Thirsty: A Novel

Cover Image Description: a mixed-race Black and white teenage girl floats in a pool. She is crying, but glitter coats her tears. She is surrounded by floating red Solo cups, empty wine bottles, and shimmery confetti. The word Thirsty is outlined in blue neon at the top of the cover, and it reflects in the water. The name Jas Hammonds is in blue font at the bottom.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, Reader’s Digest, School Library Journal, Chicago Public Library, and Boston Public Library

2025-2026 Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers Nominee

2025 ALA Rainbow Book List Selection

YALSA 2025 Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten Selection

“A profound must-read.”—School Library Journal, starred review

“Compulsively readable, gorgeously written, and intricately crafted.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

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.

Content Notes

Thirsty contains depictions of alcohol addiction, self-hatred, suicidal ideation, racial microaggressions, transphobic rhetoric, non-consensual outing, toxic relationship dynamics, instances of vomit, strong language, sexual content, and mentions of divorce. Please read this book with care. And, perhaps, a cup of tea.