The Celebrants by Steven Rowley is a wonderful story about a group of college friends that is captivating. It is reflective (covering a heavier topic) while still being comedically light in Rowley’s signature writing style.

After one of their friends passes away before college graduation, this group of six friends decide to host living funerals for each other during their darkest times so they can share how much the mean to each other. Now almost 30 years later, the group meets for their final living funeral.

I’ve been a big fan of Rowley’s writing since I read The Guncle a few years ago. His writing style is writing style is light while tackling heavy topics.

While The Celebrants is not as light as my typical beach read it is a must-read this summer that will make you want to hug your friends and family a little tighter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group-Putnam for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had serious FOMO in not reading The Guncle last year, so when I saw the author had a new book releasing this year, I immediately had to request it on NetGalley. And now I totally get the hype and will be reading The Guncle at some point. Rowley’s writing is really beautiful and accessible and it kept me wanting to read one. I read about half of the book in the airport while waiting for my flight because I couldn’t put it down.

Following a group of friends who make a pact in college after the untimely death of their friend that they will leave nothing left unsaid and will hold “living funerals” for one another in their time of most need, this book is funny and devastating all at once. Following the group of friends throughout their lives as they invoke the pact, it really portrays friendships in a beautiful way - especially the kinds of friendships where you don’t see the people often or even really stay in close touch, but every time you get together, it is like you are right back in the prime of your friendship.

The author portrays friendship so realistically, especially of the types of friendships you make in college where you spend so much time with these people that they become your family and know you better than almost anyone else because of how much time they have to get to know you. The inside jokes and harsh truths between friends are very real. And despite the sometimes wild antics of this particular group, I think everyone can relate to them in some ways.

This book kind of left me glowing and wanting to reach out to friends I haven’t talked to in a while. The author’s message of telling people how much they mean to you as often as possible because of how fleeting life can be is such an important message. This book has such beautiful sentiments, and I am so glad that I read it.

Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for the ARC of The Celebrants by Steven Rowley (published today!). Oh Steven Rowley…you know just how to pull on my heart strings. I adored The Guncle and while this felt different (a little more emotional), it was still just as lovely and beautiful. I love stories of friendships and friend groups that span decades and this one had me chuckling to myself one moment and teary eyed the next. It’s a book that has been hanging around in my mind and heart long after I finished it. No wonder it is a TODAY Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick.

Steven Rowley has done it again. He has written a poignant, thoughtful book about friendships and found family, and how important it is to cherish the people you love and to let them know how much you love them. I absolutely adored his book, The Guncle; this book is very different, while still exploring the concept of grief and relationships.

The main cast of characters consists of five friends who bonded in college: Marielle, Craig, Naomi and The Jordans (two guys both named Jordan). There were six of them but one died suddenly, just short of graduation and the other five are left to mourn and to pick up the pieces of their lives, as they set forth from their college days. (I found myself jealous of their close relationships, since I didn’t experience anything like this in college.) While they are still reeling from Alex’s death and funeral, they make a pact to get together to provide a living funeral for anyone of them who needs it, at a low point in their lives. We follow the friends through the years, off and on, and join them in their “live” funerals. Do not think this is totally a sad book; there are many very funny parts. Example: the skydiving episode was both particularly affecting and funny.

The writing itself was lovely. At first I was intimidated by the length of the majority of the chapters, but Rowley has provided many places within those chapters where it’s easy to stop, should you need to put down the book before you reach the end of that chapter.

Steve Rowley is going to be an auto-read for me, from now on - and I look forward to the pleasure of reading his older works while I await his next novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley, Putnam Books, and Steven Rowley for the advanced copy of The Celebrants in exchange for my honest review.

Happy pub day to this gem of a book! Make sure you've got some tissues handy.

Given the subject matter, I knew I was going to be in for an emotional investment with this one, and I always have to give props to authors who can make me cry. To me there is no higher praise. I felt so deeply connected to all of the characters, and I love the concept of living funerals.

This would make SUCH a good limited series and I sincerely hope we get to see it adapted!

Don't miss June's Read With Jenna book club pick, grab your copy today!

After unexpectedly losing one of there best friends in college, five friends make a pact that when things are at a low for them, all of them will get together for a “living funeral” so they know how the others feel about them before they actually die. When Jordan realizes he doesn’t have much time left, he initiates the pact one last time.

Oh, how I loved this book! Rowley’s style of writing drew me in from page one, and I did not want to put this book down. Rowley narrates the audiobook, which I listened to while reading the eARC. You could feel the emotions he put into this book while narrating it, and I’m glad he chose to narrate it himself.

The way he wrote the chapters was perfect for this story with shorter chapters for The Jordans and longer chapters for when each friend initiates the pact. I appreciated the way he developed each character by giving us their back story then showing us why they called their friends together and hearing how each of them made an impact on the others’ lives.

While reading this book, it brought up so many emotions and a lot of “what if” questions.

- 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘣𝘺𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴?
- 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘪 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮?
- 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦?

I’m guessing that’s what the author was hoping to evoke in his readers while reading this poignant novel.

This book will stay with my for a long time. If you read and loved The Guncle, I think you’ll want to check this one. Make sure you have some tissues nearby!

Thank you Putnam Books, PRH Audio, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

Happy Pub Day to Book Baby #4 for the talented Steven Rowley 🎉

I spent the weekend reading the arc (thank you NetGalley!!!) and knew I was going to love Jenna’s book pick for June!

Jordy, Jordan, Craig, Marielle, Alec, and Naomi all met at Berkley in the '90s. These people are my people. I graduated college in ‘95 just as they did. The music and nostalgia alone had me reminiscing, but the larger messages had me looking forward to celebrating my 50th with lifelong friends in the near future. They have no idea what they are in for. 😜

While in college after one of their friends died, they made a pact that when any one of them feels they need some love and support they can pull the trigger and they will all come together for that individual’s funeral. A living funeral that is. One in which they gather as celebrants and share all that they love about the honorary non-deceased. Through the following decades they grow apart yet reunite periodically when needed, and strengthen their friendships despite the miles and changes they have each made as they have evolved into adults.

Rowley does it again, striking the difficult balance between humor and sorrow, flippant and hilarious one liners to heartfelt moments of tears. Kudos for another beautiful story of found family, queer love, growing up, and realizing that life is for the living and what a beautiful life it would be if we all shared with our loved ones just how special and meaningful they have been in our lives while they are still alive to hear it. Now excuse me while I go tend to my crushed heart that will need to wait an indefinite amount of time until his next book can heal it like a balm.

This is another poignant and heartwarming story from the author of The Guncle, Lily and the Octopus and The Editor. Rowley’s books never fail to leave me smiling through my tears and this was no exception. It’s no wonder it is the June pick for @readwithjenna. I adored The Celebrants and its exploration of found family, grief and lifelong friendships.

"My point is, we were all figuring out this thing called life, and in truth we probably are still. But there is always someone a little further down the path, and if they have a kind heart, if they truly care about others, every so often they turn back and light the way."

Character driven with less focus on plot, The Celebrants follows a group of lifelong friends that met in college(Marielle, Craig, Jordan, Jordy and Naomi) who made a pact to come together and celebrate one another through a living funeral whenever they need some extra support.

I really liked the structure of the book with each chapter focusing on a different character’s funeral. In between, we have Jordan’s current situation (I won’t give that away with specifics) where his husband Jordy is trying to push him to enact the pact before it is too late. I also loved that this focused on characters who are a bit older, having graduated from Berkley in the mid 90s. The relationships were authentic and genuine, changing over time just as in real life. The Big Sur setting was another win for me. My grandparents took me there in the late 90s and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

The Celebrants is an endearing story full of warmth that will touch readers of all ages❤️

Happy pub day to The Celebrants! I am so excited for this book to be out in the world.

I picked up The Guncle last year and it became one of my favorite books and an easy recommend to everyone I know. Steven Rowley has a way with weaving humor and heart and The Celebrants puts his talent on display again.

The Celebrants centers on a group of long-time friends who have come together time and again to hold “funerals” for one another in which they honor each other while still living. These funerals are called when the subject is in dire need of support - e.g., following a divorce. When one of the friends holds a life-changing secret, the friendships are put to the test.

The Celebrants explores friendships and death and the ways in which death (or the prospect of it) color our connections with each other. Steven Rowley has never shied away from difficult themes and this is no different. With a family history of cancer, I had to put the book down at times because it felt too real. But in Steven’s signature way, there is humor and so much heart to buoy the reader through.

This is a solid next step from The Guncle. It feels deeper and more raw. I enjoyed it and I hope you do, too!

Steven Rowley is firmly placed on my auto-buy author list. This story lived fully up to my hopes. I devoured this in one sitting.

Steven Rowley has done it again! What a beautiful, witty story about 5 college friends whose friendship has stood the test of time. They decide to give themselves their flowers while they’re still living by all meeting up when they most need it.

I loved how we were transcribed back into time for each of the characters leading up to their “living funeral” and why that particular time was their rock bottom. We get a few twists throughout the story along with so many laughs and tears. Just as I loved in The Guncle, there were some real life lessons within the pages of laughter. I especially enjoyed the aircraft scene (IYKYK)!

Overall, I highly recommend this book and anything written by Steven Rowley! Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)

This book discuss some heavy topics - death of a friend, AIDS, cancer and has a much somber feel then the Guncle. The book focuses of 4 friends that formed a friendship in college and and told in dual timeline. I love the found friendship between these friendships and how despite not staying in touch, they were always there for each other. I thought it was so cool that the author asked to used @jordys.book.club and his husband's name for the 2 main characters. There were so many touching moments that makes your appreciate their friendship and love.

Last week Read with Jenna announced her June Book Club pick: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 by Steven Rowley.
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I was lucky enough to receive advanced copies in both print and audio. Thank you to Putnam and PRH Audio
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This is a beautiful book about friendship, life, and death. After the death of a college friend, a group of five friends make a pact to come together to celebrate their living funerals. When any of them reach a low point in life they can activate the pact and they all will come together to give their eulogy for the living to hear. The narration changes from character to character so we’re able to fully understand each storyline and how they relate to the other friends in the group. I cried at the heartfelt moments and cackled at the funny moments - mushrooms, anyone?
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I think I found this book so touching because these are the kinds of friendships so many people long for. Who wouldn’t want to hear what your friends thought of you before it was too late to hear? Who doesn’t want a friendship where you might fall out of touch for years at a time but you come together when it matters and it’s like no time has passed? I think we all want to have friends in our corner reassuring us that our life mattered.
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“…and now here he stood again under the setting sun and the urge to run back up the hill for just one more ride from the start. But he let the need go as gently as he could. He released it like a balloon in the sky. You only live once. That was the truth of it. But if you do it right, and he felt that he had, once was more than enough.”
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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 will be available starting tomorrow, May 30. Pick it up!

This book is about a group of five college friends who have a pact that they will also be there for each other and they will do funerals for them in need because funerals are for the living. I was expecting to have more humor in this book than there was. However; I found the story cute and heartwarming. There was also a huge plot twist that I did not see coming. I’m always a sucker for a good plot twist.

This was an amazing book. Steven Rowley is an amazing storyteller who is quickly moving to the top of my "if he wrote it, I'll read it" list. His stories are poignant and deep. I laughed and cried multiple times while reading about these 5 friends and their journey. I liked the pacing of this book as well as the way we moved through the story, from present day back through their "funerals" and back to the present day. And that ending.... I cried some more.

This book is about a pact made between a group of college friends after the death of one of their own.

What I liked: the found family, and the loyalty to the pact, no matter the circumstances each person found themselves in was great. I also really appreciated the focus on friendship and letting those you love know how you feel before it’s too late. Rowley’s writing is witty and beautiful, as always.

What I didn’t love: I strongly disliked several of the chargers and that made it hard for me to care about them.

But overall it’s heartfelt and emotional and the ending had me tearing up, and I do recommend it to those who are drawn to character driven emotional books.

Thanks to Putnam Books and BetGalley for the e-ARC.

The Celebrants is a contemporary fiction novel that follows 5 friends who decide to hold living funerals after the sixth member of their friend group unexpectedly dies.

I really enjoyed Rowley's previous novel, The Guncle, so I was very excited when I had the opportunity to read The Celebrants. While this novel didn't hit quite the same note for me, I do see it being a novel that many love and that has a lot going for it.

Here's what I view as working for this novel:

- An intriguing idea. I love the idea behind this novel. It's emotional and heartfelt and it's sure to strike a chord with many.
- A great message. Similar to the above, this novel has a great message that many could benefit from hearing. Too many get wrapped up in the day to day and forget to make sure others know the impact one has had on their lives.
- Well developed characters.
- Some great humor and charm in the writing.

Here's where I struggled:

- I didn't personally connect with the characters, which I think detracted a bit from the emotion within the novel for me. They all seemed a bit too selfish and flawed. While flaws make characters realistic, something about these characters just didn't click or ultimately redeem for me.
- Felt a little long

Overall, the novel was well-written and had Rowley's signature charm and humor, but my inability to connect with the characters and overarching story detracted a bit for me. I think I will be in the minority on this and I do think others will connect better than I was able to.

The Celebrants by Steven Rowley was quite an up and down read for me. I really had a hard time getting into the story or the characters until about the 40% mark. I thought some of the characters were just too in mature for my liking. I did really like the way the story ended. I thought it really was done very well and it make my rating go up a bit higher because of that. Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam Books for the advanced reader copy.

I rated it 3.75 out of 5

I loved The Guncle last year and was eagerly anticipating this new book. It is a little different style from The Guncle but the writing is still strong and the story interesting. Highly recommend!

No wonder THE CELEBRANTS by Steven Rowley is the Read with Jenna June selection. What a story! A group of Berkley university grads reunites to celebrate, to host a mock funeral, whenever one them suffers a life-altering event. These ‘funeral people’ gather to celebrate their lives while they’re still living, lest one of them leaves this earth without knowing how much he or she is loved.

What a gifted author—one who has created diverse characters with unique voices, who are quirky and peculiar, and then he frames them within a unique story that is both funny and heartbreaking. These five friends are flawed but together they create a life force that helps them carry each other through the worst of circumstances.

The narrative moves seamlessly, melding grief with a quick-witted dialogue to soften the heaviness of the content. It’s a tale of friendship, grief, death, relationships, and reunited family. And at the end, it leaves a lesson for us all, to say what we can while we can and leave nothing unsaid.

THE CELEBRANTS is a book that is totally different but utterly outstanding in every way. If this one doesn’t twist your heart right out of your chest, then you need a funeral.

Content Warning: drug overdose, death of loved ones, cancer, HIV diagnosis.