<b>Rowley brings humor to this heartwarming--but never cloying--exploration of friendship, connection, messy relationships, heartbreak, and life and death.</b>

<blockquote><b>To think about life is to contemplate death--it's what makes living so valuable. Our time here is limited, gone in the blink of an eye.</blockquote></b>
Steven Rowley's first novel <i>The Guncle</i> is full of heart and humor, quirky family love, and fun references to musicals and movies--yet Rowley also offers poignancy, an exploration of grief, and the impossible-seeming prospect of going on after deep loss.

His newest novel, <i>The Celebrants,</i> centers around college friends who made a pact after Alec, one of the original six, died before their 1995 graduation: if any of them is going through a crisis and needs to know they are loved more than they love themselves, they can call upon the others to assemble, no questions asked--for affection, support, and the sharing of sentiments typically reserved for after a loved one is gone.

The members of the group may have grown apart, but in the decades to come, when one of them feels adrift and lost, they come together in sassy, funny, imperfect, loving support.

<blockquote><b>"My purpose, in this life, has been to love and spend it with you."</blockquote></b>
<i>The Celebrants</i> centers around the evolving, sometimes complicated relationships between the five friends, and the tone feels wonderfully similar to that of his novel <i>The Guncle.</i>

Rowley doesn't smooth over realistically tangled, messy, intriguing conflicts or sober themes, yet he doesn't position the friendships in such a way that their existences magically solve life's deepest problems.

The friends love each other, even if they sometimes don't like each other for a bit. When they're entrenched in their own lives or have drifted away from the others, they may question the value of the pact itself and its intrusion upon their busy lives.

Jordan, Jordy (the Jordans!), Marielle, Naomi, and Craig cope with difficult family dynamics, professional missteps, long-held secrets, the pressure of societal expectations, marital complexities, illness, reinvention, frustration with each other, and pure love.

The circumstances that trigger the pact are sometimes unexpected, and <i>The Celebrants</i> offers resolutions, triumphs, and a version of a happy ending in which not everyone gets what they want, but life goes on.

I adored this book. I loved the way Rowley dove into dark humor; funny banter; not always practical but deeply held connections; and life and death--particularly, how to live fully and how to best face our inevitable demise: by showing unconditional love to those who make your life worth living.

This is deep but funny with an edge, and the book is never cloyingly sentimental although it's wonderfully sweet.

I received a prepublication edition of this book, published May 30, courtesy of NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons.

You can check out my full review of <i>The Guncle</i> <a href="https://www.bossybookworm.com/post/review-of-the-guncle-by-steven-rowley/"><b>here.</a></b>

Rowley's husband Byron Lane wrote another book I loved, <i>A Star Is Bored.</i> You can find my review of that book <a href="https://www.bossybookworm.com/post/review-of-a-star-is-bored-by-byron-lane/"><b>here.</a></b>

Five college friends decide to make a pact - whenever they need to they can arrange a "living" funeral for themselves, a way for each of them to hear why their lives mean something to each other. Naomi, Marielle, Craig, in their darkest moments, have invoked the pact. The story is held together by The Jordans who are heading into their own dark moment, and have a plan to get the gang together one last time.

To say I cried at the end is an understatement. More like full on sobbing, with some mild keening. Steven Rowley continues to write beautiful, humorous, emotional, realistic stories of relationships - this book in particular underlines the importance of telling those you love just how much, as often as you can. Everything about this novel is brilliant.

The Celebrants are about five friends Craig, Jordy, Jordan, Naomi and Marielle who became friends while at Berkeley. Right before graduation their friend Alec dies and leaves a lot of unanswered questions. They decide to make a pact to have a living funeral. They can evoke it anytime that they need it. The chapters go between timelines and the characters. The story has a reminiscent feeling of the Big Chill. After you finish this story you will want to call your friends and tell them how much they mean to you. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the E-ARC. This is my own opinion.

Sometimes you just fall into the right book at the right time, and this was that book for me.

About invisible bonds that hold us together and the limitless support of great friends, this heartfelt book was a reminder that even though you may not see them every day (or even every year), you are loved and not forgotten.
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This friend group is spread out over the country with different careers, interests, and lives. Yet, they come together like no time has passed for their living funerals. It’s not surprising that it was picked as the June #readwithjenna book club pick!
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Author Steven Rowley also perfectly narrates 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 as he know exactly where to place emphasis or pause. I listened to the nearly the whole book as I painted our living room and lost track of time. Highly recommend the audiobook too.

Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for the advanced copies!

I absolutely love the Guncle and it quickly made its way onto my lifetime favorites list, so I was beyond thrilled to receive The Celebrants. This is a book that will ensnare your heart with its irresistible charm and deeply relatable characters.

What appealed to you the most in this story?

I really don’t know how Rowley does it! How does he write a story that takes on the topic of death and breathe life into it in the form of living funerals, and then layer in joy with the heartbreak!?! This is just one of the books make you want to change and be a better person. It gives you so much hope to believe in second chances in your life. It brightens your pessimistic mood with vivid colors and turns your soul into rainbow.

How was the pace?

This story held a steady pace and kept me engrossed.

Do you recommend this book?

Steven Rowley is an amazing storyteller, and you can feel the heart and emotion he pours into his stories and the creation of each character. He has a way of making you both laugh and cry at the same time while teaching a life lesson. Overall, this is a moving tribute to the power of love and friendship in even the most trying times. I will forever recommend his books and truly look forward to his next beautiful publication.

Thank you, Putnam, for this gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

✨ Review ✨ The Celebrants by Steven Rowley

The kind of book that will leave you with a massive book hangover!

The Celebrants focuses on a group of five friends from Berkeley who gather after the loss of their sixth friend right before graduation. They vow to celebrate each other while they're still alive -- whenever one of them calls, they'll gather to celebrate that friend's funeral together.

Jordan, Jordy (the Jordans), Naomi, Craig, and Marielle are an absolute delight. Each has such a strong personality that really made you fall in love with each of them -- for both their strengths and their flaws. (though admittedly it took some time to keep the Jordans straight).

By the end, I adored all five of them. And the structure of the book, interspersing "funerals" with the more recent story of the Jordans provided such a powerful structure for moving this narrative forward and getting you invested in the characters.

The book reflected on grief like the Gungle, but in a way that felt more connected to introspection on one's own aging and mortality; on making the most of life while you're here living it. I laughed, I cried, I loved while reading it.

Rowley narrates the book and it was an absolute freaking delight. I don't know why but his narration of Craig never failed to make me giggle. I loved hearing the book in his voice -- switching back to the ebook felt flat after hearing the audio.

Another masterpiece by Rowley -- enjoy!!

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Read this if you like:
⭕️ college friends reuniting
⭕️ celebrating life while you're alive
⭕️ reflections on life, death, and mortality
⭕️ bickering friends that make you feel all the things, but especially comfort, like you're at home with your oldest friends

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and PRHAudio and #netgalley for advanced copies of this book!

I wanted so badly to love this book. The Guncle was one of my favorites of last year, and I thought the premise to this book sounded compelling. But in the end, I found myself frustrated with the characters. I’ve heard this book compared to The Big Chill. I can understand the comparison, but don’t agree.

I found the females in this book, especially, to be very unlikable, and it got to the point where I just wanted to skim over their parts, rather than listen to them whine anymore. I was interested in the Jordans and their relationship, but it wasn’t enough for me to call this book a success. I would definitely read another book by Steven Rowley; but this one missed the mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First up, you will cry! Just accept it. Gripping and emotional from the start, The Celebrants explores the bonds of friendship while we age and have new life experiences. Like many others, I fell in love with The Guncle, and have been looking forward to The Celebrants ever since. It does not disappoint! The story follows a group of six best friends, now in their 40s/50s, who have been together since their college days. What I love about this friend group is that no one’s story is more important than anyone else’s. They are equals. Each character is authentic and well visualized, Ultimately this book is a love song to friendship, and the way our relationships see us through the peaks and valleys of our lifetime.

After the sudden loss of a close friend, 5 friends make a pact in college. Each member of the friend group will have a living "funeral" thrown for them, at any time in their life at their request. The purpose is to remind each other that they are loved and that there's plenty of life worth living. When Jordan gets some bad news, the pact takes on a whole new meaning.

The idea behind this book is a unique and heartwarming one, however I had to drag myself through the pages. I had a very difficult time connecting with the characters. Their stories and struggles were all so heavy but the way they came to together to "deal: with them felt so chaotic and emotionally disconnected. I skimmed a lot of pages because I didn't feel invested in certain parts of the story at all. The greatest annoyance was having two characters with such similar names! I felt like it took me a decent chunk of the book to keep them straight.

I feel as if my opinion is an unpopular one and if you are a contemporary fiction lover, this one could be for you because the basis of the story is unique!

I received this ARC from netgalley for my honest opinion and review.

I had HUGE expectations following Guncle, which was one of my favorite reads last year and this did not disappoint!

I loved how the book was organized with chapters devoted to each character over time, giving it a real "Million Little Things" feel. The book is so heartwarming and really shows the value of friendship in life and love.

It's emotional, raw and real and has the perfect writing that we have come to expect from Steven Rowley.

"𝘛𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 - 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦."

I went into 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗦 with really high expectations, but if you're hoping for another read like 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗹𝗲, you'll be disappointed. It's not that this isn't a good book; it's just different. With multiple timelines and characters who are off-putting at first, it took me a while to get into, but I was soon sucked into the story of five friends who learned to celebrate life through death. Rowley's trademark charm and wit are on point, as is his ability to stir your emotions, and we could all use the reminder to "Leave nothing left unsaid."

If you're looking for a beach or Pride Month read with a mix of humor and heart, look no further.

Thanks to Putnam Books for the copy to review.

The format to this book was a little bit of everything and it took me a little while to get into it at first. As the story went along I grew more sad about the characters and I enjoyed the couple of jaw drop moments as each of them developed. The one thing I didn’t really enjoy is that two of the characters have the same name!! Despite having different identities, I couldnt keep them straight at all!!! I would have liked the book to come together a bit more. It kind of felt like 5 separate stories, but it was a quick and enjoyable read overall.

If you loved Rowley's previous book, THE GUNCLE, I highly recommend picking this one up for a similar blend of humor and heartfelt emotion! This book is centered around a group of college friends who, after the sudden and unexpected death of a member of their friend group, make a pact to hold funerals for each other while they're still alive.

I loved the complex and realistic character relationships, which were what made this story really shine, and I thought the way the story alternated between past and present was really well-done, though I sometimes wished that the past had been fleshed out a little more fully (especially the character whose death inspired the "living funeral" pact in the first place.)

All in all, this was a fast, lovely, mildly-heartbreaking read, and I would certainly recommend it. Thanks to Putnam and Netgalley for the advance copy!

This one didn’t grab me like The Guncle, but I enjoyed the character development and how the story was laid out. It’s a great depiction of how many friendships grow over the years. Often times friends grow apart despite the best intentions of staying in touch. This doesn’t mean that the friendship is over. Knowing that there are people out there who have your back no matter what is huge.

I would absolutely recommend this book. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me this early read!

Rowley had a big hit with his last book, The Guncle, and this one should please its fans. it has a similar charming comedic tone, but takes on some difficult subject matter, and again deals a lot with ‘found family’.

After their friend dies in college, the remaining 5 members of the friend group decide to make a pact in which at any point in their lives, they can decide to call a reunion and live out their own faux funerals - definitely an interesting concept for a novel, and Rowley takes us from the actual death of their friend, through each reunion over the following decades. It’s sweet, and has a lot of heart, and parts of it are very obviously autobiographical (Rowley’s partner, fellow author Byron Lane, has had bouts of cancer which is a storyline for the gay couple here). again, I definitely think fans of his previous work will enjoy this one.

I loved the idea of this book, but it feel flat. In the beginning, we are introduced to all the characters, but not in a way that we know anything about them. It was A) confusing to keep them in track and B) hard to care about them by the time it came to the funerals where we finally got to know them. But if we don't have any sort of "relationship" with them before their funerals, do we really care?
The book was also a slow read and a slow burn, but in a boring way. It took me a long time to finish this one.
In the end, I did feel some emotions, but just wish it had been more.

<b>The Short of It:</b>

Big Chill vibes with a slightly darker undertone.

<b>The Rest of It:</b>

A group of friends come together in Big Sur to fulfill a pact made over a decade ago. The pact in question? To throw living “funerals” so that they can enjoy them and fully realize what their lives meant to one another. The sweet memories of the deceased cannot possibly be shared with them but sharing them before they are actually in the ground? Makes perfect sense.

But one of the friends is keeping a secret. A diagnosis which could send them all into a tail spin. The idea of living funerals is a novel one, but to think that one may actually be needed for one of their own, adds a dark cloud to the gathering.

I was expecting a lighter read given the book cover and the title but it’s actually quite thought-provoking and at times very somber. It has its funny moments but for every chuckle there is a more serious tone that sneaks its way into the story. I found myself pausing to reflect on my friendships of year’s past. Honestly, it’s a good reminder that the life we are living is temporary at best. Friendships matter and the choices we make do affect us in the long run.

If you are looking for a bubbly book to kick-off your summer reading, this may not be it but if you enjoy contemplative novels about friends, then toss this into your book bag.

For more reviews, visit my blog: <a href="http://bookchatter.net">Book Chatter</a>.

This is a layered story about a group of friends from UC Berkeley who made a pact after one of their group committed suicide. They decide to have living funerals for each other to ensure they know how much they’re loved. It’s so well written, and I was sorry it had to end.

Any of the friends can say it’s time for their funeral and the group will get together. The funerals are a little awkward but things get serious when one of the members gets diagnosed with cancer for the second time. Suddenly, telling their friends how much they are loved takes on a new dimension. It’s not morbid despite the cancer diagnosis.

This author also wrote “The Guncle”, one of my favorite books last year.
I highly recommend this one, 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I read the Guncle two summers ago and absolutely adored it. I was so excited to get approved to read the Celebrants. The premise was promising. Five college students from the same group decide to have funerals for themselves whenever their life feels like it is falling apart. This would help reaffirm their worthiness and assure them they are loved. I was disappointed in the book and believe I am in the minority with this one. I did not connect with the characters and it was hard for me to feel any sympathy for them. The chapters felt drawn out with very little happening in each. I did love the Jordan/Jordy concept, but even the ending did little for my emotions.

I am still excited to see what Steven Rowley comes out with in the future because his writing style and depth is amazing, but the plot/emotional connection in this book fell flat for me.

REVIEW: If you’re into emotional books and life long friendships, then you need to read this one. There are some triggers though: death of parents, death of a friend, grief. It’s a sad but thought provoking book, really makes you appreciate life and think about how your loved ones see you and more importantly how you view yourself. It made me teary eyed and had me wondering if I made a pact to have a living funeral with my friends what would they say? I loved the friendships in this book, everyone was flawed and different and not one person’s funeral was the same because no-one is the same. It was beautifully written, honest, moving and I loved it.

“Life is what you celebrate. All of it. Even its end.”
- Joanne Harris, Chocolat

SYNOPSIS: 5 college friends (Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle) made a pact before graduating that they would throw each other living “funerals”. A celebration to remind themselves that their life is worth living and it means something to each other and themselves. Each one triggered the pact for difficult moments in their lives and now Jordan is sitting on a secret that will upend their pact.

Thank you to NetGalley & putnambooks for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.