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In Bloom
One of The Observer (London)'s Best Debut Novels of 2026
A story of class and coming-of-age as a group of best friends investigates the allegations against their teacher.
It’s the mid-nineties, and in the small, shitty coastal town of Vincent, Australia, four Nirvana-obsessed fourteen-year-old girls form a grunge band. The Bastards are “forgettable girls”—poor, not particularly clever, ridiculed by their better-off classmates, and desperate to escape the fates of their mothers, who seem locked into a life of minimum-wage jobs, surprise pregnancies, and drunk boyfriends. The Battle of the Bands is the girls’ one ticket out.
As small-town rumors swirl, however, The Bastards are abandoned by their lead singer Lily Lucid, who accuses their beloved music teacher of assault. The three remaining girls are left with nothing. Nothing, that is, except their amateur detective skills, a conviction that Mr. P is innocent, and a readiness to sacrifice everything to keep their dream alive. Spinning with rage at the confines of their lives, they reach a precipice where there’s no turning back.
Brash and bold, grungy and propulsive, In Bloom is a coming-of-age novel about class, girlhood in precarious circumstances, and how to build a sense of self when the foundations of friendship fail.
A story of class and coming-of-age as a group of best friends investigates the allegations against their teacher.
It’s the mid-nineties, and in the small, shitty coastal town of Vincent, Australia, four Nirvana-obsessed fourteen-year-old girls form a grunge band. The Bastards are “forgettable girls”—poor, not particularly clever, ridiculed by their better-off classmates, and desperate to escape the fates of their mothers, who seem locked into a life of minimum-wage jobs, surprise pregnancies, and drunk boyfriends. The Battle of the Bands is the girls’ one ticket out.
As small-town rumors swirl, however, The Bastards are abandoned by their lead singer Lily Lucid, who accuses their beloved music teacher of assault. The three remaining girls are left with nothing. Nothing, that is, except their amateur detective skills, a conviction that Mr. P is innocent, and a readiness to sacrifice everything to keep their dream alive. Spinning with rage at the confines of their lives, they reach a precipice where there’s no turning back.
Brash and bold, grungy and propulsive, In Bloom is a coming-of-age novel about class, girlhood in precarious circumstances, and how to build a sense of self when the foundations of friendship fail.
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First published January 27, 2026
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About the author
Liz Allan
2 books44 followersDr Liz Allan is an Australian writer and teacher currently living and working in the UK. Her short story, 'Our Voices, Fierce' was awarded the Rachel Funari Prize for fiction in 2018 and her fiction has been shortlisted and longlisted for numerous other awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
December 9, 2025
Super-fast-paced story of four working-class teen girls who form a band in mid-90s suburban Australia. They call themselves The Bastards: ‘without fathers, we are free.’ When one of their number, Lily, splits off from the group following a rumoured sexual assault, they become obsessed with nailing the culprit – it must surely be Lily’s mum’s dodgy boyfriend, and not, as everyone else claims, their beloved music teacher Mr P. In Bloom is narrated in first-person plural, not generally my favourite, but this is one of the most effective uses of it I’ve ever read. Although it comes slightly unstuck towards the end, it’s a fierce, punchy, evocative novel, a junior Scabby Queen.
February 27, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is one of those books that, on the surface, you head into thinking Hells yeah, good time riot grrrl 1990's grunge era rock & roll battle of the bands quest and it is that but, yep, there is a but, there is also a deeply sad undercurrent that slowly builds in intensity as the tale unfolds. Found this to be a compelling debut, the story is well constructed with a ton of very short chapters and cleverly told using the collective voice to narrate the shared experiences of the 3 bandmates. Readers should be aware that the plot does involve sexual abuse and there is some vicious bullying. Can't share much more than this without spoiling things for others.
I am reposting this review as Marked as Read without a star rating and will add GR stars once the book is published and use my own in the meantime.
Disclosure: Received an uncorrected ARC of this book from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.
This is one of those books that, on the surface, you head into thinking Hells yeah, good time riot grrrl 1990's grunge era rock & roll battle of the bands quest and it is that but, yep, there is a but, there is also a deeply sad undercurrent that slowly builds in intensity as the tale unfolds. Found this to be a compelling debut, the story is well constructed with a ton of very short chapters and cleverly told using the collective voice to narrate the shared experiences of the 3 bandmates. Readers should be aware that the plot does involve sexual abuse and there is some vicious bullying. Can't share much more than this without spoiling things for others.
I am reposting this review as Marked as Read without a star rating and will add GR stars once the book is published and use my own in the meantime.
Disclosure: Received an uncorrected ARC of this book from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.
November 4, 2025
"‘Freaks!’ Ryan calls us, but we don’t care. Kurt Cobain says that fitting in is for losers, so we’re proud to be freaks."
The Bastards aren't afraid of anything.
Without even reading the synopsis, I knew that this book would bring me back to my childhood as a grungy riot grrrl. It did that and so much more.
"In Bloom" is a coming-of-age novel that catches you by surprise. It is filled with grunginess and heart, and it delivers quite an emotional punch. The ending was unexpected and stopped me in my tracks. I never imagined it would unfold that way. It left me feeling emotional.
I loved all of the girls in the band. They each held their own and made me feel every emotion they experienced. I'm in awe of it. Typically, you might connect deeply with one character, but I felt that way about all of them, even Lily.
"In Bloom" is that coming-of-age story that will stop you in your tracks and demand your attention. I'm glad I gave it a chance because it's going to be one of my favorite reads of the year. Don't hesitate to pick this one up!
The Bastards aren't afraid of anything.
Without even reading the synopsis, I knew that this book would bring me back to my childhood as a grungy riot grrrl. It did that and so much more.
"In Bloom" is a coming-of-age novel that catches you by surprise. It is filled with grunginess and heart, and it delivers quite an emotional punch. The ending was unexpected and stopped me in my tracks. I never imagined it would unfold that way. It left me feeling emotional.
I loved all of the girls in the band. They each held their own and made me feel every emotion they experienced. I'm in awe of it. Typically, you might connect deeply with one character, but I felt that way about all of them, even Lily.
"In Bloom" is that coming-of-age story that will stop you in your tracks and demand your attention. I'm glad I gave it a chance because it's going to be one of my favorite reads of the year. Don't hesitate to pick this one up!
February 25, 2026
If you want to know what happens to forgettable girls who stay in Vincent, just ask Kelly Cooper, or any of the other hollow-eyed girls dragging their feet behind a pram. Invisible girls with invisible children, moving quietly along the edges. They will never get a job that pays them more than the single-parent benefit. They will never have a day that is different from the one before it. If they’re lucky, they will find a boyfriend with a job. If they’re unlucky, they will find a boyfriend with a habit. The other teachers know where we’re heading. You can see it in the way their eyes slide away from us, as if we are already gone. Only Mr P saw something different. Potential, in otherwise unremarkable girls.
This book featured in the 2026 version of the influential and frequently literary-prize-prescient annual Observer Best Debut Novelist feature.
In that article we are told of now London-based teacher Allan’s background that inspired the book: Liz Allan was a teenage rebel. The writer grew up in Victor Harbor, a cute beachside town in Australia known for its horse-drawn tram. … [but she] was raised in a single-parent, low-income family; as a child, she was abused by her mother’s partner. She bonded with a group of “fatherless” girls, whose “mothers were busy working really hard to keep us alive”. They spent their days unsupervised, roaming the streets.
And in this book we follow a group of 14 year old girls also from single-parent (absent father) low-income families, rather ostracised at school for their poverty and generally low-attaining (for the same reason) they decide to form a band “The Bastards” inspired by their hero Kurt Cobain (one of whose songs of course gives the book its title) and are encouraged in this by one of the few teachers to recognise any potential in them- their music teacher Mr P (a German immigrant).
Before the book has started their original singer Lily has withdrawn from the band – and largely from their friendship, the others believe due to her physically abusive motor-mechanic stepfather; but at the start of the book and only 2 weeks before A Battle of the Bands on which the girls have set their heart – Lily is rumoured to have been subject to an assault in a car which picked her up – and to the girls shock rather than (as they assume) Lily’s stepfather being blamed, Mr P is arrested and suspended from the school, wrecking their dreams (as the new music teacher is horrified at their lack of any conventional music knowledge and will not let them practice at school; and no one can drive them to the competition). They therefore set out to try and prove Mr P’s innocence and to find a way to get to the Battle of the Bands (which for them seems the only way to avoid their inevitable fate).
What really make the novel really distinctive is that its almost entirely narrated in a collective third-person by the three girls – and this together with the choppy chapters (I would argue the author employing the same short song, verse-chorus-verse, slow-loud technique as underlay most Nirvana and other punk-Grunge music) makes the novel very propulsive and readable, as well as very much mooring us in the world of the three girls and their intense female friendship in the face of: the hostility (often shading into verbal and sometimes physical – with spit or paper balls - abuse) of their classmates (which starts based on their poverty but only increases when they are seen as the teacher’s pet of a paedophile); the censure of their teachers (which result in frequent class expulsions and trips to the headmistress or school counsellor); the indifference of the police and the rejection/abandonment of Lily.
And what makes it really effective is when that voice is suddenly broken in the last few chapters (after a series of incidents escalate the actions of the girls beyond merely bad behaviour at school, place them in both trouble with the authorities and serious peril and brings them to a reluctant realisation of what actually happened). For a brief period the voices dissolve into those of the three girls – Amy, Violet and Jade - as they individually have to come to terms with their choices but more importantly what the patriarchal world has allowed to happen to them and the effect is equally sobering on the reader.
For Nirvana fans the inclusion of their songs throughout only enhances the experience and the author has compiled a fictional playlist of the girl’s favourite songs which acts almost as an accompaniment to the novel. (https://largeheartedboy.com/2026/01/2...)
And just at the pivotal point of the novel their hero’s life comes to an end – and while others eulogise his memory (which as an aside exposes the girls to other fans for the first time and determines their fate) the girls reaction is very effective “But what we’re thinking is that he had a daughter. A little girl he left all alone. And now she has to go through the rest of her life with no one to protect her.”.
Recommended.
My thanks to Hodder Stoughton for an ARC via NetGalley
‘This is very serious. You have been disobedient and disruptive, and you have destroyed school property. This suspension will give you girls some time to reflect on your actions. Perhaps catch up on the work you have missed. We ask Sibby to call us The Bastards, rather than girls. ‘That’s not a nice thing to call yourselves.’ ‘It’s our band name.’ Sibby leans forward, adopting a pious expression. ‘Why did you call your band The Bastards? Why this need to label yourselves?’ ‘It’s not a label.’ ‘It’s a fact.’ ‘We don’t have dads.’ ‘And does that distress you? Do you think of yourselves as illegitimate, or lacking in some way?’ We laugh, and Sibby’s face gets stern. ‘You’re making a name for yourselves. And once you go down that road it’s very difficult to change paths.’ ‘Making a name as what? Musicians? Losers? Freaks? You think we haven’t heard every insult in this school a thousand times before?’ We play dumb but we know what Sibby really means. He’s talking about our mothers, and he’s talking about Kelly Cooper. ‘You used to be nice girls,’ Sibby says. We stop laughing. ‘You don’t know a thing about us.’
February 1, 2026
Let me tell you, when you write Kurt Cobain into your story you better be damned careful about it around me. Well done Liz Allan you passed! I knew I was going to relate to these little grunge girls, and I did, in so many ways.
The Bastards are a cover band looking to make the big goal of a band battle, their music teacher has shown a keen interest in helping them get there, but Lily has left them in the lurch, the girls can’t understand why, she’s even accused their beloved Mr. P of sexual assault and the girls just don’t buy it. Amid the goal of keeping the band together they are in a bid to discover the truth even if it means they burn down everything around them.
Rammed with nostalgia, relatable and heart wrenching. Could have benefited from a trigger warning in the intro but the synopsis alludes to the content.
A solid 4 ⭐️ all round for writing, storyline, characterisation and narration.
Huge thanks to Hodder & Stoughton Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to to review this ALC 🎧
The Bastards are a cover band looking to make the big goal of a band battle, their music teacher has shown a keen interest in helping them get there, but Lily has left them in the lurch, the girls can’t understand why, she’s even accused their beloved Mr. P of sexual assault and the girls just don’t buy it. Amid the goal of keeping the band together they are in a bid to discover the truth even if it means they burn down everything around them.
Rammed with nostalgia, relatable and heart wrenching. Could have benefited from a trigger warning in the intro but the synopsis alludes to the content.
A solid 4 ⭐️ all round for writing, storyline, characterisation and narration.
Huge thanks to Hodder & Stoughton Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to to review this ALC 🎧
October 27, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
In Bloom is the kind of coming-of-age story that hits you with both nostalgia and heart. It’s grungy, emotional, and full of that fierce teenage energy that’s impossible to forget. Liz Allan captures the raw spirit of the ’90s perfectly—loud music, loyal friends, bad choices, and all—creating a story that feels both heartbreakingly real and beautifully alive. I truly relished in Allan’s debut novel and the way she brought these flawed, passionate characters to life.
This coming of age story follows four teen girls in a 1990s Australian town who start a grunge band to escape their hard lives. When their singer accuses a teacher of assault and disappears, the others must decide who to believe and what kind of people they want to be. It’s a raw, emotional story about friendship, truth, and finding your voice.
In Bloom by Liz Allan really surprised me—in a good way. It’s gritty, emotional, and has this raw 1990s vibe that feels both nostalgic and real. I loved how it captured that messy in-between stage of being a teenager—when friendships mean everything and the world still feels unfairly stacked against you. The bond between the four girls felt authentic, full of loyalty, jealousy, and that wild mix of courage and fear that comes with growing up. I also liked the way Allan used music as an outlet for their frustration and hope—it gave the story a pulse and made it stand out from other coming-of-age books.
Yet, this isn’t a light read. The tone can be heavy, and some of the subject matter—especially the accusation against the teacher—hits hard. A few parts felt a little drawn out, and the intensity might not be for everyone. But overall, In Bloom is a powerful, character-driven story that hits on friendship, truth, and what it means to find your voice in a world that keeps trying to silence it.
Liz Allan’s writing style is raw, vivid, and emotionally charged—blending moody lyricism with sharp psychological insight and a rhythmic, music-driven flow that perfectly captures the messy beauty of girlhood. Allan’s writing style appealed to me as it feels authentic and unpolished in the best way, pulling me right into the emotions and imperfections of her characters’ world.
Thank you Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of In Bloom in return for my feedback.
In Bloom is the kind of coming-of-age story that hits you with both nostalgia and heart. It’s grungy, emotional, and full of that fierce teenage energy that’s impossible to forget. Liz Allan captures the raw spirit of the ’90s perfectly—loud music, loyal friends, bad choices, and all—creating a story that feels both heartbreakingly real and beautifully alive. I truly relished in Allan’s debut novel and the way she brought these flawed, passionate characters to life.
This coming of age story follows four teen girls in a 1990s Australian town who start a grunge band to escape their hard lives. When their singer accuses a teacher of assault and disappears, the others must decide who to believe and what kind of people they want to be. It’s a raw, emotional story about friendship, truth, and finding your voice.
In Bloom by Liz Allan really surprised me—in a good way. It’s gritty, emotional, and has this raw 1990s vibe that feels both nostalgic and real. I loved how it captured that messy in-between stage of being a teenager—when friendships mean everything and the world still feels unfairly stacked against you. The bond between the four girls felt authentic, full of loyalty, jealousy, and that wild mix of courage and fear that comes with growing up. I also liked the way Allan used music as an outlet for their frustration and hope—it gave the story a pulse and made it stand out from other coming-of-age books.
Yet, this isn’t a light read. The tone can be heavy, and some of the subject matter—especially the accusation against the teacher—hits hard. A few parts felt a little drawn out, and the intensity might not be for everyone. But overall, In Bloom is a powerful, character-driven story that hits on friendship, truth, and what it means to find your voice in a world that keeps trying to silence it.
Liz Allan’s writing style is raw, vivid, and emotionally charged—blending moody lyricism with sharp psychological insight and a rhythmic, music-driven flow that perfectly captures the messy beauty of girlhood. Allan’s writing style appealed to me as it feels authentic and unpolished in the best way, pulling me right into the emotions and imperfections of her characters’ world.
Thank you Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of In Bloom in return for my feedback.
December 31, 2025
In Bloom by Liz Allan. Thanks to @simonandschuster for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Four girls know their band, The Bastards, can win Battle of the Bands and get them out of their small town and fate as minimum wage jobs and single motherhood. When their lead singer quits and their music teacher is accused of sexual assault, they’re left to make their own dreams come true.
Not only was this a great story, it was so cleverly done. I ended it bawling and in shock with how the author did this. Mostly the entire story is told with the girls as one. We get a glimpse of their individuality at the end after certain events occur and truth is revealed. The girls are mostly ignored and neglected throughout, but will they finally be heard and view themselves and each other how they deserve to be seen? Major bonus points that the story is built upon Nirvana, Kurt Cobain’s philosophies and lyrics. Any woman that grew up in the 90’s, obsessed with Nirvana, resonating with their acceptance of loners and freaks will absolutely feel seen from this book. This may be one of my favorites this year!
“Nirvana said they always had a need not to belong because their music came from the edge of things, the place outsiders inhabit. We, too, are artists at the edge of things.”
“We had small, insignificant lives. But we knew our music held the chance for something big.”
Read this if you like:
-Coming of age stories
-Music fiction
-Nirvana
-90’s settings
-Adolescent female friendships
In Bloom comes out 1/27.
Four girls know their band, The Bastards, can win Battle of the Bands and get them out of their small town and fate as minimum wage jobs and single motherhood. When their lead singer quits and their music teacher is accused of sexual assault, they’re left to make their own dreams come true.
Not only was this a great story, it was so cleverly done. I ended it bawling and in shock with how the author did this. Mostly the entire story is told with the girls as one. We get a glimpse of their individuality at the end after certain events occur and truth is revealed. The girls are mostly ignored and neglected throughout, but will they finally be heard and view themselves and each other how they deserve to be seen? Major bonus points that the story is built upon Nirvana, Kurt Cobain’s philosophies and lyrics. Any woman that grew up in the 90’s, obsessed with Nirvana, resonating with their acceptance of loners and freaks will absolutely feel seen from this book. This may be one of my favorites this year!
“Nirvana said they always had a need not to belong because their music came from the edge of things, the place outsiders inhabit. We, too, are artists at the edge of things.”
“We had small, insignificant lives. But we knew our music held the chance for something big.”
Read this if you like:
-Coming of age stories
-Music fiction
-Nirvana
-90’s settings
-Adolescent female friendships
In Bloom comes out 1/27.
October 4, 2025
This was a fantastic coming of age story that really put me in the mindset of these kids. Loved the mid 90s setting and references to the music back then. The girls wanted to investigate allegations against their favorite teacher and the innocence of their minds really show. This was such an addicting, gritty book that had so many relatable themes from friendship drama to class and simply just growing up as a girl. I SO enjoyed this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 16, 2026
The girls telling this story want so badly to escape a world of their mothers’ loser boyfriends, poverty and a host of faculty members at their school not doing right by them. They are easy prey because they simply don’t have advantages and they are being let down by all of the people in positions to lift them up. For most of the novel, they tell their story in one collective voice. Later we learn their names and they narrate separately. The reader senses the danger the girls are in and the likely outcome, but it still hits hard. This is a powerful story about friendship, finding your voice and speaking truth to power. What a great debut!
February 18, 2026
Men 😡😡😡
February 22, 2026
Yeah… not going to lie, I did not like anything about this. The first-person plural tense in the book set me off on the wrong foot, and then I also just didn’t enjoy any of the writing or the plot itself. Didn’t read like adult fiction in my opinion!
November 17, 2025
Four long-time teen friends form a band, hoping to win a contest that will get them out of their hardscrabble small town in Australia, only to see their dreams derailed when their music teacher is arrested for a sexual assault. In Bloom details the girls’ struggles growing up poor in one-parent homes, a steady stream of men parading through their lives, and this lifestyle bonds the girls, until one of them accuses their music teacher, breaking up the band, and the remaining girls set out to prove his innocence. The book consists of short chapters and an interesting “stream of consciousness” type writing style, but suffers from repetitive passages, and one too many Nirvana references. It’s a gritty book, but it feels like it’s stuck between a YA and adult novel, with the girls’ behavior way below their ages, and a subject matter a little mature for YA novels. While I understood the book’s message, the style just wasn’t for me. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 4, 2026
“Or maybe he just saw our desperation to be noticed, to be given an escape route from our own fate.”
Liz Allan serves up a fast paced, vibrant, coming of age story that is full of grunge, heart, adolescent rage and a deep nostalgic feel. It’s a raw piece of art, fierce, punchy, evocative. Culminating in an emotional, disturbing and unsettling ending that I wasn’t expecting.
In Bloom — is an uncomfortably, unexpectedly honest portrayal of life as young girls in a poor social and economic Australian town, fatherless homes with struggling single mothers, abusive step-fathers, school peers and teachers viewing them as disposable, invisible and feral.
Despite everything being up against them “The Bastards” carry themselves with a wild sense of freedom, humour, loyalty, confidence and ferociousness that just blew me away and had me feeling an incredible sense of kinship to them.
Truly above all I think what stood out to me the most is the fierce, powerful spirit of the girls and their friendship — 4 stars, fantastic read 🌟
Some highlights —
“We scream it together, and it's like that moment in the ocean when you swim up to the surface and take your first gulp of air.”
“There was not one dad between us, and a brood of siblings who looked nothing alike, except for the shared beakiness of hunger. We wore handmade t-shirts and op-shop jeans, canvas trames with holes in the toes. We rode around in our mother’s secondhand sedans, which would break down in car parks and force us to walk home. We knew that no matter how nice we were to the other kids, we were never getting an invite to the camping trip or the pool party. The only thing that could ever wash the stain off us was money.”
“Mr P saw something in us. Our talent and passion for music, our ability to give everything to it.
Or maybe he just saw our desperation to be noticed, to be given an escape route from our own fate.
We'd like to believe it was talent.”
Liz Allan serves up a fast paced, vibrant, coming of age story that is full of grunge, heart, adolescent rage and a deep nostalgic feel. It’s a raw piece of art, fierce, punchy, evocative. Culminating in an emotional, disturbing and unsettling ending that I wasn’t expecting.
In Bloom — is an uncomfortably, unexpectedly honest portrayal of life as young girls in a poor social and economic Australian town, fatherless homes with struggling single mothers, abusive step-fathers, school peers and teachers viewing them as disposable, invisible and feral.
Despite everything being up against them “The Bastards” carry themselves with a wild sense of freedom, humour, loyalty, confidence and ferociousness that just blew me away and had me feeling an incredible sense of kinship to them.
Truly above all I think what stood out to me the most is the fierce, powerful spirit of the girls and their friendship — 4 stars, fantastic read 🌟
Some highlights —
“We scream it together, and it's like that moment in the ocean when you swim up to the surface and take your first gulp of air.”
“There was not one dad between us, and a brood of siblings who looked nothing alike, except for the shared beakiness of hunger. We wore handmade t-shirts and op-shop jeans, canvas trames with holes in the toes. We rode around in our mother’s secondhand sedans, which would break down in car parks and force us to walk home. We knew that no matter how nice we were to the other kids, we were never getting an invite to the camping trip or the pool party. The only thing that could ever wash the stain off us was money.”
“Mr P saw something in us. Our talent and passion for music, our ability to give everything to it.
Or maybe he just saw our desperation to be noticed, to be given an escape route from our own fate.
We'd like to believe it was talent.”
December 10, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.
I was first attracted to this book by the 90's grunge angst theme.
This is an excellent rock-solid novel that uses a crime narrative to explore serious themes like class, trauma, and justice through the eyes of its fierce protagonists.
It tackles working-class small-town life in Australia, focusing on "forgettable girls" desperate not to repeat the cycles of minimum-wage jobs and difficult relationships that trapped their mothers.
The story is told through the perspectives of three girls functioning almost as a single, collective voice as they navigate shared anger and a desperate desire to escape their town's limited opportunities.
The plot has a "who dunnit" feel, and while child abuse is an element related to the core conflict, the narrative focuses on the fallout and the girls' investigation rather than explicit depictions.
It is a fast paced novel, and the short chapters led me to constantly wanting to read more.
It accelerated to a climatic ending, and i thoroughly enjoyed the whole book.
I was first attracted to this book by the 90's grunge angst theme.
This is an excellent rock-solid novel that uses a crime narrative to explore serious themes like class, trauma, and justice through the eyes of its fierce protagonists.
It tackles working-class small-town life in Australia, focusing on "forgettable girls" desperate not to repeat the cycles of minimum-wage jobs and difficult relationships that trapped their mothers.
The story is told through the perspectives of three girls functioning almost as a single, collective voice as they navigate shared anger and a desperate desire to escape their town's limited opportunities.
The plot has a "who dunnit" feel, and while child abuse is an element related to the core conflict, the narrative focuses on the fallout and the girls' investigation rather than explicit depictions.
It is a fast paced novel, and the short chapters led me to constantly wanting to read more.
It accelerated to a climatic ending, and i thoroughly enjoyed the whole book.
December 19, 2025
A great novel about growing up being poor and outcasts and wanting to be seen, to be special. Also, how to be and behave as adolescent girls when men pay attention to you (or prey on you).
Allan uses the plural ‘we’ to tell the story and only near the end gives each of the four girls her own voice, thereby showing that this story (sadly) is one of girls everywhere.
Impressive, emotional, fast paced and better than I had expected.
Thank you Simon & Schuster US and Edelweiss for the ARC.
Allan uses the plural ‘we’ to tell the story and only near the end gives each of the four girls her own voice, thereby showing that this story (sadly) is one of girls everywhere.
Impressive, emotional, fast paced and better than I had expected.
Thank you Simon & Schuster US and Edelweiss for the ARC.
February 2, 2026
"We had small, insignificant lives. But we knew our music held the chance for something big."
Mid-90s. A shitty coastal town in Vincent, Australia. 🌊
Four Nirvana-obsessed teens start a grunge band with one goal: get out.
The Bastards see the Battle of the Bands as their one-way ticket to escape the same small-town fate as their mothers. But when their lead singer, Lily Lucid, suddenly disappears, and serious accusations ripple through the town, the dream implodes. Left behind, the three remaining girls cling to their friendship (and some very amateur detective work) to uncover the truth and protect the one adult who ever believed in them.
What makes In Bloom hit so hard is the voice. Frantic, raw, and electric, perfectly mirroring teenage desperation and devotion. The band members remain a collective “we” until the very end, when they finally split into three distinct POVs. The reverence for Kurt Cobain and Nirvana is beautifully done, weaving grunge philosophy straight into the bones of the story.
In Bloom is a coming-of-age novel about girlhood under pressure, power, loyalty, and the hunger for freedom. Loud, messy, and unforgettable. 🎸🔥
Perfect for lovers of 90s grunge, riot-girl energy, and stories that feel like feedback through a broken amp.
Mid-90s. A shitty coastal town in Vincent, Australia. 🌊
Four Nirvana-obsessed teens start a grunge band with one goal: get out.
The Bastards see the Battle of the Bands as their one-way ticket to escape the same small-town fate as their mothers. But when their lead singer, Lily Lucid, suddenly disappears, and serious accusations ripple through the town, the dream implodes. Left behind, the three remaining girls cling to their friendship (and some very amateur detective work) to uncover the truth and protect the one adult who ever believed in them.
What makes In Bloom hit so hard is the voice. Frantic, raw, and electric, perfectly mirroring teenage desperation and devotion. The band members remain a collective “we” until the very end, when they finally split into three distinct POVs. The reverence for Kurt Cobain and Nirvana is beautifully done, weaving grunge philosophy straight into the bones of the story.
In Bloom is a coming-of-age novel about girlhood under pressure, power, loyalty, and the hunger for freedom. Loud, messy, and unforgettable. 🎸🔥
Perfect for lovers of 90s grunge, riot-girl energy, and stories that feel like feedback through a broken amp.
November 2, 2025
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of In Bloom by Liz Allan.
This book was an absorbing, fast paced, coming of age story set in the mid nineties in Australia.
Nostalgic, sad and completely wild. A brilliant read.
This book was an absorbing, fast paced, coming of age story set in the mid nineties in Australia.
Nostalgic, sad and completely wild. A brilliant read.
November 9, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for gifting me an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but holy cow... this book was a ride. A coming of age novel based in mid-nineties Australia about a group of misfit teen girls who don't care about anything except proving themselves in an upcoming Battle of the Bands. Suddenly, their lead singer drops out of the grunge band after accusing their band teacher of sexual assault. The remaining three girls are left to decide whether or not they believe her and figure out who exactly they are going to be.
This book was so raw and real, and I was genuinely shocked with the ending. You can see just how close and loyal the girls are to one another, even when they haven't been dealt a fair hand in life. You want these girls to be able to prove themselves to others and also wanting justice for them as well as Lily as the story continues to unfold. They are written as one, slowly unraveling apart from one another as we find out more. I truly did think this
was an amazing read.
I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but holy cow... this book was a ride. A coming of age novel based in mid-nineties Australia about a group of misfit teen girls who don't care about anything except proving themselves in an upcoming Battle of the Bands. Suddenly, their lead singer drops out of the grunge band after accusing their band teacher of sexual assault. The remaining three girls are left to decide whether or not they believe her and figure out who exactly they are going to be.
This book was so raw and real, and I was genuinely shocked with the ending. You can see just how close and loyal the girls are to one another, even when they haven't been dealt a fair hand in life. You want these girls to be able to prove themselves to others and also wanting justice for them as well as Lily as the story continues to unfold. They are written as one, slowly unraveling apart from one another as we find out more. I truly did think this
was an amazing read.
December 14, 2025
Yikes. Looks like I’m throwing out an unpopular opinion, but this book just did not do it for me and I feel horrible about it but what can you do? Nirvana, grunge, and coming-of-age and a little bit of who dun it. This seemed like it would be right up my alley. It just didn’t grab me like it clearly did for other reviewers so far.
Thank you to Kelly and the publisher for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my honest opinion
Thank you to Kelly and the publisher for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my honest opinion
February 1, 2026
Set in Australia during the mid- 1990’s, three teenage girls, self-proclaimed The Bastards, are desperate to escape their small, impoverished lives. Their way out is to win the Battle of the Bands. But their former best friend has just accused their beloved music teacher of sexually assaulting her. Do they believe in his innocence or are they just that desperate to believe in the one person who thinks they’re talented and can make it out?
Told in first person plural, we follow the girls as they try to discover what happened, find a replacement person to get them to Battle of the Bands, and live their lives.
This was a unique way to tell this story and it absolutely worked for me. These teens lived and breathed as a single unit. Their families, teachers, and townspeople viewed them as such. I hope you’ve had that shared experience of being a part of a group inseparable from each other.
Recommended for lovers of grunge music, riot grrrls, hardscrabble lives, and the unflinching fierceness of friendship.
I received this eARC via @netgalley and @simonandschuster. Allison thoughts are mine alone.
coming of age | novels | books | reading | In Bloom | Liz Allan | book recs | recommendations | book reviews | bookstagram
Told in first person plural, we follow the girls as they try to discover what happened, find a replacement person to get them to Battle of the Bands, and live their lives.
This was a unique way to tell this story and it absolutely worked for me. These teens lived and breathed as a single unit. Their families, teachers, and townspeople viewed them as such. I hope you’ve had that shared experience of being a part of a group inseparable from each other.
Recommended for lovers of grunge music, riot grrrls, hardscrabble lives, and the unflinching fierceness of friendship.
I received this eARC via @netgalley and @simonandschuster. Allison thoughts are mine alone.
coming of age | novels | books | reading | In Bloom | Liz Allan | book recs | recommendations | book reviews | bookstagram
November 30, 2025
‘In Bloom’ is brilliant. A grungy, raw, and propulsive coming-of-age story with an element of mystery and a literary bent, it uses the 1st person plural voice to stunning effect. Going into the novel, I didn’t know quite what to expect, and I certainly didn’t think it would be as affecting as it is, but when the riot of words finally fell silent at the end, I found myself blown away, able only to sit in that silence—and everything it contains—and reflect on the novel and the feelings it conjured. A day later, and I’m still processing. This is a novel that I will continue to think about for a long time, and the sort of novel where I want to immediately return to page one and begin again.
The story is told through a series of short chapters that weave back and forth between past and present, most vignettes, but some a poem or even a single sentence. The shortness of the chapters and the glimpses they give create an urgency that is almost addictive—whilst reading, I kept finding myself insisting, ‘Just one more chapter, just one more chapter,’ unwilling to put the book down. The other most notable feature of the novel is its use of the 1st person plural; I wondered what led the author to choose this unconventional voice, but as the end drew near, it made perfect sense, and it became clear that a lot of thought went into every aspect of this novel, despite it feeling so fluid and effortless.
What I appreciated most about ‘In Bloom’ is the sensitivity and authenticity with which the author tackles the subject of grooming and sexual assault. It rang true to me, a realistic portrayal of the causes as well as the complex feelings victims experience and the ways in which they deal with it. I particularly liked how this linked to the collective ‘we’ voice, and its fragmentation at the end.
In terms of who will enjoy this book, its unconventional voice and structure make it suitable for readers of literary fiction; however, it remains highly accessible, unlike some literary works, and it has a thriller-like momentum, so is perfect for other readers who are wanting to veer away from genre and try something towards the more literary end of the spectrum.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Liz Allan and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.
⚠️ Sexual abuse, hebephilia, bullying, child abuse, domestic abuse, animal cruelty, homophobic slurs, racism, misogyny, cursing, alcohol, drug use
The story is told through a series of short chapters that weave back and forth between past and present, most vignettes, but some a poem or even a single sentence. The shortness of the chapters and the glimpses they give create an urgency that is almost addictive—whilst reading, I kept finding myself insisting, ‘Just one more chapter, just one more chapter,’ unwilling to put the book down. The other most notable feature of the novel is its use of the 1st person plural; I wondered what led the author to choose this unconventional voice, but as the end drew near, it made perfect sense, and it became clear that a lot of thought went into every aspect of this novel, despite it feeling so fluid and effortless.
What I appreciated most about ‘In Bloom’ is the sensitivity and authenticity with which the author tackles the subject of grooming and sexual assault. It rang true to me, a realistic portrayal of the causes as well as the complex feelings victims experience and the ways in which they deal with it. I particularly liked how this linked to the collective ‘we’ voice, and its fragmentation at the end.
In terms of who will enjoy this book, its unconventional voice and structure make it suitable for readers of literary fiction; however, it remains highly accessible, unlike some literary works, and it has a thriller-like momentum, so is perfect for other readers who are wanting to veer away from genre and try something towards the more literary end of the spectrum.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Liz Allan and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.
⚠️ Sexual abuse, hebephilia, bullying, child abuse, domestic abuse, animal cruelty, homophobic slurs, racism, misogyny, cursing, alcohol, drug use
February 20, 2026
I’ve read so many books that try to tackle the subject of sexual assault, and they do it in a way that is graphic and makes the reader painfully relive their own personal trauma, and ultimately do little to address the topic in a meaningful way. Where the other books failed, In Bloom triumphed.
The focus of this book is internal lives of the three girls who form the collective narrator. They are in a badass girl band. They are powerful, despite being scared. They are self assured and determined to be seen and heard despite the adults in their lives dismissing them.
There is sexual abuse at the epicenter of this story but it is not lingered upon, and never portrayed graphically. Instead it focuses on the lives of those affected and how these common tragedies tear through all the other parts of the lives around them. In Bloom is mostly a coming of age story about the beauty of strong female friendships, with all the sadness and pain of growing up. This book beautifully, tastefully, and meaningfully, addresses the pain of innocence being stripped away.
The focus of this book is internal lives of the three girls who form the collective narrator. They are in a badass girl band. They are powerful, despite being scared. They are self assured and determined to be seen and heard despite the adults in their lives dismissing them.
There is sexual abuse at the epicenter of this story but it is not lingered upon, and never portrayed graphically. Instead it focuses on the lives of those affected and how these common tragedies tear through all the other parts of the lives around them. In Bloom is mostly a coming of age story about the beauty of strong female friendships, with all the sadness and pain of growing up. This book beautifully, tastefully, and meaningfully, addresses the pain of innocence being stripped away.
February 15, 2026
3.75 stars
this was a very special sort of coming of age, one that truly paints the innocence and vulnerability of girls in a world that would only take advantage of it and crush it.
this was a very short and fast read (i LOVED that each chapter was three pages or less, for it truly made a great effect on the story).
it almost felt like a mild “detective” story as we are put in the shoes of these young girls who are trying to prove their teachers innocence while also having everything else in the background unraveling. these girls were fierce, they were strong and above all, belonged to themselves.
in a way, in felt like growing up and that part was a bit nostalgic in regards to being a girl. this was great in every way and i liked the whole 90s vibe of it all, especially the music.
thank you to simon & schuster for the free copy to read and review!
this was a very special sort of coming of age, one that truly paints the innocence and vulnerability of girls in a world that would only take advantage of it and crush it.
this was a very short and fast read (i LOVED that each chapter was three pages or less, for it truly made a great effect on the story).
it almost felt like a mild “detective” story as we are put in the shoes of these young girls who are trying to prove their teachers innocence while also having everything else in the background unraveling. these girls were fierce, they were strong and above all, belonged to themselves.
in a way, in felt like growing up and that part was a bit nostalgic in regards to being a girl. this was great in every way and i liked the whole 90s vibe of it all, especially the music.
thank you to simon & schuster for the free copy to read and review!
March 2, 2026
A powerful and propulsive novel about different forms of marginalisation: being young, being a girl, being poor, being working class. In Bloom will inevitably attract comparisons to The Virgin Suicides (if only for its use of the first person plural) and I do think it bears comparison. It also, in tone, reminded me somewhat of Eliza Clark's work, particularly Penance. And as a Gen X-er who was almost exactly the same age as the characters were in 1994, I really loved the evocation of time (if you're wondering whether Nirvana were really so important to teenage girls from the other side of the world, I can assure you, they really, really were).
4.5 stars rounded up.
4.5 stars rounded up.
February 23, 2026
3 stars
This was not really what I thought it would be. First, the first person plural narrative was really hard for me, and didn't make me want to keep reading. Everything felt like it was being told to me. It was rough, dark and raw. A bit less 90's vibe then I thought it would be too. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't really for me and what I was looking for at this time.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opinions from.
This was not really what I thought it would be. First, the first person plural narrative was really hard for me, and didn't make me want to keep reading. Everything felt like it was being told to me. It was rough, dark and raw. A bit less 90's vibe then I thought it would be too. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't really for me and what I was looking for at this time.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opinions from.
dnf
January 18, 2026DNFing at 32%
I was invited to read an eARC of this book by the publisher, and unfortunately I do not think this book is for me. I found the reading style hard to follow, the short chapters to be a little jarring and difficult to make the story feel cohesive. Additionally, I found it hard to like the characters or relate to them in a meaningful way.
I was invited to read an eARC of this book by the publisher, and unfortunately I do not think this book is for me. I found the reading style hard to follow, the short chapters to be a little jarring and difficult to make the story feel cohesive. Additionally, I found it hard to like the characters or relate to them in a meaningful way.
October 27, 2025
DRC from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster
A heartwarming and powerful story about friendship, being a teen girl in a small town, and voice. Four girls, friends since they were old enough to play, form a band. It is their ticket out of the small, poor, town and become more than what their single, broke, worn-out mothers are. When Lily, their lead singer quits, they are stuck. Lily is also accusing their music teacher, the one who allows them to practice and is their transportation to the contest, of sexual assault. Did the friends really know what was going on? Are they putting tier dreams ahead of their friend? Is the music teacher really guilty? The three friends do some detective work as well as try to come up with a way to still get to the contest. The story flashes back multiple time to show how the four have gotten to this point in the present.
A heartwarming and powerful story about friendship, being a teen girl in a small town, and voice. Four girls, friends since they were old enough to play, form a band. It is their ticket out of the small, poor, town and become more than what their single, broke, worn-out mothers are. When Lily, their lead singer quits, they are stuck. Lily is also accusing their music teacher, the one who allows them to practice and is their transportation to the contest, of sexual assault. Did the friends really know what was going on? Are they putting tier dreams ahead of their friend? Is the music teacher really guilty? The three friends do some detective work as well as try to come up with a way to still get to the contest. The story flashes back multiple time to show how the four have gotten to this point in the present.
October 31, 2025
IN BLOOM was a story that could be written for girls of the past and present . It was intriguing, interesting, with strong willed characters, and situations that was Wow!
November 4, 2025
Maybe 4.5. I really enjoyed this book and appreciated its themes.
November 5, 2025
Sometimes being a teenage girl really is like being in a hive mind with your best friends.
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