This was not what I was expecting. I guess I was expecting just a fun nostalgia filled romp through 90's trends and fashions and that is not what this is. It is much more a critical look at Millenial culture and all the things that made us and particularly the author. I probably would have liked this one a lot more had I gone in with the right expectations.

If you are a fan of Kate Kennedy or Be There in Five then I think you will love One in a Millennial. You can really hear Kate’s voice while reading even without listening to her read the audiobook.

If you’re unfamiliar with Kate but are a millennial woman then I am sure you will find something to relate to in this book! So many references & relatability. I fell somewhere in the middle as I’ve never listened to her podcast but have heard her twice on The Bad Broadcast and follow her on Instagram.

Some of my favorite chapters were the ones about AIM (I was an MSN Messenger girlie) Jessie Spano (of Saved by the Bell) & The Parent Trap. The one that spoke the most to me personally was her chapter on religion. It was spot on and I found myself highlighting so many passages and then discussing them with my husband later. If you’ve deconstructed some of the religious teachings you grew up with or have any sort of religious trauma then I would highly recommend.

I follow the author, Kate Kennedy on Instagram and enjoy her everyday commentary, so when I heard she was writing a book I was looking forward to it.... Then I saw the cover and I knew it was a must read! As an older Millennial I really enjoyed reminiscing on long forgotten artifacts and pop culture references from my youth, but I found that the author overly used word play where it started to become annoying. I was reading a digital ARC for the first 3/4 and switched to audio for the last few chapters and really enjoyed hearing the author's words coming from her own voice. Overall, it was a fun read and the last few chapters were my favorite. Loved Chapter 10: The Parent Trap!

Thank you to the author Daisy Goodwin, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of DIVA. All views are mine.

Opening Quote: Somewhere in between the pursuit of passion and the desire for respect and stability, you’ll likely find a lost millennial.... Loc216

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. I've never heard anyone else say this, but it's absolutely true. So true that it actually triggered my deep seeded trauma from having experienced being in debt my entire conceivable life: If we really want to play financially doomed millennial bingo, I ...have been tricked into signing up for a credit card not once, but twice, at a football game.... This advertising tactic on college campuses was so predatory it’s now illegal, but credit card companies asking for social security numbers at social functions was just one of the many things millennials were up against that we’re still paying for. Loc91

2. "We were prepared for a world that doesn't exist anymore..." This is true for other people too, and it challenges individuals of all ages. But I don't think this can be said for another entire generation the way it can be said for millennials, who were inadequately educated with computers, given the professional landscape they entered.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. Kennedy writes a lot about mental health, both from her own experience, and from the spectre of the Millennial zeitgeist. Her handling of this topic strikes me as being grossly unaware of the existence and impact of stigma, which bothers me immensely. In fact, she stigmatizes her own depression so intensely that it's cringe.

2. This book goes on way too long. It probably feels this way due to repetition and lack of form.

3. The subtitle of this book is a forced alliteration of four unrelated topics: Friendship, feelings, fangirls, and fitting in. The book only covers one of these to any great extent– that being feelings. The rest get lost in the amorphous blob that is this book.

4. This book claims to be a memoir, but it's not really. Goodwin writes more about the zeitgeist of her generation than how she fit into it. I'm not sure how else the publishers would have marketed this one, but I still feel like I didn't get what I came for.

Rating: 💿💿.5 / 5 burned CDs
Recommend? maybe, for true millenials or
X-ennials
Finished: Jan 20 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🗣 memoirs?
📀 2000's soundtracks
🤩 pop culture
😂 humor

This is a DNF for me. As a millennial, I really thought I’d like a look back at my childhood but instead of feeling nostalgic, I was just bored.

💿 𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙡 💿
𝖪𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝖪𝖾𝗇𝗇𝖾𝖽𝗒

I had no idea what to expect when I requested this book, but being an early millennial and sort of hating that I am one, I figured why not give it a try. If you were born between 1981 and 1996 you fall into The Millennial generation and I really think you will enjoy this book. I feel like some of the references are probably geared more towards the 80’s babies, but I was definitely taken back in this one!

This book is an exploration of the millennial zeitgeist, delivered by the voice of a generation—Kate herself, a pop culture podcaster. Through the lens of pop culture, nostalgia, and the unique experiences of millennials, Kate reflects on the life lessons learned while coming of age in a generation often criticized. Kate dives into topics like AOL Instant Messenger, purity culture, American Girl Dolls, Spice Girl feminism, and her reflections on millennial motherhood. With laugh-out-loud moments and poignant observations, "One In a Millennial" captures the essence of a generation's shared experiences.

I laughed so many times in this book and I saved so many quotes from this book it was hard to choose just one. I don’t know how she remembered all of the things that she did, but as I read my childhood, high school and college experiences came back to me in full force. My one complaint was her description of the sorority experience because mine was not like hers at all, but I understand that these are different no matter where you go, so I get it.

I absolutely loved the first 60% of this book and have never felt so SEEN - going out tops? Strange anxious avoidant behaviors when waiting for an important message/email? Not watching the second VHS tape of Titanic? Check, check and check! I loved how the author connected all of our classic millennial interests to musings on feminism and found it to be quite thought provoking for most of the book. The second half dragged a bit for me and felt a bit overly wordy - but that does seem to be her self-admitted style. I would definitely recommend this to the "basic" millennial gals who want to take a walk down memory lane!

I love the Be There In Five podcast so it was no surprise that I loved this book. Kate's book is fun, fast-paced, and makes me feel seen. This book was a wonderful trip down memory lane and made me feel ok with being "basic".

Kate Kennedy has written an amazing assortment of essays about the experience of growing up in the early 2000s Kennedy has found an amazing way to succinctly describe what it was like to be a girl then and I found myself nodding along to every single sentence Kennedy wrote. Finally, someone who just gets it!

“One in a Millennial” was intense flashback after flashback of what feels like every product and catch phrase that existed during my life ( and it was a bit overstimulating for that reason) but still enjoyable to a girl born in 1983. I was not familiar with Kate Kennedy’s social media fame but was intrigued by the name of the book. There was a few take aways that will stick with me hence the 4 star rating. A well written book overall- I’m sure fans would enjoy even more! I did enjoy the audible version more so if that’s your thing- definitely take that route!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

One in a Millennial | Kate Kennedy

★★★★★

———

Kate Kennedy is my internet best friend. You know that person that you follow and root for and are way too invested in their lives even though they don’t really know who you are? Yeah, that’s this relationship. With the sheer number of hours that she has accompanied me on road trips, late nights up with my daughter when she was a baby, times when I needed distraction during a not so great time in my life, and just daily tasks and chores, it feels like she’s been there for lots of the major events in my life, and I have more than once found myself talking out loud back to her as I listen to Be There in Five. I don’t know how she does it, but Kate really just immediately feels like your best friend.

I was able to attend a live show almost 2 years ago now, and I both laughed and cried through Kate reading the essay that was ultimately the jumping off point for this book. When Kate announced this book, I knew it would be great, but it has blown me away. One in a Millennial is a love letter to all of us who survived The Great War (aka being a girl in the 2000s). There were so many moments in this book of “oh I forgot about that!” or “wow, I’ve really never had a unique experience in my life”, and I love her mix of appreciation for our experiences and analysis of how it maybe wasn’t the best for our perception of reality.

If you’ve experienced life as a millennial girl, I cannot recommend this book enough because it is essentially the book form of the notes you wrote to your best friend in high school and folded in the most unnecessarily intricate way.

Happy release day, @katekennedy! You deserve every good thing 🖤 you’re the Beth

Thank you to @netgalley + @stmartinspress for my ARC!
———

“Somewhere in between feeling one-in-a-million special, I also know the chances I’m alone in a lot of these feelings are a-million-to-none, as many of us grew up being put in boxes but are now left trying to think outside of the box as we do the work of rebuilding our self-worth.”

Such a fun read! I am not a millenial but as a 2001 baby I could relate to a lot of the things Kate wrote in this book (I particularly liked the Taylor Swift references). It definitely felt like a trip to my childhood! I really liked Kate's humor and personality and even though I'm not a big fan of podcasts I will definitely go search for hers and listen to it!

A very insightful analysis of pop culture history - very entertaining! It was like reading a podcast transcript from Be There in Five, it was very clearly in Kate's voice. I would love to hear the audio version!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for the digital review copy and audio review copy! I started this book on ebook but quickly switched over to the audio when it got approved, because if there's one thing I love, it's listening to an author tell their own story.

One in a Millennial: On Friendships, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In is part memoir, part cultural exploration of growing up as a millennial woman. Kate Kennedy has a podcast called Be There In Five, so some readers/listeners may already be familiar with her, but I personally was not. This book looks at the things she loved or pretended to love while growing up, with a lens on how these cultural moments impacted millennials and shaped who we would become.

Kate is a little bit older than me, so some of her touch points are a smidge before my time, but overall this was still an incredibly relatable book. I loved hearing her unpack the "little" things about growing up that were often minimized but that actually did have a huge impact on us, like deciding which Spice Girl you would be or trying to have the right trendy items to fit in with the popular crowd. So often, the things that young women like are considered trivial or not worth examining, and I like how Kate points out the wider and personal impact of things like American Girl dolls or Lisa Frank backpacks.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend the audio version. I will say that Kate is super into rhyming and wordplay, which is a fun element of the book, but at times felt a little bit forced, particularly on audio where she emphasizes certain things. While I loved the humor and personality, at times it did distract me because it was just so prevalent. I suspect I wouldn't have noticed it as much in print.

After listening to this book, I'm off to explore the entire back catalog of Kate Kennedy's podcast, and honestly, I can't think of higher praise than that for a memoir introducing me to a person and their way of examining pop culture. I highly recommend One in a Millennial to millennial women looking for some validation about how the ways things were impacted who we are, and to anyone who enjoys a close look at the impact of pop culture.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The title of this book initially captured my attention as a millennial in my early thirties. As Kate explains throughout her book, we are the generation who had a childhood without the internet being easily accessible. However our teen and college years were well documented online as social media platforms gained in popularity. Kate does a great job highlighting how the little moments provided the best memories and bonding experiences - i.e. dressing up as the Spice Girls, sleepovers with friends, flirting with guys on AIM, finding the best going out tops and the pregames.

I love that Kate is a Swiftie and makes references to difference songs throughout the book.

Her discussion about situationships really hit close to home for me. As a Swiftie, I related to Taylor Swift's song "right where you left me" because it captured that pain of feeling like you're not good enough.

I love the decision to speak on a women's right to make medical decisions with her own medical provider. As explained, abortions are sometimes required in order to save a women's life. I feel so sorry for the women in the US with the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.

As a 32 year old woman with a strong desire to become a mom someday, I loved that Kate opened up about her journey and struggles.

I had not heard of Kate or her "be there in five" podcast prior to reading this book. I have since started listening to her podcast. I hope she considers bringing her book tour to Ontario Canada. But I know she is about to start a new special chapter in her life and will likely stay closer to home.

Non-fiction always makes me nervous. While I feel like I'm now aware of the kind of non-fiction books I have the potential to enjoy, I'm still hesitant and worried when I (seldom) pick one up.
Fortunately, One in a Millennial by Kate Kennedy is nostalgia times 1000 and made me feel like I was wrapped in a warm fuzzy blanket whenever I picked it up.
I truly feel that a non-fiction generational book can most effectively be written by an individual within that generation and Kennedy is a fantastic example of why. Her thoughts, her ideas, writing style, and brand of humor are so millennial-specific that I feel it takes another millennial mind to appreciate them the way they deserve to be appreciated. That being said, I do think individuals from other generations can read this book and enjoy it for its pop culture references and influences, many of which are experiencing a resurgence currently.
Kennedy finds a way to infuse millennial-centric pop culture memories with important life lessons, which is such a wonderful perspective and provides a great jumping off point for retrospection.
From American Girl dolls, to the ditzy but kind female heroines in 90's-00's television and movies, to the absolute devastation that is watching A Little Princess (Side note: This movie made me cry so hard that my mom ran into the family room thinking I was having a medical crisis), Kennedy does something only a millennial can do: She allows us to look back at the absolute nonsense within our pasts and no only think of it fondly, but learn something from it.
To any and all millennials out there, I definitely recommend giving this non-fiction gem a read!

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

4 stars!

Kate Kennedy's "One in a Millennial" will make people like me, elder millennial people born in the late 80s-early 90s, cheer, squirm, and gasp at our collective shared memories. Did we all really experience the same things during the 90s and 2000s?! It sure seems like it, if Kate's memories are any indication! From AIM to purity rings, the Spice Girls Chupa Chups to American Girl Dolls, this book is full of humor, cringe, and nostalgia. Nostalgia is a heck of a drug. I frequently listened with my mouth agape in mutual horror and adoration at how similar our stories are. I have listened to Kate's podcast on and off, and this book feels very authentic to her brand, her sense of humor, and her play on words. This entire book felt like one giant trip through scrapbooks, yearbooks, J14 magazines, catalogs, and burned CDs, as if I were sifting through old digital cameras with a friend reminiscing about the "good 'ol days." Kate is quick to point out that these are her own myopic experiences, that bigger picture issues about what her youth and growing up really meant came later for her in regards to gender, race, and especially religion. Her essays and poetry range from spectacularly fun to depressingly insightful, from casual to deep. I do think the book as a whole is a bit long and could have been truncated, but I did enjoy reading this overall.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Kennedy, and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Full disclosure: I've been a fan of Kate's podcast for several years now. I discovered it when I was working in a truly toxic job and had transitioned to working full time remote (pre-Covid). The long form nature of the podcast kept me company on some long days alone in the house with my laptop, and I'll probably always have a soft spot for it. That also meant I could hear a lot of this in Kate's voice, and if you aren't familiar with it I would really recommend getting the audiobook where you'll be able to hear it. The digressions and the verbal gymnastics she has become known for are also fully on display here in the book, and I think it's either a thing where you are with her in the Up All Night Club with Lorelei Gilmore as your ultimate aspirational verbal role model, or you aren't.

"I was, como i dice, very easy to get. I was always detailed, verbose, emotionally available and quite literally, available."

This is being pitched as not a memoir -- but it is a highly specific collection of essays about Kate's life and experiences that if you grew up as a white, female, upper to middle class millennial you are also very familiar with the cultural touch points around which this "I am just like the other girls" mix-CD revolves. None of that is a bad thing, and I quite enjoyed this trip down memory lane.

Many thanks to NetGalley, I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I am screaming with how much I loved and adored this book. I'm running out to buy it for al my girlfriends. This book 100% brought me back to my high years and I couldn't stop smiling while reading it.

One in a Millennial by Kate Kennedy
Genre: non-fiction, memoir
Rating: no rating (I don't rate memoirs, and this felt more like an memoir than simply non-fiction)
Format: eARC

This book is perfect for the feminist millennial gal in your life. Kate's essays are relatable, honest, funny, and nostalgic. From the elusive American Girl doll you could never afford to playing M.A.S.H. to the feeling of never getting asked to dance at middle school dances to being made fun of for "obsessing" over something seemingly "meaningless" and "girly" to finding your place in life and everything in between (yes I know this is the longest, run-on sentence ever), this author nails it. I felt like we were friends (unashamedly!) catching up over a pumpkin spice latte. Her honesty and humor was refreshing.

I think this is a hard book to rate because the author put SO much of her own story into it. I personally choose not to rate memoirs because it feels unfair to rate someone's personal experience. Her essays are full of personal accounts and her own opinions, so I think this is closer to a memoir than it appears. She gets on her soapbox at times, but I'm here for it.

At times, the book dragged a little (this could also be my short attention span for long chapters), but overall it was enjoyable! I think I would've liked this one even more on audio. Reading it made me want to check out the author's podcast, Be There in Five.

Read this if you...
- are a millennial
- love pop culture references
- need some nostalgia in your life
- want to celebrate girlhood
- liked Wordslut (I think Kate Kennedy and Amanda Montell have very similar writing styles!)

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my eARC in exchange for my honest review. One in a Millennial is out January 23rd!

Note: I'm rating this 5 stars as a default for memoirs that I enjoyed - I think anyone that puts their own story to paper deserves that!