I went into this book blind, and the timing ended up being perfect, as I am going to be giving birth sometime in the next week. I loved this take on motherhood- it felt serendipitous yet raw, and it felt like reading something with the metaphorical skin removed so you can see all the weird, raw material that sits underneath the narrative. Weird analogy, but that’s pregnancy brain for ya.

As someone who is about to experience motherhood and has also experienced the loss of a family member, I really loved how the themes of motherhood and grief intertwined in the best and worst ways and at the best and worst of times. Both are unpredictable, and both can make us lash out and do things we never would expect ourselves to do. It was soothing in a way, to be seen like that. I especially liked the passage about how recreational drug use prepares you for labor, a strangely comforting read.

Overall a very powerful story with the struggle of a woman trying to be seen as the perfect mother while trying to stay in touch with her own chaotic self in the process. Very touching and very visceral.

In Kimberly King Parson's debut novel, "We Are the Universe," we're drawn into Kit's world as she grapples with the aftermath of her sister's tragic death while juggling the challenges of motherhood. With a sharp sense of humor, Kit navigates through the mundane routines of parenting alongside her daughter Gilda, all while confronting the shadows of her troubled past. While this book fits snugly into my beloved "weird contemporary" genre, I felt it lacked depth in its depiction of motherhood and I wished for a bit deeper exploration of Kit's grief.

Kimberly King Parsons is an exquisite writer, and it’s a novel that, while it explores tried and true themes of new motherhood and loss, does so in an entirely new way. The book is the epitome of the concept of grief being non-linear; new memories keep popping up, scattered throughout the novel, and they slowly reveal a picture that is as messy as it is heartbreaking. I found some parts of it to be disjointed and hard to focus on due to the fact that the story kept going in new, vaguely aimless directions. But her writing was very moving and the last chapter shift in perspective was effective in making me deeply emotional. It is the kind of closure everyone wishes they had from a lost loved one--knowing they were okay, trusted their fate.

I loved the concept and liked the sentence-level writing of We Were the Universe, but I found the pace to be frustratingly slow (and I'm someone who loves character-driven, fairly plotless novels, so my tolerance for slowness is quite high!). On the one hand, I appreciate how the novel's form reflects the nature of grief, especially grief without closure; on the other, I think readability and engagement took a hit. Structurally, I'd compare it to Sheila Heti's Motherhood, which was also heavy on interiority and repetition (given the narrator's singular preoccupation), but I found Motherhood to be much more absorbing and immersive. I also felt the blurb for this book was a bit off - I wouldn't describe it as "laugh-out-loud funny," though I did at times find it delightfully strange in a less straightforwardly ha-ha way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

A classic, run of the mill literary fiction. I wish I felt this did more for me, but the motherhood element did make it harder for me to get onboard her poor decision making. I think this could be a cathartic read for new queer mothers, but for me, I just found myself uncomfortable as the mother neared masturbation while watching her kid do gymnastics. I’ll write an IndieNext review if you’d like to submit it, but this one was not my vibe.

Perfect for mothers who have been waiting for their turn at sad girl literature, this is an exploration in the psyche of a stifled queer mom dealing with the aftermath of her sister’s death and her lost freedoms.

I loved the individual sentence structure of the writing. However, the pacing was must too slow and I found the first 6 chapters just did not hook me. Which is really when I’d give up. But since I got an arc for this I pushed through. It was just okay to me! The contrast of the MC’s experience with motherhood and her troubled past was interesting but it got old really fast. Just going through her day to day life was boring.

Wow, this was a really raw, intense and brilliant meditation on grief, coping mechanisms, and we process emotional pain in various ways—physically, mentally, spiritually. I am processing the loss of both of my parents and my doggo best friend this past year so writing on grief really hits me personally atm. While I am an only child, I can only imagine that anyone with sisters specifically will have an even deeper experience reading this and understanding the MC Kit after she loses her sister. She is funny, and sometimes frustrating, but in a way that made her all the more human and made me want to root for her. Thanks to Knopf & NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I had to stop reading at 8% due to the references to lust, sex, masturbation, and porn. I see that others loved this story, and so the problem here is with this reader. Thanks, anyway, to NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

a stunning reflection on grief and how it stays present in almost everything that we do. the writing is gorgeous and since I personally love a main character that’s flawed and real I loved Kit and her internal dialogue during all of her experiences after losing her sister and becoming a stay at home mom. this is funny, and sometimes infuriating, but it made it understand her grief and feel it.

thanks to knopf and netgalley for the digital arc.

This book enveloped me in its words, characters, genuineness, pain. I think this is a must-read for anyone with sister issues. It's like salt in the wound yet cleansing.

The writing in this book was beautiful. Not over-complicated, but you get wrapped up in Kit's emotions. Normally I'd say she's an insane lady (my favorite genre) but I get it. She's grieving. She's valid in everything she does ngl.

I'm not usually a highlighter but there were so many good quotes in this book. Kimberly King Parsons gets it.

I highly recommend this book and can't wait to see everyone's thoughts when it's released.

*NetGalley ARC

Kimberly King Parsons’ We Were the Universe is a book about grief, and letting go of who we were in order to become better versions of ourselves. Gritty, biting, and dark, the story unfolds slowly as we are dragged through every thought and fantasy that pops into Kit’s head. The best part of the book is Kit’s daughter, who is precocious, smart, funny, and a real handful! Unfortunately, I didn’t find this book all that laugh-out-loud funny as the description implies, and although the writing was good, I just found the whole thing depressing and difficult to get through.

This book made my heart heavy but in a good way. It made me think and feel more than any other novel is a while.
Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Very funny and quite well written, but not my cup of tea. I found the main character quite annoying (at least she was funny about it) and so I had a hard time empathizing with her motivations. She brought out the mother in me who just wanted to shake her and tell her to get a grip.

This book was just average to me. I had problems with the writing style and the main character, Kit. Kit was so annoying and immature, but I understand her personality and behavior was like that on purpose. I wished the author would've concentrated more on Kit's childhood trauma and the death of her sister more. That part of the novel was the most interesting and profoundly touching. Overall, I felt disappointed by this book. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be. The synopsis felt misleading to me. The prose felt awkward at times, and Kit just aggravated the hell out of me. Decent story but lacks originality.

Thank you, Netgalley and Knopf for the digital ARC.

Hey all! This one was spectacular and a great novel! I utterly loved the characters and even when it got surrealist at points it all had very strong points. Thanks for the arc and cheers!

Thanks Knopf and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's copy!

Available May 14 2024.

Wild and expansive, Kimberly King Parson's We are the Universe is a touching debut. The story follows Kitty's struggle to balance the grief of her sister's suicide along with her new role as a mother & an ever growing sense of loss of purpose. It's bitingly funny when Kitty goes through her day to day with her daughter Gilda and comments on the other moms, toddler classes and more. At the same time, Kit's own past as a troubled, drug addled teenager with a complicated family life is never far behind. At it's best the book is split between these two dynamics, switching indeterminately to manic observations and tired situations. I laughed, I wiped my eyes a few times, and mostly I wondered - what are we take from here? But maybe that's just the point- the gift is in the grift.

Kimberly King Parsons has written a novel that drew me in amazed me as I read each page. So involving I will be recommending to everyone who loves literary fiction.#netgalley #weweretheuniverse.

obsessed is an understatement! this was one of my all time favorites of this whole stinkin year. kimberly king parsons blows my mind. this book absolutely gutted me and made me laugh out loud, often multiple times on a single page. loved the exploration of grief, loss, desire, sex, identity, nostalgia and loss. seriously adored, will shout about it from the rooftops. can't wait to tell everyone i know to read it <3

thank you netgalley!

I devoured Parsons' short story collection, and when I saw she had a novel forthcoming, I was overjoyed. In some sense, the novel is more digestible than some of her stories, more straight, more safe. In others, this is a wild beast. I thought often of Gaitskill's VERONICA, especially in the way Parsons navigates the past, often pulling it into the present moment, often both happening at once. This makes absolute sense in a novel tackling grief (our MC Kit is still grieving over the loss of her sister Julie). Though little "happens" in the present tense, we spend so much time in Kit's head, so much time in the past, that it hardly matters--which isn't to say the present is boring, it's fascinating in it's own ways.

In short, I loved this book. I would have read hundreds more pages. Can't wait for whatever Parsons does next.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-galley!

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

This book was interesting to get through and I’d say borderline difficult at times. We’re in Kit’s head for the majority of the story. She’s a young mom to a very hyperactive toddler who rules her entire life. Every day is spent playing house and trying to hold everyone around her together but she’s neglecting herself. Kit’s thoughts are often claustrophobic and dark, swirling with the grief of losing her younger sister Julie a few years prior and a rough childhood which have left lasting scars.

It’s a journey of learning to love yourself, the difficulties of motherhood, and processing grief. There were really lovely sentiments and quotes throughout and it left me wanting to go hug my mom and sisters. Life is beautiful in all of its chaos and this book is a testament to that.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!