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Heavy Cream: A Novel
"A dazzling, unconventional coming-of-age story that charts, with precision and humor, the many ways to be a woman.” —The New York Times
“A magic spell of a book.” —Julie Buntin
“Heavy Cream is funny, deeply felt, and positively effervescent, brimming with life and color and texture—I was repeatedly struck by its humor, its compassion, and its candor.” —Claire Lombardo, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had
Abandoned by her mother in New York, sixteen-year-old Geraldine falls under the influence of three women, each seeking to form her in their image, in this “wildly perceptive” (Stefan Merrill Block, New York Times bestselling author of Homeschooled) coming-of-age story from the bestselling author of Alice Sadie Celine.
For Gerry, growing up on the road has always been her mother and her, locked in dysfunction. Homeschooled, she hasn’t learned much math. Instead, her mother has taught her how to spend the day at a motel’s swimming pool without being a guest and how to dodge paying extra for the chicken on a Caesar salad.
Gerry learns how to pass and adapt, but when she is abandoned in the city, she finds herself in the care of three very different women, each intent on shaping her into competing and incompatible selves. First, there is her mother’s old college friend Bonnie, who lives in a world of country clubs and chintzy domesticity. Then there is Nell, her mother’s estranged sister and a successful artist, who insists on ambition and self-invention. And finally Finley, an old-money socialite, who ushers Gerry into a rarefied world of Manhattan privilege.
A coming-of-age story that explores unconventional forms of motherhood and caretaking, Heavy Cream is both a charming comedy of manners and a deeply probing look at the complexities of love, mental illness, and inheritance, and one young woman’s eccentric path to selfhood.
“A magic spell of a book.” —Julie Buntin
“Heavy Cream is funny, deeply felt, and positively effervescent, brimming with life and color and texture—I was repeatedly struck by its humor, its compassion, and its candor.” —Claire Lombardo, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had
Abandoned by her mother in New York, sixteen-year-old Geraldine falls under the influence of three women, each seeking to form her in their image, in this “wildly perceptive” (Stefan Merrill Block, New York Times bestselling author of Homeschooled) coming-of-age story from the bestselling author of Alice Sadie Celine.
For Gerry, growing up on the road has always been her mother and her, locked in dysfunction. Homeschooled, she hasn’t learned much math. Instead, her mother has taught her how to spend the day at a motel’s swimming pool without being a guest and how to dodge paying extra for the chicken on a Caesar salad.
Gerry learns how to pass and adapt, but when she is abandoned in the city, she finds herself in the care of three very different women, each intent on shaping her into competing and incompatible selves. First, there is her mother’s old college friend Bonnie, who lives in a world of country clubs and chintzy domesticity. Then there is Nell, her mother’s estranged sister and a successful artist, who insists on ambition and self-invention. And finally Finley, an old-money socialite, who ushers Gerry into a rarefied world of Manhattan privilege.
A coming-of-age story that explores unconventional forms of motherhood and caretaking, Heavy Cream is both a charming comedy of manners and a deeply probing look at the complexities of love, mental illness, and inheritance, and one young woman’s eccentric path to selfhood.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
March 25, 2026
Parentified and enmeshed with a mentally ill mother, our homeschooled teen protagonist adapts her personality in response to her mother’s chaotic behavior and unpredictable moods, believing that her only purpose in life is to make her mother laugh……and then her mother leaves.
Heavy cream is the story of a young woman’s journey to find herself for the first time, in the chaos of New York City and under the guidance of three eccentric, inadequate substitute mother figures. It is also a portrait of extremely flawed womanhood, all the weird ways women choose to exist in the world, and the parts of our identities that we do, and do not, choose. These characters are richly written, alive, vibrant even in their dysfunction (the representation of the mother’s mental disorder was particularly spot on). I really enjoyed following Gerry’s journey and felt like as a reader I got to be a kind of mother to her too, worrying for her and rooting for her to figure it all out.
Minus one star because all of the adults in this book were so emotionally immature and failed this kid so bad, I kept wanting a moment of redemption that never came.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC! This is an honest review.
Heavy cream is the story of a young woman’s journey to find herself for the first time, in the chaos of New York City and under the guidance of three eccentric, inadequate substitute mother figures. It is also a portrait of extremely flawed womanhood, all the weird ways women choose to exist in the world, and the parts of our identities that we do, and do not, choose. These characters are richly written, alive, vibrant even in their dysfunction (the representation of the mother’s mental disorder was particularly spot on). I really enjoyed following Gerry’s journey and felt like as a reader I got to be a kind of mother to her too, worrying for her and rooting for her to figure it all out.
Minus one star because all of the adults in this book were so emotionally immature and failed this kid so bad, I kept wanting a moment of redemption that never came.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC! This is an honest review.
October 2, 2026
This was such an emotionally rich book. Complicated mother-daughter relationships always captivate me, and I think the author did an amazing job portraying the complexity of this one. I especially loved how well the characters were written, but our main character stood out to me the most. Her thoughts, experiences, and the way she sees both life and her mother were portrayed so beautifully. You can really understand her perspective and where her feelings come from, which made the story feel much more personal and emotional. The book became increasingly emotional for me as I got further into it, and the ending especially hit me hard. It was the kind of ending that stays with you for a while after you finish reading. A beautifully written and deeply emotional story about a complicated mother-daughter relationship.
April 3, 2026
Received early copy from NetGalley for review.
What a lovely read. I usually don’t like stories about young women in their adolescence but this one felt quite different from the rest. Seeing how a woman’s mother or mother-figure inspires her upbringing and her outlook on life is pinacle to understanding and absorbing a book of a young women’s adolescence. Wonderfully written.
“At the same time, was furious at the feeling, and wondered how long I would be burdened with missing her.”
What a lovely read. I usually don’t like stories about young women in their adolescence but this one felt quite different from the rest. Seeing how a woman’s mother or mother-figure inspires her upbringing and her outlook on life is pinacle to understanding and absorbing a book of a young women’s adolescence. Wonderfully written.
“At the same time, was furious at the feeling, and wondered how long I would be burdened with missing her.”
May 3, 2026
Thank you so much for the ARC.
Such a beautiful book that starts as a punch in the stomach. The mother-daughter relationship is so intense and triggering at times. I loved all the nuances of Geraldine, sometimes I forgot she was only sixteen.
Some people are not meant to be parents, but we really can’t choose that. We do, however, have a say in who we keep in our lives.
Such a beautiful book that starts as a punch in the stomach. The mother-daughter relationship is so intense and triggering at times. I loved all the nuances of Geraldine, sometimes I forgot she was only sixteen.
Some people are not meant to be parents, but we really can’t choose that. We do, however, have a say in who we keep in our lives.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
For years it's been just Geraldine and her mom, living by the seat of their pants. Her attractive and quirky mother taught Gerry how to get away with so much- such as cheating eateries out of included food "extras" and freeloading at hotel/motel pools where they were not renters. Their life on a shoestring existence made homeschooling a necessity where the only permanent thing Gerry could count on was riding in their old Mitsubishi Diamante. Then one day Gerry's Mom bolts to Australia, leaving sixteen-year-old Gerry in the care of an old friend in Connecticut. Weeks turn into months with no communication. Gerry must harness the life skills she cultivated during her chaotic existence with her mother. Her immediate future is shaped through the care of three different women: Her Mom's old friend Bonnie in Connecticut, Aunt Nell, an artist in NYC, and Finley, a wealthy widow in NYC. In her mother's absence, she is tended to and offered opportunities/life paths by these three very different women. Gerry must look inside herself and decide who she is and which way she wants to go.
The writing was excellent. I highlighted many passages that turned a beautiful phrase, or rang true with its profundity. The mother was hard to put in a box and figure out (mental illness?) and to understand the effect this had on her daughter. An interesting and thought-provoking book.
Thank you to the publisher Simon & Schuster for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
The writing was excellent. I highlighted many passages that turned a beautiful phrase, or rang true with its profundity. The mother was hard to put in a box and figure out (mental illness?) and to understand the effect this had on her daughter. An interesting and thought-provoking book.
Thank you to the publisher Simon & Schuster for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
Did Not Finish
March 27, 2026I really wanted to connect with Heavy Cream. The premise is genuinely compelling—a sixteen-year-old raised on the fringes, taught how to scam her way through motel pools and dodge upcharges on salads, suddenly abandoned in New York and pulled between three women each trying to mold her into different versions of herself. That's a fascinating setup for exploring identity, class, unconventional motherhood, and the ways we become who we are.
But I just couldn't get into it.
I tried. The writing wasn't the issue—Sarah Blakley-Cartwright clearly has skill, and there are flashes of sharp observation throughout. But something about the execution kept me at arm's length. I never found my footing with Gerry or felt pulled into her world the way I needed to be to stay invested. The pacing didn't work for me, and I found my attention drifting rather than sharpening as the pages went on.
Sometimes a book just doesn't click, and this was one of those times. I think readers who vibe with literary coming-of-age stories and comedies of manners will find a lot to appreciate here—the bones are interesting and the premise is unique. It just wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
But I just couldn't get into it.
I tried. The writing wasn't the issue—Sarah Blakley-Cartwright clearly has skill, and there are flashes of sharp observation throughout. But something about the execution kept me at arm's length. I never found my footing with Gerry or felt pulled into her world the way I needed to be to stay invested. The pacing didn't work for me, and I found my attention drifting rather than sharpening as the pages went on.
Sometimes a book just doesn't click, and this was one of those times. I think readers who vibe with literary coming-of-age stories and comedies of manners will find a lot to appreciate here—the bones are interesting and the premise is unique. It just wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Heavy Cream follows Geraldine's path as she navigates through a coming of age. Up until age 16, she's exposed to the loose cannon life of her mother Helene, a woman who exemplifies an alternate lifestyle, and whose backstory is rocky at best. When Helene heads off to Australia with a love interest, Gerry is parked with an old school friend in Connecticut, and at this point finds herself increasingly under the influence of three very different women, each of which wants to protect her through exposure to a more conventional life. Gerry's attachment to her mother surfaces at times, but on the whole she is loose in New York, and thanks to a deus ex machina effect, is afforded a choice. Wise beyond her years, she recognizes that teen years are filled with discovery and possibility, but "...your life was supposed to set, like Jello in a mold." With references to Mamdani's staff, this is a novel firmly rooted in today, and I wonder at Gerry's future.
June 30, 2026
I do not know why people are hellbent on cosplaying poor/telling stories about orphans without any basis in reality (15 year old lives alone in an apartment with a phone paid for by????)/acting like living in New York City is the desire of the entire human race. This happens to do all of the above and I hated it, with all the glimmers of promise of motherhood, caretaking and coming of age shredded to bits. The "chosen family" arc doesn't apply to the abandoned and being in poverty is not chic....I'm tired !
The writing itself is very good
Thank you to the the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC
The writing itself is very good
Thank you to the the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC
May 6, 2026
Heavy Cream by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright had such a unique voice- it was witty and humorous and serious all the same. There were moments when Geraldine’s isolation felt so palpable that I felt I was experiencing a certain isolation of my own alongside her and her gripping dark humor was almost a necessity for survival. Despite being continually surrounded by a mother figure she was still constantly left to her own devices - such an intriguing juxtaposition! Thank you to NetGalley as well as Simon and Schuster for the ARC!
October 3, 2026
Now this was an interesting read. It’s a coming-of-age story about a 16-year-old who was heavily enmeshed with her single mother before her mother suddenly abandons her. She ends up in New York City, where three women connected to her mother become surrogate mother figures in her life. The FMC is figuring out who she is as her own person, both with and without the influence of her mother and the women around her. Each woman has an impact on her, leading her to explore different decisions and versions of herself. It’s about trying to please others while also finding yourself, made more intense by an absent parent who you’ve always tried to impress. The writing was also really well done and made the character exploration interesting to follow. This is definitely a slower, character-heavy book. It’s less about waiting for something big to happen and more about experiencing these relationships alongside the FMC. I really enjoyed seeing how each woman showed care for her while also bringing their own lives, experiences, and opinions into that care.
Thank you Simon Book Buddy for sending me a copy! ✨
Thank you Simon Book Buddy for sending me a copy! ✨
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5-⭐️ this is a coming of age that felt like walking on eggshells the whole time. Gerry is a character anyone living/has lived with an unsuitable adult could empathize with. The womanhood and girlhood in this story felt so lively and intoxicating. With 4 very distinct women that jumbled up into one girl. A girl who has a long way to go with learning acceptance and who she is; while unlearning the qualities that makes her feel even smaller than she could possibly imagine. Where lies the toxic, complex, push and pull relationship with her mother, still lies a crucial part of the unconditional mother-daughter relationship. It is touching, intoxicating, and dumpster fire you can’t look away from. There were many holes in the story. Our narrator, Gerry, can be unreliable. Some parts really meandered, and I thought really wasn’t essential for the story. I still found myself rooting for Gerry.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wow. This book was beautiful. The writing, the stories, the duality of women. It’s such a compelling coming of age story. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be angry, you’ll want to jump through the pages.
The three women that take Gerry under their wing after she’s abandoned by her mother felt so real to me. They’re each so unique and complex in their own ways, helping and healing Gerry in their own ways.
What a book.
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!I
The three women that take Gerry under their wing after she’s abandoned by her mother felt so real to me. They’re each so unique and complex in their own ways, helping and healing Gerry in their own ways.
What a book.
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!I
October 10, 2026
So unlikely it almost felt like a bad fairy tale. Full review to follow.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
If you like coming of age novels, this one will hit your sweet spot.
If you are triggered by monstrously selfish moms I would skip it.
I was entranced by the characterizations in this book. All of the women that try to help the FMC Gerry get through abandonment. There’s Nell, the artist, whose independence and commitment to her own life and goals teaches our protagonist to respect their own boundaries and to love and invest in the things that she loves. The NYC art scene sections were among my favorite parts.
Bonnie is a lovable n’er do well who allows her to be exactly who she is and shows up with a scatter brained empathy that really moved me. She’s a pleaser but is honest about her motivations
She tells Gerry, “Sure I’m a pleaser but don’t they understand it makes things more enjoyable for me?”
As far as the mom— she was completely toxic and over enmeshed with her daughter, whose character arc has a lot of illuminating and inspiring things to say about becoming a whole person when you’re shattered by loss. “When anyone asked me about my mother, I felt like a witness in the stand,” she tells us, so used to protecting her childish, immature mother and so obviously loving her despite herself and despite the cruelty.
“We were two cats in a bag all teeth and claws. We couldn’t find our way out,” Gerry says after a harrowing scene where her mother tells her, “You don’t deserve to be loved.” You see this child at nine is completely unaware that, as a child, even if she said mean things to her mother, her mother’s complete disregard for her emotional wellbeing is abusive.
It becomes clear through the book that the mom has bipolar disorder and that she rarely takes her medication. Her manic episodes put everyone in her family through hell.
What I didn’t like? The middle was a bit meandering and I felt a little adrift (maybe I was supposed to?) and there was an awful lot of privilege on display throughout— I didn’t buy it that a filmmaker would hire this young girl to read scripts based on guilt from a bad relationship with her mother. I also didn’t buy that the girls in her new private school in Manhattan would just, “stay in their own lanes” and that it was a low drama environment. I mean, I was once a high school prep school girl. There will be drama.
All in all, I enjoyed the journey, especially getting a very short chapter from mom’s POV which showed just how mentally ill she remains. The end really just wafted off into not a lot, which was disappointing.
If you like coming of age novels, this one will hit your sweet spot.
If you are triggered by monstrously selfish moms I would skip it.
I was entranced by the characterizations in this book. All of the women that try to help the FMC Gerry get through abandonment. There’s Nell, the artist, whose independence and commitment to her own life and goals teaches our protagonist to respect their own boundaries and to love and invest in the things that she loves. The NYC art scene sections were among my favorite parts.
Bonnie is a lovable n’er do well who allows her to be exactly who she is and shows up with a scatter brained empathy that really moved me. She’s a pleaser but is honest about her motivations
She tells Gerry, “Sure I’m a pleaser but don’t they understand it makes things more enjoyable for me?”
As far as the mom— she was completely toxic and over enmeshed with her daughter, whose character arc has a lot of illuminating and inspiring things to say about becoming a whole person when you’re shattered by loss. “When anyone asked me about my mother, I felt like a witness in the stand,” she tells us, so used to protecting her childish, immature mother and so obviously loving her despite herself and despite the cruelty.
“We were two cats in a bag all teeth and claws. We couldn’t find our way out,” Gerry says after a harrowing scene where her mother tells her, “You don’t deserve to be loved.” You see this child at nine is completely unaware that, as a child, even if she said mean things to her mother, her mother’s complete disregard for her emotional wellbeing is abusive.
It becomes clear through the book that the mom has bipolar disorder and that she rarely takes her medication. Her manic episodes put everyone in her family through hell.
What I didn’t like? The middle was a bit meandering and I felt a little adrift (maybe I was supposed to?) and there was an awful lot of privilege on display throughout— I didn’t buy it that a filmmaker would hire this young girl to read scripts based on guilt from a bad relationship with her mother. I also didn’t buy that the girls in her new private school in Manhattan would just, “stay in their own lanes” and that it was a low drama environment. I mean, I was once a high school prep school girl. There will be drama.
All in all, I enjoyed the journey, especially getting a very short chapter from mom’s POV which showed just how mentally ill she remains. The end really just wafted off into not a lot, which was disappointing.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A coming-of-age story looking at motherhood and how it helps in determining one’s vision of womanhood.
Geraldine or “Gerry” is sixteen and living a vagabond life with her mother. Gerry describes her childhood “We lived solidly outside of other people’s systems, of structure and belief. No routines. No carpools. . . . I came to see other mothers as deceptive enablers, committed to blinding their children with false beliefs that kept them dependent, and easier to control.” So when Gerry’s mother sends her to stay her hippie college friend Bonnie, in Connecticut, Gerry doesn’t realize this unstructured event throws her into another person’s idea of motherhood - “I felt like a child in a movie, in the snug, mellow bedroom with upholstered canopy bed.” Abandoned by her mother who ghosted her, and feeling suffocated with Bonnie, Gerry calls her Aunt Nell, her mother’s sister, and travels to New York City. Nell’s idea of motherhood is to ask Gerry: “Do you think you could dedicate yourself to something? . . . do you think you have the dedication that the life of an artist requires?” And then she comes to meet Finley Bickford, a friend of Bonnie’s who a successful film producer - “She was attentive, listening to my concerns and answering precisely.” - and offered the life of a debutant. Gerry’s mother returns after six months and now Gerry must decide which kind of mother does she want.
This is a thought provoking story - a young girl is offered four types of worlds: unstructured do as you please, suburban domesticity, uptown high society, and the downtown art scene. In each of these worlds she can mold herself into who she wants if she can escape what each of these women see as their vision for her. I won’t ruin the story as you have to read the book to find out what Gerry’s choice was.
The book is well written and paced and is perfect for readers who enjoy stories of girls becoming women and the challenges they meet along the way.
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for granting me access to this ARC.
Geraldine or “Gerry” is sixteen and living a vagabond life with her mother. Gerry describes her childhood “We lived solidly outside of other people’s systems, of structure and belief. No routines. No carpools. . . . I came to see other mothers as deceptive enablers, committed to blinding their children with false beliefs that kept them dependent, and easier to control.” So when Gerry’s mother sends her to stay her hippie college friend Bonnie, in Connecticut, Gerry doesn’t realize this unstructured event throws her into another person’s idea of motherhood - “I felt like a child in a movie, in the snug, mellow bedroom with upholstered canopy bed.” Abandoned by her mother who ghosted her, and feeling suffocated with Bonnie, Gerry calls her Aunt Nell, her mother’s sister, and travels to New York City. Nell’s idea of motherhood is to ask Gerry: “Do you think you could dedicate yourself to something? . . . do you think you have the dedication that the life of an artist requires?” And then she comes to meet Finley Bickford, a friend of Bonnie’s who a successful film producer - “She was attentive, listening to my concerns and answering precisely.” - and offered the life of a debutant. Gerry’s mother returns after six months and now Gerry must decide which kind of mother does she want.
This is a thought provoking story - a young girl is offered four types of worlds: unstructured do as you please, suburban domesticity, uptown high society, and the downtown art scene. In each of these worlds she can mold herself into who she wants if she can escape what each of these women see as their vision for her. I won’t ruin the story as you have to read the book to find out what Gerry’s choice was.
The book is well written and paced and is perfect for readers who enjoy stories of girls becoming women and the challenges they meet along the way.
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for granting me access to this ARC.
August 21, 2026
4.75/5 stars rounded up
Heavy Cream by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright is truly what I am forever looking for in a book. There was something both enlightening and heartbreaking about Gerry's story that drew me in immediately. It felt like I knew her; it felt like I could have been her. She was raised attached to the hip with her mother, Helene, in a way that was codependent and enmeshed. When Helene sends Gerry to stay with an old friend and provides no information about her return, Gerry is left to figure out who she is on her own. Disrupting that time of self-discovery are three women, each with independent and conflicting ideas about who Gerry should be.
Mother-daughter relationships in novels always draw me to a book, and this one truly did not disappoint. There was something so real about how Gerry moves from being pliable to slowly finding her backbone, only to have that growth disrupted when her mother returns unexpectedly. Hoping for a certain relationship with a parent, not getting it but holding onto hope anyway, and then finally letting go of that hope is such a real part of growing into adulthood. I couldn't have described it before reading this, but I felt it completely here.
I pulled back slightly from a perfect 5 stars for one reason: I would have preferred never getting a glimpse into Helene's POV. There was something powerful about experiencing this story purely as a daughter, never having access to the mother's inner world. It made Helene feel like she could have been anyone's mom, including mine. Saving that single chapter for so late in the novel made the interruption hit even harder, and I'm not sure it was worth it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Heavy Cream by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright is truly what I am forever looking for in a book. There was something both enlightening and heartbreaking about Gerry's story that drew me in immediately. It felt like I knew her; it felt like I could have been her. She was raised attached to the hip with her mother, Helene, in a way that was codependent and enmeshed. When Helene sends Gerry to stay with an old friend and provides no information about her return, Gerry is left to figure out who she is on her own. Disrupting that time of self-discovery are three women, each with independent and conflicting ideas about who Gerry should be.
Mother-daughter relationships in novels always draw me to a book, and this one truly did not disappoint. There was something so real about how Gerry moves from being pliable to slowly finding her backbone, only to have that growth disrupted when her mother returns unexpectedly. Hoping for a certain relationship with a parent, not getting it but holding onto hope anyway, and then finally letting go of that hope is such a real part of growing into adulthood. I couldn't have described it before reading this, but I felt it completely here.
I pulled back slightly from a perfect 5 stars for one reason: I would have preferred never getting a glimpse into Helene's POV. There was something powerful about experiencing this story purely as a daughter, never having access to the mother's inner world. It made Helene feel like she could have been anyone's mom, including mine. Saving that single chapter for so late in the novel made the interruption hit even harder, and I'm not sure it was worth it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review contains spoilers.
This is one of the most beautiful coming of age stories I’ve ever read. It took me all over the place emotionally. I was laughing and crying and angry and happy and, and, and. At first I thought “wow, we’re spending so much time with the mother. I thought this was a story of her abandoning her kid” and then it happened so quickly. The rug was pulled out from under me and I felt what Gerry felt and I was so sad.
Then we meet The Women. And my goodness, these women. I want a separate novel on each of them. I want to know absolutely everything. I want to be a fly on the wall, but I also want to have dinner with them and ask them each a million questions. They are so complex and layered and it’s so interesting to see them through the eyes of a 16 year old and run the gamut of emotions during such a turbulent time in her childhood.
Gerry is incredible. This magical girl is so brave and smart and aware and I just wanted to hold her and protect her and tell everyone to BACK UP and give her a minute!! But they all care. They really do. And the way Sarah Blakley-Cartwright writes these women is unreal. I feel so protective of them all. I wanted everyone, even Gerry’s mom, to be okay. To be happy and good and well and okay.
I knew it was coming. I knew Gerry’s mother would come back, but it still took my breath away when she did. But then, when we get a chapter from the mothers perspective?! Oh my god. I couldn’t breathe the whole time. I was just in awe of how uncomfortable Sarah Blakley-Cartwright made me feel. This part of the book, the whole book really, really made me think about the James Baldwin quote “"The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality."
I really hope that if you’re reading this, you pick up this book. It’s one of the best ARCs I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Congrats, Sarah Blakley-Cartwright on this incredibly beautiful coming of age story. I will be thinking about Gerry + the women for such a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley + Simon & Schuster for the eArc!
This is one of the most beautiful coming of age stories I’ve ever read. It took me all over the place emotionally. I was laughing and crying and angry and happy and, and, and. At first I thought “wow, we’re spending so much time with the mother. I thought this was a story of her abandoning her kid” and then it happened so quickly. The rug was pulled out from under me and I felt what Gerry felt and I was so sad.
Then we meet The Women. And my goodness, these women. I want a separate novel on each of them. I want to know absolutely everything. I want to be a fly on the wall, but I also want to have dinner with them and ask them each a million questions. They are so complex and layered and it’s so interesting to see them through the eyes of a 16 year old and run the gamut of emotions during such a turbulent time in her childhood.
Gerry is incredible. This magical girl is so brave and smart and aware and I just wanted to hold her and protect her and tell everyone to BACK UP and give her a minute!! But they all care. They really do. And the way Sarah Blakley-Cartwright writes these women is unreal. I feel so protective of them all. I wanted everyone, even Gerry’s mom, to be okay. To be happy and good and well and okay.
I knew it was coming. I knew Gerry’s mother would come back, but it still took my breath away when she did. But then, when we get a chapter from the mothers perspective?! Oh my god. I couldn’t breathe the whole time. I was just in awe of how uncomfortable Sarah Blakley-Cartwright made me feel. This part of the book, the whole book really, really made me think about the James Baldwin quote “"The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality."
I really hope that if you’re reading this, you pick up this book. It’s one of the best ARCs I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Congrats, Sarah Blakley-Cartwright on this incredibly beautiful coming of age story. I will be thinking about Gerry + the women for such a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley + Simon & Schuster for the eArc!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I can easily read a book, love it, and then immediately forget everything about it as soon as I put it down. But not this. This is one of those books that I think will stay with me for a long time. I loved the writing style, and the characters felt so alive–flawed and often super unlikable, but real.
Geraldine is sixteen and alone, abandoned by her flighty mother whose only real commitment has always been to following her own whims. In Heavy Cream, we follow the girl’s struggle to find her footing as she tries on lifestyles that are wildly different from the one she’s been conditioned for.
When Helene leaves, we are visited by three could-be mother figures who play with Gerry’s life like she’s a Barbie doll, never truly understanding her or considering what she might actually need. She is intensely alone, even when she is surrounded by people who want to claim her. Soon, Gerry is living all alone in New York City, with three benefactors and an absent mother who could come back to claim her at any time… or never be seen again. All of them want credit for molding her into something special without ever taking responsibility for her actual wellbeing.
I was so invested from the first page. Every character in this book is deeply lonely in their own way, desperate for connection. But the author has an interesting way of transforming complexity into something beautiful, somehow approaching the canyon of solitude with humor.
Thanks so much to the author and NetGalley for the ARC!
Geraldine is sixteen and alone, abandoned by her flighty mother whose only real commitment has always been to following her own whims. In Heavy Cream, we follow the girl’s struggle to find her footing as she tries on lifestyles that are wildly different from the one she’s been conditioned for.
When Helene leaves, we are visited by three could-be mother figures who play with Gerry’s life like she’s a Barbie doll, never truly understanding her or considering what she might actually need. She is intensely alone, even when she is surrounded by people who want to claim her. Soon, Gerry is living all alone in New York City, with three benefactors and an absent mother who could come back to claim her at any time… or never be seen again. All of them want credit for molding her into something special without ever taking responsibility for her actual wellbeing.
I was so invested from the first page. Every character in this book is deeply lonely in their own way, desperate for connection. But the author has an interesting way of transforming complexity into something beautiful, somehow approaching the canyon of solitude with humor.
Thanks so much to the author and NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC review. Thanks to NetGalley for the Heavy Cream ARC, my opinions are always my own so take them with a grain of salt. Heavy Cream is a coming of age story narrated by Geraldine, a young girl being dragged around the Country by her mentally ill mother’s whims, living a less than ideal life for a child growing up. Gerry’s mom has some pretty high, highs as well as low, lows, and she walks around like she is owed something from the world. I can’t stand people like this, riding the coattails on their family, friends or our government instead of working hard for all they get. Unfortunately this bled into Gerry’s way of thinking, her mother keeping her alienated from any family or making friends. It’s so sad when Gerry is 16 and makes her first lasting friend, she eventually feels it’s too much upkeep. Her mother only using people around her for what she can get. When Gerrys mom takes off, its seen as a blessing and a curse, poor Gerry flailing in a normal school and environment, being shuffled after 3 very different, but caring women who want you help so much, they may do more harm. There are some very pretty passages and I swear I highlighted most of the book it seemed at the time. There is a happy ending in that we se Gerry finally finding her footing at 17 with a life to finally look forward to. I’d recommend for Women’s Fiction fans or coming of age stories for young girls when you have less than ideal parents. It made me appreciate my upbringing and that of the upbringing I’ve given my sons.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*Heavy Cream* is the latest novel by *Alice Sadie Celine*’s Sarah Blakley-Cartwright. Like her previous work, this novel is a quipp, character study with a feminine coming-of-age focus.
This novel feels like a modern take on a fairy tale. A sort of Goldilocks meets Cinderella by way of choose your own adventure. In this story, we follow Gerry. At 16, she has spent her childhood with her grifter and manic mother. When her mother abandons her, Gerry goes to live with her mother's college friend. She is then passed off to her black-sheep aunt before befriending a socialite in NYC who takes her under her wing.
These three women step in at times to provide some version of maternal support. The level of care and interest varies wildly, though for all four women, it may be the best they can offer. What we see is Gerry using her mother's street smarts to navigate this unusual predicament. She may fawn or adapt to each surroundings as she copes with a narcissistic/mentally ill family of origin.
The writing is sharp, observant, and witty. While there are certainly elements of neglect, no one is truly vilified. It is a thought-provoking look at external influences, motherhood, coming of age, and mental illness.
*Spoiler Warning* My main critique would be regarding the mother's POV. I liked that chapter, AND I wish it were the final chapter, and/or even more significant.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This novel feels like a modern take on a fairy tale. A sort of Goldilocks meets Cinderella by way of choose your own adventure. In this story, we follow Gerry. At 16, she has spent her childhood with her grifter and manic mother. When her mother abandons her, Gerry goes to live with her mother's college friend. She is then passed off to her black-sheep aunt before befriending a socialite in NYC who takes her under her wing.
These three women step in at times to provide some version of maternal support. The level of care and interest varies wildly, though for all four women, it may be the best they can offer. What we see is Gerry using her mother's street smarts to navigate this unusual predicament. She may fawn or adapt to each surroundings as she copes with a narcissistic/mentally ill family of origin.
The writing is sharp, observant, and witty. While there are certainly elements of neglect, no one is truly vilified. It is a thought-provoking look at external influences, motherhood, coming of age, and mental illness.
*Spoiler Warning* My main critique would be regarding the mother's POV. I liked that chapter, AND I wish it were the final chapter, and/or even more significant.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Geraldine is born to a mother who is committed to living her life on a whim, motherhood be damned. They grow up everywhere, together and not at all- for how can someone who has never grown themselves raise someone in their own image, but differently? This one was so interesting- so vivid and real, relatable and shocking in its regularity. I mean, mothers like our FMC's exist- and at the end of the day, they were just a woman with a dream first, just like all of us are at our core. Heavy Cream follows Geraldine at 16, living in NYC with an aunt and two "others" who are tasked for being our caregiver. She begins her journey with Bonnie, our lover of Housewives and all things cozy. We venture to Geraldine's mom's sister, who is an artist and has the scent of turpentine following her everywhere. It hurts her nieces senses, not an ideal scent for her to be surrounded with. This one is full of transforming prose and delicate balances of humanities and people- I enjoyed some parts, or at least the majority of the parts. I wish there had been a touch more of the childhood mentioned- some of the time gaps confused me or tripped me up. Thanks so much to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the digital eARC! All opinions are entirely my own.
August 17, 2026
What I liked- the premise was appealing: a parentified teen daughter left behind by her wayward mother and taken in by three wildly differently women who want to mold her.
The writing was beautiful and descriptive, if a little overdone at times. The author created distinctive characters through their homes and belongings that made them memorable.
Finley’s character was my favorite and the only benefactress whose level of investment in Geraldine made sense, matched to her underlying need for redemption. The other two women seemed to mostly have a reluctant responsibility driving them.
What I didn’t love: Geraldine didn’t have much agency and barely reacted to all the things happening to and around her. She lacked the emotionality of a teen forced to grow up fast and then thrust into a variety of age appropriate roles by women she didn’t know.
The Harlan storyline just kind of ended and Gerry didn’t question why she lost a job she was very good at. Everyone just moved on.
Twix was such an interesting and illustrative character that also sort of just disappeared. I loved how Twix’s portrayal juxtaposed Gerry’s mother and illustrated how wealth (or lack) change how people view mental health. If you’re privileged, you’re eccentric. If you’re not, you’re unfit.
There was a single chapter toward the end from the mother’s perspective that was strange and confusing. I didn’t want to hear from her. The whole rest of the novel was in Gerry’s voice, so this choice struck me as odd and disruptive.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
The writing was beautiful and descriptive, if a little overdone at times. The author created distinctive characters through their homes and belongings that made them memorable.
Finley’s character was my favorite and the only benefactress whose level of investment in Geraldine made sense, matched to her underlying need for redemption. The other two women seemed to mostly have a reluctant responsibility driving them.
What I didn’t love: Geraldine didn’t have much agency and barely reacted to all the things happening to and around her. She lacked the emotionality of a teen forced to grow up fast and then thrust into a variety of age appropriate roles by women she didn’t know.
The Harlan storyline just kind of ended and Gerry didn’t question why she lost a job she was very good at. Everyone just moved on.
Twix was such an interesting and illustrative character that also sort of just disappeared. I loved how Twix’s portrayal juxtaposed Gerry’s mother and illustrated how wealth (or lack) change how people view mental health. If you’re privileged, you’re eccentric. If you’re not, you’re unfit.
There was a single chapter toward the end from the mother’s perspective that was strange and confusing. I didn’t want to hear from her. The whole rest of the novel was in Gerry’s voice, so this choice struck me as odd and disruptive.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon&Schuster for the Advanced Ready copy in exchange for my honest review . Unfortunately , this book was marketed as a coming of age book which it is not . Gerry ( the FMC ) is 16 during the entire narrative of this book. I wondered how many readers realized that Gerry seemed to be experiencing months of time given the narrative SBC was writing, however her age never changed . I could not get past that . Then they marketed the book as comedic and funny ! Excuse me ? These are not funny ..
Quotes ..” I love you,” I said sniffling . “ you don’t deserve love,” she said or “I rarely reached for my mother as usually she’d draw back , flinching like a snail or water anemone.”.
There is no doubt that SBC can write . Her writing is exquisite in this book ,unfortunately it was marketed as something it it not. It plummeted the minute she never aged out of her teens and then again when Gerry’s mother was allowed to come back and get treatment and be “ forgiven “ all in the same year , according to narrative . The book took a real bad tumble when the author decided Gerry was going to go to a Cotillion. As if she hadn’t been through enough and wasn’t failed private school .That was the only time I laughed .
. The most enjoyable thing about this book is Gerry . She gets all 3 stars for being so likable and understanding about her mom’s illness and abuse and neglect .
Shes.novel
Quotes ..” I love you,” I said sniffling . “ you don’t deserve love,” she said or “I rarely reached for my mother as usually she’d draw back , flinching like a snail or water anemone.”.
There is no doubt that SBC can write . Her writing is exquisite in this book ,unfortunately it was marketed as something it it not. It plummeted the minute she never aged out of her teens and then again when Gerry’s mother was allowed to come back and get treatment and be “ forgiven “ all in the same year , according to narrative . The book took a real bad tumble when the author decided Gerry was going to go to a Cotillion. As if she hadn’t been through enough and wasn’t failed private school .That was the only time I laughed .
. The most enjoyable thing about this book is Gerry . She gets all 3 stars for being so likable and understanding about her mom’s illness and abuse and neglect .
Shes.novel
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2026
Another book on my Most Anticipated list!
This coming-of-age journey follows Geraldine as she tries to find her footing after her mother leaves the country. Bouncing around between three very different, very chaotic female caretakers, Gerry somehow still has to figure out how to take care of herself and discover who she is apart from her mother.
Gerry tugged at my heartstrings SO MUCH. Her relationship with her mother was so complicated and fraught, and I so wanted her to find the stability she so desperately needed. The three different women who stepped in after her mother left where complex and sometimes frustrating, and there was one in particular that I just wanted to grab by the shoulders and ask what the heck she was thinking. The writing style pulled me in so deeply, but the story itself also had me wanting several more chapters by the end of it. I’m not sure whether that’s because I was enjoying the writing so much, wanted to see where Gerry’s story took her next, or some combination of the two. The ending itself is one that I know will stick with me for quite some time!
If you want an emotional coming-of-age read with some very complicated women, definitely check this one out!
Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for the gifted finished copy.
This coming-of-age journey follows Geraldine as she tries to find her footing after her mother leaves the country. Bouncing around between three very different, very chaotic female caretakers, Gerry somehow still has to figure out how to take care of herself and discover who she is apart from her mother.
Gerry tugged at my heartstrings SO MUCH. Her relationship with her mother was so complicated and fraught, and I so wanted her to find the stability she so desperately needed. The three different women who stepped in after her mother left where complex and sometimes frustrating, and there was one in particular that I just wanted to grab by the shoulders and ask what the heck she was thinking. The writing style pulled me in so deeply, but the story itself also had me wanting several more chapters by the end of it. I’m not sure whether that’s because I was enjoying the writing so much, wanted to see where Gerry’s story took her next, or some combination of the two. The ending itself is one that I know will stick with me for quite some time!
If you want an emotional coming-of-age read with some very complicated women, definitely check this one out!
Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for the gifted finished copy.
September 15, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance ARC of this novel.
I haven't read a book in some time that really sat with me, like this one did. This is the first time I've read something by Sarah Blakely-Cartwright, and it certainly won't be the last.
Heavy Cream follows Gerry, a teenage girl trying to figure out who she's supposed to become as several very different women in her life each try to shape her in their own image, after her mother leaves her to fend for herself in the city.
The story rang very close to home for me and my own experiences, and the writing here does a great job balancing the lighthearted with the heartbreaking. It's hard to find stories depicting emotionally unwell or immature parents, as well as flawed caregivers, that are layered and ultimately human, and I appreciated that about this story.
I loved and felt for Gerry, appreciating the candor and honesty within her POV, and thought that her ARC as a character felt realized near the end. Ultimately, this novel is a tender, unflinching portrait of abandonment and of growing up while persisting through it.
I haven't read a book in some time that really sat with me, like this one did. This is the first time I've read something by Sarah Blakely-Cartwright, and it certainly won't be the last.
Heavy Cream follows Gerry, a teenage girl trying to figure out who she's supposed to become as several very different women in her life each try to shape her in their own image, after her mother leaves her to fend for herself in the city.
The story rang very close to home for me and my own experiences, and the writing here does a great job balancing the lighthearted with the heartbreaking. It's hard to find stories depicting emotionally unwell or immature parents, as well as flawed caregivers, that are layered and ultimately human, and I appreciated that about this story.
I loved and felt for Gerry, appreciating the candor and honesty within her POV, and thought that her ARC as a character felt realized near the end. Ultimately, this novel is a tender, unflinching portrait of abandonment and of growing up while persisting through it.
September 29, 2026
Gerry is used to her mother’s mercurial moods but this is the first time her mother has abandoned her without a clear return date. Stepping in to help Gerry are her mother’s friend from college, her aunt, and a wealthy woman she meets at a fancy party. Together these flawed women do their best to live their own lives while trying to improve Gerry’s upbringing.
Overall, this was a fascinating read. I loved the writing though I do wish it was all told from Gerry’s perspective (there are a couple of chapters told from her mother’s perspective). I found Gerry to be a sympathetic and engaging character and hope she turns out OK! (I did have to suspend my belief that Gerry was 16—her inner monologue, knowledge of fashion and interior design, and the references she used seemed better suited to someone in their 20s or even 30s). For readers who love complicated mother-daughter dynamics and coming-of-age dramas.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.
Overall, this was a fascinating read. I loved the writing though I do wish it was all told from Gerry’s perspective (there are a couple of chapters told from her mother’s perspective). I found Gerry to be a sympathetic and engaging character and hope she turns out OK! (I did have to suspend my belief that Gerry was 16—her inner monologue, knowledge of fashion and interior design, and the references she used seemed better suited to someone in their 20s or even 30s). For readers who love complicated mother-daughter dynamics and coming-of-age dramas.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.
October 10, 2026
Gerry grows up with a mother who’s not interested in anything but herself, so when she abandons Gerry to follow a dream, Gerry’s left in the care of 3 women, one after another. First is Bonnie, her mother’s college best friend, who’s a caring, mothering type in the suburbs. Then Gerry moves on to her aunt, an artist living in New York, who doesn’t have time for anything except to park Gerry in an empty apartment and carry on with her life. Finally, Gerry is taken in by Finley, a society matron, who helps Gerry get into a good school and lead a more stable life. None of the characters are particularly interesting, and we never find out why Gerry's mother is so flaky. The is called a coming-of-age story, but it’s really a story of three very different types of mothering, and the ways it affects the “Child,” who (I believe is 16 throughout the whole book. Thank-you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Ms. Blakely-Cartwright for the ARC of this title.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Heavy Cream by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright. Thanks to simonbooks got the gifted arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️
When sixteen year old Geraldine’s mother leaves to follow a lover to Australia, Getty is passed along to three different women, all of who show her different ways of coming of age.
If you’re into quieter and slower coming of age stories, give this one a try. The author is definitely talented and it had beautiful prose, but it was a little too quiet for my personal tastes. There were moments that I loved and stuck with it, but not throughout the entire story.
“There was nothing that discomforted people more than a child - like me, like the girl my mother must have been - who knew exactly what strings she was pulling.”
Reading you like:
-Dysfunctional mother/daughter relationships
-New York art scene
-Coming of age
Heavy Cream comes out 9/29.
When sixteen year old Geraldine’s mother leaves to follow a lover to Australia, Getty is passed along to three different women, all of who show her different ways of coming of age.
If you’re into quieter and slower coming of age stories, give this one a try. The author is definitely talented and it had beautiful prose, but it was a little too quiet for my personal tastes. There were moments that I loved and stuck with it, but not throughout the entire story.
“There was nothing that discomforted people more than a child - like me, like the girl my mother must have been - who knew exactly what strings she was pulling.”
Reading you like:
-Dysfunctional mother/daughter relationships
-New York art scene
-Coming of age
Heavy Cream comes out 9/29.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received Heavy Cream from NetGalley for an honest review. The story follows Geraldine, a 16 year old who was essentially abandoned by her mother when she decides she wants to follow a man she met to Australia. Geraldine bounces between three women- her aunt, her mom's college best friend, and a wealthy woman she befriends at a party. The women do their best to provide Geraldine with what she needs as she navigats through life.
The story tackles complicated family dynamics, the power of wealth, mental health, and coming of age. The author created a lot of story lines that were not fully developed leaving the reader wanting more. I felt bad for many of the characters, but felt that many of them got themselves into these situations. Overall the writing was fine, but the story needed more of an edit.
The story tackles complicated family dynamics, the power of wealth, mental health, and coming of age. The author created a lot of story lines that were not fully developed leaving the reader wanting more. I felt bad for many of the characters, but felt that many of them got themselves into these situations. Overall the writing was fine, but the story needed more of an edit.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I had a little bit of a hard time finishing this book. I went in blind and was excited for the story within the first few chapters but quickly became bored with the lack of events that happened along the way from that point. I found myself very confused by the end wondering if key points were missing or if I had been forcing myself to read it to the point I was forgetting things. I feel this book had so much potential and loved the aspect of following Gerry around in a world where she felt like she couldn’t find where she belonged, I just couldn’t bring myself to get excited to read it. I think I’ll think about this book for a while and eventually grow to miss it, which had me considering four stars, however the dread I felt picking the book up landed it with three stars.
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