I loved the Guncle by Steven Rowley when I read it a few years ago and this was another great one. A group of five friends from college have a pact that the will hold funerals for each other while they're still alive so they know how much they're loved. The book follows each of these funerals over the years as the main characters grow and struggle through life. The characters were unique with distinct personalities and I loved reading their dialogue and relationships with each other. This book is witty and emotional and sweet all at the same time.

“It’s all going to kill you. You might as well do something fun.”

Five U.C. Berkeley students gather for their close friend and dorm mate Alec’s funeral.  They form a pact that when one of them calls, everyone will gather to celebrate a funeral for the living where nothing is left unsaid. This may sound morbid, but each “living funeral” becomes a celebration of love, friendship, fun and hilarity. This book spoke to me in so many ways and made me snort laugh in public frequently.  I am a first time Rowley reader, and I am not sure if any other story will compare to how this story made me feel.  Not only was it infused with hilarious moments, but it has profound messages on finding oneself and one’s lifelong loves. The found family trope was so beautifully characterized by this tight knit group of friends.

Courteney Cox once said, “I love that you can be laughing one minute and crying the next, and then be shocked the next. I like things that provoke emotions to such extremes!”  I am solidly in Courteney’s corner on this one and I like The Celebrants by Steven Rowley for provoking all the extreme emotions in me.  Preorder The Celebrants today because it will be out on May 30th.

3.5 🌟



I was so excited to read this book after loving Mr.Rowley's The Guncle.

I think I went into this one expecting the same kind of humor with the warm fuzzies. So maybe my lukewarm feelings are on me because usually, I love books about friendship and their dramas.

The Celebrants is just that - a group of college friends - an eclectic group who after the death of one of the friends, made a "pact." They decided that if life got too stressful, too hard, too lonely, they would throw a
a "living funeral" for them - to help celebrate that person while they are alive.

It actually sounds like a good plan. And years later some of the friends call in on the pact - as their lives are peppered with crisis. But one of the friends is holding back a secret -which is very poignant - seeing they are celebrating the "lives" of others. The ending is heartfelt, and I think the story hits on the right notes of grief and loss.

Again, I think I walked into this book waiting for the Gungle to jump out sometime. And while there is intelligent and witty conversation, I didn't feel like I got to know these characters well. Steven Rowley is a fantastic writer, and I will be thrilled to read his next book.


Thank you [ad|partner] @putnambooks for this gifted book

I was so excited to receive an #ARC of this book as I was a huge fan of the Guncle. With similar charm, wit, and humor though the somber tone and challenging themes carried throughout the story. A ‘Big Chill’ for our time, I appreciated the exploration of the aging experience, complete with health issues, divorce, aging parents, and a “what’s next” lens. Some pieces were laugh out loud funny and that kept it from becoming too dark.

I was drawn to this one because of the unique premise and the whole concept of living funerals, what a wonderful idea. Initially the idea of that can sound a little bleak, but the thought of making sure loved ones know exactly how you feel and what kind of impact they have had on your life is so special and touching. I love the authors brand of humor and wit and there was some wisdom here that really spoke to me. While there is a lot of emotional trauma here the balance between the heavier stuff and lighter moments was great for me and I found it to be heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. Fans of The Guncle will be pleased.

Last summer I picked up The Guncle to take with me to my vacation in Hawaii as I thought it would make a great beach read, and wow, it was so much more and became one of my beloved books read in 2022.

So when I had the opportunity to read an early copy of The Celebrants, I jumped right in. And wow, did Steven Rowley ever deliver! I’m not really a contemporary book reader. I’m a full on Sci-fi lover. But after reading The Celebrants I scoured the internet and bought all four hardback editions of Rowley’s books. I had to have them ALL for my library. And when they come in I need to go back and read his first two books.

In The Celebrants, we get a The Big Chill meets Four Weddings and a Funeral vibe. And I loved it! 5 college best friends, Naomi, Jordy, Jordon, Marielle, and Craig, make a pact at Alec’s funeral, the sixth friend of the group, that rather than wait until they’re dead, they’ll have their funerals while still living so they can let each other know how much they mean to each other. Each of the group can enact the pact whenever they feel they need it most.

Over the next few decades, one by one, each gets their own living funeral. And each funeral is so very different from each others’. I laughed hysterically, my eyes were leaking, I had major goosebumps. I experienced All. The. Feels!! I was so completely invested in each and every one of the celebrants.

I can’t wait to read Rowley’s back list!

*Thank you so much to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the early eGalley!*

4.5 stars

After the unexpected and sudden death of one of their friends, a group of college friends make a pact to throw each other "living funerals." 30 years later, their funerals seem to only bring to light missed opportunities and life regrets. When one of the friends gets a terminal diagnosis, their collective promise takes on a whole new meaning.

This book definitely has a lot of sad components and may be triggering to readers impacted by terminal illness. Still, it is easy to fall in love with this group of friends and the way their stories weave together. It wasn't until the end that I really reached my true fondness for the Celebrants. I loved Rowley's message celebrating life and reminding readers to make sure they tell loved ones how appreciated they are. Yes, there is a lot of sadness in this book, but there are also light-hearted, humorous moments and a heartfelt message at the end.

I enjoyed the premise of this book and it was touching. I felt the friend group was too large to feel like you could really connect with and understand each character. But, I did enjoy the moral of the story even if it felt a bit meandering at times. Not my fave by this author.

3.5/5

“ Thousands of candles can be lit from a single one, and the life of that candle will not be shortened. That’s what you do for others. You light their candle with yours.”

This was my first read of Steven Rowley’s. I have seen many talk about The Guncle but have yet to read it. When I saw this one I was excited. This story was very emotional but heart warming. It encourages you to tell the ones you love that you love them while they’re here. Four friends that attended college together decide to have living funerals for one another after the passing of one of their friends. They decided to make this pact and to come together whenever one of them felt their life was too chaotic to handle by themselves. This would allow everyone to remind the person who called the pact how loved and special they are. It was a sweet story, but was not what I usually read so I felt that it was a bit slow for me. However, I do believe a lot can be taken from this book!

I jumped into this book blind. I’m so glad I did. It was such a gem that will stick with me for a long time. I loved the friendship group. The whole idea of a living wake. So good. So sad

The Guncle (May 2021) was a stand out book me. And when I saw Steven Rowley’s new book is a twist on The Big Chill it became a must read. Six people become best friends while at Berkley in 1995. They have a big reaction to one of their own dying at the age of 22. And in their grief they hatch a pact to have living funerals for each other. By doing that words and feelings don’t go unsaid to each other. The group of five head off to their lives in different directions. The book follows through time jumps as each one calls for a funeral. A divorce, death in the family, and even a crime are all reasons the friends gather and support each other. They give the person the lift they need to continue on and it gives a moment to catch up with one another.

This book has funny moments but lacks the laugh out loud humor of the Guncle. I think that is partly because they are gathering in times of difficulties and trial. But there is still warmth, love and friendship. I also thought I’d get through the book without crying but the last page got me. I really enjoyed this book and the diverse characters. And it is always a nice reminder to not leave things unsaid to friends and loved ones. I also like that the section headings are named for songs from the Carpenters. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

After the devastating loss of a student five days before college graduation, his closest friends decide that nothing should ever be left unsaid. The five friends make a pact to always celebrate each other's lives NOW, rather than wait for death. We follow the friends as they navigate divorce, loss of their parents, career ending mistakes, and a terminal diagnosis. You will fall in love with the relationship these friends have with each other, and you will close this book inspired to not leave anything left unsaid, and to celebrate life NOW!

Steven Rowley writes about grief like no one else. His powerful stories of friendship, loss, and love are unmatched. I can not recommend this book (and any of Steven's other books) enough to anyone struggling with grief. You will sob the most healing tears as you are reminded that we are never alone in our grief journey. "The Celebrants" will

Six U.C. Berkeley transfer students are connected in life and in death in this latest novel by Thurber Prize winning author Steven Rowley. My fondness for every one of his novels is undisputed, and this latest is no exception. The Celebrants is a departure from his humor filled, yet poignant best seller The Guncle, and I embraced it as a completely different reading experience. While the snappy dialog remains, the serious subject matter is more expansive.

At the funeral of one of these young close friends, the remaining five make a pact to reunite when each truly needs the support of the forever friend group. Over the course of 30 years, these “living funerals” provide unique glimpses into the complicated histories and difficult times with each other and with their life circumstances. With moments of both humor and sorrow, this novel was as much about redemption as it was about reflection. The premise and the structure was interesting and fresh and as someone who has recently traveled the road of profound grief, I found it cathartic. The lessons cleverly slipped in among the pages will not soon be forgotten.

This novel will especially resonate with readers who enjoyed The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin & The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer.

Thank you to Net Galley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a story about the enduring power of lifelong friendships.  A group of five close friends from college made a pact when they lost the sixth friend in their group -- when any one of them needs it, the five will gather in Big Sur to throw that one a living "funeral" to celebrate their life and why it is worth living.  Over nearly three decades, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle, and the Jordans (Jordy and Jordan, now a couple) have gathered three times -- when Marielle's marriage was falling apart, when Naoimi's parents unexpectedly died, and when Craig pleaded guilty to art fraud.  The last time the group gathered was five years ago.

As they are about to turn 50, they are gathering once again, this time for Jordan's "funeral" -- though the group, other than Jordy, does not know the secret that led Jordan to trigger the pact.  This secret will, even more than anything that came before, change the course of their lives, and their pact, forever.  Over the course of a long weekend, the group grapples with their past; the ways their paths followed, and did not, what they imagined for themselves and each other when they graduated college; long buried secrets; and the critical role they played in each other lives -- as they look forward to their next chapters.  

This book was terrific.  Like so many, I was a huge fan of the author's previous novel, The Guncle, so I was excited for this book -- and even more so when I heard it described as a modern Big Chill story.  The book exceeded my high expectations.  It captured as well as any book I've read the complex dynamics of lifelong friendships.  Like so many of these types of friendships, the Jordans, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle did not see each other all the time or even talk regularly.  But when they get together, no other friendship serves the same role in their lives because they developed their relationships at such a formative time and know each other in a way no one else ever can.  The author also deftly portrayed how these relationships are challenged and can grow as the friends face the obstacles of adulthood, whether it is career challenges, relationships that fall apart, aging parents, or the disappointment of lives not turning out the way you expected.  This is a story that both keenly observes and celebrates the role of friendship at different stages of life, in a story that will both have you laughing and crying.

Strongly recommended!

I read and loved Rowley’s THE GUNCLE and LILY AND THE OCTOPUS, so I was really excited to get approved on Netgalley for THE CELEBRANTS. Unfortunately, at 48% in, I decided to put the book down.

I think at the root of it, I was struggling with both the number of main characters and the length of the chapters. With an ensemble cast of 5 larger than life characters, the 50(ish)+ page chapters each centering on one character at a time made it hard to engage. Halfway into the book, I didn’t love or hate any of the characters, nor did I care about their stories. The long chapters made it hard for me to read even a chapter in one sitting, which makes it even harder to get sucked in.

I think the story has promise, but the setup of the book just didn’t work for me. Hoping the next Rowley works better for me.

After losing a friend in college, a group of friends vow to hold living funerals for each other whenever they need a reminder of how loved they are. It’s an interesting idea that works out for the first few friends to have a go - but 28 years later, the reunion takes on a different tenor when one of the friends is sitting on a secret.

Full of humor and heart, The Celebrants is a sweet reminder that no matter how old we get, we never outgrow the people who know and love us the best.

Read if you like: The Big Chill, found family, vicarious traveling, crying

When a group of friends loses one of their own just before their college graduation they make a pact. Each one of them gets one chance, no questions asked, to call on the others if things have gotten too hard. The group will reunite for a ‘living funeral’ to shower them with the love and support they need to keep on keeping on.
It’s not as morbid as it seems, and I actually think it’s kind of wonderful.

The book opens with them gathering for Jordan’s ‘funeral’ but then makes several flashbacks to when they first made the pact and then the ‘funerals’ of the others that have already called on in theirs.

To be honest, I was the fence about requesting this one. It has some heavy topics I tend to avoid - drug overdose and talks about possible suicide among them - *and* I’d already been warned it was terribly sad. That said, I kept thinking about it just from reading the description, and decided to give it a go anyway.
And I’m glad I did, because it was good. Gut wrenching at times, but still. So good.

Instead of being younger like in most of the books I’ve been reading lately, the cast of characters is a smidge over my age - they were graduating college when I graduated from high school - in ye olden tymes aka 1995. It made them all so relatable in a way that I think made the story hit even harder.
And it hit HARD - let’s just say it’s a good thing I had my 40oz emotional support water bottle on standby, because I needed to rehydrate after all the ugly crying (so ugly, so splotchy)

I think this is a story that will stick with me for a while, and that makes it worth all the stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and putnambooks for the ARC

I really liked this book! Rowley did a great job of slowly building up to the climax by emphasizing on the relationship among these friends. With each person's "funeral", we dove deeper into everyone's life and their emotional turmoil through their lives. It was so comforting to see that they still remain close even after all that time. The all-caps sentences were just not it. It felt weird to see the characters in just snippets. I think it would've been cool if the book switched perspectives between each character's POV chronologically to fill in the gaps in each person's life.

Embark on a poignant journey spanning twenty-eight years, from 1995 to 2023, as you delve into the lives of a group of college friends reminiscent of The Big Chill.

In the aftermath of a friend's untimely passing, a close-knit group of college friends solemnly promise to host unique "living funerals" for one another.

As the years unfold, these gatherings reveal the bittersweet reflection on missed chances and unexplored paths. However, when an unexpected diagnosis shakes their world, the significance of their pact is profoundly renewed.

With a timely exploration of life's regrets and newfound perspectives, Rowley proves, once again proves, his storytelling chops.

We have included this novel in our 2023 Summer Reading Guide.

"He let her live in this excitement because soon he would have to tell her the news from which mothers did not recover"

Oh Steven Rowley....how do you write characters and situations that enter my heart and take hold forever?
Once again, you have written a book that made me have both tears of sadness and tears of laughter (hello sky diving!)
I had many times of nostalgia with this read, having graduated college the same year as the characters. That brought good memories and bad from my own life making my connection to The Jordans, Marielle, Craig and Naomi even more poignant.

5 stars and kudos to Steven Rowley and The Celebrants!