Member Reviews
**Thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you like character-driven books about relationships and friendships, this is the book for you. Even though the plot moves slowly, I finished it in two days because I was immediately sucked into the four friends' stories. Bonus points for the college nostalgia!
Wow. I just finished "Who We Are Now" and this book will stick with me for a long time. I read this book cold without reading a synopsis. After reading the opening chapters, I immediately wanted to know which of the 4 friends was going to die. I anticipated it chapter after chapter as the book took me through each of their journeys, but I loved that I could never quite pinpoint who it would be. This novel resonated so much with me. Adulting is hard. It's that simple. Most of us have experienced leaving college and trying to figure out our path in life: Where should we work? who should we love? I enjoyed all of the intersectionality throughout this novel but I must say Dev was my favorite character. All of the characters were multi-dimensional; however, I feel like Nate's character wasn't flushed out as well. At times while reading I felt like his story was placed too far apart throughout the novel. Also the CODA chapter in the table of contents was a spoiler for me.
Overall I loved this story of 4 friends - their lives, their losses, and ultimately how their friendship ebbs and flows over the years. It's a true coming of age story. It makes you reflect - are you who your 21 year old self thought you would be? It makes you wonder about chance and choices made that has placed you where you are today. I highly recommend and can't wait to see what this author comes up with next.
Who We Are Now was a captivating read. There was so much that was relatable to me and I connected to all these characters. I would love to read even more about them.
I loved the premise of this book . I loved how we meet this group of friends and we follow that friendship over the years we see how these friendships grow and evolve and also change sometimes not always for the better . Overall it was a well done coming of age character driven story .
Who We Are Now begins in 2006 and follows besties Rachel, Clarissa, Dev and Nate, moving ahead one year each chapter as their post-college lives unfold. Here’s a snippet from the synopsis:
“Each year is told from one character's point of view, and in that way, we stride swiftly through their lives. These four friends feel their twenties and thirties flying by, and suddenly small moments fast become regrets or unexpected boons, decisions they'll spend years wishing they could undo and choices that come to define them. As the foursome endure professional setbacks, deep loss, and creative success, fortunes shift and friendships strain--and it will take a tragic turn of events to bring them together again.”
I enjoyed this one! It made me think about how a single decision can affect the trajectory of our life. For whatever reason, it gave me some nostalgia and I also couldn’t help but picture this being made into a mini-series. It was great road trip material!
🤍Thank you @duttonbooks, @netgalley and @laurynjc for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
his book brought me back to my college days. The love of friends that you turn into a family, during those four years. Roommates that know every little thing about you. They remember stories you do not and vice versa. Lauryn Chamberlain brought me to tears many times, making me realize just how lucky I am that I still have a strong friend group made up of my old roommates from college. The endless thread of messages marching through time. Each of us holding the others up, being there for one another no matter what, being the voice of reason. This book brings to life the friendship of four friends who met at Northwestern. Their bonds tight, their love strong. Will the test of time strengthen or destroy their friendships?
I loved how Who We Are Now, is told through multiple points of view, Rachel, Clarissa, Dev, and Nate. All bringing to light their emotions and their truths in each of their friendships. The intense, close bonds somewhat shattered as they each went off into the world. Developing and emerging into the grownup version of themselves. Trying to bring their dreams to life. Trying to stay friends, when everything around them has been altered into a new reality. Their lives tightly entwined. The test of time and space affecting their friendships. The unbreakable bond they have shared since college. Reality always taking a toll, but the love is always there. Thank you to Lauryn Chamberlain and Dutton for my trip down memory lane.
Lauryn Chamberlain's sophomore novel, Who We are Now, is a book with such an interesting structure. Following a group of four college friends over the course of 15 years post-grad, this novel devotes one chapter to each year of their lives, told from the perspective of one of the members of the group. I really enjoyed getting to explore the characters' lives through this format, as I myself often think of and remember my life in years.
Who We are Now Opens in the mid-2000s, as this group of millennial graduates are leaving college. As they prepare to take on the world, Rachel, Clarissa, Dev, and Nate share where they think their lives will take them in the upcoming years. Do their predictions hold merit? Well, that's what this book is all about.
As we travel from 2006 to present day with the group of four, we experience burgeoning adulthood alongside of them, as they explore careers, find love, and come to terms with their past. This book is for anyone who enjoys pondering and putting together the pieces of the past to reveal how all of life's relationships and experiences shape us into the people we are today.
While generally entertaining, I did find some of the characters' storylines to be a bit tepid, vanilla, and predictable. You can see where their lives are headed from a million miles away, and as predicted, they follow down the exact path that you expected them to. While there is nothing inherently wrong with that, it doesn't make for the most exciting reading.
Great story following a friend group after college. These are dynamic characters who you root for as they deal with all the realities of what they face after graduation. I was not expecting this type of drama, but I was very surprised at how the story played out. I thoroughly recommend this book.
I received an e-arc from NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton in exchange for an unbiased review.
I really enjoyed this post-college coming of age story of 4 housemates slash best friends set in Chicago and New York. It starts with graduation from Northwestern in 2006 and carries forward over the course of 15 years, through both career and relationship highs and lows. It's definitely covers some heavy topics (coming out, addiction, illness) and I thought it did them well. Definitely hit me in the feels thinking about friendships and life changes, even though I couldn't relate to the fame-chasing aspects of these particular characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for this honest review.
This one hits close to home because these characters are the same age as I am, same college year, etc.. These are my people! I was surprised how serious this book got, and the different routes these friends took. The cover seems fun and light, and this was more serious. It wasn’t what I was expecting but I liked it!
Big Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC to read and review!
Who We Are Now was a very interesting, incredibly readable novel.
What worked for me:
- Getting every characters point of view at different points in time:
- Each chapter being a different year
- Telling a story over fifteen years
- Exploring the ideas of growth, changes in friendship, etc.
What did not work for me/what I wish was different:
- Not enough character development - felt like because there were four perspectives, we only went so far with each of them
- Ending felt abrupt
- There were some very tough topics broached, and I would have liked more time spent on them so that it felt like those issues were explored more and felt more authentic and not just used as a storytelling device
Overall this was a solid three star read for me - I liked it fine enough, but wanted to like it more.
A deep and thoughtful look into the lives of four very close college friends as years, distance, and disagreements play roles in their twenties and thirties. Each character has a voice and tells the story through their perspective. Various instances draw them together or tear them apart, each instance deepening the story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I don’t know where to begin. This book tugged at my heartstrings and felt so meaningful for so many different reasons. I enjoyed the nostalgia of going back in time to college graduation - the hopes, dreams and ambitions. Following along with each of the characters through their journey into adulthood felt relatable and I connected with their pain, struggles, successes and happy moments. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!
Who We Are Now tells the story of four friends who meet in college, convinced in a cliche way they will be close forever. When we first meet the close knit group it is the eve of their college graduation, an uncertain future looming just ahead.
Determined and headstrong, Rachel is prepared to move to New York and write the next great novel. But she can’t deny she has feelings for Dev, the unofficial dreamer of the foursome with no real plan. Dev feels similarly about Rachel, both finally acting on their feelings. But the dance of what could have been still follows them throughout the novel. Rounding out the clan are struggling to come out, and up and coming comedienne, Clarissa and hotshot Nate, confident and ready to take the financial world by storm.
As we follow these friends through past and present the adage of best laid plans comes to mind. Sometimes the superlative most likely to succeed can be a curse instead of a blessing, while other people surprise you, and themselves, in what they achieve. It’s also a familiar tale of friendship- that as we grow and change, our relationships don’t always change along with us.
While reading this book I couldn’t help but think of St. Elmo’s Fire, a coming of age movie that I loved when I too, was coming of age. Admittedly I wanted this story to dig a little deeper and make me feel more for each character. Instead I was introduced to an established friend group, their closeness built in, making it harder to feel like part of their bigger bond.
Four college friends, each heading their own ways after college graduation. Thinking they’ll always be a part of each other's lives, they don’t know that the choices made before graduation and throughout the years will send them on individual courses that will make them wish they could change the past.
I’m not sure this book was entirely for me. With shallow characters and a seemingly equal shallow plot, I wasn’t impressed with the individuals portrayed in this novel. At times I felt like I was reading a YA novel.
Overall, a fresh and fun book for a summer read. Readers that enjoy rom-com and coming-of-age novels will love this one.
The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 STARS - Who We Are Now is a coming-of-age, character-driven novel that follows the lives of four university friends after graduation as they find careers, experience love and heartbreak.
Through her main characters, Chamberlain incorporates many themes and issues that make great book club fodder. The story also has a strong nostalgic feel and took me back to my university/college days. Thankfully, my friends and I (one of whom I'm visiting this weekend) fared a much easier path than Rachel, Clarissa, Dev and Nate who each share their POV in this story that spans many years. It was interesting to get their takes, but with so many narrators, I didn't feel like I connected to any of them in a significant way.
This slower paced, melancholic story shows the messy, complicated side of life and the evolution of the friendship of these four flawed characters. This book didn't quite tick all the emotional boxes for me, but I know it will find its audience and I look forward to reading what Chamberlain writes next.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for this complimentary digital copy that was provided in exchange for my honest review.
Wow! Lauryn Chamberlain sure knows how to write friendship fiction. I adored her debut novel, Friends from Home, and her latest, Who We Are Now has impressed me even more! My gosh, did I ever devour this novel, friends! It’s a fantastic story about a group of four college friends/roommates who graduate, then move on, venture into adulthood, and try to stay connected. In my experience, that’s a difficult thing to do. This novel will take you back to your college days, and have you reminiscing about the friendships and relationships you had back then. It’s such a tender time for a young adult—still feeling childlike, yet on the cusp of becoming a true grownup. I loved how this novel involved a co-ed group. Don’t get me wrong…I LOVE reading about strong female friendships, but there’s something truly special about a bond between mixed genders. The dynamics are totally different, and the experiences are very unique. Rachel, Dev, Clarissa, and Nate are a dynamic group of characters that I’ll never forget. I found all of their individual adventures after graduation extremely relatable. They each navigate their own professional (and personal) setbacks, successes, romantic relationships, and a shared tragedy which brings on much loss, sadness, and grief. The ending broke my heart. I honestly could not get enough of this story. Who We Are Now is available now, and it gets 4.5/5 stars from me! Highly recommend!
I received a digital ARC of this novel from Penguin Group Dutton through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
This novel follows four friends who met in college from the night before their college graduation in June of 2006 through 2019. Each chapter/section is from each friend’s point of view. I appreciated how the reader was shown the character’s thoughts on what was happening, and their maturity. The novel showed how events and life circumstances can change what we think we want in life.
I think readers who enjoy novels by J. Courtney Sullivan, and We Are the Brennans, by Tracey Lange, will enjoy this novel.
(𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 @𝘥𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 #𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬.) I love stories of lifelong friendships which is what drew me to 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗪𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗪 by Lauryn Chamberlain. The book opens in 2006 as best friends, Dev, Nate, Clarissa and Rachel are about to graduate from Northwestern. All but Clarissa are headed to New York to find their paths and build their careers.
While this seemed like a perfect set up for me, at the onset I wasn't so sure. The first quarter of the book read a little YA for my tastes, but perhaps that was just because the characters were so young and lacking in experiences. As they grew older and saw a little more of life, my interest and investment in their lives grew. I wanted to know more, to see how they fared. I began to care. I also really liked the way Chamberlain had her story unfold. Chapters alternated between the four characters’ perspectives while still keeping the others involved. She also moved forward one year per chapter which really kept the book tight. After 15 years, the friends’ story was complete, though perhaps not over. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was such an interisting book to read as someone who is finishing college and losing contact with high school friends and seeing how everyone's life is from afar. It was really nice to read about how relationships can change and envolve