Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this as an arc in exchange for an honest review 3.5 stars, The best way to sum this up and it will make you want to read it is: basketball and queer This felt like such a real forming of an young relationship, I was so immersed this story and loved the "vibe" of the book
Really recommend

2.75/5
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I want to start this review with the highlights of this book that, sadly, weren't many. First of all, Mack’s narration. Crane’s writing is addictive— through only the words I could feel the rush of the high the themselves characters experienced and share it. Secondly, in spite of my inexistent knowledge of basketball, I enjoyed the depiction of the sport through Mack’s eyes. And finally, the way grief was pictured felt very spot on to me. It was to what I related the most out of the entire book.
Now, moving on with the rest, something I deeply disliked was the lack of consequences regarding the use of any (if not almost all) type of drugs. Every character is consuming some sort of substance in every single page like it’s nothing. The depiction of the fall from the high is minimal, if not zero, in comparison to the rest. If you asked me what this book is about, I would not say basketball or Mack’s relationship with it— I’d say addiction. And even though that is the heart of the story to me, I don’t think it’s treated correctly. In fact, I think the way this topic is approched leaves much to desire.
Another issue I had was Mack’s and Liv’s relationship. Likewise with addiction, it is central in the story and in spite of that, I couldn’t quite connect with it. The complexity of the relationship was well portrayed and easy to empathize with to those who have been in similar situations. Still, Liv’s character never felt quite real to me. It is true she was highly idolized by Mack, yet there was no genuine moment when I could connect with her character beyond that. She was more of a part of Mack than a separate character.
The last thing I want to mention is the ending. It was sudden. This partially makes sense for a story that’s so quick and impulsive, but although this is coherent with the narrative, it still felt rushed. The resolution was not build up in the least, or not properly, in my opinion, and it was a too safe ending for the story it was telling. I don’t mind it being as open as it was, leaving it to be a “life goes on” kind of ending but with too many questions left unanswered, this just does not work. It feels rather lazy, instead of inspiring or whatever it aspired to be.

I felt this book was unrealistic and quite frankly annoying because of it. I didn't enjoy this. It fell very flat for me.

This is a queer basketball romance story with so much depth. There's topics like coming of age, women's sports, identity, acceptance, and loss.
Liv and Maddie are very attracted to each other but have to keep it a secret due to what fam/society expects.
I enjoyed the writing style and how knowledgeable the author is on the sports.
I recommend it to teens/young adults.

My first Melissa Crane novel but definitely not my last. Excellent characters kept me totally engaged in this book. I loved the characters. A great coming of age story. Reading this was like a roller coaster. Lots of sports action and being a basketball family I could totally relate. Tender yet tough. Enjoyed it.
Thank you NetGalley, Melissa Crane and The Dial Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

While I appreciate that this focuses on an LGBTQ relationship in high school, I just didn't connect with this book. I didn't like any of the characters and in that sense, I didn't care about the outcome that may happen for any of them. I did however think the author was good with words and look forward to other things they may write.

I found this story to be incredibly sweet, yet riddled with tension between the characters in certain points. The backdrop of basketball and the coming in to their own of the two main characters made for a great read. I liked it very much and was held captive until the end as to how things would resolve for the main characters. Definitely a good coming of age novel with an engaging story line.

The main character, Mack is unhappy - her dad drinks and gambles. Mack's mom is focused on her unrealistic view of her marriage and responsibilities. Mack comes in a distant third in Mom's list of priorities.

Mack is filled with uncertainty and a feeling of being an outsider. This is a tense, uncomfortable look at an athlete coming to terms with not always being the best player or the most wanted person in the group.

If you're looking for a feel good book, this is not it.

While this book was not for me, I know that there are people who will greatly enjoy it. My knowledge of basketball is not far above zero, so there were many parts of the book that I couldn’t visualize or relate to. I’m sure, however, that there are many who will be able to relate to the story of finding out who you are and who you love - and that it is all okay if it makes you happy.

This came completely out of nowhere in the best way. Raw and unique and yet so easy to connect to. Nothing is like this out there and I really cannot emphasize how so many young people (especially in today’s climate) need to read this. This is a big hug of a book and yet kept you on your toes (it’s not all emotional). So so good!

A Sharp Endless Need by Marisa Crane is an unflinching look at the queer teenage experience seen through the lens of a game of basketball. It is due to be published in on May 13, 2025 and I'm sure it will become a very important book for any teenager and young adult who sees their experience depicted within the pages. This is a story about grief, about identity and about love. It is a story that needed to be told with nuance and it seems that Marisa Crane was the perfect author for that challenge.

This novel is well written and well paced. The characters are distinct and have strong voices. There are a number of elements that will stay with me. I do think that it very messy and dramatic, but teenage life and even life in general can be that way. It was hard to like Mack and Liv at times, but I found myself rooting for them throughout. A Sharp Endless Need deals with a lot of difficult subjects and trigger warnings should be heeded.

While there were a few things that prevented me from giving this a full five stars (such as the amount of casual drug use depicted), I really appreciate how much respect the game of basketball was given in this story. This isn't just a novel that contains a little basketball, basketball is almost a character in itself.

I would certainly read more from this author again and recommend this book to those that need this kind of story. Thank you to Net Galley and to Random House for reaching out and providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a heartbreaking coming of age story of dealing with grief, loss, first loves, and all that's in between. Surprisingly, it had much more depth to it than a typical sports story.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. I do not know if I would have picked it up otherwise and happy to have my introduction to Marissa Crane.

I really enjoyed this book, what an emotional journey. This novel weaves together themes of love, loss, and the complicated nature of identity with such raw vulnerability. The characters are so deeply layered, and the writing feels almost lyrical, pulling you in from the first page. It’s a beautiful exploration of what it means to be human, to face the sharp edges of our desires and regrets, and to navigate our most complex relationships. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a thought-provoking, heart-wrenching read.

Mack goes through a tough senior year of high school with the death of her father and then a new student arrives at the school. Mack and Liv fall into a more than friendship relationship which is very hot on and off the court.

This book is an aching, purple bruise. Crane’s writing is alive and intense - a front-row seat for spectators to watch the difficulty and desperation of things unsaid, unacknowledged, and unnamed. This book surprised me in all of the best ways, and it will make you feel.

I *loved* I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself - it was my favorite book of 2023 - so when I saw that Marisa Crane had a new book out, I couldn’t wait to read it. However, this just wasn’t for me. The subject matter was always going to be a stretch - I know nothing about basketball - so I can imagine this book would resonate much more with folks with some familiarity and interest in the sport. That said, I found the prose a little affected/clunky. Overall it didn’t work for me, but I am glad to see others loved it.

I unfortunately couldn’t get into this story. I knew from the synopsis that sports were a big part of the storyline, but I didn’t realize just how much. It was a little obsessive and just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, author, and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

What a gift of a novel this is, with its gorgeous prose and its heartbreaking and often heartbroken characters and its deep love for basketball--something I have never cared for that has been opened up to me in a new and beautiful way here. This book is truly special. A novel I wish everyone would read!

4.5 rounded down because I can't get myself to give this a 5, mostly because this is not one I feel super comfortable recommending to everyone (there are a select few this will resonate with). At first I was not super thrilled to read a coming out story of high school student, largely because I do not relate. Not my typical read.
But by then end, I was invested in the plot and all the hope that manifested. The organization of the chapters of the book to coincide with a basketball game was brilliant. And all the life quotes and metaphors were relatable and real. This whole book felt so close to the truth of how people actually grow up and act. All the mistakes and bad decisions and finding and losing.

Thank you to NetGallery and Penguin House for reaching out to me to give this eARC a chance. I would probably not have read it otherwise.

This is a book that on the surface is about basketball, but is really about so much more than basketball. It’s a coming of age story about grief, love, friendship, longing, and pain.

There were a lot of things that I really enjoyed about this book, and a lot of things that reminded me of my young adulthood. Being in Mack’s head was challenging at times, but she was definitely a compelling, if often frustrating, protagonist to follow.

Overall this was well done, especially the way that the framing of basketball is used to help tell this story.