Have you ever read a book and thought “I wish I could make everyone I know read this”? That’s how we feel about We Deserve Monuments. This breathtaking debut novel is filled with family secrets, swoon-worthy romance, and slow-burn mystery. We truly do not deserve Jas Hammonds’s brilliant first book, but if you need some extra incentive to pick this one up, author Jas Hammonds, has curated a playlist just for you. So, put your headphones on and get ready to be transported to Bardell. 🌻 Georgia on my Mind by Ray Charles: Avery's grandfather Ray often called Ray Charles, “The Second Best Ray.” This iconic song would be playing as Avery arrives in in Bardell for the first time. Lonely by Jamila Woods ft. Lorine Chia: Those first few days in Bardell when Avery is lonely and adjusting to losing her friends and avoiding a grandmother that doesn’t seem to eager to play nice. Scoop by Lil Nas X ft. Doja Cat: A whole vibe. Avery riding around Bardell with Simone and Jade in the Jeep, windows and doors missing, warm late summer breeze whipping through their hair. Moon River by Frank Ocean: The Perfect Spot ♥ hover like a GODDESS by WILLOW: The hotel room party. Jumping on the bed. “Whiskey drunk and ravenous.” Strange Fruit by Jensen McRae: Avery learns the truth of what happened to her grandfather Ray. I love all versions of this song, but Jensen McRae’s pared-down version is perfect for this scene at the train station. Don’t Judge Me by Janelle Monáe: “If I kissed you / Would you think I was lonely / If I let you inside?” This is for Simone, insecure after her admission in the stairwell. Hypnotized by MASY. : Avery & Simone and a first kiss that tastes like sugar. Winter Toes by Sango & Xavier Omär: “What makes you so sure about us?” Zora takes Avery to Renny’s and tells her a love story. Scary by Megan Thee Stallion ft. Rico Nasty: The Halloween carnival. The corn maze is scarier than it appears… Toothache by Topaz Jones: The Renaissance is a place full of love and music. The multi-generational crowd would absolutely be tearing up the floor to this song. How can you not dance when you hear it? Running by Be Steadwell ft. Kevin Marvelle: “Why are you pushing me away?” 💔 Try A Little Tenderness/(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons/You Send Me – Live by Sam Cooke: Three mermaids on a beach, dancing and listening to this song under a spray of stars. River by Leon Bridges: Chapter 25. Enough said. With You – A Sweet Little Love Song by Valerie June: The Capricorn Eucalyptus and the Cancer Sunflower make their own winter formal.

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds

What’s more important? Knowing the truth or keeping the peace? Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she's uprooted from her life in DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Avery’s mom and Mama Letty makes for a frosty arrival and unearths past drama they refuse to talk about. Every time Avery tries to look deeper, she’s turned away, leaving her desperate to learn the secrets that split her family in two. While tempers flare in her avoidant family, Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: in Simone Cole, her captivating next-door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, daughter of the town’s most prominent family—whose mother’s murder remains unsolved. As the three girls grow closer—Avery and Simone’s friendship blossoming into romance—the sharp-edged opinions of their small southern town begin to hint at something insidious underneath. The racist history of Bardell, Georgia is rooted in Avery’s family in ways she can’t even imagine. With Mama Letty's health dwindling every day, Avery must decide if digging for the truth is worth toppling the delicate relationships she's built in Bardell—or if some things are better left buried.