Deep Cuts | Book Review
A love letter to indie music in the 2000's
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
277 pages | Published by Crown
The Set Up: Percy and Joe meet in college and their relationship is intense from the start. They are both passionate about music, and Joe asks for Percy’s help with his songwriting. Once they leave school and Joe’s band gains a bit of fame, Percy struggles to find her place in the music scene.
I FLEW through this book! Granted, I was on vacation when I read it, so I had the time, but it genuinely is a quick read and it really sucked me in. As a lover of music, and even specifically 2000’s indie music, this really scratched an itch for me.
This entire book felt like a love letter to the indie music scene. Spanning the early 2000’s through the lens of Percy and Joe’s relationship, this made me think of Daisy Jones meets Normal People. It had a definite nostalgic and almost bittersweet feel. If this is Holly Brickley’s debut, I’m on pins and needles waiting for what she writes next because the writing really blew me away. Her prose was beautiful and poignant.
“She wants to be the only one. She wants him as her deep cut, a B-side un-earthed from a rarities bin, proof of her own special-ness because she's the one who discovered it, because she doesn't know how to sing her own damn song.”
The characters here are both messy and wonderful. I can see how some might read this and hate them, but I really ate it up. This is so much about growing up and self discovery, and as much as I did want to shout at Percy and Joe throughout the book, I get it. These are young people trying to figure out their place in the world, and specifically in the music industry.
I loved both sides to Joe and Percy’s relationship - the clear attraction they had with each other, as well as their instant and intense connection over music and songwriting. By the end, I was so pleased with who they grow to be, especially Percy.
If you’ve every wanted to feel like you’ve stepped into the Garden State soundtrack, pick up this book ASAP.
Making the comparison between Daisy Jones and Normal People is really intriguing. I love finding those books you can’t put down and don’t want to end and leave the characters behind.