I LOVED The Guncle - it was so perfect! So when I saw The Celebrants I HAD TO READ IT!

The Celebrants is about a group of 5 college friends over the decades. Just before college graduation, the 6th member of their friend group died, and in the wake of that death, they made a pact that in the years to come, any of them could reach out to the group when they needed and make the call for them to gather for a “living funeral” of sorts - basically to get the tributes and support of the group while they were alive. As the book starts, they’re now 50 years old - but how will everything change now that one of them is facing his mortality for real? The book then flashes back and forth between the present day and each of the past funerals they gathered for.

This book was exactly the heartbreaker / heartwarmer I was looking for. It somehow walked the line between chosen family love and slow burn grief, tugging at my heart-strings along the way.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons & Netgalley for allowing me to read this book

I loved the Guncle so much but this one was a miss for me.

The overall story premise was powerful, after a friends death a group of friends promise to reunite every couple of years to have living funerals for each other. It's an interesting look at love, grief, and friendship. My problem was with the characters, I just didn't feel connected to them. I had a hard time keeping them straight which meant I just couldn't get invested. They all seemed kind of surface level and unrelatable which made the overall point of the book fall flat to me. The concept of living funerals should have been really emotional but I just didn't feel it.

Overall, the concept is really unique and impactful, the execution and character development just made it fall flat for me.

I had no idea what this was about when I requested it. I just saw Rowley’s name and knew I needed it immediately! The Guncle was one of my fave reads last summer so I had some high hopes. Much like The Guncle, the main plot is a little on the sadder side, but told in a way that still had me giggling along the way. Rowley just has a way with banter that I absolutely love. Each character is strong in their own way and I loved getting to go through each of their individual journeys. Highly recommend picking this one up at the end of the month!

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It goes to show, never judge the book by it's cover! I would definitely recommend this book.

This is a really powerful book that focuses on not leaving things unsaid when it comes to those you love. The message is one I really enjoyed; who doesn’t want to be reminded to enjoy every moment with those that mean the most to you? It was a great reminder and I can definitely see this being a huge selling point for this book.

All my good things to say came out first. Now I have a few nitpicky things that didn’t make this book be the five star it could have been.

Firstly, I felt the characters never got fully developed. We just got tossed in there and I didn’t ever feel like I got to know them before their trauma happened to them. Not only that but I feel like they never matured as the book continued. They were in their 50’s but it still felt like they were 19 when they were talking with each other. It was oddly jarring.

Secondly, I never liked Mariella. I’m not sure if that was intentional from the author but her character was pretty awful. She was still acting very emotional over Alec over 20 years later, she kept big secrets yet got mad when other did the same, and general I felt like she was still a teenager instead of a grown woman. I really struggled with her storyline and that unfortunately set a bad tone for the rest of the book and her interactions with the other characters.

Lastly, I think this would have been more powerful as a short story instead of a novel. This book focused on character moments but gave them to us in weird ways (middle age people taking mushrooms in public) and I think I would have preferred for them to have serious conversations with each other or to focus more on them in college so I could get a better understanding of them.

This was an enjoyable book and I think people going into it will enjoy it. I think I expected something more like The Guncle, so I was surprised that this didn’t feel like that at all. However, I do appreciate seeing an author be able to write drastically different things and work on constructing their craft. This book has an important message but for me it got lost in some of the other aspects of the story.

The Celebrants is about a group of friends who are inspired by another friend’s sudden death before college graduation to make a pact to hold “living funerals” for each other at some point during their lives as a way to make sure that person knows they are loved and to help them through a difficult time. One by one as the years go by after graduation, they begin to invoke the pact, and while the living funerals are centered around helping one another work through the difficult present, these events also end up uncovering secrets of the past. Upon reaching their 50’s, the group realizes that one of them will very soon be having a real funeral. This emotional story is thought-provoking in the way it leads the reader to reflect on their lives, embracing ups and downs, and ultimately highlights the power of lasting friendship and found family.

Having enjoyed one of Rowley’s novels previously and hearing a premise that sounded completely unique, I was immediately drawn to this book. Rowley is just such a master of words and emotions in such a unique way - he has a light, funny style of writing that can make you laugh and cry during the same sentence, and he definitely brought that here. I loved many of the messages throughout the story. Unfortunately though, I found myself having trouble really connecting with the characters and making me care about their situations, particularly as they became adults into their 40’s. It seemed like just mere moments after introducing each character before we were swept away into all of the details of their very messy lives, and they never seemed to mature at all with age. It also can’t go without mentioning that there were two characters named Jordan, and even though one went by "Jordy", I kept confusing the two for probably more than half of the book.

All in all, I enjoyed the book, but I am definitely left with the feeling of really wishing I liked it more than I did. It brought the humor and emotion I’ve come to expect from the author, it made me think about and reflect on my own life, and it kept me thinking about the premise well after I finished it. Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a group of adult friends who met in college and made a pact to host living funerals for each other after they experienced the death of one of their friends in college. Each chapter of the book is dedicated to one of the funerals and the circumstances around which the funerals are called for.
The Celebrants is quite different in substance and tone from Rowley’s masterful The Guncle.
The friendships are accurately depicted as our characters age and go their separate ways; years could pass without talking to each, arguments arise but forgiveness eventually comes around, buried secrets are revealed, inside jokes are shared. But when push comes to shove, the 5 characters truly care about each other and will drop everything to support a friend in need.
The novel deals with some serious issues – sickness, addiction, loss – but remains for the most part funny and optimist throughout.
I instantly fell in love with the characters in this book and felt like I was sitting with them in Big Sur hearing about their lives. The way Rowley makes you fall in love with each and every character in his works is truly brilliant. I was rooting for them, I was angry with them, I was grieving for them.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

After the death of their friend Alec, Naomi, Marielle, Craig, and the Jordans make a pact that they’ll have funerals for each other while they’re still alive to know how much they’re loved. Nothing left unsaid.

Steven Rowley writes about relationships so well. After reading The Guncle last year, I knew I had to get my hands on this one too and it did not disappoint. The characters are written so well, and despite have 5 main characters, all of them were so well developed and had equal screen time. Initially I was unsure about the way the story was organized. I still wish there had been shorter chapters to break up each section, but by the end I was sold on the way that it had been done otherwise. The Celebrants is an emotional rollercoaster, but so perfectly heartwarming.

The Celebrants was one of my most anticipated spring reads! I’ve been a fan of Steven Rowley’s work since Lily and the Octopus. The Celebrants is a touching story about a group of five college friends who make a pact to throw each other "living funerals" after one of them dies tragically. As they approach middle age, their reunions remind them of missed opportunities, but when one member is diagnosed with a terminal illness, they are forced to confront their secrets and the idealistic dreams of their youth. As I started reading The Celebrants, I braced myself for the tough subjects that the novel explores: suicide, drug abuse, death, cancer, and terminal illness. Despite the heavy themes, I was touched by the heartfelt nature of the book. I found myself crying at the end, which is an extremely rare occurrence for me when it comes to books, and wanted to hug Steven Rowley after reading it. I admired how the author was able to capture emotion, heart, and humor into the story despite the heavy topics. The character development was impressive and I appreciated the thought put into each character, as well as the chapters that delved into their past and present. Although the book started off slow, the ending was worth the wait. I highly recommend this book to Steven Rowley fans, but please read with care.

This is a book that is going to stay with me for some time. The basic storyline: After losing a close friend due to an overdose, his five remaining college roommates make a pact - they will throw living funerals for each other, making sure each one of them knows how much they are loved and leaving nothing left unsaid. Rowley is such a beautiful writer and weaves this very creative story in such a way that you won't be able to put it down. My one complaint is that I would have liked to get a little more about the relationship of the roommates in college - I found it a little farfetched that a pact like this would continue to pull them all together so far into the future. Definitely a recommended read.

I want to start off by saying that I adore Steven Rowley and fell in love with his writing after I read The Guncle. 

Well, with a heavy heart it saddens me to say that The Celebrants just didn't hit home for me.
The premise sounded promising and I high hopes for this but unfortunately it fell flat for me.  I do want to say after reading reviews that I may be in the minority here. People seemed to really enjoy it.

I feel bad comparing it to The Guncle but when reading The Guncle I was laughing out loud and then sobbing the next minute.  While reading The Celebrants I didn't laugh or cry once, and I am a little upset about it, especially with what the book was about.

These "friends" from college seem to not even really like each other, plus it was really hard for me to even like these characters because the character building seemed to be non-existent.   After college the group rarely sees each other but when they do get together they are constantly arguing and keeping secrets from each other. Instead of them being relatable they came off as unlikable. I felt like the story line was all over the place, and things just sort of happened without any sort of build up.

I am still a huge Steven Rowley fan; unfortunately this book was just not for me.

Stephen Rowley excels at books that will break and heal your heart. The Celebrants is no exception. Heavier than last year's The Guncle, this novel will make you think about your life and the friendships that you make and keep along the way.

Steven Rowley’s sense of humor and signature warmth is evident in his newest title, The Celebrants. A group of friends forms a pact when one of them dies unexpectedly during their college years. In order to show their appreciation of each other, they will celebrate their funeral when they need support and while still alive. Now in their middle age, the friendships and love are told from the present and to flashbacks of the 90s. Marielle, Naomi, Craig and the couple, Jordan and Jordy are beautifully written and realistic characters.

At times sad, hopeful and funny, The Celebrants is a beautifully written addition to this writer’s collection. A story sure to spark emotions ranging from laughter to tears.

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title before its release.

This was absolutely beautiful: heartbreaking and hopeful and so sad but also funny. It's been on my mind since I finished it, and I know I'll come back to it again and again. I'll be recommending this one to pretty much everyone I know.

The Guncle being one of my favorite books last year, was thrilled to be granted an ARC of The Celebrants! We immediately meet a group of 5 college friends in middle age, Naomi, Marielle, Craig, and married couple Jordan and Jordan (differentiated by nickname Jordy), who made a pact following the sudden death of the 6th member of their group, vowing to hold "funerals" for each other rather than wait to share what they all mean to each other until it's too late to hear. Spanning from the mid-1990's to present day, we jump around in time to the circumstances that bring each to "call up' their funerals.

It took me a bit to find my groove with it, the beginning 25% felt a bit grim and lacking in Rowley's signature wit, and I was perplexed by the two Jordan choice - it felt unnecessarily confusing to little effect? Once the story got rolling, while it didn't have the wow factor of The Guncle for me, I was eager to get back to it and inspires me to delve into the rest of Rowley's backlist.

4.5 stars rounded down, which over time and further reflection, may move it into the 5 star category.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Mr. Rowley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Celebrants is Steven Rowley's fourth book and probably his best yet! Having just won the Thurber Prize for American Humor, Rowley has solidified his literary place front and center in what readers can only hope will be a long career filled with novels, each better than the last.

In The Celebrants, we meet five friends: Jordan, Jordy, Craig, Naomi, and Marielle. They've been besties since college where they lost their friend Alec just before graduation. Overcome with grief, they form a pact and agree to host "living funerals" for themselves to celebrate their lives while they are still living.

They can each choose to throw their funeral whenever and wherever they need it most in life, whenever a pick-me-up is needed, or when they might reach a point in their lives where they need reminding that they are loved and that life is worth living. Everything is on the table and each of them can say whatever they want.

The book plays out over four of those funerals but flashes back and forth between the present, Jordan's funeral, and the past. Marielle is the first to invoke the pact after her divorce. Naomi follows several years later after losing her parents in a plane crash. The group rallies around Craig, forcing him to have his funeral when he is faced with jail time for committing art fraud. And then it's Jordan's turn after he is faced with a diagnosis which means his actual funeral might be approaching sooner than he thinks.

Of course, there are tensions and relationships among the group that give the book its depth. Jordan and Jordy are married and have been a couple since college. Craig and Marielle have a heated past, and Craig wonders if Marielle's daughter might actually be his. All of them are haunted by Alec's death and the secrets he carried. And each of them have their own secrets and struggles which come to light as they plan their funerals or write each other's eulogies.

It sounds heavy, but Rowley uses his signature humor to keep things from getting too serious. Think 902010 meets Dawson's Creek meets Friends meets The Breakfast Club and add a splash of Steel Magnolias and you get the idea. There is also a plethora of musical references that will have you googling song lyrics or listening to The Carpenters while you read this. Has Rowley put out the novel's playlist yet?

At the center of this book is the theme of friendship. Readers will find themselves appreciating the friendships they still hold close or missing those connections from their twenties that have been broken by too much time and distance. You'll want to pick up the phone or send a message on Facebook to remind someone out there about the important mark they left on your life. And that's the magic of a book; it makes you feel something. It creates a connection or mends one. And Rowley pens it so well, giving his readers a reason to celebrate.

The Celebrants releases May 30th from Putnam.

A group of friends meets to have their own living funerals after their friend Alec dies in college.

This book is heavily about the relationship these friends have but I found myself not connecting with any of the characters, or caring. And I struggle saying that because I love the way this author writes.

Heavy, heavy, dialogue and I constantly found myself trying to remember who each person was and why they were even friends in the first place.

I loved Steven Rowley’s 2021 release The Guncle so when I saw this on NetGalley it was a no-brainer to request it and am I ever glad I did.

This book takes place over a twenty-eight-year period from 1995 to 2023. We also get an inside look into each character’s life over the years. I loved the way this book was set up with each section devoted to a single character and we see how they’ve been doing since they graduated. It’s about friends who dormed together in college and after a dormmate dies unexpectedly they make a pact to celebrate the life of one another when they need it most, so you can hear how loved you are and how important you are before you actually die and you can appreciate it. Sounds kinda morbid but it isn’t. It is about living funerals and full of humour and love. I recently lost a 51-year-old cousin and I tell you these are a good idea. We have all had to deal with love and loss.

The book is very heartwarming and proves just how important friendships are in one’s life, especially friends that are like family. The plot and characters are very true to life and I think that’s why it touched me so much. There is joy and sadness throughout. Emotional, humorous, and full of wit, a book that made me laugh and cry in equal measure, what more can you ask than that?

3.5 stars
I thought this book had a really unique plot and I wasn’t totally sure how it was going to end so it was enjoyable clear until the end. The biggest problem I had with this book was that I really struggled connecting to the characters until the last 20-15% of the book. For the first 10-15% I was honestly having trouble remembering who was who and it took me most of the book to be able to remember which Jordan was which. This being said, I still enjoyed the story and I liked that it was laid out with multiple POV’s but it didn’t switch back and forth. Each persons funeral was told from their own POV which helped me get the know the characters and connect to their story.

Unlike The Guncle, The Celebrants had a slow start. A group of friends at Berkeley make a pact after the death of one of their group to have funerals for each other whilst they are still living whenever one of them needs to be lifted up by hearing how much their friends care about them. A bit maudlin, right? But it’s Steven Rowley telling this story so of course we begin to care deeply about each group member as their lives are told about with warmth, compassion and acerbic wit. Laugh out loud humor interspersed with tears- really a wonderful book.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC- the opinion is my own.