A huge thank you to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and of course, Steven Rowley for providing me with an eARC of this novel. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

This was a solid 3/5 for me, I read The Guncle last year and couldn't stop gushing about it, so I was stoked to read this one. It definitely took me longer to get into this one, but I think that's because it involved a lot more setup for the story than The Guncle did, and it made sense for this book. However, because of that, it took me a lot longer to read than TG did.

I absolutely adore the way Rowley writes his characters, each one truly having their own personality, faults included, and they feel so authentic. This was a brilliant story about friendship and while I loved that aspect of it, it just felt lacking compared to The Guncle. I didn't connect as much with the characters and certain moments felt more forced than they should have.

I will still continue to read anything Rowley writes, because I know how much I can connect with his stories, this one just wasn't quite there for me.

4.75 out of 5. I loved this book. It is Poignant, smart and a moving real exploration fo friendship throughout the years. I loved the concept of this pact. I also texted my college WhatsApp chat and told them they all had to read this as soon as it came out. That’s how much it moved me and how much I want to do a celebrant pact. But also what this pact shows is that a lot of people do no lean on the people in their lives, do not ask for help, do not say i love you, thank you or how much we appreciate people until its too late. Until a braking point has been reach. This book can also be a good reminder that you do not need to be at your wits end to call someone up. Lets not wait until someone is there to say a nice word or tell people how much they mean to you. this line in the book says it all "Tell a love one the positive impact they've had in your like so that they are never left to guess. You'll be glad you did"

Side Note: i so did enjoy all of Jordan's Musical Theater references

3.5-4 ⭐
I adored The Guncle, it was one of absolute favorite books last year, so I was beyond excited to see a new title from Steven Rowley.

It took me a while to get into this book, I kept picking it up and reading 10-15 pages and then falling asleep. A little over halfway through, the book finally picked up speed and I felt that sweeping sensation that I'd been looking for. I started to feel for the characters and wanted to know them better. But it took over 100 pages to get there and I was a little bummed out by that point.

The book covers the friendship of a group of people that were roommates in college, they instantly connected and created deep lasting bonds. When one of them overdoses in college, they are forever bonded by their loss and love for each other. One of them makes a pledge that if any of them need reminding about how loved they are, they can call for a funeral. All of them will gather and celebrate, and tell that person how much they are loved. (The Celebrants) 😉

I didn't feel their connection until much later in the book and that's when I started to love it, hence the 3.5-4⭐ rating. Maybe the first half should have been cut and he could have kept writing, it felt like it was just getting started at the last chapter.

I will absolutely keep reading Steven Rowley, he has a way of bringing characters together and creating witty dialogue that is believable and fun.

This wasn't as good as The Guncle, but was worth a read.

Thanks to netgalley for an eARC to review.

I really wanted to like this book! I loved The Guncle. One of my all time favorite reads. When I was offered to read The Celebrants by Penguin Group Putnam, I was very excited and couldn’t wait to start it. I read 100 pages and then I had to skim the rest. I could not relate to any of the characters nor did I like them. They were unappealing to me. People I would never choose as friends. The premise of the book is clever, albeit it just did not resound with me. Big disappointment. Thank you for the free/gifted book @putnambooks. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for sending me an ARC of The Celebrants in exchange for an honest review.

This book is really a 3.5 for me, but for rating scales I will round up.

I have not read the Guncle so I was not sure what to expect going into this.
The reason why it was a little hard for me to follow is we are all over the place, from different character stories and it was a little jumpy. I would have to re-read a page a few times to understand what happened.

I do think it gives a good message about loving on and letting your friends know you love them while they are alive and before anything catastrophic happens.

I do love a good found family story, I wish we got to learn more about each of them. Going over 5 (sometimes 6) characters in less than 400 pages can be tough. Overall not one of my favorites but I am glad I got to read it and look forward to meeting up with my lifelong friends soon.

Ahh I wanted to like this more than I did! I thought the idea was so great (group of college friends make a pact to call on each other in times of need to celebrate living funerals so that nothing is left unsaid and they all know how loved they are) and the execution was fine, but I just didn’t really love the characters! I didn’t dislike them, and it wasn’t like they didn’t have distinct personalities…I just didn’t really like them very much! And with such a character-driven book, ya really got to want to spend time with the characters. Also to name two of the characters Jordan and then have them in s relationship was, for me, unnecessarily confusing. I had a hard time distinguishing them for a good while at the beginning. This one was a miss for me, but for readers who relate more to the characters, I could see this being very well loved!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5/5 stars

Loved it! Well and truly loved it. I appreciated the premise with the living funerals, giving one another's obituary, standing up for friendships, and dealing with the heartaches that come with getting older. I may not have loved all the characters and their quirks, but they felt like real, flawed, messy people with real and complicated lives. Honestly, I will read anything and everything Steven Rowley writes at this point. Absolutely would recommend and am SO HAPPY I was able to get a copy of this, so thank you to the publisher and NG for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This one just hit the right spot at the right time for me. Looking forward to hearing what others think, and talking about it at length with them when it comes out.

"The Celebrants" by Steven Rowley is a heartwarming tribute to the power of friendship and the journey of self-discovery. This latest offering from the bestselling author of "The Guncle" is a must-read for anyone looking to celebrate the beauty of life and the people who make it worth living.

The story follows Jordan Vargas and his college friends as they reunite after five years to celebrate their decades-long friendship and the promises they made to each other. The group of friends, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle, have been gathering in Big Sur for years to remind themselves of the importance of living life to the fullest. However, this reunion is different, as Jordan is sitting on a secret that has the potential to upend their pact.

In this deeply honest and raw tribute to the growing pains of selfhood, Steven Rowley explores the false invincibility of youth and the beautiful ways in which friendship helps us celebrate life, even amidst its greatest challenges. This book is a perfect blend of humor and heart, making it a must-read for anyone who values the power of friendship and the journey of self-discovery.

I absolutely loved The Guncle, so I was very excited to have the opportunity to read Steven Rowley’s newest book. The Celebrants did not disappoint!

The writing is smart, witty and real. The Celebrants follows five college friends who make a pact to get together to mark one another’s fake funerals. Rowley does a beautiful job of telling a story of friendship through hardships, and explore how the group was able to celebrate each other and carry on even though it may seem easier to throw in the towel.

I enjoyed the witty banter, and how each character’s flaws were embraced and accepted. I highly recommend! 4.5 stars!

Thank you to Penguin Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC.

"The Guncle" is one of my Top 10 favorite books ever written (which is huge for me, since I read 200 books per year), so obviously I was thrilled to pieces to receive an ARC of Rowley's followup, "The Celebrants."

I will start this by saying that this is NOT a book written in the same vibe or tone as The Guncle. And to me, that just demonstrates Rowley's literary reach and span, because it just as engaging and thought provoking of a book.

The story of 6 friends who collectively suffer a tragic loss early on in their lives together, they form a pact to come back to one another whenever called if someone decides they want to throw their own living funeral. Years come and go, relationships weaken and strengthen, but they never let each other down when someone is in need. Little do they know that one of their celebrations of life will be more literal than they ever anticipated.

Smart, adult writing with fully fleshed out and incredibly diverse characters, this book is excellent for anyone who is still trying to "find" themselves, no matter how old they are.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for sending me an ARC of The Celebrants in exchange for an honest review.

In 1995, a group of six friends are about to graduate from UC Berkeley when one of them, Alec, dies of a drug overdose. Grieving after the funeral, the five remaining friends—Naomi, Craig, Marielle, Jordy, and Jordan—make a pact that whenever one of them is at rock bottom, they will assemble for a funeral so that the person in crisis can “hear firsthand the impact we’ve had on other people so that we know our own lives are making a difference.” As they reach middle age, one by one they begin invoking this pact and, while trying to raise each other’s spirits, uncover secrets from their past. And now, as they’re hitting their 50s, they are gathering once again, not realizing that one of them will soon be having a real funeral.

The Celebrants is a celebration of the power of lifelong friends. The kind of friends who know you completely, and can see right through your poses and defenses, even after years apart. On one level, the plot revolves around some minor-in-the-grand-scheme-of-things secrets. Exactly how did Alec die? Who is Mia’s biological father? But really The Celebrants is about hitting middle age, that time when you look around and really take stock, compare yourself to your friends, and ask what you’ve accomplished. Have you lived up to your parents’ expectations for you? Your own? What is your place in the world, when your kids leave the nest, when your parents pass away, or if you’re facing the death of your spouse?

These storylines could be heavy stuff, even brutal, but The Celebrants tempers everything with warmth. No matter what’s happening, there are always jokes, humor, and the easy banter of longtime friends. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Recommended.

I love this author and once again he has a hit! I was hooked from the first few pages. Loved the characters and the story!

This was an emotional Rollercoaster. I loved it! This was an excellent book! Definitely recommend this book to everyone.
I just reviewed The Celebrants by Steven Rowley. #TheCelebrants #NetGalley
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I fell in love with Steven Rowley's writing with "The Guncle" and am so happy to have been able to read this one as well! His prose and wit is unmatched, and I will forever be recommending his books to anyone who asks. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing us to read this amazing ARC.

This was a solid, entertaining story! I enjoyed the cover and the overall themes in this book. Could see it being popular this summer!!

“Do as many things as you can to remind yourself you’re alive.”

Fans of The Guncle, I have good news - Steven Rowley’s latest novel is every bit as delightful.

The Celebrants follow a group of transfer students at Berkeley who become close friends. When one of them dies unexpectedly and they are mourning the fact that they didn’t get to tell Alec what he meant to them before it was too late, they make a pact to throw funerals for each other while they are still alive.

Rowley does what he does best here - mixes in the funny with the sad, the joy with the pain. Each section of the book focuses on a different friend and what their lives have been like since graduation.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy. I’m excited for more people to read this when it comes out on May 30th just in time for summer reading!

I really enjoyed this book! At first, I found it a little dull but by the end, fell in love. I love the concept of celebrating life before it is over and making sure your friends know all of the little reasons you love them. It feels so important and I don't know why I've never thought of it!

I was NOT ready for this while mourning the loss of my own father!! But it was such a good read even despite many tears, there was also many laughs. I think the author did such an amazing job executing each character development in this book.
PS
tell your people you love them when they are alive, don’t wait for their eulogy to say what needs to be said.

“There were lessons to be drawn from each of these images, each of their funerals: to live in the present, to live for yourself, and that we were never as alone as we thought.”

Steven Rowley has a way of writing grief in a manner that is also innocent and charming and life-affirming. A group of friends forms a pact to hold living funerals with the purpose of ensuring that none of them leaves this world without knowing how much they were loved. The way each of them calls in their turn is as unique as each of the friends is, and we see how much character changes throughout the course of their friendship.

The Celebrants, as they call themselves, are a realistically flawed found family. While they have issues and disputes, it’s lovely to see how much they rely on each other during hard times and how they reconnect over the years. Also realistically, it takes many years and many mistakes before they start learning their lessons and realizing they shouldn’t take life (or each other) for granted.

Overall I found it to be a lovely and sad book that make me both laugh and cry.

** Note/trigger warning: while I quite enjoyed the book, I would recommend steering clear of it if you or a close loved one is battling cancer.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a story about a group of college friends who, after the death of their friend at an early age, make a pact to hold an early funeral for each other in order to celebrate one another and to stay in touch. The members trigger the pact at times of death, divorce, and illness.

Rowley does a skillful job of painting each character's personalities, warts and all, with compassion and grace. He makes you care deeply about them and breaks your heart as you experience the ups and downs of their lives.