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One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In
From pop culture podcaster and a voice of a generation, Kate Kennedy, a celebration of the millennial zeitgeist
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.
Kate is a pop culture commentator and host of the popular millennial-focused podcast Be There in Five . Part-funny, part-serious, Kate navigates the complicated nature of celebrating and criticizing the culture that shaped her as a woman, while arguing that great depths can come from surface-level interests.
With her trademark style and vulnerability, One In a Millennial is sharp, hilarious, and heartwarming all at once. 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.
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.
Kate is a pop culture commentator and host of the popular millennial-focused podcast Be There in Five . Part-funny, part-serious, Kate navigates the complicated nature of celebrating and criticizing the culture that shaped her as a woman, while arguing that great depths can come from surface-level interests.
With her trademark style and vulnerability, One In a Millennial is sharp, hilarious, and heartwarming all at once. 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.
328 pages, Hardcover
First published January 23, 2024
About the author
Kate Kennedy
33 books32 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,509 reviews
January 16, 2024
I think that despite being the target audience for this book, I am also not the target audience. I'm a millennial who had many of the same touchstones in life that Kennedy has - the American Girl dolls, a love of Spice Girls, and I remember the way it felt to grow up uncomfortable in my own skin as a result of the marketing schemes and focus on looks that was normalized as a part of every day life.
However, this book was more of a memoir than social commentary on what it means to grow up as a millenial. I am not invested in Kennedy, and I don't think her life is that unique to require a memoir. Things felt a little disjointed, rollicking from one topic to the next, going from funny to serious, and some of the topics just dragged. The lengthy chapter on 'Popular Girl Handwriting' and the PSL section stuck out to me in particular.
I don't think the writing style worked for me either. At first, the wordplay was kind of charming, but about a quarter of the way through the book I was over it because it was happening far too frequently.
There were definitely parts I enjoyed, but as a whole, this book didn't work for me. It might be better saved for fans of her podcast than for a regular millennial girl like me.
I'd like to thank Netgalley for the advanced listener copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
However, this book was more of a memoir than social commentary on what it means to grow up as a millenial. I am not invested in Kennedy, and I don't think her life is that unique to require a memoir. Things felt a little disjointed, rollicking from one topic to the next, going from funny to serious, and some of the topics just dragged. The lengthy chapter on 'Popular Girl Handwriting' and the PSL section stuck out to me in particular.
I don't think the writing style worked for me either. At first, the wordplay was kind of charming, but about a quarter of the way through the book I was over it because it was happening far too frequently.
There were definitely parts I enjoyed, but as a whole, this book didn't work for me. It might be better saved for fans of her podcast than for a regular millennial girl like me.
I'd like to thank Netgalley for the advanced listener copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2023
This was a bit of a mixed bag, and definitely a memoir despite saying "this is not a memoir!" several times, but I mostly enjoyed it. I zoned out a little during portions of the audiobook, I won't lie, and the author's millennial upbringing experience is a fairly specific one, but there's also a LOT of great commentary in here on intersectionality, feminism, privilege, reproductive rights, and the way millennial femmes were raised soaked in such a misogynistic culture that we're still trying to find a way to be comfortable in our own skin years later. Full review later!
October 19, 2023
I really do think this book needs a different marketing strategy. I requested an advance copy of this because the description said it was a commentary on millennial pop culture when this is really a memoir. The author writes about various topics from her childhood and adolescence through college and her adult working life.
While I enjoyed some of the essays and anecdotes, I found most of the book dragged on and I was skipping parts to just get through it. I wouldn't say this is about the universal millennial experience but is more about the author's unique experiences and while I related to some parts of the book others didn't resonate with me. As a young millennial I'm a bit too young for some of the nostalgic topics that were covered but others were spot on for me. I do think this is a good book for fans of the Be There In Five podcast but I'd never heard of the podcast and haven't listened to any episodes so I'm not invested in Kennedy as a person or in her life. This missed the mark for me but could be enjoyable to those who are fans of the author already.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
While I enjoyed some of the essays and anecdotes, I found most of the book dragged on and I was skipping parts to just get through it. I wouldn't say this is about the universal millennial experience but is more about the author's unique experiences and while I related to some parts of the book others didn't resonate with me. As a young millennial I'm a bit too young for some of the nostalgic topics that were covered but others were spot on for me. I do think this is a good book for fans of the Be There In Five podcast but I'd never heard of the podcast and haven't listened to any episodes so I'm not invested in Kennedy as a person or in her life. This missed the mark for me but could be enjoyable to those who are fans of the author already.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
January 7, 2024
I’ve been following Kate and Be There in Five since the beginning. I literally had a custom doormat! So I was so excited to get an early copy of Kate’s book. But, at the risk of sounding like a mean girl from a Mary Kate and Ashley movie, it was not worth the read. It comes it at a whopping 330 pages, and the chapters take long, meandering trips to get to the point (don’t even get me started on the pages about some song called Quack Diddly Oso in the chapter about sleepovers) — which speaking of, I’m not sure the blurb even knows what the point of the book is? Is it a memoir? Is it an analysis of the early 2000s? I’ve read the whole thing and I’m still not sure.
Kate’s turn of phrase and word play works so well on her podcast, but it is so incredibly heavy handed in this book. I hope it works better on the audio version. Also, I can’t think of a single topic covered in One in a Millennial that Be There in Five listeners haven’t already heard multiple times on the pod. Disappointing that there wasn’t more new material.
The best parts of this book are the random interstitials and snorkels Kate does into specific pieces of pop culture — this is what I wish the whole book had been. Chapter 11, about how the term “basic” and the way women’s popular interests are used to undermine and discredit 50% of the population was the best chapter and should’ve been the first chapter and outline for the book. I truly wish we could’ve seen more of that conversation. Because girls rule and boys truly drool.
I think Kate is a fun, kind person who has created a wonderful place on the internet, but unfortunately her sheltered life as a middle income white women with almost every privilege on the planet does not make a her the prime person to be the voice of women’s empowerment. Reading dozens of pages about Kate, a thin, white, conventionally attractive, blonde woman wasn’t able to land guys in college … until she shortly after met her husband… just doesn’t sit well in 2023. Despite the hundreds (thousands?) of pop culture references, I remember only a handful about trends and moments that included or would’ve been pivotal for people of color.
All that being said, I know many of her listeners will love this book and in the spirit of Kate’s message to embrace what you love, regardless of others’ opinions, I hope it’s what their dreams are made of (hey now).
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc.
Kate’s turn of phrase and word play works so well on her podcast, but it is so incredibly heavy handed in this book. I hope it works better on the audio version. Also, I can’t think of a single topic covered in One in a Millennial that Be There in Five listeners haven’t already heard multiple times on the pod. Disappointing that there wasn’t more new material.
The best parts of this book are the random interstitials and snorkels Kate does into specific pieces of pop culture — this is what I wish the whole book had been. Chapter 11, about how the term “basic” and the way women’s popular interests are used to undermine and discredit 50% of the population was the best chapter and should’ve been the first chapter and outline for the book. I truly wish we could’ve seen more of that conversation. Because girls rule and boys truly drool.
I think Kate is a fun, kind person who has created a wonderful place on the internet, but unfortunately her sheltered life as a middle income white women with almost every privilege on the planet does not make a her the prime person to be the voice of women’s empowerment. Reading dozens of pages about Kate, a thin, white, conventionally attractive, blonde woman wasn’t able to land guys in college … until she shortly after met her husband… just doesn’t sit well in 2023. Despite the hundreds (thousands?) of pop culture references, I remember only a handful about trends and moments that included or would’ve been pivotal for people of color.
All that being said, I know many of her listeners will love this book and in the spirit of Kate’s message to embrace what you love, regardless of others’ opinions, I hope it’s what their dreams are made of (hey now).
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc.
January 6, 2024
Somewhere between a diary and a call to be ok with our cheugy 'home' wooden cutout signs - One in a Millenial is the novel that allows us just to be good with it all.
Theres really nothing like that 90s/ early 2000s era sparkly butterfly clips and all. I really looked at all the cool older girls and wanted nothing more than to be like them, ya know? One in a Millenial is a reminder of all that formed us... especially the popular girl handwriting. Do you remember that?!! Because I totally do... I think my group of friends called bubble handwriting, and it was wild to hear that someone else recognized it!!
A quote I really loved... 'God forbid you like your reflection.' I really had to stop and think about this one for a bit.. because it's so foreign to think that someone else thinks the way I do. It's almost ridiculous how the narrative has become for so many women that we need fillers, extensions, and drastic cosmetic procedures to feel good about ourselves.. but the stars of the 90s were just gorgeous, naturally, you know? Dark-lined lips and all! 😂😂
**Thank you to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤
Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤
Theres really nothing like that 90s/ early 2000s era sparkly butterfly clips and all. I really looked at all the cool older girls and wanted nothing more than to be like them, ya know? One in a Millenial is a reminder of all that formed us... especially the popular girl handwriting. Do you remember that?!! Because I totally do... I think my group of friends called bubble handwriting, and it was wild to hear that someone else recognized it!!
A quote I really loved... 'God forbid you like your reflection.' I really had to stop and think about this one for a bit.. because it's so foreign to think that someone else thinks the way I do. It's almost ridiculous how the narrative has become for so many women that we need fillers, extensions, and drastic cosmetic procedures to feel good about ourselves.. but the stars of the 90s were just gorgeous, naturally, you know? Dark-lined lips and all! 😂😂
**Thank you to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤
Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤
March 18, 2024
Thank you to the author Kate Kennedy, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of ONE IN A MILLENNIAL. All views are mine.
Opening Quote: Somewhere in between the pursuit of passion and the desire for respect and stability, you’ll likely find a lost millennial.... Loc216
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. I've never heard anyone else say this, but it's absolutely true. So true that it actually triggered my deep seeded trauma from having experienced being in debt my entire conceivable life: If we really want to play financially doomed millennial bingo, I ...have been tricked into signing up for a credit card not once, but twice, at a football game.... This advertising tactic on college campuses was so predatory it’s now illegal, but credit card companies asking for social security numbers at social functions was just one of the many things millennials were up against that we’re still paying for. Loc91
2. "We were prepared for a world that doesn't exist anymore..." This is true for other people too, and it challenges individuals of all ages. But I don't think this can be said for another entire generation the way it can be said for millennials, who were inadequately educated with computers, given the professional landscape they entered.
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. Kennedy writes a lot about mental health, both from her own experience, and from the spectre of the Millennial zeitgeist. Her handling of this topic strikes me as being grossly unaware of the existence and impact of stigma, which bothers me immensely. In fact, she stigmatizes her own depression so intensely that it's cringe.
2. This book goes on way too long. It probably feels this way due to repetition and lack of form.
3. The subtitle of this book is a forced alliteration of four unrelated topics: friendship, feelings, fangirls, and fitting in. The book only covers one of these to any great extent– that being feelings. The rest get lost in the amorphous blob that is this book.
4. This book looks like a memoir and sounds like a memoir, but it's not really. Goodwin writes more about the zeitgeist of her generation than how she fit into it. I'm not sure how else the publishers would have marketed this one, but I still feel like I didn't get what I came for.
Rating: 💿💿.5 / 5 burned CDs
Recommend? maybe, for true millenials or
X-ennials
Finished: Dec 20 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🗣 memoirs?
📀 2000's soundtracks
🤩 pop culture
😂 humor
Opening Quote: Somewhere in between the pursuit of passion and the desire for respect and stability, you’ll likely find a lost millennial.... Loc216
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. I've never heard anyone else say this, but it's absolutely true. So true that it actually triggered my deep seeded trauma from having experienced being in debt my entire conceivable life: If we really want to play financially doomed millennial bingo, I ...have been tricked into signing up for a credit card not once, but twice, at a football game.... This advertising tactic on college campuses was so predatory it’s now illegal, but credit card companies asking for social security numbers at social functions was just one of the many things millennials were up against that we’re still paying for. Loc91
2. "We were prepared for a world that doesn't exist anymore..." This is true for other people too, and it challenges individuals of all ages. But I don't think this can be said for another entire generation the way it can be said for millennials, who were inadequately educated with computers, given the professional landscape they entered.
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. Kennedy writes a lot about mental health, both from her own experience, and from the spectre of the Millennial zeitgeist. Her handling of this topic strikes me as being grossly unaware of the existence and impact of stigma, which bothers me immensely. In fact, she stigmatizes her own depression so intensely that it's cringe.
2. This book goes on way too long. It probably feels this way due to repetition and lack of form.
3. The subtitle of this book is a forced alliteration of four unrelated topics: friendship, feelings, fangirls, and fitting in. The book only covers one of these to any great extent– that being feelings. The rest get lost in the amorphous blob that is this book.
4. This book looks like a memoir and sounds like a memoir, but it's not really. Goodwin writes more about the zeitgeist of her generation than how she fit into it. I'm not sure how else the publishers would have marketed this one, but I still feel like I didn't get what I came for.
Rating: 💿💿.5 / 5 burned CDs
Recommend? maybe, for true millenials or
X-ennials
Finished: Dec 20 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🗣 memoirs?
📀 2000's soundtracks
🤩 pop culture
😂 humor
January 30, 2024
If you are a Kate Kennedy super fan, you will probably love this.
If you are looking for a fun, pop-culture throwback book about being a millennial..keep looking because this is simply a memoir about a girl I had never heard of.
This book is all. Over. The. Place.
Notes:
-The word play would have been cute if it stayed in the intro. Unfortunately it never stops and becomes very exhausting.
-If you have to repeat THE SAME LINE later in the book that you already said towards the beginning, it’s probably a better idea to just shorten the book.
-Are you single and childless because it is a choice that you have made as a strong, independent woman and society shouldn’t tell you what to do? Or are you sad because boys didn’t like you and you struggled with infertility? ***Either of these things is fine, and infertility SUCKS. If she had leaned into this it could have been very impactful and emotional. Unfortunately it came off indecisive and all over the place.
-Are you writing about your cutesy memories about growing up? Or are you trying to preach serious political stances? ***Again, either of these things is fine on their own..but they don’t work together in the same book. Roe v wade doesn’t really belong sandwiched between gel pens and American girl dolls, regardless of which side you are on.
As a millennial who had a very similar upbringing…I thought I was the perfect target audience for this book, I was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately I realized quickly that I am not, in fact, the target audience because I was not familiar with this girl. Hopefully fans of her podcast will enjoy it much more than I did.
If you are looking for a fun, pop-culture throwback book about being a millennial..keep looking because this is simply a memoir about a girl I had never heard of.
This book is all. Over. The. Place.
Notes:
-The word play would have been cute if it stayed in the intro. Unfortunately it never stops and becomes very exhausting.
-If you have to repeat THE SAME LINE later in the book that you already said towards the beginning, it’s probably a better idea to just shorten the book.
-Are you single and childless because it is a choice that you have made as a strong, independent woman and society shouldn’t tell you what to do? Or are you sad because boys didn’t like you and you struggled with infertility? ***Either of these things is fine, and infertility SUCKS. If she had leaned into this it could have been very impactful and emotional. Unfortunately it came off indecisive and all over the place.
-Are you writing about your cutesy memories about growing up? Or are you trying to preach serious political stances? ***Again, either of these things is fine on their own..but they don’t work together in the same book. Roe v wade doesn’t really belong sandwiched between gel pens and American girl dolls, regardless of which side you are on.
As a millennial who had a very similar upbringing…I thought I was the perfect target audience for this book, I was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately I realized quickly that I am not, in fact, the target audience because I was not familiar with this girl. Hopefully fans of her podcast will enjoy it much more than I did.
January 23, 2024
The minute I heard of this book, I was *desperate* to read it. And when I got the wonderful opportunity to read an ARC, I had an almost...spiritual time with it. Which sounds silly, but it's true.
It's truly been a revelatory experience for me, a 90s baby and healing millennial. This is intensely a me-centered review, but the things I learned and felt while reading this book coincided with some themes that have been part of my life this year, and touched significantly on some of the ways I've worked to grow and heal and re-learn lately. I appreciate Kate and this book so much.
I feel so incredibly *seen* by these essays, as I'm sure many millennials will. In simple, inadequate words, ONE IN A MILLENNIAL takes a look at the way millennials have been ridiculed for the cliches and tropes of our generation, while being unfairly conditioned for what we would face as we aged. It looks at the ways we are torn between value systems and the ways our age and life phase are held against us, instead of us being viewed a product of our time.
Kate's musings on boy bands, AIM, sleepover dynamics, female communities, college experiences and pregames, and ALL the relatable elements of the millennial zeitgeist consider what we lost and gained along the way of the 90s to now in a deeply thoughtful and engaging way.
"I reminisce about orchestrating digital seductions via AIM, growing up, and trivializing the contents of my own brain," Kate says, "because somewhere along the way, I learned that loving top-forty music or the Mary-Kate and Ashley multiverse wasn't refined."
I've spent most of my late-teenage to adult experiences feeling embarrassed by the cringe of my life, the feelings I had, the things I liked and valued, and how pop culture influenced me. I was embarrassed by it, wanted to distance myself from the way I sought social capital instead of my own happiness.
But this year, my therapy sessions, and Kate's work has helped me in honoring my millennial experiences, reflecting on and analyzing them critically, while not shaming myself for them. Of embracing myself and my multitudes, accepting myself fully for the authentic version that cherishes what my millennial experience gave me while seeking betterment in the world. The things that mattered to me shaped me, and they still do.
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 to our existence worth remembering." I want to remember, I want to embrace, and I want to prioritize my joy.
Funny, witty, and well-written, ONE IN A MILLENNIAL is a stunning book. Kate is a talented wordsmith and pop culture commentator I will always want to hear from. This book on friendship, feelings, fandoms, fitting in, and feminism is exactly what I needed and what I want more of. And like, LONG LIVE THE FANGIRLS.
And it's incredibly thoughtful -- Kate is quick to point out where her blind spots might be, and what her limitations are in covering the millennial experience. I appreciate that very much.
Well, I could write my own novel about how much this book impacted me, but I'll stop here. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy to mark up, treasure, and share with my fellow millennials.
A massive thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. ONE IN A MILLENNIAL is out 1/23/24.
**Also, for us Swifties, I love that Kate addresses the REAL question: "How come there's one 'old Taylor' we've never seen sawing off a plane wing in the 'Look What You Made Me Do' video?" TAYLOR EXPLAIN YOURSELF
It's truly been a revelatory experience for me, a 90s baby and healing millennial. This is intensely a me-centered review, but the things I learned and felt while reading this book coincided with some themes that have been part of my life this year, and touched significantly on some of the ways I've worked to grow and heal and re-learn lately. I appreciate Kate and this book so much.
I feel so incredibly *seen* by these essays, as I'm sure many millennials will. In simple, inadequate words, ONE IN A MILLENNIAL takes a look at the way millennials have been ridiculed for the cliches and tropes of our generation, while being unfairly conditioned for what we would face as we aged. It looks at the ways we are torn between value systems and the ways our age and life phase are held against us, instead of us being viewed a product of our time.
Kate's musings on boy bands, AIM, sleepover dynamics, female communities, college experiences and pregames, and ALL the relatable elements of the millennial zeitgeist consider what we lost and gained along the way of the 90s to now in a deeply thoughtful and engaging way.
"I reminisce about orchestrating digital seductions via AIM, growing up, and trivializing the contents of my own brain," Kate says, "because somewhere along the way, I learned that loving top-forty music or the Mary-Kate and Ashley multiverse wasn't refined."
I've spent most of my late-teenage to adult experiences feeling embarrassed by the cringe of my life, the feelings I had, the things I liked and valued, and how pop culture influenced me. I was embarrassed by it, wanted to distance myself from the way I sought social capital instead of my own happiness.
But this year, my therapy sessions, and Kate's work has helped me in honoring my millennial experiences, reflecting on and analyzing them critically, while not shaming myself for them. Of embracing myself and my multitudes, accepting myself fully for the authentic version that cherishes what my millennial experience gave me while seeking betterment in the world. The things that mattered to me shaped me, and they still do.
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 to our existence worth remembering." I want to remember, I want to embrace, and I want to prioritize my joy.
Funny, witty, and well-written, ONE IN A MILLENNIAL is a stunning book. Kate is a talented wordsmith and pop culture commentator I will always want to hear from. This book on friendship, feelings, fandoms, fitting in, and feminism is exactly what I needed and what I want more of. And like, LONG LIVE THE FANGIRLS.
And it's incredibly thoughtful -- Kate is quick to point out where her blind spots might be, and what her limitations are in covering the millennial experience. I appreciate that very much.
Well, I could write my own novel about how much this book impacted me, but I'll stop here. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy to mark up, treasure, and share with my fellow millennials.
A massive thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. ONE IN A MILLENNIAL is out 1/23/24.
**Also, for us Swifties, I love that Kate addresses the REAL question: "How come there's one 'old Taylor' we've never seen sawing off a plane wing in the 'Look What You Made Me Do' video?" TAYLOR EXPLAIN YOURSELF
March 6, 2024
Starting this review by saying that I love Kate Kennedy's podcast "Be There in Five" and this book was essentially an essay collection of podcast episodes. The writing comes across exactly the same as her podcast and she comes clearly through.
Kate immediately captured my attention by starting off the the zeitgeist of a millennial (of which I am) and Britney Spears (will always be my #1). I loved how she talked about American Girls, summer camp, boy bands, and bead lizards. I could relate to every single essay. However, this didn't really work for me. The essays were way too long, this book felt like 500 pages. I couldn't read them in a single sitting and the devolution of words and sentences was just too much for me to enjoy the second half of this book. Overall, I think these messages just work better in podcast form and needed a tighter editor.
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Kate immediately captured my attention by starting off the the zeitgeist of a millennial (of which I am) and Britney Spears (will always be my #1). I loved how she talked about American Girls, summer camp, boy bands, and bead lizards. I could relate to every single essay. However, this didn't really work for me. The essays were way too long, this book felt like 500 pages. I couldn't read them in a single sitting and the devolution of words and sentences was just too much for me to enjoy the second half of this book. Overall, I think these messages just work better in podcast form and needed a tighter editor.
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 9, 2024
I wanted to like this book so much but it was a solid no for me. While I truly enjoyed so many different memories from the past there were too many parts that felt like one person pushing their narrative on a whole generation. Like the religion piece where she pushed that religion had impacted her later in so many negative ways but that’s certainly not every millennials story and if paints religion in a crappy light. Add that into her weird obsession with how AIM impacted her life and the political point on roe v. Wade that was completely unnecessary…0/10. Do not recommend.
February 16, 2024
didn’t finish. barely started and I quickly realized it’s not for me! Needed a ghost writer or better editor to help organize this. And her use of the word “zeitgeist” every other sentence was driving me bonkers.
February 20, 2024
My first DNF in ages :( I wanted SO badly to like this book, as I think the (purported) thesis of millennial women being unfairly criticized for liking the same "basic" things that we've been conditioned to consume is interesting and worth examining. As a millennial and avid consumer of reality TV, pop culture and other such zeitgeist-y things, I have TONS of thoughts on the sociological merits of these oft-maligned mediums, so I was SO thrilled by the premise. But, wow, was this a disappointment.
As an author, you can MAYBE get away with having one of the following: 1) a well-written book with terrible pacing or 2) a poorly-written book with a cohesive message. Unfortunately, this was both poorly-written and effectively a rambling collection of diary entries. 30 page chapters could have been distilled into a page and half each, with the rest being filler and seemingly stream-of-consciousness recollections of the author's own (largely uninteresting) experiences. And the puns...my God, the PUNS. Every other sentence was filled with cutesy plays on words that would've been clever once or twice, but were instead used so often that the book felt physically heavy in my hands. The one that finally broke me and prompted me to DNF was a lumbering comparison between MLMs and body image, reading, "[I]nstead of sharing how I built a 'six-figure business in no time!' I shared pictures of my six friends whose figures were smaller than mine." Woof.
I've never written a review this long, and I think I'm so verbose because I'm just so disappointed. This is a topic near and dear to my heart, and to see it so poorly executed was a huge bummer.
As an author, you can MAYBE get away with having one of the following: 1) a well-written book with terrible pacing or 2) a poorly-written book with a cohesive message. Unfortunately, this was both poorly-written and effectively a rambling collection of diary entries. 30 page chapters could have been distilled into a page and half each, with the rest being filler and seemingly stream-of-consciousness recollections of the author's own (largely uninteresting) experiences. And the puns...my God, the PUNS. Every other sentence was filled with cutesy plays on words that would've been clever once or twice, but were instead used so often that the book felt physically heavy in my hands. The one that finally broke me and prompted me to DNF was a lumbering comparison between MLMs and body image, reading, "[I]nstead of sharing how I built a 'six-figure business in no time!' I shared pictures of my six friends whose figures were smaller than mine." Woof.
I've never written a review this long, and I think I'm so verbose because I'm just so disappointed. This is a topic near and dear to my heart, and to see it so poorly executed was a huge bummer.
December 21, 2023
4★
One in a Millennial has all of the makings of a Gilmore Girls and PEN15 crossover event. This book was such an interesting look into the psyche of a true 90s girlypop who has been shaped by online culture. As a Zillenial, I was at the tail end of most of the experiences Kate Kennedy mentions in this book but I was just close enough to feel the nostalgia - especially when she jumped into the 2000s.
I didn't realize when I began reading this book that it’s non-fiction and I wasn’t sure how I would feel because I do not gravitate towards NF… but I am so pleasantly surprised by this book! It was honest, vulnerable and charming. I related to so many of her personal experiences, from southern religious trauma to the gnawing and ever present need to be online.
Kennedy was a great narrator and really brought each thought to life! Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
One in a Millennial has all of the makings of a Gilmore Girls and PEN15 crossover event. This book was such an interesting look into the psyche of a true 90s girlypop who has been shaped by online culture. As a Zillenial, I was at the tail end of most of the experiences Kate Kennedy mentions in this book but I was just close enough to feel the nostalgia - especially when she jumped into the 2000s.
I didn't realize when I began reading this book that it’s non-fiction and I wasn’t sure how I would feel because I do not gravitate towards NF… but I am so pleasantly surprised by this book! It was honest, vulnerable and charming. I related to so many of her personal experiences, from southern religious trauma to the gnawing and ever present need to be online.
Kennedy was a great narrator and really brought each thought to life! Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 5, 2024
I really thought this was going to reach out to my Millennial soul, but honestly, it was just a memoir that was meh. It had it's relatable moments, but mostly was just rambling/reading a diary.
January 27, 2024
Thank you to the publisher for my copy! All thoughts are my own. There is nothing more exciting to me than seeing the continued success of people I admire. I have been a fan of Kate Kennedy and the Be There in Five Podcast for the longest time. She helped get me through many sunday chores and mental health walks during the pandemic. I was thrilled to see her get a book deal and I’m even happier now that I’ve read the book. It is masterful. Even though I am on the end of the millennial spectrum (1992/1993 babies, where are you?) I still could relate to so much of what Kate wrote about. I was a little too young for the Spice Girls but I was very much an American Girl girlie. There was so much I could relate to and so much I learned, amidst Kate’s signature clever and thoughtful dialogue. Synopsis: “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.Kate is a pop culture commentator and host of the popular millennial-focused podcast Be There in Five. Part-funny, part-serious, Kate navigates the complicated nature of celebrating and criticizing the culture that shaped her as a woman, while arguing that great depths can come from surface-level interests.With her trademark style and vulnerability, One In a Millennial is sharp, hilarious, and heartwarming all at once. 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.” —NetGalley What I Liked: The Essay Structure: I love how Kate structured this book. It’s an essay collection instead of a tradition memoir, but it still has a memoir feel while staying fresh and fun. The Writing: I was constantly surprised by how clever the writing was. I shouldn’t be, since Kate’s podcasting has always been quippy and brilliant, but seeing it all in written form was even more more exciting. The Feelings it Evoked—In the audiobook, Kate opens up in such a beautiful, vulnerable way. I was moved by the emotion in her voice numerous times. What Didn’t Work: Nothing! I really thought this was such a well thought out, emotional, funny, relevant book. Character Authenticity: N/A Spice Rating: N/A Overall Rating: 5/5 Content Warnings: Infertility, pregnancy loss, ectopic pregnancy, mass shooting, mental health
February 14, 2024
Millennials are defined as people born between 1981 to 1996 — so here I am, a 1982 baby, just squeaking past that Gen X generational divide.
Given I have three (much) older siblings, I’ve always felt, in many ways, that I’m more Gen X than a product of my true generation. (I’ve also felt, even more so, that I belong to that distinct micro generation that refers to itself as Xennials/the Oregon Trail Generation/Elder Millennials … take your pick.)
I mention this age gap because it made itself all-caps KNOWN while I was listening to Kate Kennedy’s One in a Millennial.
For every reference Kate made to, say, Beverly Hills 90210 or Saved By the Bell, she made a dozen more to, say, her love of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen movies. (Considering I would have been a high school senior when those were popular, no way in hell would I have been caught watching them!)
Many times throughout this read, I was reminded of just how much older I am than her. (Case in point: While she was a 10 year old using AOL Instant Messenger, I was a college freshman doing the same.)
But despite us having some major clashing cultural touchpoints, there were plenty that we shared, including zeitgeisty references to listening to the Spice Girls, wearing a “going out” top, and shopping at Limited Too (though my preppy version of that store circa 1992 was MUCH different than the glittery version Kate shopped at years later!)
Overall, I think Kate did a great job critiquing the culture that shaped our generation as women. (I especially loved her examination of the character Jessie Spano from Saved by the Bell.) And while she could often be humorous on the page, she was strikingly serious when, for example, connecting the dots on how purity culture of the 80s/90s/00s shaped the sexuality of many millennial women.
No regrets about reading this and I’ll go out on this note: My favorite “nod my head in agreement” moment of the book was when Kate spoke about her “daybed days” of girlhood. Having spent MANY nights growing up sleeping alongside my BFF in her daybed, I could relate to this nostalgia—and to Kate’s assessment that sleepovers (intimate overnights spent with 2-3 of your best friends) were WAY better than slumber parties (which were bigger, louder, and involved more classmates, which, for an introvert like me, often meant less fun).
Given I have three (much) older siblings, I’ve always felt, in many ways, that I’m more Gen X than a product of my true generation. (I’ve also felt, even more so, that I belong to that distinct micro generation that refers to itself as Xennials/the Oregon Trail Generation/Elder Millennials … take your pick.)
I mention this age gap because it made itself all-caps KNOWN while I was listening to Kate Kennedy’s One in a Millennial.
For every reference Kate made to, say, Beverly Hills 90210 or Saved By the Bell, she made a dozen more to, say, her love of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen movies. (Considering I would have been a high school senior when those were popular, no way in hell would I have been caught watching them!)
Many times throughout this read, I was reminded of just how much older I am than her. (Case in point: While she was a 10 year old using AOL Instant Messenger, I was a college freshman doing the same.)
But despite us having some major clashing cultural touchpoints, there were plenty that we shared, including zeitgeisty references to listening to the Spice Girls, wearing a “going out” top, and shopping at Limited Too (though my preppy version of that store circa 1992 was MUCH different than the glittery version Kate shopped at years later!)
Overall, I think Kate did a great job critiquing the culture that shaped our generation as women. (I especially loved her examination of the character Jessie Spano from Saved by the Bell.) And while she could often be humorous on the page, she was strikingly serious when, for example, connecting the dots on how purity culture of the 80s/90s/00s shaped the sexuality of many millennial women.
No regrets about reading this and I’ll go out on this note: My favorite “nod my head in agreement” moment of the book was when Kate spoke about her “daybed days” of girlhood. Having spent MANY nights growing up sleeping alongside my BFF in her daybed, I could relate to this nostalgia—and to Kate’s assessment that sleepovers (intimate overnights spent with 2-3 of your best friends) were WAY better than slumber parties (which were bigger, louder, and involved more classmates, which, for an introvert like me, often meant less fun).
January 12, 2024
One in a Millennial was an entertaining trip down memory lane. The book starts off strong, it was fun, relatable, and nostalgic.
Kate touches on American Girl dolls and all their glory. Her recap of 90s mall culture is spot on, including perusing the scents at Bath & Body Works. Her description of pregaming, complete with “going out tops”, felt very familiar to my own college experience. Other essays like the one about pretty girl handwriting and religion felt too rambling and meandering for me to say I enjoyed them.
I think the earlier chapters were stronger, or at least resonated with me more, however, I did enjoy the “Be There in Five” chapter where Kate explores her non-linear career path. As a side note, I may be biased, but I feel millennials get a bad rep for not following traditional career trajectories when instead, our generation should be celebrated for taking “work smarter, not harder” to heart, and finding ways to do keep doing so.
From Spice Girls to AOL/AIM and plenty in between, this is an entertaining read that will resonate with many millennial women — 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance reader copy of One in a Millennial in exchange for an honest review.
Kate touches on American Girl dolls and all their glory. Her recap of 90s mall culture is spot on, including perusing the scents at Bath & Body Works. Her description of pregaming, complete with “going out tops”, felt very familiar to my own college experience. Other essays like the one about pretty girl handwriting and religion felt too rambling and meandering for me to say I enjoyed them.
I think the earlier chapters were stronger, or at least resonated with me more, however, I did enjoy the “Be There in Five” chapter where Kate explores her non-linear career path. As a side note, I may be biased, but I feel millennials get a bad rep for not following traditional career trajectories when instead, our generation should be celebrated for taking “work smarter, not harder” to heart, and finding ways to do keep doing so.
From Spice Girls to AOL/AIM and plenty in between, this is an entertaining read that will resonate with many millennial women — 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance reader copy of One in a Millennial in exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2024
This healed my inner teenager.
Based on reviews, it seems as though this either hits or doesn’t hit. But this hit for me. Over the head. Like a bag of bricks in my church camp pillow case.
Yes there are parts that get more specific and autobiographical, but I think she did an outrageously fantastic job recalling SO MANY long forgotten trends and habits.
She wrote through lens of a millennial so articulately that it felt like I was reliving it in real time.
Based on reviews, it seems as though this either hits or doesn’t hit. But this hit for me. Over the head. Like a bag of bricks in my church camp pillow case.
Yes there are parts that get more specific and autobiographical, but I think she did an outrageously fantastic job recalling SO MANY long forgotten trends and habits.
She wrote through lens of a millennial so articulately that it felt like I was reliving it in real time.
January 5, 2024
Read this if:
•you are a millennial
•you wore gauchos
•you watched Holiday in the Sun with Mary Kate & Ashley
•you watched the Lizzie McGuire movie a million times and first saw it in theaters
•you liked the scholastic book fair
•own or owned Vera Bradley bags
•for navigating the “ifs” even when they seem so far away 💔
This book is a whole ode to being a millennial and I’ve never related to something more. Whether it was reminiscing over things of my childhood or the existential crisis over a corporate America job that pays the bills or a job you’re actually passionate about (if anyone figures that out lmk 🫠).
“No one can prepare you for that period of time in your mid to late 20s when your social life is literally only other people’s milestones.” “You feel like you’re defending your lack of personal life news when you’re celebrating someone else’s.”
This was the book I didn’t know I needed to read. It came into my life at the exact right time. I laughed. I cried. I feel so heard. Xoxo a fellow millennial.
Thank you Macmillan for the alc in exchange for an honest review.
•you are a millennial
•you wore gauchos
•you watched Holiday in the Sun with Mary Kate & Ashley
•you watched the Lizzie McGuire movie a million times and first saw it in theaters
•you liked the scholastic book fair
•own or owned Vera Bradley bags
•for navigating the “ifs” even when they seem so far away 💔
This book is a whole ode to being a millennial and I’ve never related to something more. Whether it was reminiscing over things of my childhood or the existential crisis over a corporate America job that pays the bills or a job you’re actually passionate about (if anyone figures that out lmk 🫠).
“No one can prepare you for that period of time in your mid to late 20s when your social life is literally only other people’s milestones.” “You feel like you’re defending your lack of personal life news when you’re celebrating someone else’s.”
This was the book I didn’t know I needed to read. It came into my life at the exact right time. I laughed. I cried. I feel so heard. Xoxo a fellow millennial.
Thank you Macmillan for the alc in exchange for an honest review.
November 30, 2023
I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Unfortunately, I was unable to complete this book. It simply became too much of a slog and I couldn't bear it any longer and had to quit reading (which is a very uncommon occurrence for me - I usually stick most books out). At first I enjoyed the familiar references to brand names and and trends of the 90's and was excited to continue reading. However, each chapter seemed to get progressively worse and worse. I started skipping pages as Kate continued to drone on (and on!) about waterskiing at church camps while being (in hind sight) indoctrinated with the religious "purity" movement. I finally called it quits when I started on the next chapter about HANDWRITING (yes - literally handwriting, not "the art of writing"), which my Kindle predicted would take me 45 minutes to finish reading (yes 45 minutes for that single chapter, not the remainder of the book). Maybe rambling on and on about topics (especially while interviewing a guest) is a successful model for Kate Kennedy's podcast, but it made for a terrible (in my opinion) writing style, which I couldn't endure.
January 30, 2024
I picked this up on a whim and I'm so glad I did. As an elder millennial, I felt seen by this book and I related to the author wholeheartedly. Her interests align a creepy amount to mine and she was able to articulate into words my experience I could not. Through the course of this essay collection, I saw myself in the pages and even understood my generation better than I ever could've on my own. I listened to the audiobook and there were moments the author got audibly choked up and then I got choked up.
I just loved how this book said it was okay to like the girly, "frivolous" things I like and how the author quietly critiques "girl boss" culture, something I'm currently dismantling within myself. I will definitely be checking out her podcast.
I just loved how this book said it was okay to like the girly, "frivolous" things I like and how the author quietly critiques "girl boss" culture, something I'm currently dismantling within myself. I will definitely be checking out her podcast.
February 22, 2024
Did I…write this???
March 9, 2024
This was a slog to finish. It started off just fine: of course, I was excited to revisit the 90s/2000s!!! My favorite! But her anecdotes of that simpler, sillier time and discussion of pop culture took a dark turn, fast. She really digs in and criticizes so much about what she claimed to once love, and forces us to view/review it all through today's woke lens. If I had to read the word "misogynistic" one more time... ugh.
If that wasn't enough to push me away, I found many inaccuracies. Some examples:
-For a self-proclaimed Full House fan, she incorrectly called him "Uncle Joey." Also, it wasn't Michelle, it was Stephanie who said "how rude!" (So lame that I know that, but having watched it a lot as a kid, as the author claimed to do as well, it's not hard to recall this stuff.)
-Justin Timberlake was 19, not 17, when he sang "This I Promise You." All it takes is simple math, so it's clear she was exaggerating to make her point. Not to mention, the lyrics she cited were actually sung by JC. At age 24. (Unforgivable!)
-Don't even get me started on her incorrect and offensive take on Christianity. For a girl who went to a lot of church camps, it's clear that she really learned nothing. So she had a negative experience with religion; perhaps that is because church is full of people and people make mistakes? No, instead she blames the God who loves her. I bet she considers him a misogynist, too.
So many questionable statements. I was very disturbed by much of what she said, and eventually stopped enjoying this book. And very much disliked the author herself: a wordy, critical, self-absorbed know-it-all who admitted to being angry all the time. Eek. She really sucked all the fun out of my favorite decade, and dumped all over much of what I loved about that time. With very opinionated lectures that no one asked for.
Rating:
Zero stars for her analyses. Negative 100 stars for referring to my generation as Millennials rather than the accurate and alphabetically-correct Generation Y. One star for simply mentioning 90s boy bands, which always brings back good memories that still make me giggle.
If that wasn't enough to push me away, I found many inaccuracies. Some examples:
-For a self-proclaimed Full House fan, she incorrectly called him "Uncle Joey." Also, it wasn't Michelle, it was Stephanie who said "how rude!" (So lame that I know that, but having watched it a lot as a kid, as the author claimed to do as well, it's not hard to recall this stuff.)
-Justin Timberlake was 19, not 17, when he sang "This I Promise You." All it takes is simple math, so it's clear she was exaggerating to make her point. Not to mention, the lyrics she cited were actually sung by JC. At age 24. (Unforgivable!)
-Don't even get me started on her incorrect and offensive take on Christianity. For a girl who went to a lot of church camps, it's clear that she really learned nothing. So she had a negative experience with religion; perhaps that is because church is full of people and people make mistakes? No, instead she blames the God who loves her. I bet she considers him a misogynist, too.
So many questionable statements. I was very disturbed by much of what she said, and eventually stopped enjoying this book. And very much disliked the author herself: a wordy, critical, self-absorbed know-it-all who admitted to being angry all the time. Eek. She really sucked all the fun out of my favorite decade, and dumped all over much of what I loved about that time. With very opinionated lectures that no one asked for.
Rating:
Zero stars for her analyses. Negative 100 stars for referring to my generation as Millennials rather than the accurate and alphabetically-correct Generation Y. One star for simply mentioning 90s boy bands, which always brings back good memories that still make me giggle.
February 24, 2024
2.5 stars. I am smack dab in the middle of the millennial generation and I picked up this book expecting some nostalgia, maybe some laughs, and an entertaining ride. HOWEVER, what I got was an extremely analytical and pessimistic view on the things that came out of our childhood years told in a very unorganized and longwinded manner. She's not wrong about some of the things she said, but this book made me feel blue instead of nostalgic. Despite saying this is not a memoir, this is definitely a memoir of Kate's personal experience growing up as a millennial and the lasting impact cultural norms have had on her. There is no real structure and its way longer than it needed to be. The author does address (in depth) diet culture, misogyny, mental health, and the expectations that were placed on millennial youth. A lot of what she said was relatable and makes sense as to why so many people of my generation struggle with the things we do and why we're working so hard to break the cycle with our kids, but this long of a book made it feel depressing instead of hopeful. I really didn't like what some of what she said about religion and Christianity, though I feel like her stance was ultimately unclear. Overall, this just made me feel icky.
March 5, 2024
I’m sure she’ll write more books later and I’m sure they’ll get better and better. This book is stylized enough in its writing that I believe it will also serve as a fantastic return point when she does do another book. If she looks back at it with ultra-fresh eyes, as self-critical as she is, I have no doubt she will see every near-couplet-wordlet phrase collision or syntax fiasco or overdone topic that I could possibly review or criticize or comment on as a reader.
I’ll lead with the good: The first two or three chapters (they are long bois) are lovely. At one point, she describes watching a movie [that I have never seen] with her friends, thinking they’d never drift apart, feeling cozy under their homemade afghans; aaaand then they grew apart, of course. When she said she still dreamt about them all the time, I started crying. There are so many people that I just don’t see anymore for presumably the same reason, and I dream about them regularly and cry a little when I wake up wanting to talk to them and subsequently realize they didn’t respond to my last text 7 months ago orrrr the one before that 9 months ago orrr... Big feels.
This is a memoir in which she comments on her background in a meta way; she provides a social commentary, actually, on her own life. It’s not social commentary about a generation, but why the hell should it be? She can team up with actual sociologists if she wants to do that. That would actually be cool as hell. I would also totally believe someone if they, after rearranging the sidebar sections a little (they’re set apart specifically, like large footnotes placed in the text), gave me this text and told me that it was a transcript of a lost podcast bonus episode. That’s the vibe.
I’m not smack-dab in the middle of the target demographic, but I am still squarely a millennial, born in 1994, and Kate’s background always intrigued me. I listen to the podcast, especially on long drives, like during COVID’s peak when the only vaccines/boosters I could find at their initial release were in the middle of nowhere and I desperately needed to see a dying family member. Kate fixed up that creepy drive to Rochester, Minnesota; and throughout that person’s cancer diagnosis and absolutely gruesome death, she kept me company when my boyfriend had to go home or when I drove through the pitch-black cranberrylands of Wisconsin after my visits. I think I listened to Be There in Five the night this person died, actually, though it might have been the funeral. I just remember that I cried so much and heard her voice and that it was SO dark outside—but I did not worry one bit about accidentally driving into a cranberry bog.
But now I write people in real-time as they talk for a living, and at the end of the day, I don’t want to use my ears. Kate Kennedy and I have grown apart too.
So, like, I want her to do well. I want her to write the sickest book ever. And I know she will! Second memoir, ahoy!
EDIT:
ok ok ok, I think I figured something out. She lays out the point of the book in the foreword. To my eye, it seems like she abandons her “argu[ment] that great depths can come from surface-level interests” (taken from the publisher’s book details). This seeming abandonment gave me so many questions/imaginings of how the writing process was for her tbh. But the passages perhaps were meant to bolster her argument: She’s offering proof of depth underneath pieces of herself she’d been/“society” has been conditioned to see as shallow.
I honestly did *not* get that from her writing, especially because I quickly forgot that there was supposedly an argument sitting passenger side. That’s when it spills into middling memoir, ‘cause a good argument isn’t like this; a good novel isn’t like this; a good memoir isn’t quite like this either.
I imagine ways this could be written by remembering the works of other writers. Take Toni Morrison, since she is a the most famous example of an author with an explicitly intended reader: “I'm writing for black people.” She said it so many more times in so many other ways and those statements became as famous as Morrison herself. I’d feel like an asshole writing an essay if I quoted it all here, but, like, if someone is reading this and has no idea what I mean, just search up Toni Morrison + “I’m writing for” or “shoulder” or “white gaze” or “little clues.” Right? But anyone paying attention while they read her will feel their stomach drop and their palms tingle because she’s writing ten miles deep. Doesn’t matter who you are.
I don’t mean to unfairly compare Kennedy to Morrison or any of the other writers I can think of who produce impressive depth. I mean to say that it’s possible to produce even while the writer says, “I would like to write for [group] without regard for [other group]” and that I don’t think I misread her as someone who just doesn’t get it, as someone who the book just wasn’t written for. It doesn’t need to be written for me, first. Second, her nostalgia and relatability affects me, sure! I felt connected to the text many times, but the nostalgia and relatability were vehicles to connection. I didn’t connect with the actual book itself, if that makes sense. And then of course the argument is lost because I do not find actual depth. I create the depth myself as a reader because I feel seen or because I remember. It’s different.
It’s exciting to think of what could develop in the next book. It’s exciting to think of Kennedy working consistently as a writer, maybe. And it’s exciting because I like her so dang much. The end!
I’ll lead with the good: The first two or three chapters (they are long bois) are lovely. At one point, she describes watching a movie [that I have never seen] with her friends, thinking they’d never drift apart, feeling cozy under their homemade afghans; aaaand then they grew apart, of course. When she said she still dreamt about them all the time, I started crying. There are so many people that I just don’t see anymore for presumably the same reason, and I dream about them regularly and cry a little when I wake up wanting to talk to them and subsequently realize they didn’t respond to my last text 7 months ago orrrr the one before that 9 months ago orrr... Big feels.
This is a memoir in which she comments on her background in a meta way; she provides a social commentary, actually, on her own life. It’s not social commentary about a generation, but why the hell should it be? She can team up with actual sociologists if she wants to do that. That would actually be cool as hell. I would also totally believe someone if they, after rearranging the sidebar sections a little (they’re set apart specifically, like large footnotes placed in the text), gave me this text and told me that it was a transcript of a lost podcast bonus episode. That’s the vibe.
I’m not smack-dab in the middle of the target demographic, but I am still squarely a millennial, born in 1994, and Kate’s background always intrigued me. I listen to the podcast, especially on long drives, like during COVID’s peak when the only vaccines/boosters I could find at their initial release were in the middle of nowhere and I desperately needed to see a dying family member. Kate fixed up that creepy drive to Rochester, Minnesota; and throughout that person’s cancer diagnosis and absolutely gruesome death, she kept me company when my boyfriend had to go home or when I drove through the pitch-black cranberrylands of Wisconsin after my visits. I think I listened to Be There in Five the night this person died, actually, though it might have been the funeral. I just remember that I cried so much and heard her voice and that it was SO dark outside—but I did not worry one bit about accidentally driving into a cranberry bog.
But now I write people in real-time as they talk for a living, and at the end of the day, I don’t want to use my ears. Kate Kennedy and I have grown apart too.
So, like, I want her to do well. I want her to write the sickest book ever. And I know she will! Second memoir, ahoy!
EDIT:
ok ok ok, I think I figured something out. She lays out the point of the book in the foreword. To my eye, it seems like she abandons her “argu[ment] that great depths can come from surface-level interests” (taken from the publisher’s book details). This seeming abandonment gave me so many questions/imaginings of how the writing process was for her tbh. But the passages perhaps were meant to bolster her argument: She’s offering proof of depth underneath pieces of herself she’d been/“society” has been conditioned to see as shallow.
I honestly did *not* get that from her writing, especially because I quickly forgot that there was supposedly an argument sitting passenger side. That’s when it spills into middling memoir, ‘cause a good argument isn’t like this; a good novel isn’t like this; a good memoir isn’t quite like this either.
I imagine ways this could be written by remembering the works of other writers. Take Toni Morrison, since she is a the most famous example of an author with an explicitly intended reader: “I'm writing for black people.” She said it so many more times in so many other ways and those statements became as famous as Morrison herself. I’d feel like an asshole writing an essay if I quoted it all here, but, like, if someone is reading this and has no idea what I mean, just search up Toni Morrison + “I’m writing for” or “shoulder” or “white gaze” or “little clues.” Right? But anyone paying attention while they read her will feel their stomach drop and their palms tingle because she’s writing ten miles deep. Doesn’t matter who you are.
I don’t mean to unfairly compare Kennedy to Morrison or any of the other writers I can think of who produce impressive depth. I mean to say that it’s possible to produce even while the writer says, “I would like to write for [group] without regard for [other group]” and that I don’t think I misread her as someone who just doesn’t get it, as someone who the book just wasn’t written for. It doesn’t need to be written for me, first. Second, her nostalgia and relatability affects me, sure! I felt connected to the text many times, but the nostalgia and relatability were vehicles to connection. I didn’t connect with the actual book itself, if that makes sense. And then of course the argument is lost because I do not find actual depth. I create the depth myself as a reader because I feel seen or because I remember. It’s different.
It’s exciting to think of what could develop in the next book. It’s exciting to think of Kennedy working consistently as a writer, maybe. And it’s exciting because I like her so dang much. The end!
April 3, 2024
I thought this was a really smart and funny take on this author’s experience of growing up in the 90s and 2000s, and how the mainstream culture at that time impacted her youth and upbringing, as well as her values. Starting with American girl dolls, slumber parties, AOL, Limited Too, then venturing into diet culture, purity culture in high school, hookup culture in college, and women’s reproductive health threats in adulthood, girlbossing, mental health, and more. The author inserts personal anecdotes and poetry throughout, which makes it feel authentic. Lots of millennial nostalgia “I remember that!” moments. I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author which was very well done, I felt like I could hear all the range of emotions that she goes through in this book as there is a mixture of serious and lighthearted messages.
Shelved as 'dnfed'
February 12, 2024Made it to 25%, realized it was a SMP title just after adding it here, decided I couldn't be bothered.
October 4, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy! One In A Millennial is a comedic thinkpiece on the seemingly niche experiences of growing up as a millennial woman, that in hindsight were somewhat universal to our demographic. Kate tackles the important issues, such as hot girl handwriting, mall culture, sleepovers, and 2010s fashion.
Kate artfully describes her mismanaged expectations of adulthood as well and how the media influenced our perceptions and decisions as we aged. While sections of the book take a more serious turn, the author is a master at word play and bringing light to our shared experiences. The chapters are long, but this book was fun to pick up. Definitely recommend if you’re feeling a little nostalgic.
Kate artfully describes her mismanaged expectations of adulthood as well and how the media influenced our perceptions and decisions as we aged. While sections of the book take a more serious turn, the author is a master at word play and bringing light to our shared experiences. The chapters are long, but this book was fun to pick up. Definitely recommend if you’re feeling a little nostalgic.
January 4, 2024
So thoroughly enjoyed this book and laughed out and found myself choking up each time I heard Kate’s voice waver on the audiobook. Millennials will love the nostalgia, remembering perhaps suppressed memories (yikes cringe) and seeing how our generation has actually weathered this storm of life pretty impressively. It was well really well researched considering the topic and I appreciated seeing how the culture affected young millennial girls. Kate’s writing and wordplay make the book and I feel very proud to feel like I knew at least 90% of the references. Read if you’re a big fan of “basic” pop culture, boy bands, and if you find yourself wondering often. All the nostalgia!
August 14, 2024
4.5 stars
The audiobook was narrated by the author and my only complaint is that she talks quite fast.
This was both a fun and series trip down memory lane. Slumber parties, Saved by the Bell, purity rings, Limited Too, gaucho pants, spice girls and more!
Funny, relatable, empowering, vulnerable, nostalgic and SMART. For fans of Amanda Montel, Stephanie McNeal or Nora McInerny.
The audiobook was narrated by the author and my only complaint is that she talks quite fast.
This was both a fun and series trip down memory lane. Slumber parties, Saved by the Bell, purity rings, Limited Too, gaucho pants, spice girls and more!
Funny, relatable, empowering, vulnerable, nostalgic and SMART. For fans of Amanda Montel, Stephanie McNeal or Nora McInerny.
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