeps them connected. This songwriting partnership spans years through restement, ego, and indie rock fame. If you were like me, and hung around musicians and fancied yourself a bit of a lyricist this story speaks to the very heart of you. It also speaks to anyone who worried about “being cool” and “fitting in” and understanding the great relief from belonging and finding people who get you. It has multilayered characters who are not bad and good, who just are, who are just trying to get through life. It almost gives Almost Famous vibes but in the early 2000s with a bad ass opinionated bitch at the helm who also criticizes the heck of out some of the more misogynistic songs of our collective past. Also PS- there is an awesome playlist on @spotify that goes with the book and I am loving it. This is out on February 25th!

Deep Cuts can refer to music (a song that is less popular than other songs by the same artist or on the same album) or love (a situation where a relationship slowly deteriorates over time due to a series of small, unresolved issues, hurts, or disappointments that accumulate) in this story we get both.

Let's start off with the music. I lost my hearing in the early noughts and loved that a lot of the music in this book is way before that time so I can remember the sound of it and could imagine it in my head. I also found it so cool that every chapter is named after a song title.

Now to the love part...A friends-to-lovers romance with a Daisy Jones and the Six-esque vibe. I was so into the chemistry, both personal and professional, between Percy and Joe. It was so electric and jumped off the pages. Add a dash of a love triangle with a jealous friend to the mix and we have an enthralling story I couldn't put down. The three of them, Joe, Percy and Zoe grow up and apart together. Each of them spreads their wings but also wants to be in each other's lives and are missing each other. They are like family, they are the type of friends we all wish we had.

This was such a nostalgic read for me, music-wise and history-wise. It definitely has a romantic novel feel to it, but it is also so much more. It's about working relationships, friendships, being true to ourselves, finding out what makes us happy, and making yourself heard. The characters have lots of depth and are multi-layered, plus it has a musical hook that even this deaf person enjoyed. What an incredible debut.

I kicked off this Sister Read with high hopes and our usual bookish ramblings, but our first impressions of this one took an unexpected turn. Shorty in I wondered, "What is this book even about?" Norma was right there with me, asking the same question, and without a clear answer, we knew things were off to a shaky start.

There's a bit of chatter about music while the characters bond over music. I have to admit, I'm not a fan of music. I know, shocking, right? But come on, if you're a book lover, you'd rather listen to a book am I right? Even though I enjoy a good rock star story, one that starts off revolving around music just wasn't my jam.

And then there are the characters. Honestly, the discussions between them felt pretty dull. When you're not interested in the story, it becomes a real challenge to stay focused, which only makes it harder to piece together the plot.

In the end, I just couldn't finish this one. You know what they say: one witch’s brew isn’t another’s cup of tea—or maybe that's just my take on it. Either way, this book didn't quite hit the mark for me.

This book had me from the beginning with all of the music woven through the story of a singer and a talented songwriter/influencer. Joe really made me mad but I think that was done on purpose. Percy deserved so much more from all aspects of her life. I look forward to reading more from Holly Bickley in the future as this is her debut novel. This book is well done and will appeal to readers of Daisy Jones and the Six and those that love music.

Thank you NetGalley, Holly Brickley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to preview this novel. The opinions shared are my own.

Deep Cuts is expected to be released on Feb. 25, 2025

Thank you Netgalley & Crown for the ARC!

I loved so much about this. I loved the story told through the songs, the feminist undertones and the subplot about the trendsetters (re: influencers). It was perfectly paced and had so much heart and humour! I would pick up another book from this author.