Whew. Cue the tears. I knew a vague synopsis for this book going in, so I was prepared. But, man, it still got me.

I'm really glad I continued reading this book. This is a book I would have been sad if I had chosen to place it the DNF pile. It was a slow start and took me a while to get into it. I put it down for a few weeks and decided yesterday to give it another chance. So glad that I did!

Initially, it was hard to become attached to the characters and with a character driven book that is a must! The jokes weren't landing right for me, I couldn't get a good read on the characters and keep them all apart, and it was hard for me to get into the flow of the book. But because of the unique layout of this book, you start learning more and more about each character and start to grow an attachment.

I loved how the meat of the story is 5 college friends, who continue to stay in touch by throwing their own "living" funerals. But we have an undercurrent story that is intertwined of the two college friends, who become married and the trials they are having to go through. Whew, that's the gut punch.

This was my first book by this author. I requested this book for the hype his previous book, The Guncle, brought. Whether I liked this book or not, I wanted to check it out as well. After finishing this one, I'm even more excited to see what it's all about, and I have a feeling I will enjoy it even more.

This was in many ways a heavy book, but it was also so enlightening and uplifting. I'm giving it three stars, only because it took me roughly 30% to start becoming invested in the story. The last 50% was definitely what saved it for me.

TW: cancer, grief, loss of spouse, loss of parents.

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

It took me a lot longer than usual to read this book and I’m not sure if that’s because of the book or life just being a little extra crazy lately. Either way, I definitely enjoyed the book and I’m very thankful I got to read an arc. I wasn’t super invested in the story but I did really like how it was written. I liked seeing how the friendship shifted as time went on and their lives changed. Contemporary fiction isn’t my favorite genre, but if it’s yours I’d recommend checking this book out!

This book had a brilliant and unique storyline. A group of college friends come together for their own funerals when they need support the most. Rowley is a brilliant writer as he can easily add humor one one page and sadness on the next. Loved the different funerals (with themes similar to wedding destination and birthday surprise). Struggled really understanding all of the characters at the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh, this was SO good. I read it in one sitting and had to just sit there afterwards and process. Watching the five characters grow after the loss of their friend Alec and overcome some incredibly significant setbacks in their lives was both comforting and heartwrenching at the same time. The characters were real and imperfect and the story made you feel like you were right there with them as they supported each other through triumphs and trials. I do think I am a bit younger than the target audience, but I was still so moved by the story and feel like I've learned a lot about grief and the power of love. I highly recommend this -- it's something I'll be thinking about for a while.

content warnings: grief, death of a loved one, plane crash, mentions of drug overdose, mentions of s*icide

This was a cute feel good book. I won’t lie, I listened to this Mostly during the late night newborn feedings, so the experience was way different. But this was short and cute. A great light summer read.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4/5⭐️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝: Steven Rowley has become an absolute must-read author for me, and The Celebrants did not disappoint. As has been the case in the previous two books by him that I’ve read, the storytelling in this book was superb. You can really feel how much care and thought Rowley puts into his characters.

What I love most about Rowley’s books is that he explores the topic of grief with humor and heart. I had the pleasure of seeing him at an author talk about this book last night, and he said something that really stuck with me about his own process with writing grief—despite approaching these heavy and complex topics, his readers can always trust him to bring us back to the surface.

The Celebrants is a heartwarming story about the power of lifelong friends and their ability to see us through our lowest moments. It’s about coming together, even after years, and feeling as though you picked up right where you left off.
⁣⁣⁣
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞: I think the only reason I may not have connected with these characters as deeply as I did with those in The Guncle/Lily and the Octopus was just because of how many of them there were to get to know in such a short span of time. But as with everything Rowley writes, it was really beautifully done and I will continue to read any book he writes.

I was very excited to receive an advanced copy of "The Celebrants," given how much I loved listening to both The Guncle and Lily and the Octopus. I had always listened to Rowley's books, and didnt realize until starting this one on kindle how much the narration can help bring his characters to life, especially because of how dialogue heavy this particular book is. It took me some time to get into this one, and I ended up listening to the second half once the audio book became available from my library. The pace picks up in the second half, but I think the plot still struggled a bit. Loved the concept, but it felt like it relied too heavily on witty and funny dialogue and little vignettes between the characters. A collection of scenes but not a fully satisfying novel. That said, if you enjoy Rowley's characters and writing and go into this without super high expectations, I think his fans will enjoy it.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

Overall I ended up enjoying this one, but I think the multiple perspectives had me wishing the shifts didn't happen. I found the concept of living funerals interesting even though I didn't feel too attached to all the characters. Thank you so much to Putnam for the ARC of this one.

4 1/2 stars

Seeing this book compared to a modern day version of The Big Chill drew me in almost immediately. I loved that movie when it came out and was thrilled to read something with a similar feel.

This book focuses on a group of friends who've known one another since college. When one of their friends died during their senior year, it changed everything in how they looked at the world and stripped away any innocence they had left. They end up making a pact to be there for each other in a unique way. Whenever life gets to feel like it's too much, each of them gets one chance to invoke their pact and a "living funeral" will be held in that person's honor. The hope is to remind that person of the support they have within their small group as well as what they have to give to others. As each person is thrown a curveball in life, they act on this and it both draws the group closer together while sometimes also driving a wedge between them. Life is hard and they each have their own personal battles.

There wasn't any one big "wow" moment in this book, it was a steady progression of watching these characters grow and learn how to survive life's challenges. It was just a special read that felt a bit nostalgic.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group-Putnam for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Their lives changed overnight. They went to bed exactly two weeks before graduation day thinking they would live forever and woke up to the last real lesson that college would teach them: all that begins, ends. They did not live in a womb, safe until they commenced. They weren't killing time in some sort of heavenly waiting room, readying to be born into adulthood (no matter how much Berkeley felt like that for so much of their academic careers). They, like every other living thing that drew breath, were already in the throes of dying, used cars losing value the moment they were driven off the lot. And yet here they were at a starting line, comically stretching cold muscles, waiting for the BANG of a starter pistol, not realizing they were twenty-two years into a race that had different finish lines for them all."

When Marielle, Naomi, Craig, Jordy, and Jordan's roommate and friend Alec dies unexpectedly before their college graduation, they decide to make a pact to initiate their own living funerals when life gets hard. No one really thought that anyone would trigger the pact...until many years later when Marielle does and after that they start taking turns triggering the pact.

"It was indeed his funeral they had congregated to celebrate. Just as they had in years past gathered to celebrate Marielle's, then Naomi's, then Craig's in their individual hours of crisis and need, the result of the decades-old pact they had made in their grief over Alec to throw their funerals while they were still living so that none of them could ever question exactly what they meant to the others. Leave nothing left unsaid had been Marielle's motto when the idea was first hatched. If nothing else, it would be clear that they were loved."

The Celebrants starts with the 5 at Jordan's living funeral in present time, but what many of them do not know is that Jordan is dying from cancer and that there will be an actual funeral for him in the near future. We then travel back into the past starting in 1995 when they were in college and navigate through these characters lives over the many years. We see the hardships each one goes through and them triggering the pact. We learn how they grow from their funerals as well and how cathartic it was for each of them and how they really needed it in that moment.

The Celebrants is definitely a bit different from The Guncle. The Guncle was more lighthearted with a lesson involved, but with The Celebrants it is a little bit of a heavier read because we are following the hardships of each character and see them go through the best and the worst of times but do know that there is a lot of comical moments in this book that had me cracking up and highlighting them on my Kobo.

Each of the characters: Marielle, Naomi, Craig, and the Jordans (Jordan and Jordy, who are married to one another) were such a delight and fun to follow. I loved seeing each of the characters grow from each time a living funeral happened over the span of years. Their friendships were well done, and you can see how they truly love one another and support each other.

With the living funerals, they were never the same and gave different experiences to each of the characters even if it took them out of their comfort zones. My favorite funeral moments were when Noami had her funeral and they went skydiving, then when Craig had his funeral and a man named Fluffy came to give Craig a consultation based off something that was happening to Craig. Both moments ended up in a lot of hilarious moments.

I just want to gush and gush about this beautiful, funny, and heartbreaking novel. I just loved every single moment, and I will admit that I delayed finishing the last 10% of the book because I knew the ending would break me. Thankfully it did not break me like I thought it would, but I was definitely tearing up. As I am writing this review it is bringing up all the bittersweet and heartbreaking moments of this book.

If you are a fan of Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune, then I would recommend this book to you. Actually, if you like TJ Klune, then I recommend you Steven Rowley and vice versa. Both authors do an amazing job of crafting beautiful, heartbreaking, witty, and life lessons in their books. Yes, TJ Klune is more on the fantasy side and Steven Rowley is more contemporary/literary but trust me if you like one of these authors, then you will like the other because like I said how they craft their stories, but their characters are similar too.

Hmmm... I am struggling with my feelings on this one. It was very sad and depressing, which made me struggle to really connect with it. The characters all bothered me at different points in the story. However, it was incredibly well written. The characters were detailed, dimensional and their relationships were realistic. The story line is fascinating, and definitely keeps moving to keep the reader interested. Maybe if I were in a different mental space I would have enjoyed it more, but I have been living my own personal emotional rollercoaster the past few weeks and did not need another reason to cry! I think I just needed a more lighthearted book and this is definitely not that. Anyone looking for a well written, darker story, definitely read this!
THank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy

I would love to give the glowing, enthusiastic review I gave The Guncle to The Celebrants. Sadly, I can not.

Perhaps there is the seed of the problem with my enjoyment of The Celebrants. It suffered in comparison to The Guncle.

The Celebrants follows 5 college friends who remain in each other's lives throughout adulthood. One of their group died suddenly right before their college graduation. From this experience they formed a pact to give and attend each other's 'living funeral' whenever one of them made the call. We follow their friendship through the lens of each of these funerals, until we arrive at present day for one last funeral.

I struggled with believing the strong bond of friendship between these characters. Throughout most of the novel, I was questioning if they even liked each other. They seemed to stay connected out of obligation rather than any genuine desire. For me, I didn't find the characters particularly likeable, which doesn't preclude me from enjoying a novel. The last quarter of the book brought the moment of connection and genuine affection I was looking for throughout the story.

I appreciated the diversity of the characters and how the author portrayed shared trauma and the connections it can forge.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a novel. What a story. Heartbreaking and warm all at once. Absolutely adored. Despite it being a story centered around death, I just found the characters so endearing.

I was really excited about starting this novel but I just couldn’t really get into it. I think a lot of readers are going to love it but it just wasn’t for me. Thank you netgalley for my free copy.

first, I’d like to thank @prhaudio as well as NetGalley, and the publisher for audio and digital copies of this book to read and review. I will start this review by saying that the Guncle is one of my favorite books ever, so I probably went into this one with unrealistically high expectations. While I did like this book, overall, I do have to admit, I felt somewhat disappointed. The synopsis sounded fantastic to me because I love the Big Chill the movie as well as this author’s work. I listen to the audio mostly and I can’t help but wonder if I should have read the digital copy instead. The audio was well done and read by the author, which was great, but I felt something lacking in the beginning and middle of the stories with the character and story development overall. I did absolutely love the two characters named Jordan and Jordy. I do have to say that the ending did redeem this book quite a bit for me. I really thought the ending was well done and I really enjoyed it and I even shed a tear or two

I really wanted to enjoy this book as much as I did the author's previous work, The Guncle. Sadly, the characters were not grabbing me in the same way. The various stories of the friend group were interesting enough, but there was not that emotional punch that I was hoping for. That said, I do think this book will work for others. It just didn't click specifically with me. I give The Celebrants 3/5 stars.

This book was so good! It’s a bit of a slow burn at the beginning, but as the characters developed my interest and investment peaked. I’m a huge fan of Steve Rowley and his ability to make his readers fall in love with his characters. “The Celebrants” did not fall short. It’s full of Rowley’s wit, humor, and hilarious banter. Loved it!

This was such a feel good read, which seems odd for a book about a group of friends throwing each other living funerals to remind them of the value of life. But by the end, I was left with a full heart and the feeling that life is a gift to be treasured.

The Celebrants follows five friends - Jordan, Jordy, Noami, Craig, and Marielle - who, years ago in college, created a pact that they would each get a living funeral as a way to remind them how loved they are. At the start of the novel, all funerals have been had, except for Jordan and Jordy's. The book goes back in time to show each characters' life and how it led to them activating the pact, all leading up to the end where Jordan and Jordy have their own living funeral.

I love stories that center familial and platonic love, so I figured I would like this book. A bit into reading, I made note of the fact that this is typically the kind of book I would get bored easily by - there's not a lot of action, and the plot is simple and flexible. It's more of a character and life study, an exploration of these people and their friendships and passions. But not one part of this book was boring, and it wasn't super dense either. It was honestly a fairly quick read, because as I got more into the characters and the story, I wanted to know more. The characters all care for each other so much and it's evident in how they interact, and it's heartwarming. This novel is all about finding life and love in the mundane, which is always a nice reminder. It's also a reminder that I needed, so this book was perfect for me at this time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel; this review reflects my honest opinions.

2023 LGBTQIA+ Pride Month #13 ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

This book broke me, as I knew it would. My introduction to Steven's work was The Guncle, which one may assume is lighthearted based on the fun cover. You could surmise the same here. You would be wrong.

Steven and his husband released new books on the same day. When talking about why he wrote this book, he explained that a friend committed suicide in college. Their friend group often wondered would that have been the case if they knew how loved they were? That is, in short, the premise for this novel.

After Alec dies quite young, the other five friends make a pact. Wherever they are in life, whatever they are doing, when one is at the lowest point in their lives, the rest of them will drop what they are doing and hold a living funeral for the person. The first one is obviously terrible and awkward, but they get their bearings for the others. The friends see each other through marriages, divorces, children, and more.

It's not a happily ever after, but life very rarely is. I won't spoil anything. Just know this. You will cry. You will cry a lot. Tell your friends and family you love them. You never know if this will be your last chance.

Beautifully done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

I absolutely adored this book. The way that friendship is depicted, the way it changes through the years, and the ways these friends celebrate each other. I gave it five stars and brought my full review to Currently Reading Podcast on 6/19/23