I thought this was a really smart and funny take on this author’s experience of growing up in the 90s and 2000s, and how the mainstream culture at that time impacted her youth and upbringing, as well as her values. Starting with American girl dolls, slumber parties, AOL, Limited Too, then venturing into diet culture, purity culture in high school, hookup culture in college, and women’s reproductive health threats in adulthood, girlbossing, mental health, and more. The author inserts personal anecdotes and poetry throughout, which makes it feel authentic. Lots of millennial nostalgia “I remember that!” moments. I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author which was very well done, I felt like I could hear all the range of emotions that she goes through in this book as there is a mixture of serious and lighthearted messages.

This was such a fun read—well, listen. I didn’t know anything about the author beforehand or her podcast or backstory, but she immediately felt like that friend who brings disparate groups of girls together, effortlessly holds court, and still makes you feel like the exclusive BFF. (I also didn’t realize her writing had a bit of a spoken word vibe, so was pleased to listen to the audiobook as reading that, I think, may have turned me off to it.) Although some references weren’t as relevant to me—Kate’s more of a solid millennial, while I’m an *elder millennial*—I was aware of all of them and some certainly hit VERY close to home. Any cringe was intentional and immediately alleviated with the genuine comfort and knowing that only a true friend (and fellow member of the Up All Night Club™️) can provide. This is a nostalgic, well-researched book executed smoothly and written by an unabashed girl’s girl, which I found a delight to listen to. I’m excited to recommend it to friends, but am bummed we won’t all get to talk about it at a slumber party.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for this advanced audiobook copy for my review!

Kate Kennedy shares her experiences as a millennial and a human. Her writing is insightful, witty, and emotional, and there is something any millennial can relate to in this book.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook but, I admit, it was definitely the sort of book I put on in the background while I did other things. This is not really always a book about a “universal” millennial experience. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely related to some of her nostalgic callbacks (the bit about AOL Instant Messenger “away messages” felt like a personal attack) but the stories are often pretty specific. I’m okay with just calling it a memoir.

I found that this book wasn’t really sure what it wanted to be. There would be a more lighthearted essay about 90s nostalgia and then a hard hitting commentary on reproductive rights. I enjoyed both, but it sometimes felt like two different books.

Overall, the book itself could use a little more cohesion and forward motion, but I liked each essay separately and the author is a great writer.

I really enjoyed the nostalgia of this book. Limited Too!, American Girl, trundle beds, AIM, oh my! I really enjoyed the author’s commentary on how girls and women are made to feel as if our interests aren’t valid or acceptable by men, and thus society as a whole. I also appreciated that where she could, she mentioned her privilege, but also was honest with the ways in which she struggled with mental health and later on, fertility. This book was perhaps deeper than I anticipated, but it was that depth that made it all the more compelling. I also appreciated that the author addressed how her voice appeared labored at times (there’s a spoiler here, so I won’t say it) because I noticed and it was a bit distracting but I wouldn’t say it was often. But I did notice, so I liked that she explained why. I also personally love when you can hear a narrator’s emotions in an audiobook because it just makes it even more relatable. Overall, I’d recommend this audiobook!

Even though I’m a millennial, I didn’t care for the tone of this book. I found it grating and did not finish it.

That said, I could see others loving this book. So I think it’s a simple case of a work that wasn’t for me.

So all I’ll say is: Your Mileage May Vary.

If you grew up in the 90s or 00s, listening to this will immediately take you back to your childhood. while listening I was constantly shaking my head and pointing like "yeah, me too!"

The audio was phenomenal, especially because it's read by the author.

This is one of my favorite books of the year. It is as if Kate wrote about my life specifically. I couldn’t believe how relatable this was. A must read!

2.5 stars. I am smack dab in the middle of the millennial generation and I picked up this book expecting some nostalgia, maybe some laughs, and an entertaining ride. HOWEVER, what I got was an extremely analytical and pessimistic view on the things that came out of our childhood years told in a very unorganized and longwinded manner. She's not wrong about some of the things she said, but this book made me feel blue instead of nostalgic. Despite saying this is not a memoir, this is definitely a memoir of Kate's personal experience growing up as a millennial and the lasting impact cultural norms have had on her. There is no real structure and its way longer than it needed to be. The author does address (in depth) diet culture, misogyny, mental health, and the expectations that were placed on millennial youth. A lot of what she said was relatable and makes sense as to why so many people of my generation struggle with the things we do and why we're working so hard to break the cycle with our kids, but this long of a book made it feel depressing instead of hopeful. I really didn't like what some of what she said about religion and Christianity, though I feel like her stance was ultimately unclear. Overall, this just made me feel icky.

Being one of those people that is on the bubble of being a millennial, I was able to relate to many of the author's childhood memories. I enjoyed the humor she brought to the table with this self disclosing book. I didn't always agree with her conclusions as my life took different turns from hers but I appreciate her vulnerablility and honesty. I appreciate that she reads the audiobook and while she made it raw with several emotional voice breaks as the weight of what she is reading hits her, I just found her voice tone depressing and I struggled to finish the book. I have no other tie to this author but if you do you will enjoy her personal story. I really liked when she talked about the struggles of entrepreunership. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio version for an honest review.

Every girl of a certain age can relate to this book. If you grew up in the 90s and were a teen in the 2000s- ESPECIALLY if you were raised in church this book will feel like home for you

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘰𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘥𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧𝘧. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘶𝘮.”

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the arc audiobook!

Part memoir, part tribute to an era that’s both carefree and cringe from our pasts, this is a must-read (or listen!) for anyone born in the late-80s and 90s. I identified with this SO MUCH. I connected with it instantly and Kennedy does such an excellent job articulating the socioeconomic and psychological aspects and of course, all the nostalgia. She is respectful and totally honest about where our age group comes from, what we struggle with, as well as those older and younger than us. She shares her experiences while dropping a plethora of pop culture references and it never sounds cliche; it sounds more like the thoughts in my own head that I have felt and reflected on. And the audiobook especially is like girl talk reliving all the awkwardness, desire to be cool, good vibes, and contemplations about life and societal standards with your best friend at a sleepover.

Kennedy talks a lot directly about how society truly shaped our worldview, self image and self-worth, and even for that matter our interests, while also holding accountable those who came before us who set those standards we felt we had to mold into; who were in control of that which ended up in essence “programming” us. She writes “𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘦’𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘹𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯. 𝘐 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 [𝘶𝘴] 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵.”

Initially there was little to no profanity but then she began dropping more and harsher ones in part two and onward, using “g-d…” a lot, which I felt was unnecessary. And then making comments like “𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺…” I just don’t like how she meant that. She likened them together, saying she later hated that both made her believe her worth is only in her virginity and men are to be worshiped (from girlhood crushing on and crooning to boyband love songs and then having the spirit move through her as she sang songs of love to Jesus). She has a couple of long monologues about unrealistic relationship goals, that the standard and sense of romance doesn’t exist, that both pop and purity culture over-sexualized her, and faults the church while saying that the boyband love songs are only a “𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢” Hmm. As the book goes on, Kennedy becomes more and more openly critical and cynical of God, church, and for a book that starts off very lighthearted and fun, it takes a turn into deeper, heavier topics, such as sexuality and virginity, relationships and motherhood, and at length. When she started talking about her career path and her job experiences, I sadly started to tune out and caught just bits and pieces. It wasn’t due to loss of interest in the book, I just wasn’t “interested”.

My only hang ups are her sections regarding sexuality, purity, church, and relationships. I know everyone’s experience is their own, as are their opinions, and while I do agree a good deal, I also felt that Kennedy carried on too much and got overly critical, and I didn’t care for the terminology and assumptions. That section aside, this was an entertaining read and the longer you sit with it, especially having listened to her narrate her own words, the more you feel like you’re seen and known by your BFF, even with a few disagreements, and can relive all your sparkly, Lisa Frank colored days.

*Alright, fair warning, this is a lengthy review/critique for a topic that I know is going to be divisive amongst reviewers:*

The sections I didn’t fully agree with were when she spoke regarding sexuality, purity, and virginity. Even though I ended up homeschooled for the majority of my education, when Kennedy started talking about dress codes at public schools and they way we were shamed if we had long legs and our shorts didn’t meet our fingertips, I felt that. I remember being told to wrap my raincoat around my waist and to slouch. Though Kennedy tended to focus more on the church camp and religious circles who focused on the shaming of sexuality, I personally think society as a whole was obsessed with it. She does address this when she talks of the celebrity trend of purity rings, “𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦. 𝘐𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.” It was everywhere and you couldn’t avoid it. No wonder most of us who grew up during that time ended up on one end of the spectrum or the other; the rebels or the preserved. I appreciated that she initially wasn’t solely criticizing the church circles and even for that matter didn’t necessarily blame them, just stated the fact that this is how it was then. Churches, schools, media and celebrities, stores, it was everywhere. And while she does talk about accountability and discernment, especially in regards to religious authority, which I fully agree with and that’s biblical too, by the end she faulted the church solely for purity culture and that’s where I have to disagree. My church had its faults, I knew some of them then and I see a few more in hindsight, and - to remind everyone - it was run by imperfect people, so no, we didn’t get it all right all the time. But I do believe at the time they were responding to how sexually obsessed the media had become, from celebrities and musicians, to the sexualization of young women such as Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan and other tween/teen stars, and they did what they thought at the time was the best way to respond and protect their youth from adult matters that belong only between a husband and wife. It was this section that made me take off a star. While in some regards I see where she is coming from, I don’t think it’s fair to entirely blame church circles and religious leaders. Also for Kennedy to say that God’s love is conditional based on what she does or does not do, especially in regards to virginity and sexual things, isn’t a fault of hers if that’s what she was indoctrinated with. There certainly was a shame-based approach then that is anything but biblical, but personally I feel that both the “𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘱 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦” she refers to as well as the evangelical society are two sides to an unfortunate coin that was so prevalently handed out to the youth of that time and both should share accountability for it, and depending on your own personal experiences, one or the other could possibly be more to blame. Kennedy does state that this shame didn’t occur just in the religious environments, mentioning work and such, but this is the area she primarily focuses on, however neither were biblical by any means. Do I fully believe as both a Christian but also as a grown, independent woman with her own opinion that we should save ourselves sexually for our future spouse? Absolutely, and the Bible calls us to be moral with our bodies, but just as Christ showed compassion on the adulterous woman whom the religious leaders wanted to stone because she was found sleeping with a man not her husband, shame is not the way we should approach this subject as far too many tend to do.

She even uses words like “𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯” and “𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴,” and that she felt “𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘦𝘥” because she felt she didn’t have the opportunity to make those decisions without the “𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘣𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 [𝘩𝘦𝘳] 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴.” I truly don’t believe that is ever the intent behind how things operated and I do agree when she says that “𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳.” Yes, there was a length of time that that’s simply how things were, how things were taught and expressed, but I don’t believe it was meant maliciously. To that, people should take their own experiences as well as the experiences and opinions of others with a grain of salt. I don’t condemn Kennedy for how she thinks and feels about her personal ordeal and aftermath but it was hard at times hearing some of the rather harsh judgment she threw out there with all the pop culture quips and even jabs. Is that time something we should all take a look at along with the eyes of an objective therapist? Probably, and despite how impressionable we all were at that age, regardless if we grew up during that time or were already older or not even born yet, we do need to take what portion is our responsibility for how we perceived, interpreted, and reacted to it. It wasn’t all for the sake of “𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭, 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦’𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘺” or any of the other blunt condemnation she throws out there. This is clearly an area where I’ll have to agree to disagree to an extent. Some of what she says at the very end of this section is compassionate, understanding, inclusive, and even biblical. I think Kennedy, like many out there, get hung up on the religious personas and cultures that focus more on the pomp and circumstance of routine, relics, motions, and shame-based tactics than the actual truth of the Word that’s being taught and doesn’t even support all of the facade and fanfare we see so often. It’s deeper, more loving and gracious but also convicting as it should be. I agree with Kennedy, we are more than a body - we are a heart and soul and spirit - but I disagree that we aren’t in need of saving. We are, we are flawed and need a Savior, but not in the fairytale, white knight kind of way. I agree too that our spirituality is between us and our Creator, and not to appease another human authority figure, but we cannot neglect the importance of Scripture and how it calls us to live; honoring our entire being while living in a way that doesn’t cater to shallow, foolish, selfish desires.

When she states her frustration about the masculine pronouns referring to God and that God is supposed to be “𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴,” I got annoyed. Scripture uses words He, Him, Father, Son, and these are literal translations from the original text and language. Do I believe that God the Father has a form that is unlike our physical bodies, one beyond our comprehension, sure, but if the Bible uses such pronouns to describe or refer to God, doesn’t it make sense that we use them as well? This really only became an issue with the feminist movement. I do believe men and women are created equally, have equal value, however each gender is more apt to be better or capable of things that the other isn’t, and why we must be so offended by these differences is absurd. Men are typically stronger, only women can carry fetuses, it’s simply biology. This topic is one I find to be like trying to catch the wind; pointless as it is what it is, let’s move on.

She also shares, vulnerably, that she developed an ectopic pregnancy and had to get an abortion in order to save her life. It’s clear where her political stance is on this issue and it’s unfortunate. I have had a friend who’s had two ectopics and in her pro-life worldview, has struggled deeply with having to make an abortive decision. While Kennedy is pro-choice, she claims she’s not wanting to harm innocent lives and she says she cares for the precious lives of others. While I understand that there are intense, medical situations, such as ectopic, that have to utilize abortive measures to ensure the life of the mother, as she states, this is a 1% out of all pregnancies issue. Therefore, what grounds do the 99% have to terminate an innocent, helpless, fully dependent on the mother’s life? If she’s going to argue for that 1%, then the 99% also need a good, hard, honest look at. Being pro-life isn’t just about the fetus; it’s supporting the mother, the family, through the pregnancy and afterwards, and unfortunately that tends to get quite overlooked when it comes to this matter.

I hate that I may sound critical of Kennedy and her experiences and opinions, but I will say I am glad and it’s refreshing that she came into her own, saw her uniqueness, and moved on from her fantasies to being empowered in herself and having greater dreams fulfilled. I just wish it didn’t happen at the expense of the Christian faith and her vocal condemnation of it. As I’ve said, churches don’t get it right all the time and there are flaws because the humans who lead them are flawed, but we shouldn’t judge and condemn them all with our words, and this is coming from someone with church hurt from not one, not two, but three churches.

ALLLLL that to say for these sections, approach cautiously and with discernment and compassion. Whereas other sections (mostly the first half) were lighter, humorous, these sections had me listening on edge and trying to be objective and intellectual in how I’d critique it.

I cannot express how much I loved this one - seriously the perfect book for throwback Thursday. This made my millenial heart so full of nostalgia and happiness reflecting back on growing up in the 90s/early 2000s. So many references were spot on of my youth & how they shaped who I am today - the struggle to fit in, comfort consumerism and pop culture obsession, as well as all my favorite movies/tv shows/music-SATC, Gilmore Girls, 90s rom-coms, TGIF shows, boy bands, etc. My favorite parts were mentions of Damien Rice!!! (The Blowers Daughter and Cannonball were on repeat 24/7 back then) and how effortlessly she incorporated Taylor Swift lyrics!

~Some of my favorite quotes:

🛍️The devil works hard but capitalism works harder

🧣Wind in my hair, I was Cher. I remember it all too well.

💿I’m nothing if not a vault of 90s top 40 lyrics.

🤬I get the rage. Since the 2016 election, I don’t know how to exist without being in a state of feeling heated, with my general disposition at a light simmer.

🫠Social anxiety is like believing in conspiracy theories about yourself.

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! So much nostalgia, deeper issues covered. As a fan of her podcast I was excited to give her book a listen! Loved how real and raw she got especially about her fertility struggles. Laugh out loud funny at times, and filled with so many experiences that millennial women will relate to!

I really enjoyed this! Though I didn't relate to all the millennial nostalgia being a Gen-Z cusper, so many of the essays about finding a sense of belonging and early 2000s pop culture were spot on. I also loved listening to the audiobook as it was narrated by the author. I loved hearing her emotion throughout.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

An interesting, but not compelling, walk down memory lane.

Author Kate Kennedy narrates her collection of essays about growing up in the 90s and 2000s. She writes about many specific products from that era in a way that made me think, “oh my gosh, I haven’t thought about that in years!” Topics include American Girl dolls and books, shopping at the mall, daybeds, AOL Messenger, Christian purity culture going out tops and embellished jeans, and sorority culture.

But, as she herself admits, none of her experiences were particularly unique. And in that way, she embraces her Be There in Five, middle of the road persona.
The narration is a bit breathless. And I wasn’t fond of her penchant for wordplay (e.g. things like our interest in Niki Taylor was tailor made for teenage envy—not a direct quote but an example of what I find cloying about her work).

If you are a fan of her podcast, you will probably love this book. It’s authentic to that voice.

Strong essays were the Christian purity culture one and how it tied in to her struggles with sexuality and her experience as a Girlboss with a viral product.

Overall I didn’t love this one, but also didn’t hate it. A good listen for the right listener.

I absolutely loved this book. I am thankful NetGalley provided me the audiobook. I truly enjoyed listening to the author read the book. She made me both laugh and cry with her. I loved the cultural references in the book mixed with more serious topics. I cannot recommend this book more for women in the same age and stage as the author. This was outstanding.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. This book was so nostalgic for me. I was born in 1989, so pop culture of the 90’s and early 2000’s was seriously my entire life. Boy Meets World, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, AIM, Backstreet Boys, Now and Then, 10 Things I Hate About You, and American Girl Dolls were just a few of my favorites things of this era.

Kate’s ability to weave in humor throughout the book, even during dark/heavy topics was done very well. I felt like there was a lot of fluff and repetitive themes at certain points. I wish she would have explored how some of these things became so popular to millennials. Whereas I felt like I was listening to more of a podcast than a book.

For Readers Who Like:
- Pop culture
- Millennial nostalgia
- TGIF

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Kate Kennedy reflects on what it means to grow up as a millennial in a way that will make you laugh out loud one moment and tear up in another. This book was full of so many references from my own childhood and really brought out the nostalgia. She shines a light on so many different topics about growing up as a girl in the 90s and 00s that caused me to reflect on the impact of this time and the culture on my own upbringing. Kate narrates her own story and having her read really enhanced the experience.

I didn’t go into this prepared to be sitting back, listening to basically my life story be told to me, but here I am. Sure there were small details different, but pretty much the whole time I was sitting here going “lol same”. This took me a while to listen to, but honestly, it was because some parts hit me right in my feels and I was getting emotional. Kate narrated this herself, which I loved. I absolutely adored it because she was real. You could hear her getting emotional over topics, and it felt absolutely right. I felt validated, and I felt seen. Overall, this is a great read (or listen!) for anyone trying to figure out why they might feel a certain type of way (I see you, Jesus Camp) or trying to get clues to the behavior of an entire generation.