This is the kind of book to buy for any young(ish) person...or person who was young in recent history. The internet has f*cked all of us up and convinced us that our 20s are supposed to be the apex of our lives...when for most of us, our 20s are a struggle at best. Rainesford Stauffer brings journalistic chops and the personalization of memoir to this unforgettable book. Highly, highly recommend.

I unfortunately didn't find anything is book to be particularly new, groundbreaking, or well-researched/considered. I wanted to like it, but it didn't offer enough information from research or from diverse perspectives to really work for me.

Perhaps it is because I am of the ordinary age, but what a fitting time to be reading such a book. I have to admit, there were moments where I had to put it down as it was just all to Real. I truly think this should be required reading as for people of all ages. As someone who's on the cusp of Millennial and Gen Z, it's interesting to see the different aspects of each that have affected my own growing up. Especially as we become even more connected to our online selves, it's crucial for everyone to realize that where they are at is just fine and that there are difficult steps we need to take in order to not be in a perpetual state of constant comparison.

I loved this book, Rainesford truly has a way with words and a strong writing voice. She weaves together the stories of "young adults" and gives meaning and context to generational phrases which have been used and abused so often it seemed like they had been doomed to the buzzword category of langauge. I cannot wait for this book to come out !

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

As a current college student trying to navigate all the challenges of emerging adulthood, this book was honestly right up my alley. It truly echoed so many thoughts and stressors that I am currently facing right now. I found myself highlighting things on almost every single page just because I could identify with so much of what it was saying. My favorite chapter was by far the college chapter as it really echoed a lot of the things that I am grappling with right now. I also loved how it talked a lot about the COVID-19 pandemic as it was obviously the first piece of literature that I've read that addressed the subject and it did so in a way that was so relatable.

Where the book falls short for me is in terms of the going forward piece. I completely understand and love the author's message about trying to normalize this "ordinary age" that we are all living through, but after reading the book I am still having a hard time figuring out exactly what it means. As much as I felt so validated from reading the story, figuring out exactly what I am going to takeaway and utilize in the future from this book seems tough to figure out right now. I am struggling to rate this book 3 or 4 stars, but decided to round up as I do appreciate Stauffer's opinion on a lot of the topics that she talked about in the book.

Overall though, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is around my age and feels like they need a little direction in understanding who they are. I am also excited to continue to follow Stauffer as I really enjoy her perspective on life and am interested to learn more.

This book fills a niche in the market and on library shelves for young adults who have skipped or graduated from college and feel aimless, purposeless, and unsupported. It felt redundant for me but I think for a reader in the thick of job searching, moving to a new city, and feeling social pressure on social media, the redundancy would normalize those feelings for them, resulting in a helpful book.