Star point guard Mack Morris’s senior year of high school begins with twin cataclysms: the death of Mack’s father and the arrival of transfer student Liv Cooper. Playing side by side for their high school basketball team, Mack and Liv discover an electrifying, game-winning chemistry on the court. Off the court, they fall into an equally intoxicating more-than-friendship—one that feels out-of-bounds in their small Pennsylvania town. Mack teeters on the precipice of adulthood as desire and grief collide with drugs, sex, and the looming college signing deadline. Caught between the dual impulses of ambition and self-destruction, Mack must decide what kind of life they want to fight for.
A Sharp Endless Need is a poignant coming-of-age YA novel that delves into queer longing, shame, grief, and family drama. The story follows Mack Morris, a high school senior & basketball phenom, grappling with her father’s sudden death while trying to secure a Division I scholarship that might be her only way out of small-town Pennsylvania. When Liv Cooper, a talented transfer student, joins the team, the two girls form an intense on- and off-court bond, all unfolding in a deeply homophobic environment. As Mack struggles with grief, pressure, and desire, she makes reckless decisions, all while trying to protect the fragile love she’s found.
The story is told from the reflective first-person POV of an older Mack, looking back at the formative year when she met Liv and her life forever changed. There are nuggets of hindsight blended with the raw, emotionally inner thoughts and emotions teenage Mack felt at the time—together they make for a compelling and riveting exploration of queer identity, ambition, self-destruction, loss, and the endless need to live without regrets—even when the cost may outweigh the benefits!
The story includes many basketball game scenes, and Crane’s descriptions of the game are technically accurate and poetic. Even if you’re not familiar with or a fan of the game, the passion and nuances of play that Mack describes during the games will evoke excitement and awe—and anyone who’s loved something “to the point of suffering” will resonate.
Mack is a very introspective yet reckless character. Her journey is laden with grief, desire, and ambition, which also makes her admirable and easy to empathize with. At the same time, she’s irresponsible with excessive drinking and drug experimentation, which detracts from her integrity at times. Her developing romance with Liv is as intense as it is tender—filled with secret moments, stolen glances, and anxious self-restraint, well representative of the times—especially in a homophobic small-town setting!
Liv’s journey of coming to terms with her sexuality is even more difficult to witness as she maintains the front of having a boyfriend and teases Mack with intimacy without revealing her true feelings or intentions for much of the story. Readers will get the sense that she really doesn’t know what she wants and has the potential to hurt Mack—we’ve all come across someone like this in life, so it’s very emotionally resonant! The few side characters, including Mack’s mother and Coach Puck, have some meaningful dialogue scenes with Mack but are otherwise not overly developed.
The relationship development between Mack and Liv doesn’t follow the script of any typical romance story—it gains momentum in the first half but then slows in the second half, with some intense scenes towards the end that leave questions unanswered. The final chapter in the story, told from older Mack in the present day, is open to interpretation and leaves a thought-provoking lingering impression for readers!
Overall, A Sharp Endless Need is a heart-wrenching exploration of first love, ambition, grief, and queer identity, all grounded in the world of high school basketball—and in an era just before the acceptance of queer identity became more mainstream, which makes the story especially nostalgic for queer readers who grew up in or before that time. It’s a must-read for readers who enjoy coming-of-age tales, sports romances, and stories of first love—in the same vein as “Call Me By Your Name!” If this all sounds intriguing, grab a copy ASAP!!
Narrator Performace
The audiobook of A Sharp Endless Need is an emotionally compelling listen narrated by award-winning narrator Dani Matrineck. Martineck brings the reflective tone of older Mack fully to life, with a nostalgic, wise-sounding voice especially evident during the moments of hindsight. Contrastingly, they use an uncertain yet defiant tone to portray younger Mack, perfectly suited to a character grappling with grief, identity, and expectations. This dual-sided performance of the protagonist not only showcases Martineck’s vocal versatility but also her ability to convincingly portray compelling characters of different ages.
Martineck’s delivery of the dialogue between Mack and Liv captures their tender intimacy and electric chemistry and gives each scene a cinematic feel. Their description of the basketball games through Mack’s perspective makes the character’s passion for the nuances of the sport extremely tangible—even if you’re not a fan of the sport or know little about it, you’ll be drawn into Mack’s enthusiasm. Martineck’s methodical pacing mirrors the introspective and propulsive nature of this “coming of age” story. With just the right amount of expression brought to Mack’s moments of epiphany and hindsight, the story feels “alive and resonant” the whole way through, and Martineck’s narration of the final chapter will pull at your heartstrings!
Martineck also displays her masterful voice acting skills by giving distinct voices to all the characters—and grief, angst, homophobia, unspoken tension, and longing, are evident in the varied characters she portrays, making for an extremely immersive and engaging listening experience!
Overall, Dani Martineck’s excellent performance perfectly complements Crane’s poetic storytelling, making the audiobook a great format for this story! It’s a must-listen for those who enjoy coming-of-age stories & sports romances. If you haven’t listened to Martineck’s narration before, you’ll likely become a big fan after listening to this audiobook!
Narrator Performace
The audiobook of A Sharp Endless Need is an emotionally compelling listen narrated by award-winning narrator Dani Matrineck. Martineck brings the reflective tone of older Mack fully to life, with a nostalgic, wise-sounding voice especially evident during the moments of hindsight. Contrastingly, they use an uncertain yet defiant tone to portray younger Mack, perfectly suited to a character grappling with grief, identity, and expectations. This dual-sided performance of the protagonist not only showcases Martineck’s vocal versatility but also her ability to convincingly portray compelling characters of different ages.
Martineck’s delivery of the dialogue between Mack and Liv captures their tender intimacy and electric chemistry and gives each scene a cinematic feel. Their description of the basketball games through Mack’s perspective makes the character’s passion for the nuances of the sport extremely tangible—even if you’re not a fan of the sport or know little about it, you’ll be drawn into Mack’s enthusiasm. Martineck’s methodical pacing mirrors the introspective and propulsive nature of this “coming of age” story. With just the right amount of expression brought to Mack’s moments of epiphany and hindsight, the story feels “alive and resonant” the whole way through, and Martineck’s narration of the final chapter will pull at your heartstrings!
Martineck also displays her masterful voice acting skills by giving distinct voices to all the characters—and grief, angst, homophobia, unspoken tension, and longing, are evident in the varied characters she portrays, making for an extremely immersive and engaging listening experience!
Overall, Dani Martineck’s excellent performance perfectly complements Crane’s poetic storytelling, making the audiobook a great format for this story! It’s a must-listen for those who enjoy coming-of-age stories & sports romances. If you haven’t listened to Martineck’s narration before, you’ll likely become a big fan after listening to this audiobook!
The audiobook of A Sharp Endless Need is an emotionally compelling listen narrated by award-winning narrator Dani Matrineck. Martineck brings the reflective tone of older Mack fully to life, with a nostalgic, wise-sounding voice especially evident during the moments of hindsight. Contrastingly, they use an uncertain yet defiant tone to portray younger Mack, perfectly suited to a character grappling with grief, identity, and expectations. This dual-sided performance of the protagonist not only showcases Martineck’s vocal versatility but also her ability to convincingly portray compelling characters of different ages.
Martineck’s delivery of the dialogue between Mack and Liv captures their tender intimacy and electric chemistry and gives each scene a cinematic feel. Their description of the basketball games through Mack’s perspective makes the character’s passion for the nuances of the sport extremely tangible—even if you’re not a fan of the sport or know little about it, you’ll be drawn into Mack’s enthusiasm. Martineck’s methodical pacing mirrors the introspective and propulsive nature of this “coming of age” story. With just the right amount of expression brought to Mack’s moments of epiphany and hindsight, the story feels “alive and resonant” the whole way through, and Martineck’s narration of the final chapter will pull at your heartstrings!
Martineck also displays her masterful voice acting skills by giving distinct voices to all the characters—and grief, angst, homophobia, unspoken tension, and longing, are evident in the varied characters she portrays, making for an extremely immersive and engaging listening experience!
Overall, Dani Martineck’s excellent performance perfectly complements Crane’s poetic storytelling, making the audiobook a great format for this story! It’s a must-listen for those who enjoy coming-of-age stories & sports romances. If you haven’t listened to Martineck’s narration before, you’ll likely become a big fan after listening to this audiobook!
