https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5145254919I'm not sure if it's me or a new trend but for the umpteenth time this year I find myself thinking: "This book did not need to be this long". Yes, I know it's not that long, but it could have been much shorter and that's my point.

The premise of this book is great. After the suicide of one member of their group, four friends from college decide to make a pact: whenever one of them will be at a low point in life and in need of support, the others will gather and throw them a fake funeral to celebrate them and tell them how important they are and that things will turn out well.
The story begins when Jordan gathers his friends for his fake funeral, but the others don't know that his cancer is back and this funeral is meant to be his goodbye. So we alternate between the present storyline and (way too long) chapters showing the others' fake funerals, why they happened and how they went.

Again, great concept but I wasn't quite convinced by the execution.
Yes, I loved seeing how the friendship was born, how they were affected by their friends' suicide and what led each friend to ask the others to gather for a fake funeral but the fake funeral's chapters felt way too long, not only because the author had to introduce the friend who'd be the protagonist of that chapter but also because he had to catch us up on their life enough to make the reader understand why they had asked for the fake funeral. And, if that wasn't enough, there were so many other details and conversations and events (like the mushrooms one 0n the ferry, that was so useless) that had and served no purpose and only made those chapters drag even more.

And contrary to what happened with The Guncle, apart from Jordan and his husband Jordy, I couldn't really connect much to the other characters. So, even if I enjoyed the bickering, I wasn't attached to them enough to care for their life struggles.

Steven Rowley is great at creating "drama" and balancing lightheartedness and seriousness in a way that feels just right - and he's also great at narrating his own books, but I enjoyed The Guncle much more than this.

Steven Rowley has a way of writing characters that become so beloved and stories that are funny and heartbreaking at the same time.

The Celebrants is the story of five people who met at college that get together any time anyone has a very hard time called “funerals” which brings everyone together to celebrate the person they are having the funeral for to remind themselves that life is worth living. As with all friends and found families, there are secrets and things that come out through these funerals but these friends are there for it. What started because of the death of a friend helps this group through divorces and the death of parents, criminal activity and other major life occurrences. This is a beautiful story of friendship and family.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Celebrants
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Steven Rowley

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: It’s been a minute—or five years—since Jordan Vargas last saw his college friends, and twenty-eight years since their graduation when their adult lives officially began. Now Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle find themselves at the brink of a new decade, with all the responsibilities of adulthood, yet no closer to having their lives figured out. Though not for a lack of trying. Over the years they’ve reunited in Big Sur to honor a decades-old pact to throw each other living “funerals,” celebrations to remind themselves that life is worth living—that their lives mean something, to one another if not to themselves.

But this reunion is different. They’re not gathered as they were to bolster Marielle as her marriage crumbled, to lift Naomi after her parents died, or to intervene when Craig pleaded guilty to art fraud. This time, Jordan is sitting on a secret that will upend their pact.

My Thoughts: Rowley has this way with his storytelling ability, to bring about emotions and even buried feelings from the past, within yourself. When reading Rowley’s books, you will laugh, cry, smile, and zone out of everything else but the words in front of you. Rowley recreates “The Big Chill” and modernizes the classic. The story opens with the anniversary of a friendship spanning almost three decades and celebrating their college friend who passed way too soon.

The story is narrated over the last three decades, with each section being on a particular member of this friend group. This story has an eclectic group of characters. The Jordans, a very beautiful loving couple who are facing a life altering surprising fact; Marielle, who just went through a heart wrenching divorce; Craig, an enduring friend to all members of the group; and finally, Naomi, encapsulated in grief after her parent’s tragic death. Three decades of life have taken its toll on the group, as life tends to do. This story is about friendships, life on life’s terms, and how family is what make of it. The characters were fleshed out extremely well with depth, emotion, witty, and creatively designed. The author’s writing style was complex, beautiful, poignant, humorous, thought provoking, and absolutely engaging. The author’s ability to mimic real life with these characters creates a relatable environment that touches you to the core.

This story was very heartwarming and puts you on a rollercoaster of emotions. This story was a tribute to life long friends that are more like family than your blood, through the hardships, through the celebrations, and just through life. Through life, even the really hard times, it is so important to laugh and not take everything so seriously. I highly recommend picking up this book, or audiobook, today!

Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig and Marielle are college friends who made a pact twenty-eight years ago to throw each other living “funerals” whenever they need help remembering that life is worth living - even in their darkest moments. This reunion is different because Jordan has a secret that may end the pact.

I really enjoyed this. I loved the idea of celebrating your friends - and telling them how much they mean to you - before its too late. Steven Rowley has a way of writing sad things is the funniest ways. I loved each of the characters, and I loved their relationships with each other.

This book felt like a big hug. Rowley rights, my favorite characters. I’m binge watching Schitts creek right now and I feel like this has similar vibes in the sense that it just makes your heart happy and you giggle a little. I was such a fan of the Guncle and was over the moon when I got early copy of this.

Overall, this is such a must read for everyone you won’t regret it.

I was expecting to immediately be wrapped up in this book the way I was with the Guncle but I couldn't get into it at all. I won't blame the book entirely it could have been me I might not have been in the right place for it I don't know it just didn't even feel like the same author to me to be honest.

The Celebrants is a wonderful story full of jokes, full of banter, and full of heart. You’ll laugh and you’ll cry, guaranteed. I’d recommend it to anyone comfortable with the content warnings.

The Celebrants chronicles the post-college lives of 5 friends: Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle. Shortly before graduation, they promise to celebrate each other’s funerals while they’re still living to remind themselves that life is worth living and how much they mean to each other.

You’re probably thinking:
(a) This sounds maudlin. I know. But it’s executed in a much more celebratory fashion, hence The Celebrants and not The Mourners. (Fair warning, it’s still sad though!)
(b) The “college friend group reunites on vacation” trope is so played out. Again, I know. But the “living funerals” concept keeps the book feeling fresh. I saw someone say that it’s The Big Chill meets Four Weddings and A Funeral and that is SPOT. ON.

Frankly, it’s just such a well executed book that I can get past the morbid sentimentality and commonness of the trope. Here’s what worked well:
- The structure is really neat - there’s a chapter for each Celebrant, all leading up to a big event for Jordan.
- The characterization is fantastic - each character feels real and develops believably as the story goes along - EVEN the character who predeceases the story.
- I’m not really sure what to call this, but I felt like I was living life right alongside the characters. The story spends more time on the day-to-day lives of each character rather than on the big days, which feels so true to life.

Thank you to Netgalley, Putnam, and Steven Rowley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

A beautiful, funny, emotional story about a group of college friends who reconvene at challenging times in their lives to hold living funerals for one another -- taking a moment to remind someone that they are important and they are loved. I can say enough good things about this book. It's simply a wonderful reading experience.

The Celebrants was a book that I instantly fell in love with. The group of friends who go through an unspeakable tragedy together and make a pact to hold living funerals for each other in times of need - what an amazing storyline. I loved to see how the characters would drift apart only to come crashing back together for a funeral and rebuilding those bonds. I loved the idea of found family and having that family share what you mean to them in your darkest hour to help you stay strong. This book had me laughing and in tears but in the best way.

This group of friends felt real and authentic. Things happen in life that separate us and change relationships, and that’s ok. I don’t know if I would want to have a “funeral” before I died, but I do love the thought of letting the people you love know how you feel about them while we are still here. It didn’t live up to The Guncle for me, but I doubt many books ever will 💛

Steven Rowley is becoming one of my favorite authors. Every book I’ve read of his has invoked depth of emotion. While The Guncle may always be my favorite, The Celebrants felt like a book I didn’t know I needed at this juncture of my life.

I really, really wanted to love this book. I found myself putting it down or getting distracted every time I would start reading. I had trouble getting into the story and found keeping up with the different characters difficult. The plot is good and the overall message is great. This book will definitely appeal to some readers, but unfortunately, it just wasn't the book for me.

Have you ever wanted to hear what people would say about you at your own funeral? Is it too late to express how much someone means to you and how much you love them once they are gone?

The friend group in this book has that same thought after losing a friend of theirs in college to a drug-related death. Was it an overdose? Was it suicide? They had so much to say to him and could have made him feel loved and seen if they had the time. So, they make a pact that each has a one-time "funeral pass" to gather them all together for a living funeral, where the rest of the group will tell them how they feel and kickstart their life again.

This book has a pretty large cast of characters, and that can be a bit hard to follow. Also, it is full of ALL OF THE FEELS. So, although it has a heartwarming core, it's not a light or breezy read. While reading, I had a few times where I had to put it down for something more lighthearted. It's a meaningful and powerful story, but definitely has a slow burn to it, and requires you to buckle up and go along for the ride.

Unfortunately there were so many characters, I kept getting lost. guncle is a fav of all time but this one felt a little hard to follow with all the characters. Incredible plot idea. Looking forward to the next.

It’s ironic that Steven Rowley’s new novel is called The Celebrants because the celebrant in this situation is actually ME.

Here is a quick look at the life cycle of a Steven Rowley stan:
1. eagerly anticipate new release
2. purchase book the day it comes out
3. put on your bookshelf to look at adoringly
4. put off reading because you don’t want it to be over already
5. stress over not having read it and worry about seeing spoilers
6. give in to temptation and read the book in one sitting while wearing your favorite guncle-inspired kaftan
7. laugh, cry, process your emotions from the story
8. reread his other novels while he works on something new
9. start over at #1

After going through the unexpected death of their best friend Alec, a group of college friends make a pact to stay in touch after graduation and hold funerals for each person before they pass to make sure they leave nothing unsaid to their loved ones.

Told in alternating points of view, this story is broken into different parts focusing on the remaining five people in the friend group and the circumstances around their pre-funerals.

Decades have passed since they made their pact, and now one friend calls the group together one last time because he’s received a grim diagnosis and needs the celebrants to help prepare him for the end.

Steven Rowley’s books are the gold standard for contemporary fiction. It’s like you can see his beating heart on every single page. His writing stands out in such a specific way because he can take a normal shared human experience and craft it into something totally new that reaches the reader on a deeper and more thought-provoking level. With each new book he writes, you already know going in that you will laugh a lot, cry even more, and your heart will be touched forever.

The Celebrants isn’t just a story about a silly pact made by a group of kids. It’s a fresh and authentic look at friendship, first love, chosen family, parenthood, finding your purpose, and living each day as your last.

“My purpose, in this life, has been to love and spend it with you. I don't want us to be sad. Or bitter, or angry. I want to celebrate until it is over. And, when I'm gone, I want you to celebrate again because it happened."

Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, and my zaddy Steven Rowley for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest feedback!

The Guncle was one of the best books I read in 2022, so I didn't know how Rowley could do it again with the Celebrants, but he did. I loved hearing the different stories of the group of college friends. Of their struggles and pains and how, when needed, they came back together to help each other. Plus the nod to one of my favorite bookstagrammers was great!

I love Steven Rowley! This book was just not for me though :( I think it had too many narrators and timelines and wasn't the writing style that makes me want to keep turning "just one more page."

Steven Rowley sure knows how to make sure readers will both laugh and cry and feel all the feels. It was clear that this book was written from the heart, and may have included some experiences or details from his personal life. I only wish this book had been longer to be able to better know and understand each character. Steven Rowley was an auto-buy author for me before this book, but unsurprisingly he will remain on that list.

"The Celebrants" by Steven Rowley is a poignant and captivating book that takes readers on a journey spanning twenty-eight years, from 1995 to 2023. What drew me in was the unique structure of the story, with each section dedicated to a different character, allowing us to witness their lives unfold after college. The concept of celebrating each other's lives when it's most needed may sound morbid, but Rowley masterfully infuses the narrative with compassion, humor, and love.

As I turned the pages, I couldn't help but reflect on the importance of cherishing friendships. The book beautifully showcases the joys, sorrows, and complexities of relationships, reminding us of the profound impact friends can have on our lives. It reaffirmed the significance of expressing love and appreciation to those we hold dear, long before it's too late.
Rowley's writing effortlessly blends emotional depth, witty dialogue, and heartfelt moments. The characters feel remarkably genuine, making their struggles and triumphs all the more relatable. Throughout the story, there is a seamless balance between laughter and tears, leaving me both uplifted and moved.

In a world where true connections can sometimes be hard to come by, "The Celebrants" serves as a reminder of the power of friendship and the need to celebrate life's precious moments. It is a book that touched my heart and left a lasting impression. I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a captivating, emotional, and ultimately, life-affirming read.

A slow burn friendship novel for fans of The Big Chill and Rowley's other works, this is a good book about a good group of friends from various walks of life and with various problems (and solutions). It will make you laugh, make you cry, and when it's all over, you'll be calling (or texting) your group of Celebrants, too.