Non fiction isn’t usually my number one pick but being a millennial I knew I’d enjoy this one! This book took me back in time, and I loved it! If you grew up in the 90s I have a feeling you will love this book. A few topics covered : American girl dolls, sleepovers, limited to, Lisa frank , Vera Bradley, AIM chat, College nights out, Gaucho pants,
Mental health, depression,
Relationships. This book covered it all, it started out going through her childhood and made me laugh out loud so many times. There was so much I could relate to and it brought back many memories!

We got a little more serious and went through teen years and young adulthood - college life to now. I love how she touched on some tough subjects, I thought they were well written and easy to breeze by if you may not agree.

I also learned the author has a Podcast, “be there in five”I need to look into!

This book was nostalgia in its fullest form - but also witty, hilarious, and FUN! I caught a lot of the pop culture (both current and 90's/00's) references, but I'll have to re-read to catch many others I'm sure I missed the first time. Read this if you want to reminisce on the good ol' days! If only this book came with a time machine so I could take a quick trip back to my childhood!!!

I thought I would absolutely love this book. Sadly, it wasn’t for me. One in a Millennial is more of an autobiography than a well-rounded, fun look at millennial culture. I expected an uplifting, nostalgic pop culture celebration of my generation, but this was a conflicted picking apart, leading to a depressing outlook and undercurrent of hopelessness. To be fair to the author, my expectations were a result of the way the book is marketed—something I realize she has little control over. It should be marketed as an autobiography instead of pop culture and humor.

Most of the personal stories weren’t relatable to me and came off as jealous/insecure, while they discussed 90’s kids and fixated on who had “better houses” or “more American Girl dolls” than the author. Class differences are part of every generation’s dynamic, so the constant discussions read like a personal airing of grievances, rather than an insightful discussion about the universal millennial experience. Perhaps some readers will find this cathartic, but I’d rather focus on what unites us instead of what divides us.

Not having listened to the author’s podcast, I’m unsure if the book is in line with her target audience. If so, I’m sure this book would be enjoyable for anyone who is a fan of her brand and wants to know more about her, personally. While I did enjoy a few of the broader pop culture references, as well as the opening pages that described the carefree days of a typical 90’s kid (spending hours outside until the fireflies appeared), not much resonated with my millennial experiences or personality and I don’t feel this book has the mass generational appeal it’s being marketed toward.

***Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've been following Kate Kennedy for what feels like forever (we're talking early doormat days, people.) and have always loved her quick, witty humor, and how she can make me nostalgic for things I had completely forgotten about.

This book is the amalgamation of everything I love about Kate, and the book was truly fantastic. She spoke to my female millennial soul in a way that made me wonder how in the world we *didn't* grow up in the same place, go to the same schools, and frequent the same malls.

Kate's writing is Limited Too no bounds, and every female millennial must read this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of One in a Millennial!

A nice nostalgic trip for millennials. The part about poring through the American Doll catalogs resonated most with me. I always wanted one of those dolls but had to settle for just looking at the catalog. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

A+++++. 5 stars, 10 stars all around. This is INCREDIBLE. The amount of nostalgia this brought back for my AIM days was unparalleled. I love Kate Kennedy and I cannot wait to get a physical copy of this book to put on my shelf.

"One in a Millennial" is a fun, nostalgic read. There is nothing quite like it. Structured in the form of essays in three parts spanning the 90s, 00s, and 2010s, Kate touches on everything from her experiences growing up through to adulthood, and frames these alongside nostalgic pop culture moments & memories that you'll find yourself laughing and thinking "girl, same". Both humorous and serious, One in a Millennial is truly a unique read. I stumbled upon Kate's podcast "Be There in Five" back in 2021 when she did a multi-part series called "Rachel Hollis & The Rose-Colored Glass Ceiling" and was immediately hooked. If you're a fan of the podcast, you'll love this. If you haven't listened to the podcast, but grew up in the 90s/00s, you will enjoy (but I still recommend checking the podcast out too!).

This book is all of the best things about Kate’s podcast brought into written form. From American Girl dolls and AIM screen names to corporate jobs and musings on friendships and romantic relationships, this book covers the topics that defined my adolescence and young adulthood. What I love about Kate is her ability to speak/write thoughtfully about memories that feel like they are plucked straight from my own brain. She has brought together a generation by focusing on the key moments that shaped us. If you love the podcast, One In A Millennial is a must-read.

As a female millennial, this definitely hit the mark for me. It isn't a memoir but more the author's musings on growing up in the era we grew up in. I especially enjoyed her analysis on pop culture iconic films 10 Things I Hate About You and Legally Blonde. Lots of nostalgia and a good look at why we are the way we are in this generation. If you were born in the requisite years, you'll definitely get a kick out of this.

Such a fun read! Very stream of consciousness, Kate's writing took be back to poignant and bittersweet memories of my youth. Felt like PEN15 and so much nostalgia! If you listen to her podcast, Be There in Five, or follow her on social media you'll understand Kate's approach and detailed thinking. It was fun, lovely and nostalgic!

It was the writing style for me, I believe. She attempted a play on words in reference to Limited Too. As an elder millennial, I do remember the status associated with such a store. Since I was too fat to fit into the majority of their clothes, unless that ever rare size 12/14 popped up, I focused my attention on shoes. So perhaps those old coping skills are still around and the irritation came through? Either way, there was a lot of talk. The remainder of the book was much the same way- I guess I expected something more? Instead of just reading basically a one-sided podcast of sorts? I received this eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my unbiased opinion. Thank you!

I've loved Kate Kennedy since I discovered her podcast in 2020 and self-identify as a Beth. I went into this book thinking I couldn't possibly love her anymore and boy was I wrong. I feel seen (maybe too seen). Kate reflects on the millennial experience in a way that is entirely unique to her but somehow ends up being frighteningly true for the reader as well. There were multiple times where I thought that this could have been me writing about my own life. Kate takes what might seem like surface level topics and dives deep, leaving you wondering how you never realized yourself that 2000s boy bands have left you with internalized misogyny. Every essay was a joy to read and I'm just sad there wasn't more

I tried to get into this book, but I just couldn't. The description and cover don't match the tone of the book, in my opinion. I don't listen to the author's podcast, nor do I know who she is. Maybe her fans will like this. It was a downer of a book and I couldn't get myself to finish it.

As a fan of Kate’s podcast, I assumed that I knew what to expect but this book is that and so much more. Perhaps it is reading and not just listening to Kate’s word but her insight, humor, and intelligence shine through the written word. Twice I slowed down my reading so I wouldn’t finish too quickly. I’ve gone back and reread parts to fully let it sink in (and to make sure I caught all the pop culture references like an episode of Gilmore Girls). I loved this book and will be pushing it on all my friends in January.

As a podcast fan and an overall Kate Kennedy fan, her contemplation of the millennial experience is one of my absolute favorites. I tell people all the time "she just gets it" and this memoir is a great example of how she just gets it. .

Absolutely love this book by Kate Kennedy. Her stories are nostalgic and endearing and I love h how clearly her voice comes through in her writing. Would recommend this to girls and women everywhere!!

I’ve been following Kate and Be There in Five since the beginning. I literally had a custom doormat! So I was so excited to get an early copy of Kate’s book. But, at the risk of sounding like a mean girl from a Mary Kate and Ashley movie, it was not worth the read. It comes it at a whopping 330 pages, and the chapters take long, meandering trips to get to the point (don’t even get me started on the pages about some song called Quack Diddly Oso in the chapter about sleepovers) — which speaking of, I’m not sure the blurb even knows what the point of the book is? Is it a memoir? Is it an analysis of the early 2000s? I’ve read the whole thing and I’m still not sure.

Kate’s turn of phrase and word play works so well on her podcast, but it is so incredibly heavy handed in this book. I hope it works better on the audio version. Also, I can’t think of a single topic covered in One in a Millennial that Be There in Five listeners haven’t already heard multiple times on the pod. Disappointing that there wasn’t more new material.

The best parts of this book are the random interstitials and snorkels Kate does into specific pieces of pop culture — this is what I wish the whole book had been. Chapter 11, about how the term “basic” and the way women’s popular interests are used to undermine and discredit 50% of the population was the best chapter and should’ve been the first chapter and outline for the book. I truly wish we could’ve seen more of that conversation. Because girls rule and boys truly drool.

I think Kate is a fun, kind person who has created a wonderful place on the internet, but unfortunately her sheltered life as a middle income white women with almost every privilege on the planet does not make a her the prime person to be the voice of women’s empowerment. Reading dozens of pages about Kate, a thin, white, conventionally attractive, blonde woman wasn’t able to land guys in college … until she shortly after met her husband… just doesn’t sit well in 2023. Despite the hundreds (thousands?) of pop culture references, I remember only a handful about trends and moments that included or would’ve been pivotal for people of color.

All that being said, I know many of her listeners will love this book and in the spirit of Kate’s message to embrace what you love, regardless of others’ opinions, I hope it’s what their dreams are made of (hey now).

I think Kate is so clever with her words and I can identify with her as a millennial. We grew up with pop culture surrounding us; how could we not be obsessed? This book covered a lot of the media in the 90s and early 2000s. This book was almost too introspective and made the fun diminish a bit. I was impressed by the poems she included for each chapter. I would definitely read another book by her. Thank you Kate and Netgalley for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a fan of the pod and loved this book! This would be an awesome “primer” to anyone new to the pod!

I read this book with no idea who Kate Kennedy was and not having listening to her podcast. I had a difficult time with this book and battled between wanting to like it because nostalgia, and trying not to dislike it because it's kind of (don't hate me for this) cringey. I jumped in thinking this would be more of a narrative on Millennials as a whole and how trends etc. shaped our mindsets, but it ended up being an informative explanation of each decade us Millennials have lived. There is such a thing as too many throwbacks and references. There were multiple times throughout this book where I could not get through a page because I was so lost with how many references to pop culture/trends etc, while I appreciated remembering jelly bracelets and Abercrombie and the various lipglosses, I didn't find the deeper connection I was hoping for. It was ramble-y and really tough to get through.

I'm giving this 3/5 stars, as I like it well enough as a reminder of all the fun trends, and explanations of American girl dolls, etc, but I didn't see what the blurb on the book was giving.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for my honest review.