I loved this book. Sbeg’s ability to incorporate the science side of young adulthood with personal anecdotes makes this book easily digestible and relatable. It felt like any anxiety or concern that I’ve personally experienced as I make my way through my 20s was discussed with care and actionable items to help me manage future situations. Before this book, I was a stranger to Sbeg. I had not heard of her or her successful podcast “The Psychology of your 20s”. But after reading her work and experiencing her empathetic approach to all of life’s anxieties, I’m making my way to her podcast after writing this review. The experience of reading this work was reminiscent of Dolly Alderton’s “Everything I Know About Love.” Sbeg’s careful examination of twenty-somethings made me feel seen and heard. It truly felt like we were having a personal debrief, like I had gone to a friend for advice. This is one of those special books that I believe everyone in their 20s should read, and if you’re not in your 20s, this book offers valuable life lessons that are never too late to incorporate in your daily life.

As someone who just turned twenty-one, I am incredibly thankful to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read Person in Progress! I feel as though this was the perfect time to read a nonfiction guide to how to survive my twenties. Throughout reading, I really appreciated the different case studies and experiments that were mentioned. It gave a clear insight and connection to the psychological examples the author used. Additionally, the author's tone throughout the book was my favorite part of my reading experience. Whenever I opened my Kindle to read a few chapters, it felt like I was listening to an older sister or trusted friend give me valuable advice. As someone who typically reads fiction, I really enjoyed reading something different and will definitely be looking into the author's podcast!

I didn’t love this as much as I thought I would. Nothing really connecting with me despite being on the hunt for these exact premises. It just didn’t reach me how I wanted it to.

Overview

This book is like having a motivational friend in paperback form—the one who talks you through career confusion, failed relationships, and general “WTF am I doing with my life?” energy that hits hard in your twenties. It’s chatty, relatable, and definitely aimed at people figuring out the chaos of adulthood in real-time.

It’s not a book for everyone, and that’s okay. While there’s some solid insight and comfort, especially for twenty-somethings navigating big life transitions, there were a few moments where it felt a little one-size-fits-all.

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What Worked for Me:

✔ Super relatable if you’re in your twenties – It covers a lot of the common feelings that hit during that phase: job hunting, quarter-life crises, moving cities, feeling behind, or just feeling lost. Think: advice with a side of pep talk.

✔ Conversational tone – It genuinely reads like a friend who gets it. The tone is warm and motivational without being too preachy, and I appreciated the you’ve got this energy throughout.

✔ Encourages failure as part of the process – One of the strongest messages is that your twenties are for trying, failing, and figuring things out, and I love that perspective. It’s refreshing in a world that puts a ton of pressure on having it all together before you turn 30.

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What Didn’t Quite Hit:

➖ Feels a little limiting in scope – While this book offers great advice for many twenty-somethings, it assumes a fairly specific lifestyle—one without kids, often single, usually college-educated, and career-focused. I have friends who got married and had children in their twenties, and this book didn’t speak to that experience at all.

➖ Heavily anecdotal – Most of the content comes from the author’s personal journey, which makes it feel authentic but also means it lacks a broader range of examples or diverse perspectives.

➖ Might unintentionally add pressure – As someone in my early 30s, some parts made me think, “Yikes, are we really still romanticising pressure-packed twenties?” The message could’ve used a little more nuance around trying and failing at any age, not just before 30.

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Final Thoughts:

This is a solid guidebook for navigating the messiness of your twenties, especially if you’re someone who wants to feel seen, validated, and gently motivated. While it’s not universally inclusive, and at times feels like a narrow definition of what “doing your twenties right” looks like, the intention is clear: you’re not alone, and you don’t have to have it all figured out yet.

📖 Would I recommend it?
Yes—for people in their early twenties who are overwhelmed and need a non-preachy voice of encouragement.
As a rule book? Absolutely not.
As a companion read? 100%.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early access copy!

I really enjoyed how insightful this book is! I’m at the end of my 20s about to be 28 in May but when this book was offered to me via email to review I was still very interested in reading it. It’s nice to know I’m not the only person who has ever felt completely lost in my mid twenties. I honestly wish I had this book back when I was 20 or 21 I think this book is full of knowledge a newer to adulthood person may love to have.

Person in Progress by Jemma Speg unfortunately was not for me. I can see where this may be beneficial for those in their late teens who may be anxious about approaching their 20's or even those in their early 20's. However there is simply a lack of connection between author and reader. I may be bias, as I am 27, but I felt the author was unable to bring her points home. When she would try to circle back and make a point feel complete, it instead felt repetitive and surface level.
Additionally, as this book is marketed as focusing on the psychology of your 20's, I felt there were too few in depth connections to real life studies and the actual "psychology of your 20's". When a study or psychologist was referenced it was extremely surface level and the findings referenced were only those to further our authors point, as opposed to reviewing the entirety of a study or theory including their oppositions in modern day psychology.
Overall, I felt the book was a bit underdeveloped and repetitive. Unfortunately not for me personally but others may enjoy.
Thank you Penguin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early!!

I'm about to turn 23 in a few weeks and this was just the book I needed to read right now. I feel so much pressure to make my 20s the best years of my life, but this book taught me that it's ok to take my time in life. I loved that there were personal anecdotes and also statements back by facts. It was the perfect mix for while I was reading. Thank you to the publisher for my advanced copy!

I have never read a self help book before, nor was I the target audience for this book (being that I am at the tail end of my 20s). That being said, this book was an interesting dive into the psychology surrounding all of the major life events one experiences in their 20s. I was able to look back on my life and see how everything the author talked about was similar to my actual life experiences over the last decade. I did indeed move out, get a job, lose a job, have a relationship breakup, have a friendship breakup, move somewhere that I've never been and know no one, and get married.
I did resonate a lot with the final section. Dealing with your past and mental health is such a large aspect of any therapy session and I think is very vital to a book like this that is aimed at making you feel less alone and helping you to navigate difficult times in your life.
I appreciated how the author left each chapter with a few quotes that highlighted the material within, so you could read only those if you were deciding if you wanted/needed to read the content of that particular chapter.
Jemma, overall, was very insightful and relatable in her writing style. At times l, broad to appeal to the masses, and at other times, raw and real about her own experiences.
Very interesting read.

This book feels like a conversation with a big sister or a therapist. I loved the inclusion of both personal experiences and scientific studies. That combination really added to the overall message. I highly recommend this to anyone in their twenties and anyone close to it. Even if you’re in your thirties or above, there are so many applicable sections.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is deeply relatable read that talks about chaos, confusion, mid-life crisis, and quiet growth that defines your 20s. As someone currently in 20s myself, I found this book incredibly comforting and insightful.

It is a little fast paced but it touches on so many experiences which we most often silently go through - losing friends, getting our heart broken, falling in love again, navigating our lives, the bittersweet feeling of moving to different cities, and the heartbreak of realising that the dreams we had as a kid don't always align with the person we are becoming. And yet, there's beauty in all of that. Reading this book reminded me of a line said by a famous Indian poet," If its according to your will, its good. But if its not as per your will, its much better. Because if its not as per your wish, it means it is what the God wishes. And that you always somehow end up where you are meant to be." So, its okay if you haven't figured out your whole life when you're in your 20s.

This book reminds us that it is okay to grow into a completely different person. It doesn't mean failure, it means evolution. Reading this book felt like talking to an older version of myself - one who has made peace with the mess, uncertainty, and the pressure of figuring out life. It doesn't romanticize the struggle, but it tells you that you are not alone in this. For anyone feeling lost, uncertain, or in transition, this book is a must-read. Its raw, real and incredibly resonant.

This book was alright, but it's not for everyone, and I'll explain why I think so.

I like how the book addresses many common concerns and thoughts shared by individuals in their twenties (I'm in my mid twenties myself), and it's nice to know other people feel lost just like I do at times. The book is certainly aimed at people it the age group of twenty-somethings and is relatable in many aspects. A lot of individuals in their twenties are seeking jobs, starting or graduating college, moving around, failing and succeeding in many aspects, and just learning to 'adult'. This book is almost like a conversation with a motivational friend, someone who is going through this phase with you, and trying to remind you that it's important not to give up if your dreams come crashing down, and that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. This is the time for you to fail, fail, and fail before finally finding success and personal fulfillment.

There are some qualms I have with the reading however. Such as some assumptions the author makes about the readers, the lack of examples from very many sources but the author's experience, and some topics that weren't covered. For one, only a single group of twenty year olds is heavily focused on. Specifically those people who are actively attending college/graduated, career seeking, and unmarried or single. Very few, if any of the chapters, cover the topic of twenty-somethings with children or families. Being 26 and with a family of my own, I confess I found the book was personally less relatable at times, as if I didn't fit into what a twenty-something should look like. I also found myself disagreeing with several opinions the author shared, which I think would've been more approachable if in their stead some sound science or examples through statistics and research had been shared. After all, although this is the psychology of the 20's, every twenty-something is going to be somewhat different.

I understand though, that this was the author's first book, and I can see they pooled a lot of effort and research into this work. For the demographic I feel this is pitched towards, I think it could be helpful and insightful, but it would certainly benefit from more real world examples from various sources, and studies on every type of twenty-something demographic. I imagine as the author grows and develops, her future publications will be ones to look forward to.