I found “A Sharp Endless Need” to be such a compelling read. The use of basketball to tell this emotional coming of age story immediately had me interested. I really felt for Mack and was truly crying for the final two chapters, seeing what they did and didn’t get after all they’d been through. I really enjoyed Mac’s writing style and the way they built the story. I would definitely recommend to friends!

DNF at about 42%. there are so many basketball analogies/metaphors/references that it's completely taking me out of the book lol. also, i love the yearning and tension between mack and liv but yet they're both flat as characters. they have no real substance to them in my eyes. there's also a lot of alcohol and drug use which is definitely something you'd see with teenagers in high school but they're both such serious athletes??? doesn't make sense.

the writing is also a struggle to get through. dialogue is a bit flat and there are way too many paragraphs of just info dumping and showing rather than telling. i can't endure more of it lol.

Dnf @ 32%

I really wanted to like this but I just couldn’t get past the writing style. Everything felt so info dumpy. For instance something would be brought up and then it would segue into a paragraph long tangent that honestly didn’t even matter. So much of what I read just felt over explained and it was taking away from the flow of the story. Very much a telling versus showing kind of vibe.

I also didn’t find myself connected to the characters. They were all kind of forgettable and didn’t have any strong stand out qualities within the 30% that I managed to read. The basketball aspect was fine but I think it would definitely work better for someone interested in the sport. I did appreciate the explanations in this instance just because I myself am not that familiar with the sport.

Also slightly random bit, I don’t have anything against characters partaking in drugs, but the way it kept getting excessively brought up every three lines at some points was exhausting.

If you're interested in a basketball centric queer coming of age story I'd definitely still say to check it out but, unfortunately this was a huge miss for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for providing me with this ARC.

(4.5/5) Wow, I’m still recovering from the emotional impact of A Sharp Endless Need. This book took me on a raw and incredibly intense journey through Mack’s coming-of-age story, one filled with love, grief, identity, and the hard choices that come with growing up and figuring out where and how you fit in the world. It’s been days since I finished, and I can’t stop thinking about it

The way the author explores sexuality and the complexities of self-discovery is extraordinary. I was completely hooked from the first chapter, and Mack’s internal tension—the rawness of those quiet moments of connection with Liv—made my heart ache; I was choking on sobs near the end. The chemistry between Mack and Liv, especially when they’re not even touching, is electric. There’s an intimacy in every shared moment, from a simple ride in the backseat to the deep emotional connection that lingers long after their time together on a basketball court.

The title alone, A Sharp Endless Need, is a perfect reflection of how overwhelming and consuming love, especially young love, can be. It's so beautifully portrayed here—devastating and real in a way that resonated with me long after the last page.

That line, "Her dad didn’t have to instruct me to smile for the picture because I was already smiling," hit me like a ton of bricks. It’s just one example of how the author masterfully captures these small yet life-shattering moments.

While I loved so much about this book, I do wish the ending was less inconclusive. I understand ending the book there, but I couldn’t help feeling unsatisfied with the conclusion and wanting more. Maybe that’s part of the beauty of the story—leaving room for reflection and growth—but I do wish for a bit more closure.

Despite this, A Sharp Endless Need is a unique, emotional ride that left a lasting imprint. The characters’ struggles, choices, and growth are so realistic, and the book does an incredible job of capturing the complexity of youth, sexuality, and love. It's a powerful read that will stick with me (and maybe even haunt me at times—in a beautiful and devastating way).

What a poignant and heartfelt read. I was all in with this coming of age story. A reminder of the trials and tribulations of youth and love. Overall a captivating and well written and well developed read. Big thanks to Random House and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC. This book is well worth your time and tears.

Mack is a great High School basketball player. She is constantly practicing basketball and she is a star player. Her Dad passes away and he was her rock. Liv Cooper has just started at the school and she is a good basketball player. When Mack and Liv were on the court they knew each other’s moves. They were a dynamic team together but Mack wanted more. They started exploring their wants but most people weren’t ready for that yet. The ups and downs that Mack goes through is truly heartbreaking.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The thing I enjoyed most about this book is the author's unapologetic passion for basketball. Crane's intentional use of colloquialism for the basketball dialogue was one of the best parts of the novel. By not trying to explain or dumb down the sport for the reader, Crane is connecting the reader directly to the main character's intensity and need of being the best and how destructive that need can be in a way that is universally relatable.

What the book is:
🔘 A first person, reflective single POV narrative, queer coming of age speculative fiction novel that takes place in a small white working class suburb of PA. The story is told by and details Mac experience as an elite high school basketball player entering the pressure of senior year while also dealing with complex feelings of grief, loss, love, and self discovery.
🔘 An achingly painful (in the best way) ode to unrequited messy teenage queer love.
🔘 A book that I read in one sitting, which means that it was captivating but when I got to the end I felt like I needed more. It wasn't that it felt incomplete, it just felt a bit rushed but I'm going to re-read it and see if I feel differently when it's not 4am.
🔘 Passionate and poetic prose. An essential read for the nostalgic queer millennial looking to relive the early aughts.

What the book is NOT:
🔘 A romance novel. Don't expect it to be, don't hope for it to be and don't get mad at it for not being.

A SHARP ENDLESS NEED is the teenage coming-of-age story that didn't know I needed on the cusp of turning forty. It smoldered, burned, reminded me of what it meant to feel alive & what it means to keep living. Beautifully written, aching and particular. I know nothing about basketball and would read Mac Crane writing about basketball forever. Gorgeous, moving, smart, painful, and hopeful.

The struggle is this book is painful to read. It is unfortunate that we live in a world where this is the reality. Definitely a great story of longing for something that you’re afraid to have.

The tension in this book… wow! This was such a beautiful story about girlhood, identity, and finding your sexuality. I absolutely loved the writing and was so invested in this story.

A queer, coming-of-age young adult novel. Mack, a high school basketball player loses her dad and while she is grieving his death, meets Liv, a new girl in school who is her teammate. Full of teenage angst and longing, this one would be a hit for readers who are here for the feels rather than the plot, anyone who likes basketball (there's a lot there) and those who enjoy coming-of-age stories.

I’m always drawn to a good coming-of-age story, and this one had so much potential with themes like grief, first love, and identity. I think I'm in the minority with my rating because while some moments resonated with me, others, including the ending, felt a bit rushed.

I was on a lot of teams in high school, but this story leaned quite heavily into basketball terminology, which was a little overwhelming for me since I’m not particularly into the sport. I also think LGBTQ+ readers might find certain moments more meaningful and relatable than I did.

Overall, it’s not a bad read, just not one that kept me completely hooked.

Thank you to The Dual Press via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review will be posted (Instagram, Goodreads, bookishlytara blog, Storygraph) on April 29, 2025. An additional post (with a reposted review) will be posted on Instagram on the publication day as well as an Amazon Canada review. (links below as available

I absolutely loved this book. The story follows basketball star Mack Morris during her senior year, as she grapples with the grief of losing her Dad and the stress of how society handles her queer identity. Mack was a fully fleshed out character and I understood her choices, her pain, and sometimes her joy. The world around her was also so clear in my mind, from her house to the (nearly) abandoned court she often plays at. I also felt connected to so many of the characters, who each had their own identity and whose motivations I understood. I especially connected to Mack's BFF / crush Liv, and her coach who is truly to do the best he can for his players. The ending had quite the twist and gave me a lot to think about, but I don't want to spoil anything here.

[arc review]
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
A Sharp Endless Need releases May 13, 2025

5+

<i>“We watched, we reveled, we lusted after a forever we couldn’t yet conceive.”</I>

Perfection. Forehead kisses to the team at The Dial Press who know me so well and sent this title my way. They consistently publish the best character-driven novels that are stripped bare, full of heart, and show honest human experiences that touch you in the most indelible ways.

Marisa Crane delivers such a wonderfully delicate exploration of intimacy and desire, with prose that is passionate, self-assured, lyrical, and daring enough to turn any sports-averse reader into a loyal fan.
Set in a rural town, two girls on the same basketball team test the limits of their queerness and their hunger to be known, wanted — to get as far away from loneliness as they can.

This coming-of-age novel effortlessly transports you back to the early 2000s and navigates grief, self-discovery, and complex (often unforgiving) family dynamics in such a poignant and evocative way.
By structuring Mack and Liz’s story like a basketball game, it solidified the art that is captured both on and off the courts, and the intensity of all-consuming friendships, of being seen, and knowing someone as well as you know yourself.

cw: drug use, SA


<i>“It felt like we were collaborating on something that predated language. Something so primitive you could only revert to that wild state by pushing your body to ill-advised limits. By pushing so hard that you eventually found what was on the other side of fear. Of loneliness. What we found in each other was a recognition so potent, so concentrated, we could hardly stomach it.”

“I knew this wasn’t unique to our town, I knew there were miserable people everywhere. It wasn’t that I thought the rest of the world was happy, I just thought the rest of the world might grant me the opportunities for new types of misery. Things like going through my first real breakup with a girl, one who would kiss me in public and call me her girlfriend—I would have welcomed that novel pain.”

“I found myself thinking about beauty, what it was, all the things we got wrong about it, all the ways we misunderstood it. I thought whatever beauty was, its opposite wasn’t ugliness, but sanity, sense. Liv was so beautiful I felt insane.”

“What had happened […] had been real. Even if just for a moment. Even if the aftermath threatened to dismantle them both. And maybe that was what I wanted—to be decimated beyond recognition so I would have no choice but to rebuild, without the influence of others.”</I>

I think I understand basketball now.

There is a lot going on but its strung together well, The main character navigates grief while falling in love for the first time and coming to term with her sexuality. There is a good amount of teen angst and drug use, but also very reflective on ones identity. It was a little long winded at times and I didn't find the characters all that likable -- I wouldn't say this book was for me but I still think it was worth the read.

For you if you enjoy: basketball, yearning, and a queer coming of age story.

A Sharp Endless Need by Marisa Crane is a book that I was highly anticipating because it seemed like something I would love but there was just something about the writing that I couldn’t connect to. I tried to get into the story but found myself putting the book down often and just not wanting to read it. I dnfed this book at 70 percent. I do think this is a book that will work for a lot of people and I know who to recommend this story to. It just wasn’t for me unfortunately. I do plan on reading more by this author in the future because I think they could have a book I will love.

This was interesting in a way that I didn’t expect. I enjoyed this story very much. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

Three ‘books’ were mentioned in the blurb that I had read and enjoyed:
“Nothing To See Here” by Kevin Wilson
“Pizza Girl” by Jean Kyong Frazier
“Call Me By Your Name” by Andre Aciman
as well was a movie called “Love & Basketball” ……
So ???
I ask….”wouldn’t you highly consider reading THIS book too?
“A Sharp Endless Need”? ….even if you were an old fart 72 - straight female - married 46 years?

….The main characters are young. I’m not young.
….The main characters play basketball. I don’t play basketball ball.
….The young characters are exploring-grappling-discovering- and becoming accustomed to their sexual identity. I’m way past the age of pondering or coming to terms with my sexuality.
….Our small town Pennsylvania young senior high school protagonists students: McKenzie (Mack) Morris and Liv Cooper …. both have unresolved issues with their parents. It’s not an issue I have.
….Both Mack and Liv are worried about their futures….including going to the right college. Not an issue for me either.
….The girls party hard…indulge in drinking and drugs. That was never me …..
So???
Did I enjoy this Lesbian, Queer, LGBT contemporary coming-of-age -young adult - young love- romance-sports-(🏀) novel?
*YES*!!!!

The overall reading ‘feeling’ was intimate, passionate, and real.
However…the endless complicated issues High School students deal with today seem much more challenging than when I was a straight lace innocent pom-pom girl.
Bless our young people!!! My heart goes out to all of them!

A few excerpts I thought were beautiful….(the entire book is beautifully written):
“We wanted to live forever. Who could blame us? We wanted to live Ballin hand, ball against backboard, ball, licking the bottom of the net. We wanted to be in history books. For what? We didn’t know. We certainly weren’t the first to do anything.—not to ball, not to win, not to lose, not to suffer, but that didn’t matter. To us, basketball was a historical record of all the ways a body can move with, and for another. What could be better than the strange and perverse pleasure of being known?”

“On the court, we were married. The referee whistles like wedding bells ringing inside our chests. Only, we didn’t call it a marriage. We called it shared language, tongue-heavy language, locked-and-loaded language, the most reliable form of communication. One bound not by syntax, but by rhythm, by the beat, beat, beat of human music, by the simultaneous seeing and knowing of another”.

“The game bonded us in a way words could only dream of. And if we had an animal instinct, a panther prowl on the court, then basketball had a hound dog nose. It could sniff out and track our desires before those desires had even arisen in us. That’s what we needed, what we counted on”.

“Some people said basketball was like dancing, you needed rhythm, you needed to feel the ball’s desire like you needed your heart to beat right, but we knew, in the deeps of our hips, that basketball was even more erotic than dancing; it was a collaboration, a mutual creation way of fucking without touching”.

🏀📘✍️❤️ Lovely depth - beauty - and achievement.
Congratulations to

i loved this, but i also hated it
the ending???? HELLO
aside from that, the yearning, the uncertainty, the repressed feelings, the compulsory heteronormativity...it was all so relatable and i think every young queer person could learn something about themselves through reading this.

I want to start off by saying I could tell from the start that this book wouldn't be for me. The writing style is one that I typically don't enjoy. I’m not very knowledgeable with basketball, so there were many parts of the book where I couldn’t visualize or relate to. While this book isn’t for me, I know there would be people out there who would enjoy it. Thank you for the ARC!