a story of friendship that demonstrates how naive we can be when we are young. Discovering how life changes friendship....it's a good character-driven (as another reviewer said below) story. I like this kid of book and enjoyed it. I recommend.

Loved these characters. It was such a perfect sorry of their college life and their years after. I didn’t think the aha moment was so powerful. I wanted a little more but it was a great story overall

🎭 BOOK REVIEW 🎭

Synopsis: It is 2006 and Rachel, Clarissa, Dev, and Nate are best friends, seniors on the eve of their college graduation. Their whole lives are before them, at once full of promise and anxiety. Bound to one another as they are, they imagine their closeness will last forever—but things change as they take their first steps away from one another and into adulthood.
Each year is told from one character’s point of view, and in that way, we stride swiftly through their lives. These four friends feel their twenties and thirties flying by, and suddenly small moments fast become regrets or unexpected boons, decisions they’ll spend years wishing they could undo and choices that come to define them. As the foursome endure professional setbacks, deep loss, and creative success, fortunes shift and friendships strain—and it will take a tragic turn of events to bring them together again.


Review: I was really getting into this book when out of nowhere an in-depth Harry Potter reference was dropped. Given that this book was published August 2023, it is beyond unacceptable that the author didn’t know about the harm these references cause to trans folk. In addition, the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC main characters are not written from an own voices perspective. Given that cis het white women cannot possibly know the lived experiences of these characters, I chose to DNF at 61%. I liked the premise of the book and was enjoying the writing. However, I feel my time, and others, will be better spent reading own voices narratives, or those that don’t wrongly write these perspectives. My Bookstagram is a safe place for all, and I do not tolerate any HP references of any kind.

Tw: cancer, drink-spiking, sexual assault, and victim blaming.

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This is a general fiction story following 4 best friends from college that largely takes place in New York City and Chicago. It spans about 15 years from their college graduation into the modern day and follows them in their post-grad successes and failures. The story is told in multiple POVs which I really enjoy overall because I think it keeps things interesting. I think my favorite POVs in this novel were the 2 girls- Rachel and Clarissa. I liked their characters and storylines the best. The boys POVs were a little boring to me, especially Nate’s, and I found myself trying to speed through their chapters to get back to the girls. I like how all of them had pretty different post-grad trajectories despite them all ending up in New York. The story also felt realistic and wasn’t too cookie cutter or trying to show a perfect life. For the most part, I did enjoy this novel. My biggest critique was it got a little too political (especially near the end). Generally speaking, I prefer not to read about politics in works of fiction whether or not the book shares my views. I understand that it was added to bring the story home a little more and was relevant to the circumstances of the characters, but it actually ended up pulling me out of the story a little bit.

I still liked this book a lot and would recommend it!

I really enjoyed this book on a group of four friends and how their lives change over many years. There isn’t much of a plot to the story it is a very character driven book as we follow these four friends. It is well written and shows how friendships change over time as you grow older and your own life changes. This story makes you think about your own friends.

3.5/5

I love a multiple perspective book. For some reason, they make me never want to put the book down!

This book is slower paced which made it hard to keep reading at some points. It’s shows a very messy and complicated friendship.

I can’t wait to see what Lauryn Chamberlain writes next!

Who We Are Now by Lauryn Chamberlain

Are you a fan of F•R•I•E•N•D•S, Virgin River, and Gilmore Girls? If so, grab your blanket and get cozy because this book is for you! I really loved reading this book. Readers meet Dev, Clarissa, Rachel, and Nate. They are four friends, and we follow their journeys over fifteen years. As life is, we are taken on a ride that’s messy, filled with drama, and complicated.

Some content warnings: alcoholism, drug addiction, parents with cancer, death of a friend. That said, this is a beautiful story! Told over 15 years of friendship, it’s a sliding doors that really prompts us to ask those “what if” questions (you know the ones I mean).

Hailed by reviewers as, “one of the best contemporary fiction novels coming out this year” it’s also been paired for its writing, continuity, and the different POVs. I highly agree, so there’s no need to repeat, so let me just say this story is a quick read that’s powerfully unique.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a temporary digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was sadly a book I started and had to put down. I just couldn’t get into the story and found it to be slow to start. However I do plan to try again when the mood strikes.

"Who We Are Now" is an intensely readable, enjoyable story of 4 friends who come together and drift apart as they graduate college and find themselves in the real world. They are all flawed in some way, which I like, since it makes it that much more realistic. I could feel the tension between them as they grew older and more distant. Each one has their own dream, whether it be writing a novel, being a successful stand up comedian, or just surviving mid 20s life in a big city. It starts with a bit of a twist that I didn't think was entirely necessary, as it didn't add much on to the book itself.

This book follows four friends over the course of 12 years. We’re introduced to Rachel, Dev, Nate, and Clarissa on the day of their college graduation. Their group, together since freshman year, is splitting up. Clarissa is staying in Chicago to start her stand-up career. Nate got a job at a major financial group. Rachel got a job in publishing. Dev isn’t sure what he wants to do anymore, but eventually joins Nate at his place in New York while he figures it out. The book is broken into three parts of a year per chapter. And as we move from chapter to chapter, we switch characters, getting each voice and challenge as Ms. Chamberlain moves the story along. They show their jealousies and challenges. Nate goes through the 2008 financial crisis and falls apart as the years move on. Dev writes a book, making Rachel jealous (but happy for him) as she always thought she’d be the published author. Clarissa falls in love with Rebecca, but can’t bring herself to tell her religious family. Sometimes a slow read, but changing character viewpoints to move the story along really works here.

really good book and kept me on my on my toes of what would happen. really enjoyed the characters and their journey and would read this author again.

Graduation is a time of change. Graduation from high school is generally filled with optimism, as people rush off to spend their first years away from home. They form those revered stereotypical relationships in sororities and fraternities, finally finding the people that are “in your tribe”. People learn how to take care of themselves - fix meals, clean, do laundry, and party. For Rachel, Nate, Dev and Clarissa, Northwestern University brought them all together.

This novel, the sophomore effort from Lauryn Chamberlain, spans the fifteen year period in which the protagonists find success and failure. One even finds the end if their life.

Starting a novel off at a funeral isn’t always a good choice. Even though the deceased isn’t identified, I found it was pretty obvious from the jump. That gave me part of the who, but I didn’t know the why. I will give her kudos for the answer to that latter question not being obvious.

As someone way past my thirties, I can view this through a lens of nostalgia. I did go to university, but did not reside there, To be clear, this isn’t a novel where Someone Must Overcome Something. It’s simply a telling of what happens to four people who thought they’d be friends forever, and then discover that may not be the case.

It also shows that surrounding make a difference, None of these people really have to worry about money. It is more a novel about the upper and middle classes. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it actually does make for a much easier read. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as close to the characters as I wanted. Each chapter focuses on a different person, but the use of third person can alienate the reader. I think I would have preferred that, but then again, that’s also almost the norm now, There were also very few plot twists.

There is an irony in making the traditional new again. This was an entertaining, quick read. It may not have resonated with me permanently, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you just want to read about everyday people trying to figure it all out. And there is also solace is knowing that we all find our way and our own form of success however that is defined, That definition should also be a very personal one.

Also - the release date of August for this novel is perfect, as back-to-school is happening right now.

as part of a friendship foursome, i loved this book and plan to recommend it to my besties for our next book club pick. this was friendship fiction at its best. heartbreaking and heartwarming and completely bittersweet.

This was a great coming of age story of four college students. The story was beautifully written from the perspective of all four friends. The way that there lives changed, how their friendships changed. Some of them grew apart, some got closer. The author made all the characters relatable, the story flowed well and there was closer with all of the stories. There was no guessing what happened with any of the characters. I would definitely read another story by this author!

I just loved Who We Are Now!! A wonderfully endearing coming of age for a group of recent college grads. First jobs, first loves, alcohol, drug addiction, all the highs and lows that young people trying to figure out their place in the world.

Each chapter follows one of the four: Clarrisa, Rachel, Dev, and Nate, their particular struggles at the time but we also see the others and know how their lives are going. Told over more than a decade, it is easily relatable. I graduated from college many decades ago, but I can definitely remember the struggle to figure out my career and my personal life and how my choices differed or were in synch with certain friends.

Highly recommend this book and all the emotions that it brings.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Who We Are Now follows 4 college friends, from graduation day through the following 15 years. Each year is told from a different characters' perspective. I absolutely loved the way this book was set up! I also loved reliving history as the 4 friends dealt with addiction, sexuality, marriage, friendship, cancer, and the Wall Street crash. Sorta like a modern day Big Chill!

I loved the construction of this book with the chapters alternating between our four characters and the timeline advancing a year with each chapter. The story follows four best friends — two men and two women — as they transition from college into their late 20s and 30s. I enjoyed the themes of coming of age, discovering your identity, and the ebbs and flows of friendship. A solid character-driven novel.

This is such a relatable, honest, nostalgic, and coming of age novel. From college to becoming adults, Chamberlain takes you through 4 friends point of views, during 3 different decades. Decoding the “sliding doors” in life and rethinking decisions they made and the “what ifs” of life as you navigate growing up.

It was so real and raw. I especially enjoyed her talking about when you know a part of your life is ending and the future is looking great—however in that moment you can feel a grief almost. I think it’s not talked about as much that two emotions can exist at a time in a persons life. And she does an exceptional job at writing this.

Who We Are Now begins in 2006 and follows besties Rachel, Clarissa, Dev and Nate, moving ahead one year each chapter as their post-college lives unfold. Here’s a snippet from the synopsis:
“Each year is told from one character's point of view, and in that way, we stride swiftly through their lives. These four friends feel their twenties and thirties flying by, and suddenly small moments fast become regrets or unexpected decisions they'll spend years wishing they could undo and choices that come to define them.

I loved how Who We Are Now, is told through multiple points of view, Rachel, Clarissa, Dev, and Nate. All bringing to light their emotions and their truths in each of their friendships. The intense, close bonds somewhat shattered as they each went off into the world. Developing and emerging into the grownup version of themselves. Trying to bring their dreams to life. Trying to stay friends, when everything around them has been altered into a new reality. Their lives tightly entwined.

While generally entertaining, I did find some of the characters' storylines to be a bit tepid, vanilla, and predictable. You can see where their lives are headed from a million miles away, and as predicted, they follow down the exact path that you expected them to. While there is nothing inherently wrong with that, it doesn't make for the most exciting reading.

The story takes place between New York and Chicago. However, I think readers from other parts of the country can relate to the characters. If you enjoy character based novels, this is a good one.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for this review

This book fell flat for me. The characters lacked depth, and the storylines were predictable. Others may enjoy it but it wasn't for me.