Deep Cuts

September 1, 2024

In this buzzy debut, college students Percy Marks and Joe Morrow meet at a bar in Berkeley during the fall of 2000. Percy has no musical talent but is full of opinions about it, while Joe, a songwriter, asks for Percy's feedback on his song, leading to a creative and romantic partnership that might not stand the test of time and simmering resentment. Prepub Alert.

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Starred review from November 1, 2024
College student Percy Marks is not your average music fan. She can wax poetic for hours on the meaning behind a single lyric, and often does. One night at the local bar, she launches into a discussion with the guy sitting next to her about a Hall and Oates song, completely expecting the usual reaction--slight interest, quickly turning to boredom. This time is different, though. Joe is a songwriter and musician and Percy immediately feels a deep connection as they bond over the meaning of music. Joe invites Percy to give feedback on the song he is working on and thus begins a years-long relationship that feels magical and ineffable. Though they are clearly attracted to each other, both are reluctant to give up their friendship or jeopardize their creative working relationship. This dazzling debut isn't so much a ""will they/won't they"" story as it is a "should they?"" Much like Dolly Alderton or Caroline O'Donoghue, Brickley plumbs the emotions and uncertainty of being in your 20s with empathy and humor, all while taking a nostalgic trip back to the early 2000s music scene. With an assured, conversational tone, appealing characters, and an emotionally resonant love story, this one is sure to win the hearts of many readers.

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December 15, 2024
Creative partnership or romantic relationship? Berkeley undergrads who connect over his music and her ideas about it spend eight years agonizing over which is more important. Brickley's first novel lovingly evokes the indie scene of the early 21st century--and lots of other pop music as well--while deftly crafting the bumpy emotional journey of her insufferably opinionated, touchingly vulnerable heroine. Narrator Percy Marks clicks with singer/songwriter Joe Morrow from the moment they bond in the fall of 2000, in classic collegiate fashion, over the distinction between "a perfect song" and "a perfect recording." He appreciates her critiques of his songs, which they both know make them better, and when Joe's girlfriend, Zoe, tells Percy that she's gay, Percy moves on her long-simmering attraction to Joe. It's definitely reciprocated, but Joe tells her he values their work together too much to complicate it. This back and forth goes on while Percy gets an MFA at Columbia and Joe tours and self-releases his first album--"with special thanks" to Percy, who told him she didn't want co-writing credit. She's not so sure about that decision four years later, long after she's told him she can't work with him anymore, when she finds a song she co-wrote on his second album, with the same evasive "special thanks" credit. Percy now lives in San Francisco, where she writes a music blog in tandem with a vintage early-aughts job as an "intelligence specialist" searching out "trendsetters" for corporate brands looking for street cred. Zoe, now her best friend and roommate, offers a running reality check on Percy's tortured, ambivalent feelings about Joe and her future career goals as they navigate the years from 9/11 to Barack Obama's election. Brickley's sensitive depiction of Percy's (very) slowly growing professional and personal self-confidence will appeal even to readers who miss most of the pop-culture references and are weary of the "will they/won't they" plot. A promising debut notable for sharp characterizations and a vividly conveyed sense of time and place.

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December 16, 2024
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. Agent: Anna Stein, CAA.