Even though I didn't read this one cover to cover I did enjoy the walk down memory lane as a fellow millennial. And the problems she talked about us facing now were spot on. But the chapter that I related to the most was the one in which she talked about how big purity culture was in the 90s and 00s. And she was right it was big and it was problematic to say the least. It affected a lot of us girls, and while I didn't lose my faith because of it it did effect me to the point it took therapy to straighten me out. But this was an enjoyable read and a walk down memory lane.

I enjoyed One In a Millennial but thought I’d like it more. I am an Xennial who’s obsessed with nostalgia, and I thought it would be a deep dive into wonderful pop culture that was crucial to my formative years. Instead, everything was woven around the author’s memoir. Normally I wouldn’t mind, (and she’s a very good writer) but I had a hard time staying focused and progressing through the book. It’s a shame because I enjoyed so many of the references (I mean she brought up the evilness of the devils food SnackWells era as well as the only Sheryl Crow lyric I’ve ever related to.) Maybe it was hard to read because I was cringing for a good chunk of her preteen stories. It’s most likely because I saw myself in her desperate need to be liked and the simultaneous immersion into tv, music, etc. But I did love reading about this generation and feminism. And I caught 90% of her deep cut references which is always fun. If you were born between 1980-1990 and enjoyed feminine pop culture growing up, you’ll most likely enjoy this. I was just looking for a different twist to the material execution. 3.5 stars but I’ll round up for the copious amounts of references.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for kindly providing a copy of this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Despite being a millennial, I don't think I was the target audience for this book. I'm at the tail end of the millennial generation, and often fluctuate between relating to millennial and gen z culture. This book was heavily reliant on references (most of which I understood) and explaining life during a certain time. I just didn't relate in the way I was meant to because of my age.

There were certain essays that I enjoyed (the popular girl handwriting one comes to mind), and others I didn't.

I think fans of Kate Kennedy and older millennials will really enjoy this one!

This book was so wonderfully sweet, weird (in a millennial way) and authentic - and I can say that as a fellow millennial.

Each chapter is filled with references to the things that made growing up equal parts cringe and empowering. Did I discover what girl power meant via the Spice Girls? Yes. Was I, as a redhead, forced to be Ginger Spice (aka Sexy Spice) when dressing up as the girl group with my friends at a time when I was in the throes of puberty? Also yes. It was…a time.

I know this is a very *millennial* phrase but this book made me feel very seen. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I truly cannot express just how much I loved “One in a Millennial” by Kate Kennedy. I was intrigued during just the first paragraph of the prologue &, by the time I reached “Serotonin, Plain and Tall,” I was convinced that Kennedy & I must be the exact same person. There’s no doubt - when it comes to audiences, this book is not going to be for everybody, though I do believe that everybody should read it. Not only is it a love letter to a very specific experience that was shared by many within the Spice Girls Generation, Kennedy also has laid out layers of our generational experiences in a way that truly illustrates the whys & the hows of who we are.

From late night sleepover conversations to going out-out, Kennedy writes with brutal honesty & with such a uniquely lyrical style that I’ve never experienced but want to read more of. This book had me laughing & crying & noting things to share with others like, “see! I wasn’t alone or crazy or misguided.” (Let’s be honest y’all, I’ll be sharing a lot of this with my therapist because Kennedy manages to put words to feelings I could never identify, let alone accurately describe.)

If you grew up spending hours choosing the perfect AIM screen name based on the interests of your current crush & dreaming about the vacation boyfriend you’ll one day meet, this book is for you. If your love for pop culture & “girly” things only ever made you feel uncool & unworthy, this book is for you. If you relished in sleepovers & MASH & Light As A Feather, Stiff As A Board, this book is for you. This book is perfectly timed to the release of media like Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” movie, which shows that we are not too much & that there is space for us in this world, even if we love trendy fall drinks & popular boy bands.

Oh, & I have to declare: “Girl, Boss Your Face” is my absolute new favorite phrase & I’ve already entrenched it deep into my daily language.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for providing a digital advanced copy of this book for review. All thoughts & opinions expressed are my own.

There's only one way to describe this book and it is "Memory Lane"

This was such a fun book to read and look down at the "good ol days" and was so real and relatable, but also heart-warming and real.

Books like this make me proud about the time that I grew up.

This is a must read if you are "One in a Millennial"!

Kate Kennedy has such a unique voice and storytelling style. I think this title will resonate best with millennials, but Kate's pun-filled story is best for anyone who has ever felt like their hobbies and interests were "basic" or unimportant.

When I first started it, I was like...."Is this my bible?????" It captured some deep memories of growing up in the 90s and 2000s that made me go OMG I REMEMBER THAT'S EXACTLY HOW I FELT.
It had as many ups and downs exploring the millennial experience as millennials had experiencing the last 30 to 40 years. Along fun tangents about "popular girl handwriting" and the politics of American Girl Doll ownership, were heavy topics such as the influence of religion and purity culture on teenage girls, infertility, and finding belonging (even as an adult).

The opening chapter promised to be a comment on pop culture "culture", millennial identity, and celebrating the historically "silly girl" things that we shouldn't be ashamed to love. As I have seen some others comment, this was less of a collection of cultural comment essays and more like a memoir. I think the style threw me off the most. When I started reading, I was tickled by the fun word play, almost slam-poetry-like cadence, and run on sentences that made me feel like I was reading a text from my friend. But then I was over it.

Rereading sentences because they are complicated and funny and I want to make sure I get the joke was fun for the first three chapters and then I was so annoyed that I switched to the audio book. Switching to the audio book, I felt was a good choice since the author hosts a podcast and the book already seemed like it was meant to be spoken.

Unfortunately the audio book didn't do it for me either. Kate had an opportunity to really lean into the "girlfriends gabbing" style that she wrote, but instead, she gives a pretty flat read over the funny jokes and wordplay. Sadly, the audio book left me feeling like I was listening into one of her therapy sessions (again, because this is really a memoir).

It's a bummer because there are a lot of things that I really liked but I can't get over the fact that this needed another round of editing.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

what a fun, nostalgic book!! As a 90's kid, I found Kate Kennedy's story really relatable. Also, the fact that she's a Swiftie made me love it even more. Kate was also a great narrator. You could definitely hear the emotion and passion in her voice as she was telling her story.

UGH this book was incredible. It was like reliving so many moments from my past and I love her way of storytelling. She has such an amazing way with words and I can't recommend this book enough. I laughed so many times and this was such a fun read.

This was just okay for me. I LOVED the millennial references but did find some topics to be repetitive. There were also really great chapters and others that I found to be a bit dull and I was zoning out quite a lot. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's been a long time since I've highlighted so much in my Kindle. Parts had me laughing out loud and others had me wanting to yell AMEN. I've heard that the older millennials are the most nostalgic generation, and it was pure nostalgia that had me picking this one up. She says multiple times that it's
"not a memoir" but I
wholeheartedly disagree. It's absolutely a memoir-especially the second half.

This is part memoir and part collection of essays exploring pop culture, nostalgia, and lessons learned from growing up in the millennial generation. It is both entertaining as you take a trip down memory lane, and serious as she examines the world we were brought up in.

Some essays were more relatable than others (AOL instant messenger, going out tops), and some parts will have you cringing (Facebook albums), but overall I enjoyed the reflections on the millennial experience.

I adored this book. I'm not sure if it's just because I had a similar millennial girl suburban childhood, but I think I'd love this even if that weren't the case. I've always loved Kate's podcast, so I went into this knowing what I was going to get. I loved the nostalgia, the emotions and the humor. It wasn't just simply a 'millenials remember this this this list', but it really explored how millennial pop culture formed our world and where we are all now. I laughed, I cried, I just loved this so much.

Kate Kennedy’s One in a Millennial has two purposes. The first is to act as a pop culture dictionary of sorts — a deep dive into the influence of pop culture on kids, teens, and adults of the decade. The other is an exploration of one millennial woman’s experience growing up in the 2000s and coming to terms with girlhood, womanhood, and everything in between.

One in a Millennial is a celebration of girlhood; of the things that made so many of us the women we are today. Kennedy describes pivotal 2000s milestones including but not “Limited Too”: using AOL Instant Messenger to communicate with crushes and friends and getting your hands on the holy grail — the American Girl doll (mine was Felicity, thanks for asking).

One of the things that Kennedy does a great job of in this book is dismantling the idea of being “cringe”. Sure, things may go in and out of style. But as Kennedy proves, inherently female interests are constantly under attack. We are taught to hide or modify parts of ourselves in order to be marketable or interesting to those around us.

Although this book claims not to be a memoir, it did have very personal elements. As readers, we learn a lot about Kate Kennedy; her upbringing, her experiences, her work, and her current life. I would argue that in a book like this, there is a natural desire to connect the content to human experiences. In that regard, I didn’t mind the blend between nonfiction and memoir here.

Some of you may wonder: Do you have to be millennial to enjoy One in a Millennial? To that, I say: “Maybe? But probably not.” If you have a deep appreciation for pop culture and a passion for uplifting women and celebrating girlhood, One in a Millennial will likely be your exact cup of tea. Filled with references and (sometimes cheesy, but mostly endearing) pop culture puns, this book is a time capsule to an early digital world.

Well I LOVED this book! I haven't ever listened to Kate Kennedy's podcast, but after reading this hilariously tender book, I will definitely be adding it into my weekly rotation. I feel like this book truly encapsulated the female millennial experience in all of the funniest and bittersweet ways. It made me look back on my childhood with a lot of fondness, but also some side-eye. I would absolutely enthusiastically recommend this book to any female millennial to feel seen and understood, and I would also recommend it to parents of female millennials on the hope that they might learn how to understand their child better. I hope Kate Kennedy continues to pour her random thoughts and rants into print form!

90s and 2000s girlies unite! This was a great nostalgic read for any millennial woman. I resonated with the topics the author brought up and found the tone of the writing relatable and easy to read. I laughed out loud at many parts, finding myself in many of the stories.

This was such a fun and refreshing read for a millennial. It’s so nostalgic and I found myself nodding along to so many of the sentiments Kennedy discusses. There were so many little Easter eggs I had forgotten about and there were many moments I laughed out loud at some of the things I remember doing as well.

If you are a millennial, this needs to be a must-read. There were parts of this book that I connected with so much that I thought it could have been my life. The chapters on religion could have been my autobiography. I was raised a Catholic in a world where religious criticism and opinion get you judged harshly by other people. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire book but the religious chapter was the one that I related to the most. I laughed many times during this book but also times when I felt a lot of sadness, I remember sitting on the couch with my husband singing "Miss Susie" and remembering all the words. And I laughed hard at this whole thing. It was nice to be reminded of the things that happened in elementary school that I had not remembered. Reading about the explosion of American Girl Dolls and remembering that I felt left out because my parents could not afford one resonated with me too. I would recommend this book to anyone but especially millennials. There were so many happy memories in this book but I was also reminded of some of the harder times that helped me become the person that I am today.

I struggled to get through this one, with the amount of puns, cutins and early 90s references. This just wasn’t for me.