Kate Kennedy's One in a Millennial brought back so many memories for this "elder millennial". I read many passages out loud to my husband and we reminisced over childhood experiences, friends, products, music, and trends. The author has a gift for personal essays!

I am a fan and regular listener of Kate Kennedy's podcast, Be There in Five, so I was excited to receive an advanced copy of this book. However, One in a Millennial fell flat for me.

I really enjoyed the pop culture throwbacks and 90s nostalgia; it transported me back to my childhood and reminded me of things I had forgotten about. I liked the author's use of puns, but they got old after awhile. I also felt like I got a completely different book than I was expecting and this read more like a memoir. The chapters were long and I felt the author kept rambling on, making it hard for me to stay engaged. I don't usually listen to audiobooks, but I think I would have preferred this book in that format.

Overall, I think there are readers that will enjoy this book, but it's a miss for me.

This book wasn't what I thought it was going to be and perhaps was marketed incorrectly. I thought it would be a fun trip down nostalgia lane, but was more of a memoir (Even though she says it's not a memoir). The last 25% of the book was all about her experience trying to be a mother, it had nothing to do with growing up in the early 2000s. It goes into her reproductive system, procedures, and legislation.

I did enjoy some of the essays, but made it made us relook our childhood favorites and feel bad about liking them. Rather than thinking of the time frame and culture of the early 2000s and how they shaped us, she brought trends from that time period into 2024 and showed why they should basically be cancelled.

This was a fun, nostalgic read, but I don't think it made an impactful statement. It really hit hard on the nostalgic memories of the 90's and 2000's that I'm sure the majority of millennials have, but that's about it. I'm not familiar at all with the author or her podcast, so her retellings of her experiences didn't matter at all to me. Kate's fans might enjoy these parts though. One in a Millennial is an easy read for anyone who is looking for something lighthearted.

Thank you to Kate Kennedy and St Martin's Press for this eARC.

You know those books that you know you're going to read by the cover alone? Yeah, ONE IN A MILLENNIAL: ON FRIENDSHIPS, FEELINGS, FANGIRLS, AND FITTING IN by Kate Kennedy was one of those books for me. It's primarily pink, with a CD-R that looks like every mix CD I've ever made: all the flowers, squiggles, and hearts around the books' subtitle (and the mix CD's "title"). The handwriting on the CD is even that trademark early 2000s girl handwriting that we all would've died to perfect ourselves.

Kate Kennedy is the host of the Be There In Five podcast, which came about hilariously after Kate's success making doormats of all things. (Kate is all of us with her hair straightener, and made herself a "did you turn off your hair straightener?" rug for her front door, went viral, and turned it into a thriving business.) In her latest book, ONE IN A MILLENNIAL: ON FRIENDSHIPS, FEELINGS, FANGIRLS, AND FITTING IN, Kate walks us through the 90s and early aughts through the lens of a millennial fangirl--so, of course, it's one of the most relatable experiences for all millennial fangirls. Alongside Kate, we walk through the eras of boy bands and the Spice Girls, the trauma of growing up in the age of purity culture, the pressure that came with AIM (you had to have the perfect away message to get that boy's attention, DUH!), American Girl dolls, how our ideas of, and about, feminism have changed as we've grown, and so much more. At one point, she talks about 90s girl sleepovers and the nostalgia and deep desire to get just one more of those hit me like a train.

I enjoyed this book overall. There were so many points that were so relatable that I felt like Kate had somehow found, and (*gasp*) unlocked my Password Journal (IYKYK) because the experiences that she shares are so universal for women who grew up in the 90s and early aughts. There were points that had me in tears over the way that millennials have also been failed by generations before us: how we were drilled nearly from birth that college was the only way to pave the way to a successful future, only to be left with tens (and sometimes hundreds) of thousands of dollars in debt to show for it.

Kate writes in a way that feels conversational: you feel like your high school best friend is just telling you a story. She talks fast, both in the physical and audio versions) and from a nearly life-long Gilmore Girls lover, I was totally here for it. For the audio version, it felt almost like listening to a podcast, which I'm sure was Kate's plan. Each chapter is broken down into what could be a scripted podcast episode, with fun asides and side notes that derail things in the most fun way.

The only downside was that sometimes, Kate's verbiage got a bit repetitive. I jokingly thought that if I heard her say "zeitgeist" one more time, I was going to start a drinking game...then before I could finish the thought, she'd say "zeitgeist" again. She also occasionally got a bit long-winded, at times making her essays feel more like essays and less like the fun trip down memory lane/evaluation of the average millennial woman's experience. I also read that Kate doesn't consider this a memoir, but I would absolutely classify it as a memoir--not that that genuinely matters.

Overall, I really enjoyed ONE IN A MILLENNIAL: ON FRIENDSHIPS, FEELINGS, FANGIRLS, AND FITTING IN and urge all millennial women to read it. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to plan a sleepover with all your besties.

Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Although it was a little lengthy; this was a super enjoyable laugh out loud walk down memory lane for all of us 90s girlies!

What a fun read! I am not quite a millennial (1980 - holla :)) but I am barely a Generation X-er. I feel so left out. Ha!

The beginning of the book was slow for me, and I did not love the lonnngggggg analysis on penmanship. But, once that segment was over, I really enjoyed the book.

There were so many relatable areas -- and I definitely felt seen. The segment on church, the analysis of Saved by The Bell (is there any wonder why boys of the 80s/90s may have looked down on girls?? They were told by TNBC that girls were dumb and shouldn't be taken seriously. Which by the way makes me super annoyed by those TV writers), the clothing choices, wanting to fit in, etc., etc., etc.

Many times, I felt myself reminiscing about my own childhood. I had a phone in my bedroom. With my own line!! But, sadly, we did not have cable or a pool. I drove a hunter green Grand Am and dresses in Abercrombie.

Man, this book was a trip down memory lane. And, it was definitely enjoyable. Also made me sort of wish this new generation, babies born in the late 2000s, tried a little harder to fit in and not stand out so much (as a mother of a 16-year-old, I wouldn't mind a little more JCrew and a little less angsty teen. :)

I really related to the author in many ways, and I had so much empathy for her.

I definitely enjoyed the audio version of the book more than the written version (the poems were a little long for me in the written version, easier to listen to on 1.25x speed).

I recommend this book if you'd like to take a walk down memory lane.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillian Audio, and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of One in a Millennial in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

OMG I LOVED THIS BOOK!!

I’m a long time BETH, so I jumped at the chance to review this. This book was so wonderfully nostalgic. I loved revisiting my 90s childhood through Kate’s magical words.

This was such a fun trip down memory lane by an author who could literally be my personality clone. In One in a Millennial, Kate Kennedy, host of the podcast Be There In Five, takes us on a journey back to the early 90s in elementary school, all the way up to the struggles millennial women are facing today. So much in this book resonated so much for me, and had me belly laughing to boot. My favorite chapter was You’ve Got Male which delves into the world of AOL instant messenger and how huge an impact it had on our day to day lives. Being just one year younger than Kate and coming from a very similar background, this is one of those books I felt was written just for me.

In the back half of the book, it shifts a lot to memoir territory, which I like but was not what I was expecting. The pace slowed towards the end, but overall this was an outstanding look at what it meant to have grown up a millennial.

I did not finish this book. It read very much as a list of things teen girls did while growing up as a millennial, without offering much beyond a heavy dose of nostalgia. I wasn’t getting much out of it or looking forward to picking it up so I chose to put it down for good.

💿 One in a Millennial - Kate Kennedy

If you’re a Millennial, you NEED to read this. I laughed, I cried, I felt SO seen. I didn’t know what I was expecting when I read this, but I’m really glad I started the year off with this light, funny, easily connectable, memoir-ish book.

Every chapter had something I could identify with. I’m in the late end of the “millennials” as I was born in 1994 (yikes, 30 soon) but I still felt so seen by all of these memories. I loved Kate’s ability to laugh about how we grew up, reminisce about our favorites and least favorites in the 90s, 2000s, and today, and her ability to identify our “issues” and how that’s effected the way we are today. I connected with her stories and laughed with her, I was pissed at some of the bad things were blamed for, and I loved her story telling. I’ll say it one more time, if you’re a Millennial, this is a must!

Keep your eyes open for this one coming out 1/23! Thank you Netgalley, MacMillan Audio, and St. Martin Press for the early ARC copies!

This book was so much fun! I loved all of the millennial playbacks it was a blast from my past. I’m a sucker for these kind of books and this one did not disappoint!

Beloved podcaster Kate Kennedy explores pop culture, nostalgia, and life lessons of an often-besmirched generation.

One in a Millennial brought back so many memories from my childhood. The hanging door beads, dial-up internet, and American Girl Dolls were some of my favorites then and I still look back fondly on getting a new American Girl Doll and accessories at Christmas and playing with my cousins. This does lean towards a memoir in my opinion. I do think this book is the perfect example of growing up in different times and how the things that your are exposed to really shape your character and outlook on life. Millennials are referred to as quirky and this definitely can help explain why. This leads me to wonder if any of us have ever had an original thought (lol).

I did not know that Kate had a podcast, but I definitely plan to look into it after this book.

I’m technically a year too old to be a millennial, but I suppose I identify as one anyway? So many of the cultural touch points referenced in this book resonate with me, from boy bands and Bath and Body Works’ scents (Cucumber Melon forever!) to purity culture and popular-girl handwriting and everything in between.

I’m a regular listener of Kate Kennedy’s podcast, and I particularly enjoy her *super* deep dives on topics like fandoms, influencer culture, reality TV, Mormon mommy bloggers, MLMs, cults, and American Girl dolls, to name a few. And this book, not surprisingly, takes a similar in-depth and analytical approach to topics that are often dismissed as superficial or silly or shallow simply by virtue of being of interest to women.

<i>”Why was I worried my hobbies weren’t good enough, why did I accept that they’d be weaponized against me? Why would I ever let someone who drafts make-believe football teams make me believe I should be embarrassed by my interests?”</i>

The writing style won’t be for everyone—it’s very conversational and stream-of-consciousness, even compared to other memoirs. And the target audience is niche by design. But I found it simultaneously entertaining and thought-provoking, and at times quite emotional. Kennedy writes about agonizing over the decision to become a parent (“Childless Millennial” is one of her most-listened-to episodes) and her subsequent fertility challenges, and also about mental health and sexuality.

<i>”Purity culture tells you that abstaining from sexual interactions is what makes you a valuable person, whereas hookup culture solely values your participation. …In both cases, it requires a level of disconnection from yourself and your body and a tendency to listen to those around you for cues about how you should act, where you should have boundaries, and what your sexual behavior means about you as a woman.”</i>

At the same time, so much of “One in a Millennial” is just fun and funny amd punny and nostalgic. The music references alone were a trip down memory lane.

<i>”I get [my mom] not wanting me to scream-sing in fifth grade, “IS SHE PERVERTED LIKE ME? WOULD SHE GO DOWN ON YOU IN A THEATER?” per the Alanis of it all. In fact, I was so committed to sexy song lyrics, one time my parents found the lyrics to Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me” in the printer tray, and I’m 99-percent sure it was me who printed them out. I have to laugh thinking about my mom and dad reading a Word document printed out with lines like “picture this we were both butt-naked bangin’ on the bathroom floor” without melody or context.”</i>

I thought Kennedy was honest in acknowledging her privilege as a cis het white woman, though of course ymmv. (“Anything that made me feel different, I changed. Now I see what a privilege it was to not have this disconnect grounded in my identity or skin color or sexual orientation or abilities.”)

In the prologue, she writes that “in my bones, I don’t know how to not care the most.” And I think that care comes through on the page.

**Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.**

Full disclosure: I don't listen to podcasts and due to a busy scheduling juggling work and family, and I don't have time to keep up with pop culture much anymore, so I had never heard of Kate Kennedy prior to this book. But as a millennial myself, I was intrigued by the title and description blurb, which led me to request an arc of this novel. I alternated between reading the digital version of the book and listening to the audiobook, which was narrated by Kate Kennedy herself, so I enjoyed that more.

I was very surprised by how much this book resonated with me and with how much in common I have with the author. From rehashing the trends of my childhood in the 90's (Yes, I was an American Girl doll collector), to experiencing a mass tragedy as college students (Her: The Virginia Tech Massacre; Me: 9/11), to later discussing the political issues that impact women today (See: Supreme Court Dobbs v. Jackson WHO), this book was a trip down nostalgia lane that connected how (many) millennials like myself evolved within the context of the socio-political-pop culture of our time.

Of course, like the author, I have the privilege of being a blonde white woman hailing from a middle-class suburban family. So her (and my) experiences highlighted in the book certainly do not speak to all millennials. That being said, it was meaningful to me, and I'm glad I read this book as my last of the year to reflect on the past as I move forward into 2024.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Kate Kennedy for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Not exactly the reminiscing that I thought would be happening, as a millennial myself, but not a bad read. I had to take a couple breaks reading it, the pacing was off.

As a millennial this was a nostalgic read. It gives memoir vibes although it’s not. Perfect if you want to be nostalgic.

As a millennial I was looking forward to reminiscing about boy bands, butterfly clips and Lisa Frank along with the author. I’m not sure exactly what this book was trying to do. It was a bit memoir, a bit history and a bit self-help. The chapters were extremely long and I felt that there was a lot of rambling on.

Honestly, when I first started this book it felt like a reading assignment and I had to put it down for a bit and come back to it. Don’t get me wrong there were some good parts that I enjoyed but overall I think it needed a bit more editing and refining.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Introducing "Millennial Musings" by Kate Kennedy: A Journey through the Pop Culture Phenomenon

Step into the vibrant world of pop culture with renowned podcaster and influential voice of our generation, Kate Kennedy. "Millennial Musings" is a captivating exploration of all things nostalgic, the ever-evolving millennial zeitgeist, and the invaluable life lessons learned amidst the trials and tribulations of being part of a generation often misunderstood.

As both a pop culture commentator and the charismatic host of the wildly popular podcast "Be There in Five," Kate effortlessly blends humor and depth as she delves into the complexities of embracing and critiquing the very culture that has shaped her as a woman. Through her unique perspective, she passionately argues that profound insights can arise from even the most seemingly superficial interests.

Prepare to be enthralled by Kate's signature style, a delightful fusion of wit and vulnerability. "Millennial Musings" is a masterful combination of sharp wit, uproarious humor, and heartwarming anecdotes. With her astute observations, Kate fearlessly explores a wide range of topics, many of which resonate with me, although I am a generation ahead of Kate.

I laughed. I cried. I laughed til I cried.
Pop culture, social media and many other outlets influence us in ways we don’t even consider. I thoroughly enjoyed “Once In A Millinial,” and found myself wanting to read more.