I loved this book! It was a balance of witty, thought provoking, poignant, and inspiring. Rowley has a skill in writing characters you want to be friends. This book made me laugh, it was was hopeful and heartwarming. It made me reflect on the chosen family in my life and all the moments if gratitude that are often left unsaid. Grateful for the opportunity to read "The Celebrants" and will be recommending it to customers and friends.

Oh man - Steven Rowley just hit me with a sucker punch of emotion. 5 friends band together after the death of their college friend to throw each other “living funerals” at points in their life when they need it most so they can share the impact that person had to their face instead of after death. Beautiful story of friendship and found family.

I didn't love it. I really, really loved The Guncle so I had high hopes but this one just didn't do it for me. There were funny moments and poignant moments, but overall I just couldn't get invested in any of the characters, except the Jordans. I hope Mr. Rowley does the audio himself because The Guncle was amazing and I think this one would be much better that way.

Such an amazing read! Very authentic characters with real emotions and things to work through. It was so enjoyable and lighthearted at parts, but also deep and well-written. The characters are well developed and have great stories.

Thank you NetGalley and Steven Rowley!

This will be a HIT! To be honest, it took me a bit to get into it. I couldn't see how this group of people were friends at the beginning at the beginning. But then-it hit me and I was hooked. I read most of it in one sitting. Such an interesting story about a group of friends who graduated in 1995 and after one dies early, they decide to hold their own funerals in times of need and not wait until they are dead to tell each other how amazing they are. They come together over the years, after a divorce, parents' death, etc, until present day where one of them is actually dying and they've come together again. There are sad parts, funny parts (the cruise around NYC was hysterical), and I literally hugged my Kindle when I was done with this story! LOVE!

Rowley writes with such humanity and authenticity that readers are fully immersed in these characters’ lives and get to journey alongside them as they experience loss, joy, and longing, face their fears (the skydiving experience was spectacular) and brave new beginnings. This was such a moving story with tremendous depth and character development that lends itself to reflection and leaves readers with an ever important reminder to not wait on telling those people in your lives how much they mean to you, how they’re valued, and their lives matter.

Rowley’s writing of the friends’ banter and conversation is spectacular - the timing, voice and vulnerability brought an intimacy which made the reader feel like part of the group. I also found the structure of the story very thoughtful and enjoyed seeing these characters and their relationships evolve through life’s events and growing pains. Much like The Guncle, The Celebrants will stay with me for a long time.

I know so many adored The Guncle but I came into this novel with fresh eyes as I hadn't read his previous work. This had me laughing out loud simultaneously tugging at my heart strings. Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

The award for most highlighted quotes on my kindle goes to,.. The Celebrants by Steven Rowley!! The Guncle was one of my favorite books I read last year so I was SUPER excited to be able to read The Celebrants for an early review!

A group of 5 friends reunite throughout the course of their lives for 'funerals' after a pact was made on the night of their college friend's funeral - hoping that in their darkest times, they'll know how much they mean to each other. This book was so beautiful, heartwarming, but with the classic Steven Rowley humor. This is a must read!

Moving and sad, this novel was enrapturing from start to finish. You waste no time getting to know the good, the bad, and the ugly of this group of friends, who are loveable and relatable despite their very real flaws. This novel is a beautiful story about the importance and value in knowing you are loved and telling those around you that you love them. Leave nothing unsaid.

Wow, Rowley's books are so lyrical and beautifully written. The Celebrants is exactly the kind of quality I expected when I saw it's upcoming release. This is a really hard read, I think I got to about 5% mark and realized what exactly was going to happen (long game) in this story and it felt just so devastating to read further. I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone, but it's still a beautiful story for anyone wishing to read this tale of grief/life.

This author truly has a gift of crafting characters that are unique and a story that is emotionally driven. This feels reminiscent of what it's like to have your core group of friends. The ones you have grown with, went through life’s ups and downs, and have a bond with that goes beyond the word friend. This group of friends felt like that to me. He curated characters that are flawed, but still perfect by engraining them with a wide diverse emotional range.

How this author seamlessly intertwined grief with witty dialogue making this an entertaining read without being too heavy. His ability to switch between timelines while also having a multiple POV and never losing his audience along the way was masterfully done. This is a moving book that will touch your heart from beginning to end. It’s the kind of book that doesn’t leave you when it’s over and I guarantee you will be thinking about it for years to come

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC and Steven Rowley for this beautiful book.

Let’s just get out of the way that reviews are/will compare Steven Rowley’s new book to The Big Chill but set in 2023. There. Done. Here’s the bigger thought/question I have: would you want to have your funeral with those who mean the most to you before your actual death? Don’t we wish we could sit there and hear the memories people have of us, the impact we made on them, the trivial things they remember but we’ve forgotten? That is what Marielle puts forward to the group of five friends (Marielle, Naomi, Jordy, Jordan, and Craig) after their sixth partner in crime at Berkeley, Alec, dies. The funeral is a one time use at your discretion, no questions asked by the others. So when members of the group go through various traumatic events in their life, the group meets at the Big Sur house to talk all about the positives of the person who brought them together.

Except this time. This time, death is lurking nearby for one of the Jordan’s and he is seeking the best way to tell his friends. For nearly thirty years, there hasn’t been another death of the five, just a “death” of a life event. As Rowley takes us through each living funeral, he unwraps the importance of telling people what you think while you can. The impact they make on you. The importance of communication and how your words affect people. Each funeral also had its own theme so to speak: rebirth, discovery of self, courage, drive, mortality to name a few.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book is set for publication on May 30, 2023. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#netgalley #arc #stevenrowley #thecelebrants #putnambooks

Tackling tough topics, particularly grief and loss, seems to be a theme for Rowley, which he expertly handles with humor and heart. This ensemble cast of characters is alive with witty banter and deep emotions, and the kind of playfulness and pain that can only be exacted by people who have known you most of your life. This is a book about growing up, growing apart, and growing together again, and making sure that no matter what life throws at you, you leave nothing unsaid when it counts. Thank you to @NetGalley and G.P. Putnam for the opportunity to read this STUNNING ARC!

Steven Rowley has done it again. He has a way of making you laugh through the sad, feel all the feelings, and puts you right with all of the characters of the book.

THE CELEBRANTS is so so so good
A group of friends make a pact in college that they’ll have their funerals before they die… in their 40s they start to call for the funerals and this is the story of friendship and life and love and who we call upon when we most need to know we are important

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC! 5 best friends from college are now in adults. When one of their group died during college, they made a pledge to hold "living funerals" for each other, to show their value and love while they are still alive. This is a humorous but heartfelt story of years of friendship. Enjoyed reading this. #thecelebrants #stevenrowley This was a ARC from @netgalley, thank you! I really enjoyed this story, not sure if I have ever read Mona Simpson before but now want to read her backlist. A family in California; a single mother and her three children, followed over many years. The mother has mental illness and goes to a facility, with hopes of getting better and coming back to her life, but it never happens. Her best friend takes on the care of the children, and really becomes their mother. We go through adolescence, college, and young adulthood with each of the children. All of the characters go through so much, the relationships are fraught but ultimately hopeful. There is a lot of love and a lot of anguish. I really cared about this family. This is 5 stars or close for me. #netgalley #commitment #monasimpson #foundfamily #relationship #siblinglove #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #friendshipstory #netgalley #advancereaderscopy

Another stellar book by Steven Rowley! I can't get enough of his work - I love every single one!! This one was a wonderful book about friendship and the value of letting your loved ones know that they're valued.

🌈 Impression: Is it possible that I liked this more than The Guncle? Or maybe I just related to it more?

📖 The Celebrants follows 5 college friends after the death of their 6th leads them to create a pact to hold living funerals for each person to feel loved when they need it most. (TW: this book deals with grief and our own mortality)

💭 Thoughts: Ok, so, I loved this. I could tell it would be good from the start, but I wasn’t expected to become so equally engrossed in each person’s story. It just got better and better the further I read.

👨🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻 The Jordans gave me all the feels.

🐈 Marielle made me want to move to Oregon and rescue animals (but like, that’s not new).

🎨 Craig really grew on me.

🎧 Naomi reminded me that it’s ok to rely on others.

Each celebrant had their own story, but most of the book takes place with the 5 of them together during the ‘funerals’. No two funerals were alike: one made me laugh, one made me cry, and one made me laugh until I cried.

I also LOVED that so much of this book was set in Big Sur and the Bay Area. I loved my time there and am dying to go back. Swipe right for some of my pics from the exact spots discussed in the book (including drinks at Nepenthe)!

Now, go pre-order this! It hits shelves May 29, 2023

You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll want to visit New York and Big Sur!

Another fantastic read from Steven Rowley, an author who’s quickly becoming one of my favorites. I’m very drawn in by his writing style and he has an insane ability to make the story seem so raw and real. I read “The Celebrants” at a time where I was struggling with the stresses and PA school, and because of that, the story really resonated with me. Each of the five characters whose story we follow are well thought-out, fully realized characters who I fell in love with. In particular, The Jordans’s story was near and dear to my heart, and those two are going to be with me for a long time.

This is a story about life after loss, the power of lifelong friendships, and unconditional love and support. If you enjoyed The Guncle, you’ll enjoy this one as well!

I was excited to receive a galley edition via Netgalley of The Celebrants by Steven Rowley, author of The Guncle.

It took me a bit to get into this book. A couple of the adults, the women in particular, seemed very self centered and positively bratty at times.

I am glad I persisted through this because as the book went on we were shown the growth amongst not only them but the others in the group.

It is so very important to communicate our love and appreciation for the people in our lives, not to assume they know but to say it out loud and often. The Celebrants communicates that message to us all. We have one life, let's live it with love and wild abandon.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a galley edition of The Celebrants in exchange for an honest review.

What a story of love, memories, friendship, endurance, and finding oneself. I loved this crew of friends that continue to find their way back to one another not just out of memory, but out of hope and finding their way. Jordan, Jordy, Marielle, Naomi, and Craig met in college and lived to tell about it and through a pact to continue to hold one another up they pulled that thread of friendship connecting them forward. Laughter and tears are the true measure of a beautiful, meaningful and successful read to me!