So Fcking Special: 1996* by Raye Murphy is everything I love in a slow-burn romance, wrapped in pure 90s nostalgia. Set in small-town East Texas, it captures that pre-social-media high school world so vividly I could practically hear locker doors slam and smell the pencil shavings in homeroom.

July Elizabeth Edwards and Adrian Reed’s relationship is a perfect mix of history, rivalry, and tension-filled attraction. Murphy doesn’t rush them—she lets the chemistry simmer, making every shift in their dynamic hit harder. The writing is both atmospheric and raw, and the 90s references (Pearl Jam, The Cranberries, grunge flannel vibes) add a heartbeat to the story.
It’s more than just a romance—it’s about identity, social pressure, and navigating that messy space between adolescence and adulthood. The pacing is deliberate, but it works, letting you live in the moment with these characters. By the time it builds to its emotional payoff, you feel it.

If you love enemies-to-lovers slow burns with real emotional depth, rich setting details, and a dose of 90s grunge, this is the perfect read.

Talk about a blast from the past! This was pure 90s nostalgia and I 👏🏼 ATE 👏🏼 IT 👏🏼 UP 👏🏼!!!

This book was like a time machine transporting me right back to my adolescence, argumentatively one of the greatest times to be alive. If you are millennial, especially one from a small town, you are most definitely going to want to read this book! Get your old high school playlists out and allow yourself to be fully immersed into this slow burn love story. I could not get enough of July and Adrian. Bring on book 2!

So Fcking Special: 1996* is a raw, heartfelt coming-of-age story that authentically captures the complexities of adolescence in a small-town high school setting. While it’s not an erotic novel—and readers looking for explicit content won’t find it here—it is a deeply emotional and realistic portrayal of teenage life, especially during the socially charged era of the 1990s.

At its core, the novel is about navigating identity, peer pressure, and the constant tension between personal desire and social expectation. July and Adrian, the central characters, are written with nuance and honesty. Their mutual attraction is tender, slow-burning, and fraught with the kind of insecurities and emotional roadblocks that make young love so relatable. The author masterfully builds their chemistry over time, allowing readers to experience not just the anticipation, but the frustrations and small triumphs along the way.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its portrayal of peer pressure—not just as a passing theme, but as a driving force in teenage decision-making. From academic stress and athletic competition to the need for social acceptance, the novel doesn’t shy away from the realities teens face. It's an especially relevant read for parents, offering a window into the emotional and social struggles adolescents continue to confront today, regardless of the decade.

While the setting and cultural markers are steeped in the '90s, the emotions and challenges are timeless. This makes So Fcking Special: 1996* not only nostalgic for those who came of age during that era but also a meaningful, resonant story for a broader audience.

Overall, this is a compelling, character-driven novel that’s as introspective as it is emotionally satisfying. A great pick for readers who appreciate authentic YA narratives with emotional depth and social insight.

I graduated from high school in 1996 and could not wait to get into this story. The nostalgic playlist blew me away, and the book got better from there. Well done, Raye! Thanks to NetGalley for the copy for this review.

This book wasn’t for me. I struggled with the pacing and the way the book constantly says but that’s how Pure Pines is. Over and over. I get it. I wasn’t a teenager in the 90s but I was ready for the nostalgia nonetheless. But I found I didn’t really care for either character or what was happening to them. The writing is solid, but this wasn’t a good fit for me. I was looking for something YA but this didn’t fit my expectations.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy

Loved this book love following July and Adrians stpry they fealt real like you were there with them walking the corridors going through the dramas of high school and the 90s nostalgia is awesome. Its really well written and gripping from beginning to end wanting to know what happened and just whats going on..

Wow! I feel like I just discovered a hidden gem.! So F*cking Special is f*cking special for an YA read. This books is like Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles—those kinds of stories and I loved going back there in time. It’s all about teens, coming of age and learning about desire. It’s about manipulators and manipulatees (if that’s a word)—who finally grow and take back their power. Very heartwarming to watch the bond develop between July and Adrian. I was rooting for them constantly and frustrated that neither could put themselves out there. Unexpectedly, I fell in love with Court. Great supporting cast. Overall—five stars out of five stars for Raye Murphy and So F*cking Special.

A rare gem, and true original with slow burn, Binding 13 & Say You Swear Vibes. So F*cking Special: 1996, is more than appropriately tagged as 'the YA read of gen X'. From the writing style to the 90’s nostalgia, Raye Murphy takes you back to the halls of whatever high school you hail from. The world she built is palpable and meaty. This is the quality television series are made of, and I fully expect this series to become one.

Welcome to your new obsession... JULY & ADRIAN! A will they or won't they becomes a did they? — that has an entire town on edge. The main characters feel so hauntingly real and true to the time that your are transported to the nostalgia of the 90’s, a kitchen phone with a cord on it before your first text message, and the heartbreak you never got over.

Insightful. An investment in the characters and 90's world that is worth the page count.

In addition to the 90's playlist titling each chapter, the book's esthetic and chapter images are a stellar surprise. I am left desperate for more from this author, this world and the two main characters.

Getting my hands on book 2 straight away. Anxious for the New Adult book in the series that raises the romance/spice stakes!