Im not sure what I expected from this book going into it but but Hazel is such a fierce main character. How one day can change the lives of so many is explored in this novel. It was emotional at times, funny during others, but one of those necessary reads, in my opinion. The narrator was also fantastic!

Hazel Says No is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that tackles sexual harassment, personal agency, and the complexities of navigating the post-#MeToo world. With a deeply relatable family at its heart, this debut captures the emotional fallout of a single event that fractures a tight-knit community.

When Hazel Blum’s father lands a tenure-track professorship, her family uproots their lives from Brooklyn to a small college town in Maine. Hazel, a sharp and determined high school senior, is set on making it through her last year and getting out. But everything changes when her school principal makes an inappropriate advance toward her—an event that not only upends her life but also sends shockwaves through the town.

What makes Hazel Says No stand out is its nuanced approach to difficult topics. Hazel is not just grappling with the trauma of the incident itself but also the unexpected opportunities that arise from it. When her story goes viral and a publisher offers her a memoir deal, she is forced to confront uncomfortable truths about her own privilege, the way society commodifies trauma, and the expectations placed on victims. The novel refuses to offer easy answers, instead exploring the gray areas of power, identity, and resilience.

Told from multiple perspectives, the story also delves into the impact on Hazel’s family. Her parents and younger brother, Wolf, each experience their own emotional reckoning as they navigate the fallout, making this more than just Hazel’s story—it’s about an entire family caught in the crossfire of a scandal that exposes the fault lines of their new community.

The writing is sharp, contemporary, and deeply resonant. Hazel’s viral moment happens at an event for a feminist writer reminiscent of Roxane Gay, grounding the novel in the present-day discourse surrounding feminism and social justice. The small-town setting adds an extra layer of tension as the town divides over whether to support Hazel or protect its own.

This is a book that doesn’t shy away from asking difficult questions. How do we define ourselves in the wake of trauma? Who gets to tell their story, and at what cost? How do we navigate a world that simultaneously empowers and exploits young women? Hazel Says No is an unflinching, emotionally rich debut that lingers long after the final page.

I loved this book. I read it with my eyes first, then switched to the audiobook, and unfortunately, I think this is one I’d stick to reading in print.

One of the coolest things about this book is the way the story unfolds through the perspectives of each Blum family member—6th grader Wolf, high school senior Hazel, accidental SAHM Clare, and their professorial patriarch, Gus. Each perspective is written so authentically that it truly feels like the character themselves is telling their story. Wolf’s chapters, for example, actually read like an 11-year-old boy wrote them.

I was so excited to see how this would translate to audio, but unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite work for me. Instead of capturing the natural voice of a child, the narration comes across as choppy and overly articulated... like every word is a punch to your ear. I don’t know how else to describe it, but it just didn’t feel right. Maybe if I’d started with the audiobook, I wouldn’t have noticed as much, but coming from the print version, it felt like a missed opportunity.

That being said, the story itself is fantastic. If audiobooks are your preferred format, it’s still worth listening to (it just could have been GREAT).