An absolute must read/listen for my fellow millennial homegirls. I so appreciated Kate's perspective on the experiences, societal shifts, and pop culture randomness that shaped our generation. This collection of essays on topics including school, friendship, boys, fangirling, feminism, evangelical Christianity, the "love/marriage/baby carriage pipeline," and more is poetic, witty, insightful, and moving. It is also a lot easier to follow if you're a Swiftie (I'm glad to say that I am one as of the last year or so) and can keep up with Kate's many Taylor Swift references. 😅 I plan on adding her Be There in Five podcast to my regular rotation.

I am a millennial through and through, so I immediately pressed “request” when I saw this one! Kate Kennedy’s voice shines through so well in the audiobook, so I definitely recommend listening to it, but with that being said, I will also be purchasing a hard copy for my shelves.

I could personally relate to ~95% of this book, and the other 5% was still thoroughly enjoyable! Kate Kennedy has quick wit, humor, and an amazing ability to create captivating and engaging prose.

While the beginning of this book is a super fun, lighthearted walk down memory lane, the second half or so has a more serious tone, touching on issues such as mental health, millennial motherhood, societal pressures, and more.

“One in a Millennial” was intense flashback after flashback of what feels like every product and catch phrase that existed during my life ( and it was a bit overstimulating for that reason) but still enjoyable to a girl born in 1983. I was not familiar with Kate Kennedy’s social media fame but was intrigued by the name of the book. There was a few take away that will stick with me hence the 4 star rating. A well narrated book overall- I’m sure fans would enjoy even more!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. I suspected I would love this, but went in cautiously optimistic. I’m a bit younger than the author, don’t listen to her podcast, and wasn’t really plugged into pop culture as a kid, so I worried I wouldn’t get a lot of the references. There were definitely a lot of references I didn’t get, but it didn’t matter - like in Gilmore Girls there are a ton packed into the dialogue and you’re not necessarily supposed to pick up on every single one.

Your mileage with this book may vary based on how much your identity and background overlaps with Kennedy’s. In chapter after chapter I was delighted to hear her discuss and experiences from my youth that I hadn’t thought about in years, from Milky Way pens and Vera Bradley to American Girl, from popular girl handwriting (which I’d never labeled but knew exactly what she was talking about) to our revulsion of being labeled as a feminist growing up (it’s wild to think about now). Her experiences with the Evangelical movement particularly struck a chord with me (I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that referenced True Love Waits or See You At the Pole). It might seem like a frothy ode to Millennial nostalgia, and it is at times, but there’s a lot of depth here. Her analysis is what makes this a great book, and I really appreciated her real talk on mental health and struggles with fertility.

If the idea of reading a book celebrating Millennial culture sounds good to you, or if you just want some encouragement that it’s ok to love what you love, definitely pick this one up. And I recommend the audio, narrated by the author!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free ALC in return for my honest review!

Many thanks to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for the digital review copy and audio review copy! I started this book on ebook but quickly switched over to the audio when it got approved, because if there's one thing I love, it's listening to an author tell their own story.

One in a Millennial: On Friendships, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In is part memoir, part cultural exploration of growing up as a millennial woman. Kate Kennedy has a podcast called Be There In Five, so some readers/listeners may already be familiar with her, but I personally was not. This book looks at the things she loved or pretended to love while growing up, with a lens on how these cultural moments impacted millennials and shaped who we would become.

Kate is a little bit older than me, so some of her touch points are a smidge before my time, but overall this was still an incredibly relatable book. I loved hearing her unpack the "little" things about growing up that were often minimized but that actually did have a huge impact on us, like deciding which Spice Girl you would be or trying to have the right trendy items to fit in with the popular crowd. So often, the things that young women like are considered trivial or not worth examining, and I like how Kate points out the wider and personal impact of things like American Girl dolls or Lisa Frank backpacks.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend the audio version. I will say that Kate is super into rhyming and wordplay, which is a fun element of the book, but at times felt a little bit forced, particularly on audio where she emphasizes certain things. While I loved the humor and personality, at times it did distract me because it was just so prevalent. I suspect I wouldn't have noticed it as much in print.

After listening to this book, I'm off to explore the entire back catalog of Kate Kennedy's podcast, and honestly, I can't think of higher praise than that for a memoir introducing me to a person and their way of examining pop culture. I highly recommend One in a Millennial to millennial women looking for some validation about how the ways things were impacted who we are, and to anyone who enjoys a close look at the impact of pop culture.

If you don’t have the “One in a Million” song, from Miss Congeniality, stuck in your head upon reading this title, are you even a millennial?! This book is a battle cry for all of us. It’s our history. It’s our song. It’s at times a hilarious commentary on what molded our generation, and at times a raw reflection not only of Kennedy’s experience, but of so many of ours. We pioneered social media, and we have the scars to show for it. Although the book is funny and sweet at times, it unexpectedly gets under your skin, and helps to expose the root of so much of our collective trauma. This book was like an episode of Dawson’s Creek. Emotional, yet addictive.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for this advanced copy, in exchange for my unbiased review!

I hate to think of myself as a Millennial because I am such an old soul - but after hearing it I can tell I was a good target audience for this book and it resonated with me on a variety of levels. This book is full of nostalgia that brought me right back to movies, dolls, and all of the things that were so important to me growing up. The subtle allusions to tv shoes or other pop culture moments had me laughing out loud. This book also has serious moments too, touching on fertility, loss, and grappling with the impacts of religion and purity culture. I appreciated the focus on how millennial woman are taken seriously, or not, depending on how we show up. I’m not familiar with Kennedy’s previous work at all but I really enjoyed this.

Kate Kennedy is a new voice for me. I found One in a Millennial to be an exploration in pop culture, nostalgia, and life lessons from the POV of a member of the millennial generation. Kate is the host of the popular millennial-focused podcast Be There in Five and I am now subscribed and enjoying that podcast.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review One in a Millennial.

I found the book to be partly funny, but mostly serious as Kate navigates the complicated nature of celebrating and even criticizing the culture that shaped her as a woman. I was engaged all the way throughout the audiobook due to her trademark style and vulnerability. She is sharp, funny, and heartwarming all at the same time.

I think what I enjoyed the most here was the fantastic commentary on feminism, privilege, reproductive rights, and the effect of social media on how millennial women were raised. Being Gen X, I think it is very important to read and learn from the other generations, so I was easily drawn in here.

4 stars!

Kate Kennedy's "One in a Millennial" will make people like me, elder millennial people born in the late 80s-early 90s, cheer, squirm, and gasp at our collective shared memories. Did we all really experience the same things during the 90s and 2000s?! It sure seems like it, if Kate's memories are any indication! From AIM to purity rings, the Spice Girls Chupa Chups to American Girl Dolls, this book is full of humor, cringe, and nostalgia. Nostalgia is a heck of a drug. I frequently listened with my mouth agape in mutual horror and adoration at how similar our stories are. I have listened to Kate's podcast on and off, and this book feels very authentic to her brand, her sense of humor, and her play on words. This entire book felt like one giant trip through scrapbooks, yearbooks, J14 magazines, catalogs, and burned CDs, as if I were sifting through old digital cameras with a friend reminiscing about the "good 'ol days." Kate is quick to point out that these are her own myopic experiences, that bigger picture issues about what her youth and growing up really meant came later for her in regards to gender, race, and especially religion. Her essays and poetry range from spectacularly fun to depressingly insightful, from casual to deep. I do think the book as a whole is a bit long and could have been truncated, but I did enjoy reading this overall. I love that Kate herself narrates the audiobook portion. I wish she had talked a tad bit slower, but I still think she did a fantastic job narrating her memories and essays and stories!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Kennedy, and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I have a personal issue with generational zeitgeists. This really stems from feeling very divided between two. Often, to the delight of my older friends (cue eyeroll), I am stereotyped as “the millennial.” My inherent problem with this is I was born in 1982. I get it, we need a start and cutoff point, but this review is for all of us that feel like we are X-ennials…silly I know but IYKYK.

Kate Kennedy does a fabulous job delivering a witty, insightful, and introspective view of the formative years of many millennials. She tells this story by analyzing her own life and though this WILL NOT fit the lives of all millennials there are parts many will find poignant and characteristic of their coming-of-age story. Being on the older end of this generation, there were unrelatable parts of her life for me; however, I could appreciate her storytelling throughout.

The most insightful parts of this book delved into the latent misogynistic behaviors of the generation and how for many of us, feminism was curated in a way that was made unpalatable in our young adult lives. I personally feel that my grandmother’s generation filled the “radical” ranks of NOW out there fighting the fight, only for my mother’s generation to become the apologists beginning a chant of “lighten up” and “don’t be so dramatic”. Fast forward to our generation and there is no wonder it was steeped in the confusion of the 90s and 00s. Fortunately, this has led to the current feminist spirit. With the work of epic women seen in popular media such as Barbie; we are now recognizing toxic masculinity for what it is and no longer laughing at jokes at our expense that are not funny.

I was not a follower of Kennedy’s podcast, but having listened to the audio production of this book I am very interested to listen in. If at all possible, I would absolutely recommend listening to this book. You can hear her passion for telling her story as well as her humor throughout. There are several parts that are incredibly personal for her and in the telling of them her emotion can be felt as well as heard.

Kate Kennedy, host of the Be There in Five podcast, takes a look at the culture that shaped her. It’s part memoir, part deep dive into growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, all nostalgia.

There were moments in this book when I felt like Kate and I lived the exact same childhood. Wow, the way I could relate to the chapter on AIM and pretending to be “away” and online relationships and waiting for your crush to IM you.

There are funny moments, lots of lines that had me furiously nodding my head in agreement, and some more serious thoughts as well. Kate digs into sleepovers, feminism, motherhood, and so much more.

This book had plenty of parts I really liked and related to but others that seemed to drag. Overall, it’s a fun walk down memory lane and I’m so glad I did it on audio to hear all the emotion and excitement in Kate’s voice.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I think I'm being generous giving this book 4 stars. I appreciate that the author's nostalgia for her own youth is tempered with the emphasis that it's one person's experiences. She also reckons with having fondness and criticism for the mainstays of her youth. What the book lacked was much deep insight. Other books like Tacky, Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma, or Everything I Need I Get From You do this kind of work better. Still, this was eminently readable, if sometimes cringe-inducingly earnest.

“One In a Millennial is an exploration of pop culture, nostalgia, the millennial zeitgeist, and the life lessons learned (for better and for worse) from coming of age as a member of a much-maligned generation. … She tackles AOL Instant Messenger, purity culture, American Girl Dolls, going out tops, Spice Girl feminism, her feelings about millennial motherhood, and more. Kate's laugh-out-loud asides and keen observations will have you nodding your head and maybe even tearing up.”

I took this straight from the publisher because it’s the perfect description of Kate’s book and what it feels like to read it. This book is SO good. I gravitated to it because I liked the cover, but it turns out I have a ton in common with Kate. The way she puts into words the feelings I thought I no one felt but me brought me so much joy. I kept nodding along and grinning because it’s super real and clever and funny. Kate has a way with words that is just beyond. I’m going to buy a print copy so I can mark it alll up.

While ladies born between 1984 and 1990 will probably relate to this the most, there’s a lot of content in the book that’s universal, so don’t write it off if you’re a bit older or younger.

🎧 Kate narrates the audiobook herself (yay!). It’s really well done. There was one chapter where she sounded out of breath so I was going to note that in my review, but at the end she reveals that she’s super pregnant so it all kind of made sense 😂 Highly recommended checking out the audio version!

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the gifted audiobook.

One in a Millennial is a fun blend of memoir and social commentary about growing up online and all the trends we strangely followed as children. I especially like the later chapters, where the author talks about the effects the internet and pop culture have had on her decisions as an adult, like deciding whether or not to have children.

If you are a millennial woman, YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK! It is so so good. I have laughed, cried, cringed at so much of our childhood, yet also felt immense pride in our generation and everything we have been through.

Kate aims to “resurrect experiences that previously felt labeled or misrepresented by gender or generation, if only to make a case while I have the headspace that there’s so much more to our existence worth remembering” and she does this SO WELL!

This book is a CELEBRATION of who we were and how that shaped who we have become! It’s funny, it’s well researched, and soooo nostalgic. I said this in my stories yesterday, but I just felt so *seen* reading this. It has truly helped me feel joy about the multitudes of interests that I have always contained and also a reminder that most other folks contain multitudes as well!

Kate also adds a lot of poetry throughout that had me pausing my audiobook to just sit with the words for a while. I seriously can’t recommend this book enough!

After both reading and listening this book, I would definitely recommend the audiobook - especially if you are a Be There in Five podcast fan. Hearing Kate read the content makes the nostalgia that much better. A great listen for any millennials who would enjoy a long trip down memory lane.

This book was part pop culture commentary, part memoir as podcaster Kate Kennedy reflects on various trends throughout her life. In this book, she discusses a wide variety of topic from American Girl dolls, to going out tops (IYKYK), and even more serious topics such as the purity culture from the early 2000s. This book was a fun walk down memory lane as a fellow millennial, but also made me think differently about some aspects of culture and how they may have impacted our generation. While there weren’t any earth shattering revelations, this was a fun read for a bit of millennial nostalgia. Kate Kennedy narrated the audiobook herself and listening to it felt like chatting with a friend.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for the advance copies.

This was an incredible read. It really felt like it could have been my own memoir. The specific references I had completely forgotten about (LYLAS, looking at boy band calendars in Waldenbooks, and others) hooked me early on. So many of my own experiences were echoed in Kennedy's writing it was almost surreal.

As an elder millennial…this book is so ridiculously relatable. Honestly, almost painfully so at times. Don’t let the cute millennial pink cover fool you—while there certainly are a plethora of light-hearted moments within a massive amount of pop-culture referencing nostalgia, there is also a surprising amount of thought-provoking depth. I cried almost as many times as I laughed, and I think I will be processing a lot of the thoughts and memories that this book brought up for quite awhile.

I’m glad this was narrated by the author, with the extremely personal nature of this book I don’t think it would have hit quite the same without it being in her own voice. She did a fantastic job making this such an enjoyable listen.

This book was such an awesome nostalgic read - the references! The puns! The throwbacks! It made me laugh and cry and helped look at the mainstays of adolescence with a new lens and helped me see trends, feelings, and adolescence in a new light. What a treat!