Crane has crafted a beautiful and raw story that captured my attention from the first few pages. The authentic writing style and character's emotions jump off the page and grab at your heart. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I hope this becomes a book club selection. There is so much to discuss and unravel.

This is a novel I wish I had in high school. An exploration of young love that we don't permit ourselves to have, A Sharp Endless Need excels in conveying the deep yearning of youth. The novel uses melodrama to underscore the sense that everything is on the line - basketball,  career, friendship, love, and self-acceptance. 

The poetic prose was a bit much for my personal taste, but is well-suited to the new adult genre. I would recommend this for folks who are looking for an unconventional love story, relate to the frustrations of teenagehood, or enjoyed books like Headshot and Something About Her. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-arc. And of course, to Mac for writing.
3.75 stars, rounding up.

This. is a great thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat! Mackenzie and Liz both play basketball and coach Puck also pays Mackenzie $20/hr to clean his house. When Mac sees Liv who now goes to her high school, she is instantly attracted and "in love." But of course they must keep it a secret as their parents don't know and they are so young. They attempt to go on dates with boys but their attraction to each other is undeniable. This is such a sweet and realistic look at young love and the lengths young people will go to to try to hide it or change themselves1
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

A poetic, raw coming of age story full of yearning that I couldn’t put down. I absolutely adored Crane’s writing style, it was almost reminiscent of my own. Mack’s character is so realistic and easy to root for as she finds a way to grapple with her grief, relationship to Liv, and her relationship with the game of basketball that she thought she had completely figured out.

One of my favorite 2024 reads - any book that mentions Bright Eyes and alludes to The L Word (2004) is bound to become a favorite. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC!!!

I'll read anything by Mac Crane. Their writing is so beautiful and cutting and I hardly ever feel like a book is just perfect.

A great combination of grit--both personal and setting--and romance... and basketball. If that's your thing, then go for this book. The writing is incredibly evocative but you definitely have to love basketball to get into this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. The basketball players are going to absolutely love it!

The way I gasped out loud when Liv told Mack she had perfect hands within minutes of meeting her…… This book has all the lesbian longing of Portrait of a Lady on Fire stuffed into a Pennsylvania suburb. Teammates falling in love is nothing new, but I’ve never seen it depicted outside of the romance genre, and Crane handles Liv and Mack’s intimacy with precision. Anyone who has read I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself knows how incredible Crane is with words, and this next novel doesn’t disappoint.

Until this book I read this book, I almost forgot what it was like for someone to be gay in high school when I was growing up. We’ve come so far, so fast, but not long ago it was still untouchable, shameful.

But the greater question this book tackles for me is about the pressure young athletes face - both having to grow up so much quicker, and fear they are watching the best years of their life pass them by. Loved this book and I can’t wait until it’s out in the world so I can implore all my friends to go buy it.

I have been BEGGING for a queer basketball romance and I got it! This is one of the books I wish I had when I was younger. Although it focuses mostly on Mack and Liv's relationship, it's a coming-of-age novel at its core and delves into many deeper topics beyond that. A Sharp Endless Need follows the main character, Mack, as she navigates her relationship with basketball, her family, her teammates, and her sexuality and gender with 2004 U.S. politics as the backdrop.

I was most impressed by the Crane's writing style. She describes basketball and sports in such a poetic way. There is truly something beautiful about knowing precise movements of people you love in a way that transcends language. I think if you grow up playing sports, you'd resonate a lot with the chase of perfectionism and the obsession with sports portrayed throughout. Crane also normalises "taboo" subjects by writing in a matter of fact manner as if we're inside of Mack's brain and experiencing the day-to-day thoughts that she'd have. I was very pleasantly surprised by how Crane explored Mack's gender expression. It's rare to find queer literary fiction with masculine representation where the character isn't trans-masc.

Admittedly, this was originally a 4.5-star read, leaning more towards 4 stars, but after revisiting highlights that stood out, I think this is a 5-star novel that I will be thinking about. I feel like I know and understand Mack very intimately and everything ties together well to make a very impactful coming-of-age story. Thank you Marisa Crane, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for this beautiful novel!

A gorgeous, gripping, wrenching story of first loves - whether it be burgeoning queerness, an obsession with the sport that defines you, or the intersection of the two.

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself is an all-time favorite novel, so I couldn't wait to pick up Crane's next work. Of course, it didn't disappoint. I devoured this book in a single sitting, unable to put it down. Crane's voice is poetic, sharp, and rich, and anyone will be able to find themselves reflected in a story about the pushing your body to the limits of your ambition. As a WNBA fan, I was enthralled by the depiction of queer young adults seeking validation in their adoration for basketball. The sport comes alive through Crane's prose. Games are frantic, intimate, passionate. The characters are vibrant and so relatable that I felt myself overcome with nostalgic sadness for them and their exploration of gender and sexuality.

I truly can't sing A Sharp Endless Need's praises enough - it's a book that I'd recommend to any queer person seeking purpose in their life, afraid to learn what might live beneath the driving force of their desires.

Oh boy. If you were a closeted teen in the early 00s, read this! So much nostalgia for the early 00s. So much healing for my closeted inner child. So relatable in a gut wrenching way. I have not been able to get into a book in awhile but I absolutely devoured this book. Highly recommended!

An amazing sapphic coming of age novel. It is a good book to read about lesbianism, daddy issues, and just queerness.

One of the best books I’ve read all year. Lesbian coming of age sports novel that hits like a punch to the gut. I requested this as soon as I saw it because I loved Exoskeletons and I still can’t believe how good it is. Read if you’re interested in lesbianism, gender, yearning, self-destruction, daddy issues, women’s sports, or the song $20 by Boygenius.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!