Thirsty: A Novel
$19.99 USD
Hardcover
From Jas Hammonds, award-winning author of We Deserve Monuments, comes a gripping read about a queer teen risking it all to pledge an underground sorority with her best friends the summer before college—perfect for fans of Euphoria and Girl in Pieces.
It’s the summer before college and eighteen-year-old 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.
Jas Hammonds was raised in many cities and between the pages of many books. They have received support for their writing from Lambda Literary, Baldwin for the Arts, and the Highlights Foundation. 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
"Visceral and engrossing, Thirsty by Jas Hammonds plunges readers into the glittering world of country clubs and luxury boats–a world Blake is desperate to be part of as she battles crippling anxiety and self-doubt with one more round. This book is astounding in its searing authenticity and tenderness." —Alexandra Villasante, award-winning author of The Grief Keeper
"A profound must-read." —School Library Journal, starred review
"Readers will be gripped from the very beginning. A gut-wrenching story"—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Hammonds expertly weaves explorations of class, family, queer identity, race, and substance reliance into a glittering, harrowing narrative that is compulsively readable, gorgeously written, and intricately crafted." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“A sensitively wrought and gorgeously written exploration of a young woman's hard-won journey back to herself. Hammonds is a formidable talent whose unflinching vulnerability and empathy will inspire the same of their readers.”—Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie and I’m the Girl
"Jas Hammonds remains one of literature's most electric voices. Breathtaking and courageous, Thirsty will change lives. Blake Brenner's story challenges our social norms, perception of addiction, and expectations for all kinds of love. I was dazzled and devastated by every page, and ultimately left profoundly moved." —Jen St. Jude, author of If Tomorrow Doesn't Come
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