Review by Booklist Review
During the summer after graduation, all Blake and her girlfriend, Ella, can think about is whether they'll be invited to join the Serena Society, a sorority of women of color leaders who support one another. Ella's sisters and mother are members, so she's a sure thing. But Blake, the 18-year-old narrator, isn't so sure of herself. Her family is nowhere near as wealthy as Ella's, and years of bullying in elementary school have tanked her self-esteem. One thing she has learned is that alcohol obliterates her poor self-esteem and turns her into "Big Bad Bee." Ella appears to approve of this, although another friend expresses concern. As Blake's activities begin to catch up with her, she finds she has to make some tough choices about Ella and herself. Blake is a very sympathetic character, and many readers will feel her pain, even when they wince at her poor choices. At the same time, her growth as she begins to unpack her relationship with Ella and with alcohol develops beautifully, and it is gratifying to see her come into her own.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Eighteen-year-old biracial (Black and white) Blake Brenner is excited to spend the summer before her freshman year of college at prestigious Jameswell University working at the local yacht club and partying until dawn with her long-term girlfriend Ella and best friend Annetta. Blake is also hoping to gain entrance to the secret Serena Society, an exclusive Jameswell club of powerful women of color. When the three girls are invited to pledge--a task made easier for affluent legacy recruits Annetta and Ella--they know they'll have to impress the current members with their tenacity and determination, as well as with their ability to withstand an intense partying culture in which getting blackout drunk is the norm. As they get swept up in the parties and myriad pledge tasks, Annetta worries about Blake's heavy drinking, but Blake is more preoccupied with maintaining her status within the Serena Society and navigating her increasingly toxic relationship with Ella. Hammonds (We Deserve Monuments) 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. Ages 14--up. Agent: Faye Bender, Book Group. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up--Blake and Ella, her girlfriend of four years, desperately want to be accepted into the exclusive Serena Society. Best friend Nettie is also trying to snag a coveted spot, but with tempered enthusiasm once the hazing starts. It's the beginning of summer after high school graduation, with the girls working part-time jobs and spending most nights partying hard with other Serena hopefuls as part of pledging. But the intense drinking highlights a substance abuse problem Blake firmly denies. Feeling abandoned by her parents, Blake is lonely, lost, and frantic to flee her loathed childhood image, using alcohol to numb the edges, drown the self-hatred, and bring out Big Bad Bee, her fun party persona. But life's demands are piling up, and Blake can't keep running. Surrounded by toxic people, she struggles to find her way out, helped by a true best friend and family who won't give up on her. She slams headfirst into her own rock bottom and must face ugly truths in order to start healing. Hammonds writes deeply felt family dynamics, drawing readers into these flawed characters as they struggle with substance abuse and generational trauma. The chapters are interspersed with short vignettes written as recipes for improving or destroying oneself. All main characters are diverse with strong LGBTQIA+ representation. Includes an author's note about alcoholism. VERDICT A profound must-read for any library serving older teens.--Kristen Rademacher
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
An incoming college student in Virginia experiences a life-altering summer. Blake Brenner, who has a Black dad and a white mom, wants to be seen, celebrated, and respected--and to overcome her humble beginnings, anxiety, and childhood bullying. She's off to a great start, having landed a beautiful girlfriend, Black and Filipina Ella Spencer, whose money and social status open any door. Ella's influence helps them score an invitation to pledge the Serena Society, a secret sisterhood "for powerful, badass women of color" at Jameswell University, where Blake, Ella, and Blake's best friend, Annetta Jones, who's Black, are going in the fall. The three girls are determined to join the elite ranks of Serena, no matter the cost. Desperately looking to please everyone, even at a cost to herself, Blake depends heavily on alcohol. Surely, if drinking makes her loved by her girlfriend and the life of the party, it can't be that bad? Blake's chaotic summer after high school graduation ultimately comes to a hopeful end, with her taking stock of her life. In their sophomore novel, award-winner Hammonds impressively uses flashbacks and their profound command of language to animate Blake's narrative, powerfully illustrating alcohol's effects on her mental state. Readers will be gripped from the very beginning by the author's thrilling storytelling, which presents thought-provoking conversations about alcohol consumption, identity, and elitism. A gut-wrenching story that honestly explores the normalization of alcoholism. (content warning, author's note) (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
