Deep Cuts
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3.6 • 19 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
It was the love story of the decade…
Or it should have been
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SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM A24, FILMING IN SPRING 2026
'Tender as a ballad and pleasurable as a pop song' COCO MELLORS
'Clever and heart-wrenching and addictive' MIRANDA COWLEY HELLER
'An incredibly special book' BETH O'LEARY
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The first time Joe plays Percy one of his songs in his college room in 2000, she instantly realises three things:
One, she is watching a star in the making.
Two, she can shape his music into something extraordinary.
Three, she will always be on the sidelines.
She swallows her jealousy and throws herself into collaboration, transforming Joe’s songs into indie hits with her blistering critiques.
But there’s an undercurrent to the music they’re making – something undeniably electric, hurtling towards love. And then, almost inevitably, towards heartbreak.
As Joe steps into the spotlight, can Percy bear to watch on in silence?
And can he exist there without her?
Deep Cuts is an irresistible novel about passion and obsession, love and longing and, above all, our need to be heard.
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WHAT READERS ARE SAYING…
'The best debut novel I've ever read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I need this book to come out so I can talk to at least one person about it!! Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow meets Normal People, with all the nostalgia of Almost Famous and High Fidelity' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'You need to add this to your TBR. Just trust me on this, ok?' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I can’t believe this book is a debut novel because of how good it is. I felt a mixture of Sally Rooney with Gabrielle Zevin and it was delicious' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I love it with all my heart, I'm super sad it's over and I will be insufferable when it's out' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I wish I could have written this book. I’m jealous of people who haven’t yet read this book' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'This is an absolutely breathtaking debut. I cannot hammer that home enough' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I can’t believe this is a debut! It’s perfect for fans of One Day and Daisy Jones & The Six … This one hit me hard'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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About the author
Holly Brickley studied English at UC Berkeley and received an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University. Originally from Hope, British Columbia, she now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and their two daughters. Deep Cuts is her debut novel.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
What kind of relationship is this exactly? Since university, Percy has helped Joe to refine and shape his music. She’s somewhere between a muse, critic and friend, and with her as a collaborator, Joe’s music starts to gain attention. Their lives begin to take adult shapes, with Percy moving to New York and Joe gaining a certain amount of stardom, but the driving force of the book is their relationship. Will they get together? Should they get together?
The indie scene of the 2000s is lovingly rendered and is a treat for anyone who was there at the time (or wishes they had been). The setting, and the themes of musical inspiration and envy, will appeal to those who enjoyed Daisy Jones & The Six, whereas the central relationship bears an obvious comparison to the two university friends in One Day. That’s not to say Deep Cuts is a derivative remix: Debut author Holly Brickley brings a fresh spin and creates an enjoyable hit.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Brickley debuts with a refreshing story of love and ambition in the early 2000s indie music scene. The narrator, Percy Marks, meets aspiring musician Joe Morrow at a bar in Berkeley, Calif., where they're both in college. Joe, who has a "flawless jawline," appreciates Percy's discerning taste, and asks for her feedback on a song he's working on. She then helps with another song, which winds up launching his career a year later. She's happy for him, but wonders if she should have received a songwriting credit. Her bittersweet feelings intensify after she makes her first pass at him and he rejects her, preferring to keep her as his "critic." After she moves to New York City to study music writing, she enters a new relationship with a fellow writer. Though she knows Joe is sleeping with other women on tour, she still has feelings for him. Joe and Percy's saga reaches a tipping point after Percy has become a successful blogger and Joe, adrift without Percy's input on his music, takes to plagiarizing her writing. Brickley's sharp commentary on aughts indie rock will please music fans, but what makes this special is her portrayal of how Joe and Percy are bound by their creative drive even more than by romantic love. It's a banger.
