This is a story about the enduring power of lifelong friendships.  A group of five close friends from college made a pact when they lost the sixth friend in their group -- when any one of them needs it, the five will gather in Big Sur to throw that one a living "funeral" to celebrate their life and why it is worth living.  Over nearly three decades, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle, and the Jordans (Jordy and Jordan, now a couple) have gathered three times -- when Marielle's marriage was falling apart, when Naoimi's parents unexpectedly died, and when Craig pleaded guilty to art fraud.  The last time the group gathered was five years ago.

As they are about to turn 50, they are gathering once again, this time for Jordan's "funeral" -- though the group, other than Jordy, does not know the secret that led Jordan to trigger the pact.  This secret will, even more than anything that came before, change the course of their lives, and their pact, forever.  Over the course of a long weekend, the group grapples with their past; the ways their paths followed, and did not, what they imagined for themselves and each other when they graduated college; long buried secrets; and the critical role they played in each other lives -- as they look forward to their next chapters.  

This book was terrific.  Like so many, I was a huge fan of the author's previous novel, The Guncle, so I was excited for this book -- and even more so when I heard it described as a modern Big Chill story.  The book exceeded my high expectations.  It captured as well as any book I've read the complex dynamics of lifelong friendships.  Like so many of these types of friendships, the Jordans, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle did not see each other all the time or even talk regularly.  But when they get together, no other friendship serves the same role in their lives because they developed their relationships at such a formative time and know each other in a way no one else ever can.  The author also deftly portrayed how these relationships are challenged and can grow as the friends face the obstacles of adulthood, whether it is career challenges, relationships that fall apart, aging parents, or the disappointment of lives not turning out the way you expected.  This is a story that both keenly observes and celebrates the role of friendship at different stages of life, in a story that will both have you laughing and crying.

Strongly recommended!

I read and loved Rowley’s THE GUNCLE and LILY AND THE OCTOPUS, so I was really excited to get approved on Netgalley for THE CELEBRANTS. Unfortunately, at 48% in, I decided to put the book down.

I think at the root of it, I was struggling with both the number of main characters and the length of the chapters. With an ensemble cast of 5 larger than life characters, the 50(ish)+ page chapters each centering on one character at a time made it hard to engage. Halfway into the book, I didn’t love or hate any of the characters, nor did I care about their stories. The long chapters made it hard for me to read even a chapter in one sitting, which makes it even harder to get sucked in.

I think the story has promise, but the setup of the book just didn’t work for me. Hoping the next Rowley works better for me.

After losing a friend in college, a group of friends vow to hold living funerals for each other whenever they need a reminder of how loved they are. It’s an interesting idea that works out for the first few friends to have a go - but 28 years later, the reunion takes on a different tenor when one of the friends is sitting on a secret.

Full of humor and heart, The Celebrants is a sweet reminder that no matter how old we get, we never outgrow the people who know and love us the best.

Read if you like: The Big Chill, found family, vicarious traveling, crying

When a group of friends loses one of their own just before their college graduation they make a pact. Each one of them gets one chance, no questions asked, to call on the others if things have gotten too hard. The group will reunite for a ‘living funeral’ to shower them with the love and support they need to keep on keeping on.
It’s not as morbid as it seems, and I actually think it’s kind of wonderful.

The book opens with them gathering for Jordan’s ‘funeral’ but then makes several flashbacks to when they first made the pact and then the ‘funerals’ of the others that have already called on in theirs.

To be honest, I was the fence about requesting this one. It has some heavy topics I tend to avoid - drug overdose and talks about possible suicide among them - *and* I’d already been warned it was terribly sad. That said, I kept thinking about it just from reading the description, and decided to give it a go anyway.
And I’m glad I did, because it was good. Gut wrenching at times, but still. So good.

Instead of being younger like in most of the books I’ve been reading lately, the cast of characters is a smidge over my age - they were graduating college when I graduated from high school - in ye olden tymes aka 1995. It made them all so relatable in a way that I think made the story hit even harder.
And it hit HARD - let’s just say it’s a good thing I had my 40oz emotional support water bottle on standby, because I needed to rehydrate after all the ugly crying (so ugly, so splotchy)

I think this is a story that will stick with me for a while, and that makes it worth all the stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and putnambooks for the ARC

I really liked this book! Rowley did a great job of slowly building up to the climax by emphasizing on the relationship among these friends. With each person's "funeral", we dove deeper into everyone's life and their emotional turmoil through their lives. It was so comforting to see that they still remain close even after all that time. The all-caps sentences were just not it. It felt weird to see the characters in just snippets. I think it would've been cool if the book switched perspectives between each character's POV chronologically to fill in the gaps in each person's life.

Embark on a poignant journey spanning twenty-eight years, from 1995 to 2023, as you delve into the lives of a group of college friends reminiscent of The Big Chill.

In the aftermath of a friend's untimely passing, a close-knit group of college friends solemnly promise to host unique "living funerals" for one another.

As the years unfold, these gatherings reveal the bittersweet reflection on missed chances and unexplored paths. However, when an unexpected diagnosis shakes their world, the significance of their pact is profoundly renewed.

With a timely exploration of life's regrets and newfound perspectives, Rowley proves, once again proves, his storytelling chops.

We have included this novel in our 2023 Summer Reading Guide.

"He let her live in this excitement because soon he would have to tell her the news from which mothers did not recover"

Oh Steven Rowley....how do you write characters and situations that enter my heart and take hold forever?
Once again, you have written a book that made me have both tears of sadness and tears of laughter (hello sky diving!)
I had many times of nostalgia with this read, having graduated college the same year as the characters. That brought good memories and bad from my own life making my connection to The Jordans, Marielle, Craig and Naomi even more poignant.

5 stars and kudos to Steven Rowley and The Celebrants!

Steven Rowley does it again! A heartfelt read about friends who are family, the importance of being there for one another all with the quirkiness of Rowley's writing style

I loved this book. I'm a fan of Steven Rowley to begin with but this book blew me away. As I've described it to people while I was reading, I received a lot of comments about the morbidity and from the description, I can see how that may be what is taken away. However, I felt it was anything but. The emotions are captured so well as we move through the character's lives and friendship. They have such depth and relatability that it is hard not to love each of them as they develop along the way. I'd highly recommend this to anyone. I think it transcends all varieties of readers and provides an opportunity to really spur introspective reflection on our own lives and relationships.

A heart-warming story that celebrates each other and life. Another Steven Rowley that has such strong themes of found family. The friends could not be more different, but at the end of the day they were always there for each other. Their dysfunctional friendship was complicated, yet relatable, and gave readers a story full of heart and emotion.

Very character driven, this one was entertaining and I think many people will enjoy the themes on life and friendship.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.25⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Contemporary fiction📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
An emotional and heartwarming read

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Found family
Heartfelt stories about friendship
Realistic characters
Unique storyline
The Guncle

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
The concept of living funerals
The ending!
LGBTQIA+ rep

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
I didnt really connect with any of the characters

Steven Rowley will forever be an autobuy author and while I enjoyed this one, I prefer his other works better.
I love his writing style and gift of words he shares with the world, but I wanted more of The Guncle style love, light, happiness and depth.

This was good and well written, I just was hoping for a different style.

This was heartwarming AND heartbreaking. Steven Rowley is a master at his craft and I will read anything he writes. The Celebrants has humor, love, and so much heart. I highly recommend this book, just be prepared for an emotional story dealing with grief and loss. I had to take quite a few breaks because I was so attached to every character.

The characters in this one became friends in college in the 90s, and – aside from two of them who married – didn’t talk again for almost 20 years. The book goes back and forth between the “present,” where we learn that one has terminal cancer, and the past few “living funerals” that took place before his. During these flashbacks, we get to know all five characters well.

Marielle, the hippie-ish one, was the first to trigger their college pact to throw each other funerals while still alive. She does so because her marriage has dissolved and her daughter – birthed not long after they had graduated – is leaving for college herself.

Naomi is the other woman in the group, and she has a biting personality. She is also the child of Japanese immigrants who expected a lot from her. Their deaths, and the idea that she will never be able to prove her worth to them, triggers her to invoke her “funeral.”

Craig is a straight male, but one who works in the world of art galleries and brokering the sales of high-priced paintings. When he inadvertently decides a painting is “real” that ends up being deemed a forgery, he faces jail time. Marielle invokes the pact on his behalf, making his the first “ambush” funeral.

The last two members of the pact are the Jordans. They share the same first name, and are romantic partners living in New York. They are usually differentiated in the book by one being called Jordan, and the other Jordy. (Although we later learn that he does not like the nickname.) Jordan found that he had cancer a few years back, prompting the longtime couple to finally marry. His cancer was in remission, but now it is back and things aren’t looking good. The five friends have reunited for what we – and they – assume is Jordan’s funeral. But we’ll leave the slight twist for people who want to read this one – because I hate giving away an ending.

There is some nostalgia in here, especially if you were alive in the 1990s. And an obvious comparison could be made to “The Big Chill.” It also features some gay characters, which is a Rowley staple by now. (Write what you know, I guess?) Overall, I found it an enjoyable read. Not exactly groundbreaking, but enjoyable.

Thank you to Putnam Books and Netgalley for an ARC of The Celebrants!

I was a big fan of The Guncle when I read it and I generally enjoy supporting my fellow Emerson alumni, so I was very much looking forward to this book. While I thought it was really nice and I liked it, it unfortunately didn’t fully live up to the hype for me. That being said, there was a lot that did work.

What I Enjoyed:

- Rowely’s writing, as always, is spectacular. His ruminations on life and friendship are just lovely

- This book was chock filled with heart and legitimately funny at times

- I really enjoyed the structure and how it not only juxtaposed the past and present, but how the past is told solely through each characters’ “funerals”

What Missed the Mark:

- Regarding the structure, on the other hand, because most of the characters are primarily in the past timeline, I don’t think we get enough depth from their relationships. I don’t really understand how each person ticks, and how they all work together in this group. I needed that to be explored a lot more

- it’s very slow, and you already kind of know how it’s going to end, so it feels like not a lot happens

- this is a personal issue, but I don’t like omnipotent narrators. Every time it changed between characters’ perspectives in the same paragraphs it took me out of the story. I understand why this stylistic choice was made, but it did not work for me

Like I said, it’s still a very lovely book and I would recommend it. It just didn’t blow me away as much as I had hoped.

The Celebrants was a highly anticipated book for me this year. Unfortunately, my hopes may have been a little too high. While I liked The Celebrants just fine, it just didn’t have nearly the charm and heart of The Guncle.

The Celebrants follows five college friends, now middle-aged, carrying out the pact they made decades earlier, when they were reeling from the death of their close friend, Alec. The friends committed to throwing each other living funerals, making clear what they mean to one another and leaving nothing left unsaid. The book flashes back and forth from present day to past funerals.

There things that I liked about this book. I liked the premise, the format of the flashbacks worked well for me, and I really enjoyed the Jordans, a gay couple who share a first name and a long-term relationship that felt authentic. However, some of the other friendships seemed less believable. I had a hard time imagining this group ever being such close friends and struggled to buy the deep meaning they professed in their eulogies, especially since they weren’t in close contact in the 25+ years since college.

I think if my expectations hadn’t been so high, I would have enjoyed The Celebrants more. This would make a good beach read to dip in and out of, especially if you like your summer reads to have some substance.

Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc for review.

Some of Steven Rowley's best work -- tender, hilarious, original, and touching, with a stellar cast of characters.

Big thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'll start by saying that I was pretty disappointed in The Guncle when I read it a couple of years back- I mean, I was so excited about the book that I bought it new!!! And in hardcover!!! I had hoped it would be a light yet emotional novel about what it means to be human... and yet, it just never hit the mark for me. The Celebrants, on the other hand, very much did.

Jordy, Jordan, Craig, Naomi, and Marielle made a pact in college: each would have the opportunity to activate the pact for a live funeral. A time for them all to come together when one was in need to celebrate their life and remember that there are people who love them. Yes, it sounds a bit gimmicky. No, it probably wouldn't happen in real life. But, you know, that's what fiction books are for.

After the introduction of the main characters, both in the past and in the present, the majority of the book is composed of large chapters detailing the times that one of the members activated the pact and the preceding events.

What I loved most about The Celebrants is that each character really came to life. I really grew to love the Jordans, Marielle, Naomi, and Craig- especially Craig. If you're looking for a book that is both going to pull at your heart stings but feels light and humorous, I'd give this one a go.

i adored the guncle and couldn't wait to read the celebrants because of rowley's humor and excellent writing. however, the celebrants was like an entire inside joke i had no business knowing about. it was like little pieces of random conversations that never made sense. no one seemed to like each other during the living funeral scenes. i liked the present day story for the jordans the best.

After the sudden death of one of their college roommates at Berkeley, five friends create a pact to hold living funerals for each other, vowing to leave nothing unsaid. Throughout the ensuing decades, Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Marielle, and Craig gather for these living funerals -- in the wake of Marielle's divorce, the death of Naomi's parents, and on the eve of Craig being sent to prison -- to celebrate the lives of their friends, while they are still around to appreciate it. And now, in their 50s, the friends have gathered again, not knowing that one of them is harboring a devastating secret.

One of my favorite lines from the great Mary Oliver is, "It is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning in this broken world," and that's what kept running through my head as I was reading The Celebrants. Steven Rowley's new novel truly celebrates what a gift it is to be alive, even in moments that are hard and crushing and full of pain.

With his trademark vibrant, heartfelt, witty writing, Rowley explores the importance and value of lifelong friendships and found family through a group of characters who are relatable and sympathetic and devastatingly, beautifully human. Rowley crafts their friendship so lovingly, with references to internal rifts and inside jokes (I particularly loved the "Courtney Scale"). By the end of the book, we've laughed and cried with them so much, they feel like our friends too.

The Celebrants is a balm to the soul, a comforting hug in book form, a gentle and poignant reminder of our own mortality. This is a gift of a book from one of our most special writers, and I'm grateful to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the early reading opportunity.