This was an interesting one. I like a book with a solid finish and this one didn’t not give me a resolution. However, it was entertaining enough. I like the line when one of the characters says that you don’t know when this is the last time you will see someone until you no longer see them. Like, this could be the last rendezvous, however, you may meet up several more times in the future. These “friends” have little in common now that there are adults, and I can imagine looking around and thinking wtf am I doing here. There were some interesting story lines, but this didn’t knock me out of the park. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for this advance audio copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

wasn't keen on this one. unlovable characters but not in a fun way. the audiobook was honestly hard to follow because no character has a really distinct personality, and the time jumps were easy to miss at times.

This book follows six friends who are on a week-long vacation in Hawaii. They have been friends since middle school or high school and are all turning 30. The story begins when everyone receives messages about a missile striking Hawaii, prompting them to take cover. From that point on, the group reflects on their lives, discussing what makes a good or bad person, as well as topics like homophobia, racism, sexism, and politics, all while getting drunk or high for most of the story. There are also flashbacks that highlight pivotal moments from their childhood.

I find myself hovering on the line between liking and despising this book. While all the characters have faced difficulties, none of them are particularly likable. They repeatedly mention that they revert to childish behavior when they are together, and they seem unable to get along, constantly sniping at each other. Despite being lifelong friends, they claim they don't act this way around their "adult friends."

Although the book touches on many important topics, it does so in a manner that undermines their significance. There are moments of deep connection, but something usually happens to discredit those moments. The writing has its high points, and there are important discussions that deserve more depth and meaning. However, the book ends abruptly, leaving us without any sense of resolution. We witness this chaotic glimpse of their vacation, yet we are left wondering whether any of these characters grow up or change.

The pacing is inconsistent; some parts are wonderful and kept me engaged, while others dragged. The narrator did a fantastic job with the material she was given, keeping me interested even when I felt like giving up.

"When We Grow Up" is a story about a group of 6 friends in their 30's who go on a trip to Hawaiii together. I listened to this on audio and found 1--the characters all rather unlikeable and 2-the story pretty difficult to follow. Perhaps the latter would be easier in print format? I found the narrator's voice to be really soothing. I had really high hopes for this book, but just couldn't connect with the characters or grab onto the plot the way I had hoped. It's a work of women's fiction that I hope someone else might be able to enjoy. *I received a complimentary audio copy from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I loved the idea of this book, but it just didn’t keep me interested. A group of friends from middle/high school that are now 30 get together in Hawaii. Nothing much happens except that now they are a group of whiny adults. I kept hoping it would get better but it just didn’t for me.

Close to the halfway point and I just can't love this book. I'm not normally a lit fic reader, though I am trying to dip my toe into this genre of writing. While the idea of this story did sound super interesting, I just can't find it in me to continue with it in good faith. I am simply not enjoying it at this point. The writing itself is good and I like the pacing but the actually story isn't is not gripping for me. I don't really like any of the characters and I don't know if any of these friends actually like each other. Though I know that is part of the complexity of this book, I just am not in a space were I feel like I want to read about that right now.

This book has a premise that usually appeals to me: a literary fiction about a group of friends who get together on a vacation to reminisce about their younger days and stuff. This whole book is about conversations these friends have with one another. The reader learns how their friendship worked in the past and how it all led to the present days - and if it still actually works or not.
This book brings some relevant discussions that can be relatable to many readers, so it can speak personally to some readers, which is great and it makes the reading more fun and entertaining. What's more, in my opinion the writing is well done and decent enough to make all the conversations dynamic and easy to follow through.

On the other hand, if the reader cannot connect or relate to any of these friends, they might not enjoy this book.
This is a classic case of a book that will work for some readers and just will not work for others.
Personally, I enjoyed this book much more during the first half. I felt immersed in the narrative and the dynamic among those friends. I felt like I was watching (and listening to) from a distance a glimpse of these group of people's lives, and I was in for it. I wanted the gossip, the tea and everything.
However, in the second half the story takes a turn that did not please me at all. The characters started to sound way too whiny, melodramatic and they would rant about anything! I kept asking myself "wait...why are they still friends again?" Also, that conversation about "who wants to have sex with whom" was, to me, so unnecessarily boring. Unfortunately, the second half failed to hold my attention and interest entirely.

Yet, I could recommend this book to any readers who are into that 'slice of life' literary stories.
The audiobook, in my opinion, is the best part about this book: I found the narrator to be very good and even when the story was boring me, the narrator kept my attention. I'm pretty sure I would have DNFed this book if it weren't for this audiobook narrator. Highly recommend it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for allowing me to listen to a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This audiobook took a while for me to get into. The story starts with a bang when six adults who have been friends since college are on vacation in Hawaii and a terrifying news alerts indicates that their lives are about to be over.

The whole book is basically a conversation amongst these friends, revisiting their college years, talking about who they have become and how they have (or have not) changed. Resentments get aired, people behave poorly and they drink and they rant.

Even though there were bits I liked, overall I didn't enjoy this book. The characters are all dislikable. The dialogue seems a bit too on the nose. They cover privilege, friendships - especially ones you make during the formative years, racism and more.

with gratitude NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m still trying to decide how I feel about this book. My typical read is more feel good but this gave me a lot to think about. I have went back and forth on if I’m loving it or disliking it. I suppose I’m somewhere in the middle. I did appreciate that it made me think deeper about important issues. I do feel like the book was well written but as someone who typically reads for escapism I wouldn’t say it was my cup of tea. Thank you to net gallery and Macmillan audio for the advanced copy.

I listened to this audio book. The narration was great. However, I think this book is one that should be read instead of listened to. There are a lot of characters all introduced at the same time. I had a hard time keeping them all straight. The characters were all unlikeable which made it hard to become invested in the book. The book was well written and I do think I would have enjoyed it more if I would have read it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my review,

This, was unfortunately, not the book for me. I found everyone to be unlikeable (maybe they were supposed to be) and while the premise was interesting, 6 long time friends letting deeply held truths out in the face of a crisis, I simply couldn't get into it. The writing itself was well done, it just didn't click with me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

The more I think about this book the more I disliked it. It reminds me of the book conversations with friends but the friendships were very hostile. The characters were even more unlikeable.

A group of friends from childhood reconnect on a trip to Hawaii. I thought this book sounded fun but it honestly wasn’t. I would not want to be on this trip or be friends with any of these people regardless Of how far we go back. If they are in Hawaii I want to see them exploring the beautiful island but unfortunately I did not.

There are a lot of dinners with too many drinks. These people are turning 30 and they talk a lot about growing up or growing out of their partying stage but it seems to be all they are doing. The over consumption of alcoholic beverages produces a lot of hostility and conversations about racism, sexism, homophobia and many other social political issues. I got really tired of hearing about privilege among other things from these middle class liberals.

The author also touches on what makes you a bad person. Does one bad deed make you bad? Claire is very concerned that she might be a bad person because she is in an ongoing affair. I think I might agree with her.

I will stop ranting but this book just wasn’t for me. The character development wasn’t good enough for this kind of open hostility in this trip. It might be time that they all grow up and find a new friend group.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this arc.

2.5 ⭐️

Plot: a group of childhood friends who are now approaching 30 reunite for a weeklong vacation. An emergency early into their trip has them thinking about where their relationships with each other currently stand and how these relationships fit into their adult lives.

Characters: each character has their own distinctive voice, but the entire time I read this book I couldn’t help but wonder why any of these people were friends and how anyone could want to be friends with them. With the exception of maybe 1 character these were all totally unlikeable characters. For me it didn’t seem like any of these characters had any growth at all over the course of the week or since high school. And - even if they were in a different place as adults they reverted back to their immature horrible tendencies once they were all together.

Themes: growing up, friendships, privilege

Writing: pretty strong character writing and some funny moments but not a very strong plot. This book made me feel like I was on the vacation from hell because I was figuratively stuck with these insufferable people for a week. The timeline hops around a bit to give perspective into Clare’s history with the group when they were teenagers and how they relate to one another now.

This story will make you think about how childhood and adult friendships differ and ultimately how you can grow out of friendships as you grow up. I appreciated the perspective that it is important to not let nostalgia be the only thing that holds you together.

Narration: The narrator does a good job. None of her voices are too over the top but she still manages to give a different voice to each character. Good production

This is the second book I've read in a row that compares itself to Fleishman is in Trouble. I didn't get that at all, though I guess it does ask some existential questions about life and marriage. However, I really did enjoy listening to this one and would definitely read more from the author.

The book begins with a group of now 30-year-old high school friends vacationing in Hawaii together when the false missile alert goes off (just like in 2018). It's a kind of wake up call for each person to wonder what they're doing there.

The book is mainly centered on Clare. Clare is the only member of her high school group who is married and she prides herself on being more adult than her friends. But it's clear that Clare is not totally happy with her life and maybe that's why she keeps returning to this group of old friends who have grown apart in many ways. Maybe too many ways? Throughout their week together, there are lots of revelations amongst the friends, several arguments and heated discussions, and much pontificating. We also get lots of flashbacks to their time in high school, so we can see what drew them all together in the first place.

This book comes at an appropriate time as some of it is focused on the political matters of 2018. No names are mentioned (that I recall), but it's clear they're discussing the president at the time and everything they talk about is once again very relevant. Though I'm older than 30, I also appreciated that the book brings up a lot about childhood friendships and their place in adulthood. Can it be enough that we were there for each other and one point in life and had good times together? Should we really try so desperately to hold on to lifelong friendships if we don't have much in common anymore? I feel like everyone goes through this at some point in their life.

Overall, I really enjoyed When We Grow Up!

I tend to enjoy books about groups of high school or college friends who reunite as adults. I love The Big Chill and St. Elmo’s Fire vibes. These friends gather at a fabulous location in Hawaii in celebration of turning 30. However, they don’t seem to have much in common at this point other than their shared past experiences. At times they actually bring out the worst in each other but I still enjoyed their time together. This book is told primarily from Claire’s perspective and I would have liked to have had a glimpse into the perspectives of the other characters. I enjoyed the dual timelines and overall premise though and the narrator was great!

A contemporary story about a group of friends who are suddenly in a situation where they have to reckon with their history and who they are today. This is more poignant than ever considering how the 2024 election turned out. I think this is a quick but thoughtful read that will yield discussion. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC! When We Grow Up is out 3/4/25!

This was an interesting read.
I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it.
6 life long friends go to Hawaii to celebrate their 30th. A lot happens, but also nothing happens.
The characters were complex, their relationships with one another, even more so. I wish I liked them better then I did because I struggled to attach myself and it was hard to identify with them.
I found this story pretty random, but I enjoy that in a book. I love when a book is just a moment in time. That’s this book.
Thank you netgalley for the AAC!

This was not what I thought it was going to be. The terrifying news alert was just a blip of the book. Also all the characters were introduced right away in the book and on audio it was very confusing. The time changes were also confusing. I felt like maybe I just did not get some of this book or it was just trying to be "woke" because the author was trying to include a lot of things that really were not relevant to the story. All the characters were unlikable besides Mac which made it hard to want to continue listening. Luckily the narrator was good at telling the story. I think the premise of friendship and who you were when you were younger verse who you are now was interesting. But overall this book was not for me.

another story in the collection about a group of friends turning 30.

Kept together due to shared history, and perhaps a sense of obligation, the six friends from school are all in Hawaii at the same time for a reunion. They have less in common than they used to, and they struggle with whether or not to maintain these friendships. In some ways, they know each other so much better than the people in their current day-to-day lives. In others, they are almost unrecognizable to their childhood friends.

This book has some beautifully constructed sentences, I know that there are going to be a few quotes that will be highlighted and re-highlighted by many who read this book. If you are at a crossroads in your life with your friendships, I’m sure that you will find a lot to relate to. The set up in the premise of being separated from their day-to-day lives while getting a breaking news alert that makes them think that their lives are completely threatened, brings to the surface how quickly we bounce back from thinking everything is over. Who are we really? Are you The core of the person that you were at 13, before you experienced the traumas and insecurities that you did? Is that who you really are? Or are you the composite of lived experience? Do these people know you better than others? Or less?

On audiobook, this was a little hard to follow, there are many characters and it became cumbersome to try and keep them separate, as they were all the same agent in the same friend group. The audiobook narrator is well acted, but it is not the kind of book that is necessarily meant for audio. From an accessibility standpoint, I do think that this would be fine, but personally, I found it difficult to follow the storylines Because there are so many characters and they can be similar.

The characters are relatively unlikable, which makes it difficult to become invested in their story. I do believe that the book asks, interesting and powerful question, and I really do appreciate the set up in premise. It’s not a long book, but it did seem to drag on as it was difficult to follow the time jumps into get into the characterization of all the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and McMillan audio for an arc of this audiobook to be released February 24, 2025.