This book was so fun to go through. It really represented my own childhood and life as a 90s kid and millennial and it was so relatable. One thing I had a harder time with was how the narration seemed a bit all over the place at times however, I feel like that wouldn't feel as bad in the audiobook. It is one of those books that would've been so much better in audio because of you have the real feel of how the author wants to recount every experience/events. If you want a light non fiction to make you reminisce about your time in the 90-00s then I would definitely say go for it.

I’m a zennial—one of those Gen Z born in the late 90s who grew up with the millennials and our culture was thus heavily influenced by them. It was fun to read this book and ask my sister about things I had vague memories of, looking up pictures to make sure I knew what Kate was talking about. I will say that I think I’m a little too Gen Z to fully appreciate this book. Some perspectives and cultural moments couldn’t resonate with me. But it’s a very entertaining book. Kate is well-written and poetic.

Something to be aware of is that this book reads more as a stream of consciousness, just a lot of thoughts. It felt disorganized, but not in a bad way, if that makes sense. The thoughts were sometimes hard to follow, but didn’t need to be followed as they were just happening.
It’s also very wordy which made it a hard read sometimes.

Something that irked me was the frequent validating of other experiences. I expect essays about a person’s experiences to be personal. There were so many disclaimers that this book was just one woman’s experience and that it won’t cover everything every millennial has ever experienced, nor does it make the lives and feelings of others less valid. Admittedly, that’s just something I hate, as a person who doesn’t like to be told my feelings or experiences are valid (whether or not people believe it doesn’t make it less true). Kate, to her credit, is also very self-aware. She was aware of her wordiness, and aware of how being an online personality has made her hyperaware of criticism and thus made her feel the need to give such disclaimers. There are many other examples of self-awareness in the book that make her a great narrator.

I especially loved the back half of the book, as maybe the adult experiences were more relatable to me. I’ll say this: I don’t think I’ve read a better description of depression before.

This book was brave and honest, and so absolutely fun.

As a proud millennial, I was excited to go down memory lane and read this book. “One in a Millennial” was fun and not bad, but the whole time I was reading this, it just felt kind of random. I’m not sure what I expected, but it just seemed to be a random regurgitation of memories and nostalgia mixed together. Again it’s entertaining, but this one just was not one of my favorites. 3 stars ⭐️. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy for review.

This book was very much not for me. I’m a big fan of Kate’s on Instagram and was excited for this book. I found the puns really awkward and cringe versus trying to make a bigger point and to talk about millenial culture. I appreciated her discussing fertility issues and the ways in which millennials were taught about pregnancy and the harsh reality of a lot of women’s experiences. Otherwise, I’m glad this book exists for some women, just not for me.

What a fun read! I was born in 1981 and, while a little on the older side for the intended audience, it hit me right in the feels. Being a girls growing up in the 80s and 90, I felt so seen reading this book. Kate is hilarious and I love her writing style.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

3.5⭐ Part memoir (despite saying it's not), part commentary on the formative culture and socializing experienced by many (white, middle class, American) millennial women, full of pop culture and nostalgia. As a younger millennial, a lot of these experiences were spot on, with a couple being a few years ahead of me, but overall a real trip down memory lane framed in the larger social context we were experiencing these things in. The content is interesting but as a whole the book is very long winded and took a long time to get through. The author is clearly a good writer, but the point often gets lost in pun-filled rambling.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an advance review copy of this book.

Kennedy’s One in a Millennial is a nostalgic joyride through the 1990’s and 2000’s that turns surprisingly raw when discussing present day. She has a knack for intertwining humor and tough topics to paint the full picture of context needed to understand modern millennial stereotypes. Though at times verbose, this is a fun read for millennials and should be required reading for Gen Z.

This non-fiction book was super nostalgic as a millennial 31 year old woman. I never listened to the authors podcast, but had heard great things from others who received an advanced copy. Would definitely recommend for ladies in my age group who want a break from reading fiction.

I loved this book so much!! I read it with friends, fellow millennials, and we had so much fun comparing notes and sharing stories of our experiences. I have been a long time listener of Kate and am so happy she’s putting her thoughts and reflections into the world. She has a beautiful way with words and the most amazing ability to seamlessly integrate Taylor Swift lyrics into just about any sentence.

As a millennial, I was thrilled when I found this book! It was so funny and spot on. I loved all the nostalgic memories it brought back to me. What a time to be alive during the MySpace Era!

One in a Millennial
by Kate Kennedy

With the notable caveat that I haven’t listened to Kate Kennedy’s podcast, this book was very hit-or-miss for me. Despite being a millennial, a few chapters didn't connect with me (e.g. I was never into American Girl Dolls) so I ended up skipping around a little. I initially enjoyed Kennedy's style of relentless pop culture references, but at times it felt too forced.

My biggest gripe is that the book was not marketed as a memoir (and in fact Kennedy claims multiple times that it is NOT a memoir) but it certainly read like one. Surprisingly I actually found myself enjoying the third part of the book more, which was less zeitgeist-y and more memoir-y.

Overall I think I was not quite the right audience for this book, and I am confident that those who are familiar with and enjoy Kennedy's podcast will appreciate it more than I did.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own

Reading Kate Kennedy's ode to the North American Millenial's childhood was like reading my old diaries.

My memories of that time came rushing back, including my anger about getting a futon instead of a daybed. I really wanted a daybed...

Must read for all Millenials that remember, dial up, the greatness of the shopping mall and of course CD burning

Absolutely excellent. Nailed my millennial upbringing on the head. I am both delighted and disappointed to know that no one lives a unique life!!

The thoughts on purity culture were so funny and prosaic and then SPOT ON. Her reflection totally made me re examine some of the more difficult concepts I have grappled with as exvangelical millennial.

Will absolutely need to own a physical copy of this book as well as burn it into a disc that I can decorate exactly like the cover and keep in the overstuffed with burnt cds cd holder in my car.

As someone who loves Millennial culture this was a perfect time capsule for me. I enjoyed the discussions about not only pop culture, but the world, politics, and society at learge. This defeintely felt more like a memoir about Kate's life and experiences - and I could see so much of my upbringing as a 90s baby in this.

Definitely a fun read for all millennials, older and younger. I’ve also seen the inside jacket of the hardcover and it is CUTE. This book made me want to dig out my Walkman and blast B*Witched while I write in my password journal.

This is much ore a personal memoir than I was expecting, seeing how it was billed as an examination of how millennials are viewed. Not necessarily a bad thing to have personal connections, but it leaned too much in the personal anecdote direction for my tastes.

3.5/5 stars

"By detailing some of my millennial memories, I hope you'll honor yours all the same."

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If Lorelai Gilmore ever wrote a book filled with her ultra-connected and highly stylized thoughts and experiences, it would look a lot like One in a Millennial.

Pretty much any and every website and census-style review will vault back and forth on the argument of whether or not the years of 1997-1999 can be crowned the end of the Millennial epoch, or doomed to the beginning of Gen Z. Personally, as a '98 baby, I think we should be our own little group, and like others, I propose the name of Zillennials. Is it cringe? Sure. But isn't that a little part of being a Millennial and Gen-Z? I think so.

There was a lot in this novel that I could personally relate to—whether it was similarity to the actual events the author lived through or the knowledge and insight she has looking back on them now. I found myself laughing at some of these shared experiences, and getting teary-eyed at others. There's something really profound in relaying emotions and experiences in a way that a large group of people can immediately relate to, and find solace in the knowledge that they aren't alone and someone gets them.

While I don't have any knowledge of MySpace or LimeWire, I remember the awe and draw of the American Girl Doll and their constantly expanding catalog of accessories, and have personally experienced added to the phenomenon of 'Popular-Girl Handwriting' and wondered if maybe God Must've Spent a Little Less Time on Me, too.

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One in a Millennial was published in January of 2024. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and the author for the digital advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kate Kennedy spoke SO much to my little millennial heart. I appreciated her thorough exploration of topics such as Limited Too, purity culture, boy bands, and AIM. She writes with humor but also self-reflection on how the culture we consumed as tweens keeps affecting us later in life.
The chapter on American Girl dolls was perfect.
loved her reading the audiobook!

I LOVED this book! I have been a long-time listener and follower of Kate but this book absolutely blew me away. Kate is an incredible writer and *perfectly* captured the Millennial coming of age. I laughed, I cried, I was in awe that she had so many of the same feelings and experiences that I had, which seemed so singular at the time.

I am buying this for all of my girlfriends and recommending it to everyone!

This spoke to me on so many different levels. I understood the way Kate felt in so many of this essays and didn't know that anyone else felt the same way. I loved Kate's voice, how honest and earnest she was throughout every essay.