4.5 stars
I’ve never listened to KK’s (inside joke) podcast and I’m firmly in GenX with GenZ kids but I found this memoir fascinating! I missed so much of the cultural references in the aughts as I was either pregnant and/or raising young children. It was interesting to hear about her millennial coming of age— the references might be different than mine growing up, but so many experiences were eerily similar. I could have written many of the chapters almost the exact same so the lives of girls and women often transcend generations. But she also made a clear case for the uniqueness of millennial experiences. I’ll have to check out the podcast!

Reviewer's note: In my opinion, memoirs shouldn't receive ratings because it's unfair to rate someone else's life.

"One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls and Fitting In" by Kate Kennedy is an exploration of pop culture, nostalgia, & the life lessons learned from coming of age as a millennial, from Kate Kennedy the pop culture podcaster and celebrator of the millennial zeitgeist. I listened to the audiobook version of this book, while there were lots of mouth noises, I found it enjoyable. This book is is a humorous and heartwarming commentary on various aspects of millennial pop culture landmarks, which included but were not limited to Teen Talk Barbie, Instant Messenger, Going Out Tops, Warm Vanilla Moisturizer and Purity Culture.

This book brought back much nostalgia for the late 90s and early 2000s. I felt completely called out when the author reminded me of my obsession with wanting a canopy bed. I recommend this book if you are looking for a “OH! I remember that.” For example, if you remember ‘tight squeeze, cool breeze... now you've got the shiveries!’ You are my people.

Thanks, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found the first few chapters resonated with me more and I started out really likening the book. However it kinda dragged on and turned out to be just okay. The narrating was really good. Thought this seems more like a memoir.

As a millennial this book had me smiling, chuckling, and completely getting it. Kate Kennedy’s humorous retelling of her youth including American Girl dolls and The Limited Too. Her memoir felt like a walk from my past to my present (the good and the bad) which left me feeling relieved that some of these situations just weren’t me. A solid 4.5 stars for those 80s girls.

I did not want this book to end. As a fellow millennial woman, 97% of this book resonated with me. Although the author says the book is just one millennial's experience, I think anyone born between the years 1986 and 1992 will especially feel like this book may have been written about them or their best friend. I enjoyed the commentary detailing the significance of canopy beds, off hand comments about magazines drilling the fear of tss into our systems, reminiscing about the days I spent shopping at outlets with my mom, and so much more. In addition to exploring 90's/00's/10's nostalgia, the author does offer a lot of personal history, that I found moving. If you have the chance to listen to the audio version to laugh and cry with her, I highly recommend doing so. My only gripe is that the author is Team Logan, but otherwise it's perfect.

Live, laugh, loved this. I related so much to Kate’s walk down memory lane sprinkled with the growth and hindsight we’ve gained along the way. There were too many pop culture and lyric references to count and I loved them all. Many giggles, a few tears, and ultimately the feeling that we didn’t all walk through it alone. This is one I’ll be coming back to in the future. And I’ll definitely be looking up her podcast.

Nostalgic. Funny. Relatable. If you are a child of the 80s/90s/00s (aka a millennial), you are going to eat, pray, love your way through this book.

From vacation boyfriends to Now & Then, Clueless, and AIM, Kate Kennedy encapsulated what it means to be a millennial and relayed her experience in easy-to-digest essays and poems. She pokes fun at millennials in a way only fellow millennials are allowed to do. The interspersed song lyrics felt like little Easter eggs of throwback goodness.

I felt myself either going back to simpler times or thinking about what I still need to discuss at my next therapy session. I also never knew I had such strong feelings about NSync's "God Must Have Spent Have Spent a Little More Time on You" (and is that not the longest song title ever?!). The Parent Trap essay resonated most with me... Kennedy's anecdote from the HomeGoods line has been me so many times.

Absolutely recommend. The audio narration is a gem. I could feel (and often hear) Kennedy's emotion. Her wit and dry humor was refreshing. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy.

This book unlocked some core memories for me! I really enjoyed reading the breakout sections that were in-depth about cultural icons. The part about American Girl Dolls was my favorite! Reading this felt like a big sip of a Capri Sun! So nostalgic and fresh. I also enjoyed her tone and the levity that she brought to struggles.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

Loved time traveling back to my childhood (think American Girls, trundle beds, Limited Too, Lisa Frank school supplies) & teenage years (aka the draaaaama of setting an away message on AIM 😜)

The nostalgia in this book was 10/10 however despite saying multiple times “this isn’t a memoir,” it totally was LOL or maybe just because the author included so many examples of her personal experiences growing up, which some I related to and some I did not. A few parts just became a bit too preachy and I def zoned out — but overall was a fun little listen! Def recommend the audiobook if you’re interested in reading!

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced audiobook! ONE FOR THE MILLENNIAL comes out 1/23/24!

4.5+ stars

Okay, I loved this book. The nostalgic exploration of the things many millennial women grew up with was delightful. The stories, references, writing made me laugh, roll my eyes, and nod in agreement. Humour, love, acceptance, and sorrow all had a place in the text. From purity culture to music to feminism to fashion, the author addressed a range of topics, many of which are things considered traditionally “feminine” that she and many others did and do enjoy. It also had some great lines, such as when the writer described worship songs as “kind of like boy band love ballads that we’re singing to jesus” and further explored how sexist ideas are not new since many are “preconceived notions [that] have been around since god first cancelled a woman for eating.” Long story short, I enjoyed many things about this book, and I already know a least a couple of friends to whom I’ll be gifting a copy in the relatively near future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was wonderfully, heartbreakingly, hilariously relatable. Kate Kennedy's writing is clever, witty, and authentic. If you're a millennial who is looking for an entertaining and nostalgic read that includes musings on girl power, boy bands, middle school sleepovers, and American Girl dolls, I absolutely recommend picking up this gem of a book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹: 𝗢𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗙𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻 is an exploration of pop culture, nostalgia, & the life lessons learned from coming of age as a member of a much-maligned generation. This sharp, hilarious, and heartwarming commentary tackles AOL Instant Messenger, purity culture, American Girl Dolls, going out tops, Spice Girl feminism, millennial motherhood, and more.

If you’re a Millennial you’ll totally get it, if you’re in that gap between Millennials and Gen-X (Hi, hello, this is me) you’ll be nodding from time to time, and if you’re Gen-X you may gain a deeper appreciation for a generation so different from your own.

This was a really interesting audiobook, it was both informative and personal, like a memoir and a narriative nonfiction had a baby. As I said earlier, I grew up in that weird spot where I cannot fully relate to true Millennials or Gen-Xers, so at times I found things to be deeply relatable and others had me thinking “O, I kinda get it now”…

I listened to the audiobook, which Kate read herself and loved it. The change in her voice when things got emotional was everything. If you’re looking for a unique, easy flowing nonfiction, and have any interest in what its like being a Millennial I highly recommend picking this one up.

*3.5 stars

This was as nostalgia inducing and relatable as I had hoped, with lots of humor and interesting insights. Made me feel simultaneously old and young again hearing about malls, fashion trends I would like to forget and the complicated highs and lows of sorority life. Her writing style was at times too cheesy/blog writer humor for my sensibilities, but I think a lot of people may enjoy that type of cleverness. Just was too heavy handed on the puns and wordplay for me in that regard. I understand the author has a following and wanted to self narrate but I did not find her tone engaging.

3.5⭐️ This collection of essays is absolutely drenched with millennial nostalgia and 90s pop culture - tackling everything imaginable that plays into the millennial stereotypes and providing generally interesting commentary on the underlying connection between the 90s pop culture and the women of the millennial generation. The author was born in 1987 (I was born in 1984) so we are both on the older end of the millennial spectrum. There was quite a bit that I could relate to in her essays.

Covering both fun/quirky and serious topics: JBC (Junior Business Casual), Saved By the Bell, Blockbuster, AOL, American Girl dolls, Mall Madness, specific Bath & Body Works smells, PSL, purity culture, feminism, commercialism, misogyny, sexism, mental health, infertility/miscarriage. There are definitely a few triggers to consider before going into this one.

The author definitely shows some contextual self awareness but also almost comes across as apologetic for writing the book at times. A lot of caveats to statements/experiences to try to make the book appealing to as wide a range of people as possible. I wasn’t aware of the author or her podcast prior to reading this book, but I can tell how this would be a natural extension of a podcast platform.

There are lots of rhyming sections & puns. Like a lot of them. They’re funny and clever at times, but also bordering on too many. I do wonder if the print version has formatting that ties some sections together better when they felt a bit choppy or disjointed on the audio version.

The audio version also had some weird edits where the voice seemed to change or be edited differently, noticeable breathing sounds, etc. I appreciate that the author is reading her own story and the emotions definitely come through as she’s reading the hard parts. At the very end of the audio there’s an explanation she gives that she was pregnant while recording, hence the labored breathing, but it’s very noticeable in a distracting way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC to read and review. All thoughts are my own.

In this memoir he author writes about various topics from her childhood and adolescence through college and her adult working life. All the references to the 90's and 2000's pop culture were spot on. TW: Also touches on pregnancy loss.

I absolutely loved everything about this book! I am only a couple of years older than the author, so this book was very nostalgic for me, and I could relate to so much in this book. I loved the author's honesty throughout. The chapter that really resonated with me the most was when the author opened up about her struggles with fertility. Again, I really appreciated the honesty in this chapter specifically, and it really made me feel less alone in my own struggles. This book also really opened my eyes to a lot of the messaging that was pushed onto us as kids that totally went over my head, and honestly, still did as an adult. It was very eye opening. I think this is a wonderful book for millennials to read. I can't wait to purchase my own copy and dive into again, and I will definitely be recommending it to our patron's. I already have a few in mind who I know will love it.

Witty and charming. It absolutely brought me back to some of the greatest days of my life! Audiobook was incredibly well done!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book.

I hate doing this, but I am at 12% and am going to DNF this.

I learned that the author is famous as a podcaster, which surprised me because I found her voice to be dry and monotonous.

I switched to the e book, and cringed so often that I decided to cut my losses.

Sorry!

This was an okay book about life in the 90’s and 2000’s. I felt like a lot of what was discussed in this book has been talked about multiple times through various ways so I’m unsure why a book was needed. I don’t feel like this book was too personal, it was keeping the reader at arms length and only drawing them in with nostalgia. It lacked immensely for me. Also, in the audiobook… why was it so breathy? Could literally hear every breath she took. It really detracted from the book.

In solidarity to the ongoing marketing boycott of SMP imprints I will not be publishing this review elsewhere (Goodreads or Amazon) until SMP addresses the concerns brought forth by Readers for Accountability.

What a fabulous trip down memory lane One in a Millennial was! I highly recommend this book for all Millennials, but it's also fascinating for any generation. Want to know why we love our avocado toast so much, or be taken back to the specific smell of a late 90's Bath and Body Works? This is the book for you! On a heavier note, Kennedy resonates with more profound acknowledgments. Millennials were raised for a world that no longer existed once they came of age and often are given flack for being lazy or entitled. We are neither as a generation and she makes some pretty powerful, poignant statements throughout this book.