Somehow, Steven Rowley has a tendency to just make you FEEL things. With books like Guncle and Lily and the Octopus, I was ready to SOB. Yet, surprisingly, sobbing was really minimal in Celebrants.

In this non-linear story, we follow a cast of college friends who meet whenever one of them is going through a crisis to have a funeral for themselves while still living. We learn about each character through their funeral and how they get through their crisis.

I think the thing that removed me from being as emotionally invested in the characters is just how large the cast is. There are 6 characters we’re expected to get emotionally connected with and some are a lot less interesting than others. Then the ones that are supposed to be really hard hitting, feel less impactful because my emotions were supposed to be spent from a prior character.

This led to so much of my interest coming in waves. I didn’t love the opening, then really liked the first funeral, was less interested in the second, hated the third, loved the fourth, and so on an on. It was a promising premise, but I really didn’t care for the execution.

I really enjoyed this story of life long friendship. Even though the subject matter was a bit melancholy.
I liked that we had multiple POV and I liked that it showed the messy side of friendship as well as the good parts.
I thought the story was the perfect length and I liked that we saw a little bit of everyone’s past as well, so we could better understand their actions.

I started reading The Guncle last year and for whatever reason, I put it down and never picked it back up. So, I was looking forward to reading my first book by Steven Rowley. This was the July book club pick for my local book club.

A handful of college friends decide to make a pact where they will call on each other in their time of need. The plan? Have a funeral while the person is still living, so they understand how much they are loved and nothing goes unsaid.

I loved the friendships in this book, and the witty banter between the characters. I laughed out loud several times.

I did find several scenes to be way too drawn out. I also don't do well when talking about terminal illness, so trigger warning for those who feel the same.

I did like the ending and although this was not my favorite, I am still looking forward to reading The Guncle.

Thank you for the ARC!

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam, the author, and NetGalley for the free gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I first picked this one up because of my obsession with the Guncle, and it truly lived up to the hype.

The Celebrants was such a sweet story. A lifelong friendship with tons of twists and turns, that was super relatable and made me feel all the feels.

I love how Steven Rowley’s book focus on relationships and emotions instead of big plot lines, which is not what I usually look for in books but the way he writes it is so impressive and actually makes you feel the feels.

This book covers all the emotions it will make you laugh and it will make you cry.

Well, dang. One of my most anticipated reads of 2023, The Celebrants by Steven Rowley didn’t quite meet my expectations. I really wanted to love this book, but was left a bit underwhelmed, unfortunately. The concept was definitely unique, and perhaps even a bit morbid. (Which I appreciate.) Ha! A group of friends make a pact to hold “living funerals” for one another in order to express their love and appreciation before they die, rather than after. Definitely a fun, yet odd spin on friendship fiction.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚:

I think my biggest complaint about this novel would have to be about the characters. They just fell really flat for me, and none of them really stood out. I can barely remember their names. This was such a bummer because that’s what I loved so much about The Guncle—the dynamic characters.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙:

Near the end, a few buried secrets were uncovered, and a lot of shit hit the fan, so that was fun. You know I love (other people’s) drama! Also, the characters are older. Like, even older than me! Ha! The story takes place 28 years after their college graduation, so that age range is very relatable to me.

Overall, this one was pretty “middle of the road” for me. The plot was original, but the characters were weak, in my opinion. The characters generally make or break a story for me, so I had to dock some major points off for that. I still recommend it if you’re a Steven Rowley fan. The Celebrants gets 3.5/5 stars from me!

Steven Rowley is a literary genius. This book was incredible and I loved it even more than The Guncle.

A group of friends enacts a pact to have a living funeral. It brings them together during times of trials and tribulations. So well written. Heartwarming, heartbreaking.

You have to read this!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced copy of this book. The Guncle was great and this book didn't disappoint either. I loved the humorous/cheeky tone.

This one made me weep in the end! Heartwarming read about a group of friends transitioning from college to life as adults and how they navigate their friendships evolving. Love the author as the narrator.

DNF. I just couldn't get into this book at all. I ADORED The Guncle but this book felt like a slog. I wonder if I just wasn't reading it at the right time or in the right mood!

I wasn't a huge fan of this one which is ashame! Thankful for being able to read it though. Thank you!

Sometimes good books come at the wrong time. This was how I felt reading The Celebrants by Steven Rowley. Rowley's novels have been hit or miss. (I loved The Gungle and The Editor!) The Celebrants. This book focuses on a group of friends who decide to host one another's funerals BEFORE they die. So much of the book focuses on death which, personally, was difficult for me. I also didn't really care for any of the characters. Much of the character's snarky humor just hit me the wrong way for some reason. Picking this book up at a different time I would feel differently about it. I guess this one wasn't for me. I do appreciate the publisher and author for gifting me with an advanced copy.

After being completely blown away by The Guncle (SO GOOD!), I was super excited to pick up The Celebrants. This book is a total emotional rollercoaster! Five friends reunite in Big Sur to honor a decades- old pack to throw each other living “funeral,” celebrations to remind themselves that life is worth living.

This is such a sweet tale of friendship that will have you both tearing up and laughing. Told in multiple point of views, this book is a celebration of life long friends, found family, and imperfect characters. It wasn’t quite as unique as The Guncle, but I still really enjoyed it! Four stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own. This one is out now!

Thank you to PRHAudio and Netgalley for letting me experience this absolute gem.

I loved The Guncle very much, so I was very excited for this one. I have to say, I love this one in a completely different way but all the same. I LOVE, and I mean LOVE a good friend group in a story. This one is so unique and interesting; college friends who have decided to hold funerals for one another while they’re all still living, that way they get to hear just how loved they are before they actually pass away. This is prompted by the death of one group member, which adds a layer of grief and darkness to an already gloomy concept.

THE CELEBRANTS
Steven Rowley


I had so much fun with Jordan and friends while reading Rowley’s latest contemporary fiction title, THE CELEBRANTS. Out now!

A group of friends: Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle have known each other for decades. They meet to give one of their members a “living funeral” whenever someone needs it. Something they have done over the years as a tribute to their friendship and each other.

They meet and eulogize each other in life before death. This year one of the members of their friend group has a secret. And it’s going to change everything as they’ve always known it.

This book is a celebration of life and friendship, the ties that bind, what endures through the years, and what changes. I loved the idea of celebrating those you love in life when you still have the chance.

This is my first time reading Rowley and now that I know what to expect I’ll reach for his books when I’m looking for a feel-good book with great friendship dynamics.

Thanks to Netgalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Penguin Random House Audio for the advanced copies!

THE CELEBRANTS...⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First of all, THANK YOU to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for letting me read this book, even though I didn’t get to it before it ended up coming out a couple weeks ago.

With some authors, you just know what to expect. Right? A Fredrick Backman novel is going to be, well, like a Backman novel. Having read two of Steven Rowley’s previous books (Lily and the Octopus and The Guncle), I thought I knew what to expect. But really, I found The Celebrants to be a departure from those two!

For the first quarter of this book, I was getting into it, thinking okay, this is going to be really good. However, at that point it seemed to just keep going without much really happening. This is really a character-driven story…there’s not a ton of storyline. At first, that really threw me off and I was pretty unsure about the whole thing. Where was this thing going??

In reality, it’s just a succession of the friends’ “funerals” that are had during personal crises. If you’re looking for a really riveting story, you’re not going to find it here.

HOWEVER. starting at about 55%, the whole thing started to affect me more deeply, and I started really loving a couple of the characters. It just took a while for me to get there! I almost felt like giving up on it, but man, the payoff in the second half is so worth getting a little bored in the first half.

This book had some serious Midnight Library vibes, but in my opinion, was better. It really dives into topics of found family, what really matters in life, re-finding yourself, grief, and all sorts of super touching stuff. I highlighted a bunch of beautiful sentences and sentiments, and almost felt like my eyes were welling up at the end.

Overall, I do recommend The Celebrants, but don’t expect The Guncle! Go in thinking character driven, emotional story of friendship and found family and you’ll be in a better head space for it.

This was a sweet book about friendships, life, love etc. I liked the concept and writing style. The overall story wasn’t filled with a ton of events that really kept me turning the pages but it still did the trick of entertaining me.

DNF at 30%. I’m not sure what this book is trying to be, but whatever that is I feel like it’s trying too hard. This premise should have been my kind of book. But it does not deliver. If you are going to write a book about grief, lean in. Bring the emotions. But it’s not giving me that. If you want to be humorous, great! But the humor in this is not landing for me. At 30%, I still can’t tell the Jordans apart. I hate the two female leads and the MC is just…there.

At the end of their senior year of college, a group of friends endures the death of one of their own from a drug overdose. In the ensuing days, they make a pact to hold a "funeral" for each of the remaining group at a time in their life when they need support. They are each allowed one "funeral," and the rest of the group MUST attend. The reader follows the ups and downs of the group as they grow into late middle age. The author handles tragedy with humor, and the bond between these characters is always evident.

A tender story about the power of friendship and how it changes through the ups and downs of life. While I enjoyed this book, it did not give me the same “feels” as “The Guncle”. Rowley has become a must read author for me and look forward to his next title.

a heartfelt story that was very enjoyable

thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for this review copy.