We have my favorite book of 2023, The Celebrants!! I may have been in my feels but this book was EVERYTHING.

I loved this group of friends and their funeral trips AKA life lessons. The growing up together dynamic really spoke to my soul. I believe “THE GLOW UP” is real and have been so blessed to have done it with my core group of friends too.

If you do not like @mrstevenrowley sense of humor, we are not the same because I find Rowley’s writing ✍🏼 HILARIOUS

𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: May 30th (@booksoup)
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: @mrstevenrowley
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Contemporary Fiction

I do not want to give to much away but read this book!!

𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓘𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮:
Puerto Vallarta
Ax4: Aging, Avocado 🥑, Aloe, Agave
Life Long Friendships
Vacations With Friends
Humor
Glowing Up

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ All the stars!

Get your tissues ready and prepare your feels, because you're going to be all up in them. Told in alternating timelines, we watch a friend group come together again and again to host living funerals for each other. If that premise alone doesn't catch your attention, I don't know what to tell you.

This is as much a book about life as it is about death. Rooted in showing your loved ones what they truly mean to you before they're gone, this is a poignant novel that will leave you changed. I found myself highlighting quotes left and right and bracing myself for the end. While you know how the book will end, it's the journey to that ending that makes it all meaningful. And Steven Rowley makes it really damn meaningful.

*Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this incredible book. I loved the Guncle so was very excited to get my hands on this one!

These five friends who are "found family" have captured my heart. They each had their own unique way of living in this world.

I loved the idea of a funeral while you are still living. They say funerals are for survivors not the dead. I truly believe this.

Pick this one up if you want a good laugh, an ugly cry and a few emotions in between.

This book was so cute! I loved it!! Not my normal genre of thriller or smut reading but it was a good book to read about a group of friends with intertwined secrets. I loved learning about this group of friends. I have never read a book by this author. It went fast. Highly recommend.

I would like to thank Putnam Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. I have read 2 other books by Steven Rowley and really enjoyed them, I had high hopes for this book. The blurb made it sound like a version of The Big Chill. Five friends get together to mourn the loss of a 6th friend. They make a pact that they will have a funeral for each of them while they are still living.The friends will pick the time for the funeral, based on what is happening within their lives- the death of parents, a divorce etc. The idea is that when one of the friends needs to feel better about their lives and their choices, they call for a funeral and hear the others talk about the positives in their lives. It is a good idea in theory, but life is messy . The friends meet at various points in their lives for the living funerals, and try to help each other through the rough patches of life. I liked the premise. My problem was that the characters were not likeable. I had a hard time really caring about any of them. And at one point I was wondering how they even became friends in the first place. Steven Rowley has a good writing style, and I really liked the idea. I just wasn't so fond of the characters.

The Celebrants ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Celebrants is reminiscent of The Big Chill BUT with a modern day flair and a big twist that will have you look introspectively at your own life and the lives of your closest and most cherished friends.

Following a shared tragedy, five college friends on the brink of turning fifty, make a pact that if one of them finds themselves in a personal crisis, they will assemble with no questions asked, to show support and love to that friend by conducting a celebratory “living funeral.” These gatherings unveil so much about each of the individual celebrants as well as the meaning and depth of one’s family of friends.

In his signature style of writing, “The Guncle’s” Steven Rowley can take the heaviest of topics and infuse dialogue that is witty, bold, heartwarming and effective in bringing levity to the situation. There are so many delicious layers in this book in plot and character development, all building to a magnificent and emotional crescendo that will leave you gutted yet inspired!

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP/ G.P. Putnams Son’s for the much anticipated opportunity to receive a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Think THE BIG CHILL but better. A close-knit group of college friends are gathered together after the sudden death of one before graduation. They make a pact to reunite for a “living” funeral when anyone is in need, to honor that person, get them through a difficult time, and leave nothing left unsaid.

Find out how friends Marielle, Craig, Naomi, and the Jordans (aka Jordy and Jordan), who once lived together in Berkeley, now gone their separate ways, come together, and if they invoke their turn, how it affects them as adults. Though each character faces challenges, the book won’t weigh you down emotionally, and Rowley, with his magical touch, brings brightness throughout, touching your heart every step of the way. Most definitely making you laugh.

When they’re together, there is a level of comfort and intimacy with this group who have a clandestine scale they compare people to, idiosyncrasies they love about each other, and one nickname I found so endearing, every time I read it, I nearly wept but with a smile on my lips.

The novel is about feeling loved, friendship, life, and the notion that it should be celebrated before you’re gone, and in the wise words of Craig, who paraphrased Buddha, “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single one, and the life of that candle will not be shortened. That’s what you do for others. You light their candle with yours.”

Steven Rowley's books never disappoint and THE CELEBRANTS is no exception. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group, Putnam, and the author for a chance to read an ARC of this lovely book in exchange for my honest review. I loved it!

"𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘥. 𝘖𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘈𝘯𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐'𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥."*

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 (PUB 05.30) follows a group of college friends who invoke a pact to have "living funerals" after the death of one of their own right before graduation. I'll admit that I'm intrigued by this idea. Part of me is interested (and a bit terrified) about what people would say about me. A bigger part was making a mental note to actively tell the people I love what I love about them now, and often. I laughed and I cried. I reminisced about the unflappable naivety of youth and the messiness of growing up. I leaned into the absolute gift of having lifelong friends who know every version of me and love me all the same.

This book continues to deliver what I've come to appreciate about Rowley's novels.

humorous & heartfelt
introspective & infectious
observant & one-of-a-kind
mournful & merry
wit & warmth
growing pains & growing up
uplifting & uproarious

This was a wonderful story of friendship, loss, life’s ups and downs and everything in between.

Five friends make a pact to have living funerals when they need them (one each) after the loss of a friend just a few weeks before college graduation.

Steven Rowley is THE author of the year! He knows how to bring a story to your lap that makes you smile and cry. He hits all the emotional feels. These are not just words on a page, but a story of love, friendships and true life. He does not hold back.
And there are references to The Carpenters! The best ever!
Thank you Steven Rowley, the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Leave nothing left unsaid. The premise of the Celebrants, the cover art, the main message...all great. I loved the Guncle and had high hopes for the Celebrants. There were some great quotes and beautiful moments where old friends came together to lift each other up in their lowest moments. However... I personally struggled to connect with the characters and while I found the idea of having funerals while your loved ones are alive to hear the eulogies sweet...I found this group of "friends" to be somewhat objectionable.

Excellent story of college friends who continue to gather to support each other when they need it as they grow older. A trauma at college graduation leads them to make a pact to be there for each other with just a phone call, and we see how their lives unfold, and share the good times and see how they support each other in the bad. This was enjoyable and sure packed a punch. I was glad I finished the book outside wearing sunglasses, cause it got me in the feels!

I loved this book. As a person who has experienced a lot of grief over the past few years, I am always touched when I come across grief representation in literature. Rowley writes grieving in a way that is so authentic. In The Celebrants, he shows not only the raw sad parts of early grief but also the small moments of levity you find while your life continues after your person has died. There were parts in this book that made me laugh out loud. The relationships between Marielle, Naomi, Craig, and The Jordans were so beautifully written. I loved that each friend had a unique relationship with every person in the group. This book shows that “coming of age” stories don’t always have to start in your teens and stop in your twenties. You’re not done growing up when you hit twenty. There’s so much living and learning to be done in your thirties, forties, fifties, and beyond. Thank you so very much to NetGalley and Putnam for the opportunity to read this advanced reader’s copy!

I really enjoyed Stevens' previous book THE GUNCLE so I was excited to get to this one. The story of a group of friends who made a pact to have living funerals for eachother, at a point in their lives when it's most needed. They do this so that they can show one another how much they are loved and appreciated while they are still alive. I thought this seemed so interesting and was expecting an emotional read. I found some parts funny and it was definitely very well written, but it fell flat for me. We didn't get to know the characters enough which made it harder for me to connect to them. I just wasn't a fan of them honestly. So the concept was a good one, but just didn't play out as I was expecting. 

Out May 30.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads and Amazon once it publishes.

Oh my goodness, pull out the tissues and prepare to laugh, cry, or do both at once. THE CELEBRANTS is another beautiful story from author Steven Rowley that will leave a lasting impression on readers.

Filled with affectionate banter and wit, I truly enjoyed every moment reading THE CELEBRANTS. Most of all though I loved the characters in this novel and by the end I felt like I knew each of them as if they were a close friend. This is a testament to the way Rowley creates his characters. I enjoyed seeing each characters flaws and vulnerabilities throughout, but also the way they grew over several decades.

THE CELEBRANTS serves as a reminder to cherish the people close to you and live fully in the short time we all have.

I was a big fan of The Guncle, so needless to say, I was excited to read this book. The cover art alone was eye-catching. And while the premise is interesting, even inspiring, the book itself was not a page-turner for me. The idea of having funerals for your friends while they’re still alive so that they understand, and feel, how loved they are when they need it most, is wonderful. The problem is, this group of friends is, for the most part, insufferable. I felt annoyed at several members of the main friend group, which distracted from the emotional scenes as they were happening. I wanted to understand their grief, fears, or moments of joy, but then a friend would chime in or act in a way that just annoyed me to no end. And then again, a few chapters or pages later. This book has a great premise, but it just didn’t work with these characters for me.

The Celebrants is a story about a unique pact. Five friends- Craig, Marialle, Naomi, Jordan and Jordy- enter a pact after the death of their friend Alec where they promise to throw one another living funerals so that none of them would ever be left to wonder what impact they'd had on the others. Their mission: leave nothing left unsaid.

Following Alec's overdose, their grief over Alec, these five college friends decide to throw their funerals while they were still living so none of them could ever question exactly what they meant to the others. They assemble whenever one of them calls, no questions asked. Throughout the book the pact was initiated multiple times: a mid-life crisis after Marielle's divorce; Noelle's parents passing; Craig's impending jail sentence, and finally Jordan's cancer diagnosis.

The story spans 28 years. They don't stay in touch except for getting together for funerals. They are vastly different people. It made me think of my own college friends. You sometimes form such strong bonds with people that are so different from you. And more often than not you don't keep in touch but when you get together you reminisce about those days as if they were the best days of your life. This friend group is bound by their grief over losing their friend at such a young age.

This book made me think and ponder about life. But it took me a long time to finish. My main mistake was that I expected more humor. This is due to Rowley's previous book The Guncle where he balanced the humor with heavy topics so well. This book, unfortunately, lacks humor. While there are funny moments, it is much more serious in tone. It is also very character driven but it felt like I didn't get to know these characters as much as I wanted to.

I found the idea of throwing living funerals brilliant. The point of the pact is to help the person in crisis understand how much they were loved. To hear firsthand the impact they've had on other people so that they know their own lives are making a difference.

Overall I think this book was sharply written and emotional and will be loved by many. I gave it 4⭐

The Celebrants is a new novel from the author of The Guncle, which celebrates life and friendship. A group of college friends create a pact to hold "living funerals" for whoever in the group is in crisis and needs a reminder of why they are loved and how much they are supported. He really took the saying "funerals are for the living" and made it happen.
I really enjoyed this concept and the fact that this was not an entirely somber book, it was quite funny (the skydiving scene in particular). As an oncology nurse, I appreciated the dark humor and lightness brought to difficult situations. I also really appreciated the conversation near the end of the book about autonomy and allowing terminally ill people make choices without guilt tripping them. Ultimately this was such a hopeful and inspiring novel, and I would love it if my friends and family did something similar to this in the future ♡
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This is my first Steven Rowley (The Guncle has been on my TBR for ages), so I am not able to compare The Celebrants to his other works. This is mostly sad, with a few funny moments (although not laugh-out-loud funny, more like this-is-a-weird-moment funny). The "chapters" go between large chunks of some of the different members of the celebrant group for their respective living funerals and shorter sections of The Jordans in between. Lots of back and forth in time, looking at what makes a life worth living, and thinking about what we want to be remembered for.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a book! The writer did again an amazing job.. His imperfect characters are perfection. Grief and wit take each other's hand and show that even though life can be hard, it's so worth living. The Jordans were my favorite characters by far, and my heart ached for them. But I also grieved for Alec, although he was already dead at the start of this story.