Quick and Dirty⁣
-favorite book of the year (so far)⁣
-deeply profound friendships⁣
-a book about life⁣
-LGBTQIA representation⁣
-not the Guncle⁣
⁣
Thoughts⁣
If you follow my stories, you probably realize I swallowed my pride and bought a copy with this hideous sticker because I NEEDED TO OWN A COPY OF THIS BOOK NOW!!!! This one hit me like a ton of bricks. I was expecting The Guncle, Part 2, which this is not. Sure, it has Rowley's wit and warmth, but the story of this lifelong group of friends is powerful. Every single character is relatable. Every single interaction is packed with meaning. I saw my friendships reflected in these characters, the good, the bad, and the deeply ugly. I felt seen reading this, which is what a really great book should do. The grief journey Rowley maps out for his readers is the one I want to go on if the road must be traveled. A celebration of all things: who we were, who we are, and who we have yet to be. Is the premise a little morbid? Maybe. But death is life, and to pretend otherwise is meaningless. Rowley's characters show us how to live an honest and raw life, and it's simply breathtaking. ⁣I truly cannot say enough about this wonderful book that I hope everyone reads!

Steven Rowley is such a great storyteller when it comes to difficult topics. This book probably won't be for every reader, and that's okay, but I still highly recommend everyone read this book.
I'm knee-deep in my own grieving season. My most recent loss was my cousin, whom I hadn't seen in 3.5 years. Life choices and differences of opinion over those choices kept us apart. Two weeks ago, I got that dreaded notification of her passing. Her funeral was this past Friday. She was young, mother of six, had her whole life to live, but was gone in an instant. So, so many things left unsaid, so many I love you's, etc.
All that to say, while the funeral pact for this group of friends may seem absurd to most people, it also doesn't seem that strange to me. Life circumstances, finances, geographics, etc, may not make it feasible for most people, but I think it's something that more people should absolutely think about doing. Tell your spouses, family, & friends, just what they mean to you before it's too late.
Thank you, Netgalley, for this e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

First thank you to Putnam books, author Steven Rowley and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Celebrants in an exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: this is the story of 5 friends that make a pact at their college friend funeral to celebrate each other whenever they need it one time only. Four of the friends invoke the pact which brings the friends even closer.

What I liked: Steven Rowley knows how to go directly to my heart. His characters are so well developed and have such heart. I love the idea of living funerals and want to figure out how to convince my friends to enter into this pact. I related the most to Naomi and laughed out loud at her funeral. I loved how the story’s timeline made you fully bond with the characters before the end of the story. Really adds to that emotional ending that the author is known for.

Highly recommend this book to everyone but especially fans of contemporary fiction and found family troupe. Mr Rowley you did it again and know I will be back again for your next book. Thank you.

After tragedy strikes, five college friends make a pact that at any point in their lives they can call upon each other to come together for a "funeral" celebration. Over the years they each enact the pact and come together in Big Sur to lift each other up and remind each other what they have. Why not tell those you love what makes them special while they're alive?!

This is a sweet read about friendship, aging, and the ups and downs of life.

TW: Cancer

“…endings are also beginnings…opportunities for a new life.”

In THE CELEBRANTS, after the premature loss of one of their own, a group of friends starts a pact to hold “living funerals” for each other, to celebrate their present life. Initiated at various moments in each of their lives, these living wakes give the ensemble cast chances to learn, grow, and heal together.

Steven Rowley writes a really beautiful and resonant story. While I didn’t love THE CELEBRANTS quite as much as THE GUNCLE, I really appreciate the author’s ability to weave a meaningful story and craft rich characters. There were so many poignant (and naturally funny) moments that I want to pause to soak in. This story really has some significant “makes you think about life and what’s important” moments. It was an enjoyable read and a captivating concept!

Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. THE CELEBRANTS is out now!

Following the death of their close friend, five college friends make a pact to hold living funerals for themselves in the future. The pact is 'evoked' by someone who needs be reminded of how much they're loved and is a chance for the friends to say things they don't want left unsaid. The book follows the friends during different periods of their lives and the events that caused each to call for their funerals.

I've seen The Celebrants described as "a Big Chill for our times" and this is EXACTLY how I would describe it. I was getting all of those 80s movie vibes about friendships over time and how life changes as we become adults. I loved The Guncle and The Celebrants was another five star read for me from this author. This book has all the feels - I laughed and cried. The characters were great and each brought varying levels of humor, sass, caring, and compassion. The Celebrants is a great reminder to tell the living how we feel today, because the future can change in an instant.

Thank you to @netgalley and @putnam for my digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Obviously I loved it! I went out on pub day and bought a copy for my shelf! The Guncle was my favorite book of 2021 so this was a much anticipated release!
Steven Rowley brings us on a journey of 5 college friends who make a lifelong pact right after graduation. Whenever one of the them is at their lowest and needs saving, they invoke the pact to have a “funeral” so the person in crises can hear and know how much they are loved.
The circumstances that make them invoke their funerals are messy but they are also real life relatable. I loved seeing how these friendships that span 3 decades, changed and evolved along the way. This book was funny, sentimental, witty, emotional, and packed with drama and 90’s references.
It totally made me think of my college friends and how we are going on 20+ years of friendship. I love how we can see each other once or twice a year but still pick up right where we left off!
Highly recommend this one for your summer reading pile!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Steven Rowley - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Six friends meet as transfer students to Berkley and form a tight bond. When one of the group dies before graduation, the rest make a pact - they can each summon the group together whenever they need it to have a "living funeral." That way nothing will be left unsaid and they can know their worth to the group.

This is a wonderful story about friendship, especially those old friends who knew us and loved us when we were not fully formed, who have grown with us even as we grow apart. I love the idea of making sure nothing is left unsaid, no matter how hard that may be. All of these characters were wonderful and Rowley brings them to life with his trademark humor and emotion. Another great read from this author!

This was a funny heartwarming book. I loved the Guncle so I knew I needed Steven Rowley's newest book. This is a story of college friends who meet throughout the years to have living funerals. They don't want to leave anything unsaid. I laughed and I cried. Such a great emotional book. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Steven Rowley has done it again! His book The Guncle was an easy 5 stars for me last year, and this one had so much of the same wit and hilarious charm. Also the characters have a morbid sense of humor, which I can really rate to this year. I absolutely loved this one for very personal reasons I’ll talk in more detail about below.

To get into this, I’m going to talk about my experience with losing my mom earlier this year. I feel like I’ve talked about it a fair amount on here already, but sometimes I don’t know how to not talk about it. I’m not one to pretend like it didn’t happen.

After my mom’s funeral, I invited some close friends to come back to my house. At some point in the night I told my friends we all needed to have a funeral party. I told them we needed to spend one evening getting drunk, writing our own obituaries, and making our final wishes known (wouldn’t you like your friends’ opinions on your obituary photo options - “do I look good here? Is this photo too sad?”). When planning everything for my mom, I was stumped on picking out her obituary photo. I ended up picking one that I really liked - but what if she didn’t like it? What if she hated it? I had no idea and had no way of asking her.

This book is not exactly the same sentiment as what I wanted to do, but it’s in the ballpark and I really related to it. I think we all need to have more candid conversations about death, and I feel like it’s less awkward to do if it’s not looming over you. Make your plans (and write them down!!) and make them known before they are needed.

Back to the book - I just really loved it. Steven Rowley has such a way with words, and his dialogue is hilarious and witty in such a way I want these people to be my friends in real life. The content itself is raw and heartwarming, but also might make you cry (I did!).

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for the copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book is another hit from Steven Rowley. Like the Guncle it is fun and light moments m, but touches also on really deep hard things. I love the wit, banter and humor that run through the story. The chargers were all so different, but it was interesting to watch them grown and mature as the years passed. I loved this book and would recommend it to any fiction reader.

Great novel about reconnecting with old friends. I’m very excited to add this to my library when physical copies are available

What a delight. Steven Rowley can tug at heartstrings like very few others and this book dealt with some themes that have been on my mind lately - loss, getting older, connection with others. Loved it.

“A Big Chill for our times, celebrating decades-long friendships and promises—especially to ourselves—by the bestselling and beloved author of The Guncle.” After a friend’s sudden death, five college friends agree to meet for a living funeral whenever each needs help. As decades pass, life changes cause several of them to enact the pact, gathering their group for support.

I’m excited to see Read With Jenna picked this decades-spanning story of a found family for June. Rowley remains the reigning king of irreverent grief, and I love him for it. I didn’t connect with all the characters here, as the big jumps in age and POV were hard to follow. I also had trouble with two characters, both named Jordan! It was cute that everyone referred to them as “The Jordans,” and one went by the nickname Jordy, but I still had difficulty keeping them straight (no pun intended, but hah!).

As always, the writing is full of heart and humor. I like the people that live in Rowley’s stories.

Thanks, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, for the Digital Review Copy.

The Guncle was one of my favorite reads of the year last year, so I was so excited to dive into The Celebrants, the newest novel from Steven Rowley. This is a beautifully written story with amazing characters, but let me tell you, there are some tough topics covered in this book.

Rowley has the most amazing ability to build characters and in this book a friend group that you feel like you know them in real life. Each character in this book was layered and flawed and so real. The characters were so real that at times I had to take a break from this one because the topics were do difficult it hurt my heart for these characters.

This one made me cry and laugh and just fall even more in love with Rowley's writing style. He also narrates the audio look like he did for the Guncle and he is stellar.

I would highly recommend this one with the caveat that you should look at the CW and see if it is something you can handle. I had to take a break and come back to it when I was more able to read about some of these topics.

Thank you to the publisher and PRHA for advanced copies in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"The Celebrants" is a heartwarming and sometimes hilarious novel that celebrates life, love, and loss. Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle, college friends who reunite for mock "funerals" in Big Sur, form the core of the story. Rowley's writing is both funny and poignant, evoking a range of emotions. The characters are complex and relatable, and their friendships sustain them through life's challenges. "The Celebrants" captures the essence of love and the power of friendship, offering laughter, tears, and contemplation. A perfect choice for those seeking a thought-provoking and emotionally rich read.

This took me a bit to get into - learning the characters and keeping track of the POV was difficult to keep track of for the first half. In addition, I just really dislike long chapters. I understand WHY it was set up the way it was, but the chapters and chunks of reading just felt endless.

Thank being said, I really enjoyed the story and the way it handled friendships and grief. Found family is always a trope that I love more than I think I will initially. The dynamics of the friend group and their funeral pact was really unique and I just love Steven Rowley’s wit and charm.

This was a very heartwarming story that spans a decades long friendship through their ups and downs. I enjoyed getting to know each character and their dynamics within the group.

The idea of living funerals and message of living life for today really hit home and I think will definitely resonate with a lot of readers.

I do wish some of the timelines had been explored just a little bit more to give more depth to some of the characters.

Overall I would recommend this book especially to those who have been fans of Rowley's previous works.

What an absolute beautiful story about so many different aspects of life. Steven Rowley absolutely hits it out of the park with this one. He deals with the subject of death in the most beautiful of ways and makes it truly about the life well lived and not the life lost.

I loved this one so much. Rowley takes us on a journey of love and friendship with that feels so intimate and special. The whole idea of celebrating your friends and family while they’re here with you is so beautiful. This group of college friends is messy and complicated but in the end rooted in love. This is a great book and a must read.

THIS. This is how you do character-led stories. Steven Rowley paints a vivid (non-forged!) painting of six unique friends, as they come together in college, and how they grow apart and back together over their lives, reconvening at the worst times of their lives. Throwing a living funeral for each member, with their central goal to leave nothing left unsaid, is one of the biggest acts of love they can give to each other, and it’s beautiful to watch play out. Rowley nails the intricacies of a college friend group and their bonds and how those bonds change throughout their lives, as well the parts that stay the same, and the inside jokes that manage to turn into life long memories. It had me laughing out loud, physically cover my mouth to gasp, and tearing up on their behalf.

The Celebrant struck in me in deeply personal ways, I will cherish this story dearly for many years to come.