Thirsty by Jas Hammonds: Review

Title: Thirsty: A Novel
Author: Jas Hammonds
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Pub Date: 05/14/24
Genre: YA Contemporary
Edition: Bound ARC

Thirsty Description

From Jas Hammonds, award-winning author of We Deserve Monuments, comes a gripping read about a girl willing to risk it all for the chance to join an underground sorority with her wealthy best friends—perfect for fans of Euphoria and Girl in Pieces.

It’s the summer before college and Blake Brenner and her girlfriend, Ella, have one goal: join the mysterious and exclusive Serena Society. The sorority promises status and lifelong connections to a network of powerful, trailblazing women of color. Ella’s acceptance is a sure thing—she’s the daughter of a Serena alum. Blake, however, has a lot more to prove.

As a former loner from a working-class background, Blake lacks Ella’s pedigree and confidence. Luckily, she finds courage at the bottom of a liquor bottle. When she drinks, she’s bold, funny, and unstoppable—and the Serenas love it. But as pledging intensifies, so does Blake’s drinking, until it’s seeping into every corner of her life. Ella assures Blake that she’s fine; partying hard is what it takes to make the cut . . .

But success has never felt so much like drowning. With her future hanging in the balance and her past dragging her down, Blake must decide how far she’s willing to go to achieve her glittering dreams of success—and how much of herself she’s willing to lose in the process.

Review

“That was when I learned confidence and wealth were often two sides of the same coin.”

I called Jas one of my favorite authors after We Deserve Monuments, but when you know you know. They solidified it with Thirsty, a stunning sophomore novel. This is a book that I think is better to experience for yourself, so this is going to be a short review, but Blake’s backstory and worries were layered in so well that I could easily understand her decisions. I was always on the edge when she drank though, pleading that she wouldn’t ruin her life.

#TeamAnnetta My favorite character hands down, and I never doubted them for a second. Sometimes you don’t always go about things the right way, but when it comes to someone’s well-being, right can often be very blurry and irrelevant.

Overall, I highly recommend picking this one up. The characterization was top tier. The setting was unmatched. The story touched on race, class, gender, and sexuality. What more could you ask for? Jas’ writing and career feels so intentional that I’ll definitely be here for every book.

*Thank you to Fierce Reads for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. I also purchased my own copy, so you should too, dear reader.*

Author

Jas Hammonds was raised in many cities and between the pages of many books. They have received support for their writing from Baldwin for the Arts, the Highlights Foundation and more. They are also a grateful recipient of the MacDowell James Baldwin Fellowship. Their debut novel, We Deserve Monuments, won the 2023 Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for New Talent, among many other accolades.
Website | IG

Where to Buy

Bookshop | B&N | Amazon

If you enjoyed this review of Thirsty by Jas Hammonds, check out my review of their debut novel We Deserve Monuments.