Deep Cuts has immediately landed itself a place on my list for my favourite books of 2025.

Everyone can relate to Percy, who has her strong opinions on music, despite not being musically talented herself. In a campus bar on a Friday night, Percy finds herself sitting next to Joe Morrow, who happens to be a songwriter. Despite Percy's strong opinions possibly being her worst trait, Joe could listen to her talk for as long as he can listen. When Joe asks Percy for her opinion on one of his songs, they embark on a partnership that spans years, ebbing and flowing in line with the height of their egos.

Deep Cuts acts as an eye of scrutiny for the emergence of new talent, obsession, and just how far we will go to ensure our voices are heard.

As someone who has such a deep appreciation for music (I genuinely cannot get anything done if I don't have music playing in the background), I adored this book. The simultaneous depth of love in the writing of the relationships, as well as music, made this book irresistible and unforgettable.

I have already purchased this book as a present, and I will continue to do so. For buying books you loved, for the people you love, is the best love-language of all.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Crown for sending me an e-ARC of this book!

Absolutely incredible book from start to finish !! I will recommend this to everyone and anyone !! You must read !!

Deep cuts is one of those books that completely pulls you into its world, I didn't just read it, I felt it with every page. It felt like a love child of some of my favourite books, with the nostalgia and musical energy of Daisy Jones & The Six, the deep emotional connections of Normal People, and the sweeping, time-spanning quality of One Day. From the first few pages, I was hooked and couldn't put it down. The way it captures the 90s and 00s is so effortless, making you feel like you're right there alongside the characters as they navigate love, music, and growing up.

I honestly can't believe this is a debut novel, it's so beautifully written, full of sharp, intimate moments and characters that feel completely real. The relationships are messy in the best way, the emotions hit hard, and the whole story lingers long after you've finished the book. I can't wait to read more of Holly's work.

Deep Cuts is a coming of age book, which sees Percy falling for musician, Joe. Their dynamic is fraught at times and both Percy and Joe self-sabotage too afraid of what might become if they tried to be together. Their musical relationship both feeds and malnourishes their attraction. Percy's prose provides interesting back stories on well-known songs and gives flesh to the musical references. Joe, is a slightly tortured soul, who is finding his feet trying to live up to both Percy's expectation and his own. More than that, Deep Cuts starts off with little paper cuts, imploring the reader to relive the wounds of young love and miscommunication for fear of rejection. It will make you reminisce about your first love and the simplicity and complexity of wanting to be with someone. If you are a a millennial or late Gen X you will appreciate the time period references.

I loved this book! As someone who’s really into music Deep Cuts felt like it was written for me. It’s the perfect mix of emotional storytelling and music appreciation, and I found so many moments deeply relatable.
It actually reminded me a bit of Normal People in how it explores the quiet intensity of relationships and growing up, but with a unique focus on music that sets it apart. The characters use songs almost like a second language, which I found both beautiful and authentic. I also loved the playlist element (available on Spotify!), which helped me discover new music and made the whole experience feel more immersive.
There were a lot of cultural references—some of which I didn’t get—which became a little distracting after a while, but that’s more about me than the book. Overall, a great read—especially for music lovers. I’d definitely recommend it.

(Review also posted on the Waterstones website for the book)

I read this because it referenced other novels I’ve enjoyed (Daisy Jones and the Six) for example. However, the main connection was it was about music and to me this was a bit too pretentious and complex for the general reader. It left me feeling alienated and disinterested. Ultimately I skimmed to the end. Not one for me but I’m sure it will appeal to others. I did not warm to either main character either. I’m glad there’s such a buzz about the book as it’s important there’s wide reaching books to appeal to everyone’s taste, this just wasn’t the one for me. It may be in a different month when I’m in another mood I feel completely differently about this as well.

Droll, not really my thing at all. Couldn't find any common ground with the characters. It didn't flow for me at all.

Really good book that i will recommend to others.

Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

A very emotional and well crafted read. The descriptions were amazing. Definitely similar to sally rooney. Highly recommend

There has been a huge amount of hype surrounding this book, not least owing to the recent news of an A24 adaptation starring Austin Butler and Saoirse Ronan. And in many ways I can understand it, now having got the chance to finish. The character details are excellent, the concept is phenomenal, and it is littered with little bits of descriptive detail ('he was drinking that beer that tastes like rubber bands') that just felt so well crafted. It's already got off to a brilliant start, and I fully expect that to continue.

It is, sadly, in the romantic push and pull between Joe and Percy where my enjoyment was a little quashed. Compared to other sweeping love stories of recent times, take T&T&T for example, I just didn't connect with their bond in the same way, and that did take me out of it somewhat. This is never more true than in the final chapter, which I can't help but feel was something of a cop out.

However, there are some incredible qualities to this debut, and I will be excited to see where the author goes next.

‘Deep Cuts’ is a novel that from the synopsis ought to be great, but ultimately fails to live up to its potential. That’s not to say it’s bad—it’s certainly an okay debut. But for me, it’s just that: okay.

The writing is good enough, in the main—occasionally it lapses into cliché—but it sits much closer to ‘bland’ than ‘standout’ on the spectrum. ‘Inoffensive’ is the word that most readily comes to mind when I try to describe it.

Similarly, the story itself fails to leave much of an impression. Nothing really happens, the characters don’t change, the relationship at the end of the novel is stuck in the same cycle seen throughout. There were multiple places in which I felt a glimmer that it would become something stronger, that it might live up to the drama and intrigue in the synopsis, but those moments, just like the book overall, fizzled out. It felt like the author was on the cusp of taking it to a higher level, but then backed away. To me, that’s more frustrating than a book that is just plain bad, because the potential was there, within reach, but for some reason the author shied away rather than grasping it.

Another thing it felt like the author shied away from was the decision as to whether to place the romantic relationship or Percy’s personal development at the centre of the story. As a result, we get neither. This contributed to that bland nothingness that is my main enduring feeling for the story.

A further issue is the pacing. It’s slow. The articles included in the text and the internal reflections on music are important to the story, but they’re not that engaging (especially not to someone who doesn’t know and love the music as well as Percy/the author does), and so they have the unfortunate side effect of making the story drag. I often found myself zoning out during those sections and wishing the story would move forward.

Overall, ‘Deep Cuts’ is a novel that I didn’t dislike but won’t reread and probably won’t think about again. I would definitely recommend that readers give it a go for themselves, as I’m sure some will love it. I’ll be interested to see what the author writes next—it could be great.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Holly Brickley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC. My review will be posted on Instagram, Amazon UK, GoodReads and The StoryGraph.

Heartbreaking and emotional - this is what was promised and this is what was delivered. I'm glad to have read this.

Deep Cuts absolutely wrecked me in the best way. It’s raw, haunting, and so powerfully written—I felt every emotion right alongside the characters. The way it explores trauma, survival, and resilience is both heartbreaking and hopeful. Cassie Gustafson doesn’t shy away from the tough moments, making this an intense but important read. The characters felt so real, their pain and strength leaping off the page. It’s a story that lingers long after the final page, leaving you both heartbroken and inspired. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time..

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. Maybe I built it up too much after seeing so many comparisons to Daisy Jones & The Six, which is one of my favourite books. However, this one just fell flat for me. The pacing felt slow & I struggled to connect with the characters.

What a lovely novel that’s giving nostalgia vibes that’s also heartbreaking, giving YA vibes a misfit in college. A good music selection really hip book and so different! The tension between Daisy and Billy unreal!

I wanted to love this book, (music-based stories usually hook me instantly) but something was missing. While the nostalgia and behind the scenes look at songwriting were enjoyable, the characters and their relationship left me frustrated. Percy, despite her clear talent, never fully won me over, and the constant miscommunication with Joe felt more like a cycle than real development. It was hard to shake the feeling that they never truly grew up.

That said, there’s plenty to appreciate, the writing is sharp, the cultural callbacks hit the right notes, and the exploration of creative collaboration is compelling. I enjoyed parts of it, but it didn’t resonate as deeply as I’d hoped. If you love music driven stories and don’t mind a bit of emotional back and forth, it’s still worth a read.

To start, I’m a fan of how novel is structured -- with songs being interwoven into the narrative and how each chapter revolves around a song (fictional or real). Everything a mixtape should be, it tells a story through the songs chosen and this playlist and appearances of some familiar songs (and some that I’ve never heard before!) just adds a layer of immersion, making the whole reading experience so much fun and vivid, like I was there with the characters, appreciating and listening to the songs mentioned. Reading this, and seeing Percy’s (and Holly Brickley’s!) love for music made me more aware of the songs I already enjoy, and reminds me to listen more closely to them moving forward too.

Perhaps the aspect about this book that really hooked me in was the main character and her journey. While reading this, I didn’t expect to see so much of myself in Percy. I understood her -- her jealousy and frustration towards the talent and success of others (particularly Joe’s) that seem to come so easy, as well as her lack of self-confidence and courage to chase the dreams and ambition she believes are lost to her.

I found Deep Cuts a very enjoyable read, particularly because of the vivid setting and its flawed and relatable main character. I’m looking forward to the movie adaptation. Saoirse Ronan and Austin Butler? I can see it in my head already!

Big thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC!

Loved this !!

I cannot explain the nostalgia i got from reading this , oh the memories !
I love books set in the music industry and this had more of a 'real' feel about it than say Daisy Jones . It's not just about the art of music but also about the business behind it which added so much more depth to the story. You really got a sense of the author's love for music .
It's a tale of self discovery , growing up , life and how music shapes us . I cannot wait for the movie!

Deep Cuts captures the feeling of being young and in love to the point of obsession. One night at a bar, Percy is spilling all her opinions on music when she looks up to find Joe, who is captivated by her thoughts. The story follows Joe into music fame and Percy as music lover and writer. Their friendship, love affair,.and dependency is almost toxic and certain intoxicating. The deep delve into music discussions is superb with each chapter having a titular song. This novel would be best enjoyed with its accompanying playlist for full immersion. Music lovers will love this and fans of music literature like Daisy Jones and the Six. #Deepcuts #hollybrickley #netgalley

I was drawn to the cover and the synopsis of Deep Cuts - a will they / won’t they relationship between Joe and Percy in the early 2000s with a musical soundtrack.
The novel started well and I liked the characterisation of Percy annd Joe and the setting in the 2000s. Although I was a bit older than Percy and Joe during this period I did feel nostalgic for my youth and this era. The music however, didn’t really resonate and so this was a barrier to my connection with the narrative. At times I felt the portrayal of Percy and Joe’s relationship was a little superficial and I longed for more depth and intensity.
Overall however this was an enjoyable read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
3.5 stars