I enjoyed this book! This is only the second book written by Steven Rowley that I have read and I have really liked both of them. This book focuses on a group of college friends that make a pact to host each other’s funerals while they are alive to appreciate it after losing one of their friends. They get together at various points in their lives, usually when one is experiencing a crisis, to do just that. I loved the focus on friendship and mortality.

I really liked the idea of this group’s living funerals. I don’t remember everything from the time around my dad’s sudden death at a young age but I do remember thinking how much he would have liked to be there to talk to everyone. We get to see these characters at different points in time and I loved how they were there for each other even after spending years apart.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Mr. Rowley did a fantastic job of reading his novel. I have to admit that I am always a bit worried when I see that an author has made the choice to narrate their own book. Not all authors are good narrators but I thought that this author was able to bring the story to life with ease. I do believe that his narration only added to my overall enjoyment.

I would recommend this book to others. I found it to be a compelling story driven by a colorful cast of characters and the bond between them. I hope to read more of this author’s work very soon.

I received a review copy of this book from G.P Putnam’s Sons and Penguin Random House Audio.

The Celebrants is billed as the Big Chill for the 2020s - and the comparison rings true. The book is about a group of college friends who morn the death of Alec, one of their friends, right before graduation. You have Craig, the player, Mareille, the caretaker. Naomi, single and successful but without her parents' approval. And Jordan/Jordy, the gay couple truly in love facing a major health issue. The friends make a pact that when they each need it in the future, they can call their own "funeral" and they will all drop everything and come to support the friend in need so he/she can move forward. It's a darling concept, the idea of having a group who will always be there for you in life's hardest times.

Unfortunately, the book was a miss for me. The book needs you to feel deeply for each of these characters. It wants you to emote for them in their time of need. However, the way the book was written -- alternating chapters for each character - didn't allow me to really get to know them or care about them. When Naomi is in distress in a Cessna instead of feeling, I rolled my eyes. The Jordan/Jordy character seemed interchangeable and the couple was just one person. Craig was stunted emotionally and why was his nickname Nana? (Maybe I missed that.) Marielle? All I remember is she lived in Boring, Oregon.

I would recommend The Guncle instead as there are less characters and I really felt for them.

Bravo!

I devoured this. Congratulations on another stellar book Steven Rowley! I didn’t think anything could compare to The Guncle and yet this one superseded. I absolutely loved the story and the friendships between the characters. This is one to read. Add to your summer TBR friends.

4.5*

It's going to take some time for my heart to be put back together after finishing The Celebrants. It's a thoughtful, bittersweet story of love, loss, and the power of friendship.
I think I'm going to present to my girlfriends at our yearly slumber party this summer that we should start our own funeral pact. I wish it was something I wish we had known about years ago, I know a lot of us could have used it as we coped with deaths, divorces, and a myriad of other life changing events. But hey, it's never too late to start!

While The Celebrants definitely has a melancholy feel to it, and I cried my fair share of tears, there were still moments of humor that made me laugh out loud. It's an easy read, even with the heavier topics that are dealt with by the group of friends. I loved how they were all there for each other, no matter what. They may have gone their own ways after college but the connection they forged there never waivered and only strengthened over time.

Although I knew what was coming in the end, I never gave up hoping the outcome would be different. I do appreciate how Mr. Rowley handled it, but phew, I'm tearing up again just thinking about it.
Don't wait until it's too late to let those you love know it.

OMG. Steven Rowley has done it again! How does he manage to capture such a wide range of emotions in his books, over and over again? 5/5 I AM MESMERISED STARS ✨ Many thanks to Putnam books for the opportunity to early review. ❤️

I became a Rowley fan when I The read the Guncle, but I enjoyed reading The Celebrants even better. The plot was so unique and wholesome. 5 friends who made a pact to always be there for each other and host a living funeral whenever anyone in the group needs them as a reminder of how important they're. I have never read something like it before, and I enjoyed the plot immensely. I loved getting to know all of the friends and seeing them connect and grow throughout their struggles. The dialogue, the way of writing -EVERYTHING WAS A+.

You guys need to read this book ASAP! It's a gem - a big, big gem and I cannot wait for everyone to obsess about it soon!

After the sudden and unexpected death of a close friend while just a few weeks out from their college graduation at Berkeley, The Jordans (Jordan and Jordy), Marielle, Naomi, and Craig decide to enter a pact to each have a living funeral to serve as a reminder that each of them is loved. The pact has been already enacted by Marielle, Naomi, and Craig at points of great difficulty in their lives. However, the most recent enactment of the pact hits different than the rest.

This book takes us through the initiation of the pact and each time that a member of the group has triggered the pact and has reunited the group. I love the bond that this group of friends have and the support they provide one another through life’s greatest challenges even though they might not be seeing each other regularly. The book has excellent pacing and despite the time jumps due to the different times the pacts were triggered, the author does a great job of filling in the gaps and keeping the reader aware. I alternated tears and smiles throughout the book and I loved the message the book shares.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this but not as much as Rowley's other novels. I think the diverse ensemble cast made me struggle to get to know the characters well, which is typically his strength as a writer - developing an authentic, interesting, thoughtful protagonist. Even though "the Jordans" take center stage slightly, there just wasn't enough meat in them to make me feel connected. Rowley's signature wit and slightly morbid way of making readers take stock of this thing called life still had me laughing and tearing up a bit!

Steven Rowley does it again. Another book with all the feels. 6 college friends at Berkeley - and after a young loss, 5 come together with a pact to celebrate and remember each other before they are gone too.

The Celebrants traces them through the years as they periodically come together. I loved reading from each of their perspectives and seeing how their dynamic simultaneously evolved and stayed the same. Ups and downs, lived experiences centered around each of them.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Group for the ARC.

This was my first Steven Rowley novel. After hearing rave reviews of the Guncle, I think perhaps my expectations were too high for this novel about a group of college friends who have been through ups and downs over their thirty-year friendships. After losing someone in their group, they decide to hold "funerals" for one another in order to say to one another what they mights say after they pass. It's a beautiful concept that was slowed by pacing and left me feeling detached from these characters. There was a lot of conversation / dialogue. An excellent idea, the execution unfortunately didn't hold my interest. But I'm still really looking forward to reading The Guncle!

Oh, wow. This book was hard to read in the VERY BEST WAY. I so deeply related to feeling like you don’t know where time has gone, the desire for honest connection that comes from those who’ve known you longest, and the need to feel that you mattered in this world. It is a powerful read about complex and enduring friendships.

After the death of their friend Alec weeks before college graduation and their realization that they didn’t tell him how important he was to them until after he was gone, five friends make a pact. They will give each other “living funerals” in times of need so that no one doubts they are loved when they need it the most. The book chronicles 1995 to 2023 through the events that caused each to call for their funeral.

Unlike some books with a friend group, within this short novel, each character has their own space and feels whole. It is heartbreaking, funny, and thought-provoking. Please read it.

Thanks to Net Galley, Putnam Books, and Steven Rowley for the opportunity to read this book before publication in exchange for my honest review.

The Celebrants by Steven Rowley

Another winner!! Rowley really knows how to pull at your heartstrings! I’ve read three of his four books and I loved this one equally to Guncle. This book was about friendship, relationships, heartbreak, and death. Everything you want in a book!

Five friends started a pact after their friend died days before graduation. Anytime one feels like their life isn’t going the path they want divorce, jail, death they will call their friends and trigger the pact. What is the pact? They have a living funeral, so their friends can tell them all the things they love. Follow the five friends as they trigger the pact! What has their lives become and what will their future look like?

This is about a group of friends that meet in college. After they lose one of their group close to graduation they enact a pact that when one of them needs it, they will gather and host a living funeral to remind that person that they are loved. The friends grow apart over the years but come together for the pact when one of them needs it. There are friends who are more like family and friends that it doesn’t matter the time apart, you can pick up where you left off.

This is one of those books that I found myself laughing out loud one minute and tearing up the next. I fell in love with this group of friends.

This was my first Steven Rowley book, it will not be my last.

Well, @mrstevenrowley has done it again! The Guncle was one of my favorite reads of 2021 and I can say with certainty that 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗦 will be among my top favorites this year. Simply stated, I loved, loved, loved this book!

Beautifully written, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗦 touches on themes of friendship, found family, and grief throughout life’s ups and downs. It’s a touching reminder to cherish those that you love, and leave nothing unsaid. Evoking a range of emotions, including joy and sadness, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗥𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗦 is a book that will stay with you long after turning the final page.

A must read!

College friends bonded by loss call upon one another to meet up to support each other in times of stress or change or grief over the course of a thirty-year friendship. The novel moves from present day back to the characters’ 1995 college graduation and the grieving of one of their close friends. The timeline moves around throughout the novel as each character has their living funeral where they are loved and supported by their friends.

I appreciated the 90s references and some funny one-liners sprinkled in this book. The friends share some sweet moments and adventures together, as well as some tensions. The Celebrants is character-driven and conversation-heavy, but we don’t dive too deep into any one character, as we are learning about the entire friend group, so it was missing the deep connection I might feel in a first person character-driven novel.

I am sad to say that The Celebrants did not draw me in and it was not a fit for me, at least not this spring/summer season. It felt slow and sad, and I didn’t find the characters particularly likable or relatable. The premise of the novel revolves around friendship but is driven by death, grief, and illness. It’s not that I don’t read and appreciate books about loss, but this mix didn’t work for me, personally. However, I thought the final chapter was nicely done.

I loved listening to The Guncle on audio a couple summers ago, and I will keep reading Steven Rowley’s writing. This one was just not a match for me this spring.

This review is posted on Instagram and Facebooks @beginandendwithbooks and on Goodreads @Michelle Beginandendwithbooks

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book! The Celebrants comes out on May 30.

The Celebrants looks into the lives of 5 friends that decide to hold funerals for themselves while still living after the loss of their friend from college. The members of this pact can enforce it just once, whenever they feel like their life is falling apart.

The book switches between chapters dedicated to each characters funeral & chapters looking into the lives & relationships of the Jordans, a couple both named Jordan who are dealing with one of them having terminal cancer.

I started this book during a pretty busy time for me so it took me a bit to get through it (which I think made me feel disconnected from the characters a bit), but the moral of this story & lessens learned were beautiful. Rowley writes emotions beautifully.

My favorite thing about Steven Rowley’s work is that he doesn’t have a niche range. This book, The Guncle, & The Editor have all been books I’ve loved but they have next to nothing in common.

I think this book has an important & poignant view on human life & how fragile it is. It’s a good reminder to tell those you love that you love them before it’s too late.

This is a beautiful novel about grief, loss, and celebrating who we are and how much we love each other.

▪️REVIEW▪️

The Celebrants ~ Steven Rowley

▪️QUICK TAKE:
* Genre: literary fiction
* Pages: 320
* Pub Date: May 30, 2023 (TODAY!)
* Gist: a modern-day Big Chill meets St. Elmo’s Fire.

•Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, Marielle, and Alec form a bond like no other when they meet at Berkeley - but when Alec dies weeks before graduation the group is left confused and devastated on how to say goodbye. It’s Marielle who presents the group with a “pact” - at any time in their lives, when they need it most, the group can call everyone together for their “funeral” so they can feel loved and celebrated while still alive. Hence, the celebrants.•

Steven Rowley has done it again - with heart, wisdom, humor, and introspection. This one goes back and forth in time - reflecting on Naomi, Craig, and Marielle’s “funerals” that have already occurred and the Jordan’s, who are debating the timing of their “funeral” in the present. I felt like these were real people probably because Rowley writes with that much conviction and humanity. Perfect for the beach but you won’t sacrifice meaning, heart, or warmth - this one felt like a big hug. Love love loved it!

I really enjoyed this book!! It's heartwarming and special.

A group of friends instill a pack that when they need some reassurance, or lifting up, in their life, they can have their funeral. After the sudden death of one of their close friends, right before college graduation, the group decides that they want to make sure that each member knows how loved before they pass and are unable to hear it. Each member can call it whenever they decide they need it and the rest of the friends must come together to celebrate them.

I loved the dual POV and the back and forth time line. Though the chapters are long, it was enjoyable to learn about each member of the group and why they threw their funeral. It was sad, but heartwarming and really showed the value of friendships. You may not see your best friends all the time, but they mean more than most.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I carried Celebrants by @mrstevenrowley around with me all weekend long. I was lucky enough to have the book and the audio and any chance I got to read about this quirky group of friends had me besotted. I actually had to put the book down and take a break on the last chapter because I was not ready to say goodbye to Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle. Rowley’s writing is some of my favorite. It has depth and heart and beautifully captures the rawness of all the highs and lows of loving and being loved.

“We elaborated people after they were gone in a manner designed to bring closure to those left behind. But closure was not what was needed when it comes to death and dying; openness was. Acceptance that we share the same fate.”

This book was incredibly touching and I will think about it for some time to come. I absolutely loved the concept and wonder what would happen if my group of friends decided to have funerals when we are all still alive. This one is out today and definitely one you should read!

4.5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @putnambooks for the early physical copy and @prhaudio for the early listening copy!

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Loving The Celebrants! Nobody beats Guncle Patrick, but Steven Rowley has a way of playing with your emotions, which I love! He has created another cast of fabulous characters with this one!