I swear, I tried SO hard to like this.

First guess why I didn't - I started the 2000s at 5 years old, hence was a little later to the party than the author. I got 99% of the pop culture references though... Next guess - I had no clue what was going on in politics at 5 years old. DING DING DING!

Next question - why is there thisss much politics anyway? Yes they played a huge role in developing our culture at the time, but is this what I really signed on for? No, it is not.
If I sound grumpy about this, it's because I am. There was ssooo much potential here. The references outside of the in-depth look into politics were spot on. I was surprised more than once to learn new details of a time I thought I knew well, being that I lived through it. Heck I'd even be okay with mentions of the political environment and breaking news stories of the time; Like I said before, governmental decisions certainly did play a large roll in our day-to-day lives (whether we knew it at the time or not). But sheeeeesh. The title, cover and description all failed to mention the poli sci lesson you'd also have to endure.

I also struggled with the huge discrepancies in voice from essays to essay (sometimes even paragraph to paragraph). One min I felt like I was listening to one of my girlfriends, the next I felt like I was in AP gov. It's weird hearing me say this (reading me write this?) since that's usually exactly what I'd go for in a book. Unfortunately it just wasn't done well here and felt abrasive, like they were trying too hard to be edgy while still proving they'd done their research.

Again, I wouldn't sound so pissy about it if this book didn't have SO MUCH potential.

Also side note, if you <i>do</i> care about the finer details of 2000's political aspects in addition to pop culture, this is the book for you. You will give it 5/5 stars.

{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, Colette Shade and publisher for the eARC

Oh man, this book hit me with all the feelings -- and predictably, all the nostalgia -- right from the introduction. It's so easy to look back on the Y2K era with rose-colored glasses, especially as a '93 baby who came of age right in the middle of it (and who feels both decrepit and grateful for the recent resurgence.)

Shade is really great at blending the view from those rose-colored glasses with the bleak realities of both then and now. From AIM and Starbucks to 9/11 to the rise of internet porn, Shade covers it all in a satisfying blend of wistfulness and valid critique. As strange as it is to even be so far-removed from the time that we're reading books in retrospect of it, I'm so glad I stumbled across this one.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.)

Nostalgic in the best and worst ways. A recommended purchase for collections where pop culture and history titles are popular.

When I saw the title, I knew I had to read this book. Being just a couple of years older than the author, I vividly remember all the events and pop cultural events she describes. All of these moments, both political and entertainment-related likely shaped our current culture, which were fascinating to reflect upon.

Initially, I expected a relatively light-hearted read, but it turned out to be a profound commentary on how that era influenced our world today. There were critiques of the era and how certain things in pop culture were problematic, then and now. The writing was insightful and thought-provoking. It took me back to my early teens where I loved glitter eyeshadow, logging onto AIM, and seeing if my favorite song was number on TRL. The book also delves into significant events/people like 9/11, Occupy Wall Street, Starbucks, unions, global warming/climate change, George Bush Jr, etc, making it a comprehensive reflection on the era.

As a fan of nostalgia, I appreciated the references to pop culture and the political climate of the time. I had just about every single experience myself that she had in that time period. The book made me recall both the good and bad, and it made me realize how optimistic us millennials were right at the start of the millennium. As time went on, I saw how those feelings faded in the post-millennium era. It makes me wonder are those same millennials optimistic now or do they still feel existential dread and hopelessness for the future

Thank you to the publisher Dey Street Books for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley