I love Kate's longform, nostalgic podcast Be There in Five, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review her new book, One in a Millennial. It was everything I hoped it would be. Her book of essays about growing up a millennial literally brought me right back to my childhood and had me texting my best friend "Remember when?" multiple times in one week.
My only criticism is at times she can be wordy, but since knowing her from her podcast that she proudly deems as "longform", this is clearly to be expected....And boy, does she really does have a way with words.
I felt understood. At times, I thought "Hey, I wasn't making this up; this really did happen!" "Rain sticks, yessss!" Seldom moments in the book did I feel a little detached (the religious, Jesus camp stuff didn't really resonate with me, but did at the same time....Long story).
I can't wait to read more of Kate's books, because she has such potential in her writing. And let's be honest, there needs to be a whole damn book about how boyband culture shaped our views on love as millennials.
Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Life has the ability to change in an instant and sometimes there are moments in life that we will forever define as what happened before this incident and what happened after.
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Kate Baker’s young daughter Olivia vanishes among the waves on a beach vacation in a heart-racing, eyes wide moment, only to resurface a moment later. Told through parallel storylines, one where Olivia resurfaces and one that she doesn’t, this book gave off TJR, Maybe in Another Life Vibes and I was here for it.
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Readers witness Kate's journey through grief, loss, and a custody battle, exploring the profound impact of different kinds of loss. This thought-provoking book challenges readers to live with eyes wide open.

Once in a Millennial explores the unique challenges of growing up as a Millennial. Kate Kennedy takes us through the experience with layers of nostalgia, witty pop culture references and personal anecdotes. As a female millennial who also loves thinking about and talking about the "why" we are the way we are, this book hit the mark.

Special shout outs to the 10 Things I Hate About You and Legally Blonde analysis. I also felt especially seen by the Chi hair straightener, going out shirt and wanting to be a designer jean girl discussions. Kate really has away of verbalizing experiences that are ubiquitous but hard to describe.

This book is a meld of cultural commentary and memoir, on what it means to be a female millennial and why. I highly recommend it to millennials, Be There in Five fans and people interested in cultural commentary in general. I read a copy of this book but I think it would be especially great on audiobook. A lot of the chapters feel like Kate is talking directly to you and can imagine myself loving this book on a road trip. Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

One of the most relatable and skillfully crafted memoirs I've read in a while. It's so FUNNY and it made me feel seen and heard. As someone who is growing up as a "Zillenial", I felt like I could relate to so many of the topics Kate discussed and it's nice to know that I'm not alone in this crazy journey!

Proud Millennial here. These chapters are way too long and meandering for a memoir. I tried to keep up with where I think she was trying to go but it just seemed like it took her forever to get to the point. I loved the nostalgia and at times I did feel like I’ve never had an original life experience but this needed some hard editing.

First let me start out by saying I am a through and through physical book girlie. Receiving a digital ARC was great, but the pages to turn on an e-book will forever confuse me. Oops I bumped it ahead 3 pages, or was it 4? Each time I did this (a lot) I got excited 1) because I was elongating the amount of time I could check out and feel the nostalgia and 2) because even if I re-read a page or two on my quest to get back to my original spot, I took something new away from the story I read, a new memory unlocked, or just experiencing the general easiness of Kate's words. I can't wait for the physical copy, I can't wait for the audiobook, I will be consuming every form until further notice to feel the hug that is One in a Millennial.

One In A Millennial is Kate Kennedy’s hilarious, yet poignant commentary on the experiences and nostalgia to which many women in their 30s can relate.

As an enthusiast of Kate’s podcast, Be There In Five, this collection of essays shares her clever command of the English language (word play all day!) and contains a stunning analysis of the often maligned culture of a generation.

Are there an excessive number of references to Limited Too? Perhaps. But is she also able to so perfectly articulate the contradictory and impossible expectations placed upon women in our society from the moment they are born? YES! And there are many laugh out loud moments and references that make Kate feel like an old friend you maybe snuck out of the house with to perform a séance in a nearby cemetery. IYKYK.

If this title piques your interest, buy a couple extra copies to pass on to your BFFs; I already did.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I've been listening to Kate Kennedy's podcast for a couple of years now, and I was so excited to get to read an ARC of One in a Millennial. This was such a fun, witty, and engaging read. This book is a great look into how pop culture helps shape us and the nostalgia we feel toward it.

I'm not familiar with Kate Kennedy, as I'm not active on major social media and don't listen to podcasts. I wanted to read One in a Millennial because of my generational pride and desperate need for us to be taken seriously--so this did not disappoint.

These essays were incredibly fun, poignant and relatable (to me--I know not everyone will vibe with all of these very specific slice-of-life adventures.) Kennedy reminds us that our past experiences matter, even when people were telling us, as they were happening, that they don't. Coming of age in the 90s and early 2000s was special and complicated and she does an excellent job of illustrating why. I also automatically love any poem that references lyrics to the Hey Dude and Salute Your Shorts theme songs, as they are tattooed on my brain for all of eternity.

The overlong rambling and cutesy word play were a bit much for my personal taste, but she calls herself out on it and I can appreciate that that is her style and she owns it. Do your thing, girl.

Thanks to the publisher and NG!

This book was filled with nostalgia. I am a little older than the author but I did still find some similarities in what she wrote about and it was a fun read. I did not relate to all references as a black woman, however, it was still fun and enjoyable. I would recommend it.

Pros: I assumed I would love this book because of how much I enjoy the author on Instagram and on her podcast Be There In Five, and it was everything I hoped it would be. Kate Kennedy’s voice is genuine, thoughtful, vulnerable, smart, and funny. My favorite thing about her is how relatable she is, which I know has a lot to do with us being the same age and having the same pop culture references (American Girl Dolls! Gilmore Girls! Boy Bands!). My favorite section was about the 1990s, especially the essay about faith/evangelicalism/purity culture.

I plan to read this again on audiobook because the author reads it, and I would love to hear the book in her voice as I’m so used to hearing it on her podcast.

Cons: Although I gave this book 5 stars (which I almost never do), I don’t think this will be the perfect book for every reader because it is an examination of a specific generation. I think readers who are not as close in age to the author will enjoy the book but not deeply connect with it like millennials will.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book.

My sister in law molly introduced me to Kate Kennedy a few years ago. She’s become a bonding touchstone for us with her relatable millennial ways. So naturally we both freaked when she announced her book. And then I freaked again when I got an eARC of said book.

As someone who lets annual rewatches of gilmore girls and the church of Taylor swift rule their life as well, I knew this would be the book for me. This book was a miserable and magical look back (in the daybed if you will) it dug deep into the darkest corners of my lil brain and remembered all the best and worst parts of the 90s/00s experience. It isn’t a book everyone is going to love and understand and I think Kate does a great job of being transparent about that in her writing. She has pigeonholed the pop culture girly of the early aughts who has some serious religious trauma she is still unpacking into adulthood. Kate has a very special way of making niche people and occasions feel seen I love the heart and soul she puts into her writing. I think this book, much like the Barbie movie, was made for women to take up space and shout their interests loud and proud leaning into their girlhood parts they never fully outgrew. A lot of the now chapter does seem like a long form pod ep with the ranting and the rambling, but isn’t that why we love her? I thank her for sharing what she does with us, we aren’t owed any of it but I’m happy she exists to share.

Thank you St. Martin’s press, netgalley and of course Kate Kennedy for allowing me to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-galley of ONE IN A MILLENNIAL to read in advance! This book will be published in January 2024!

Kate Kennedy takes a look at what it means to be a millennial. From beginning with dial-up internet to holding it in the palm of your hand, purity culture, and financial crisis, millennials have seen a lot. Pop podcaster Kate Kennedy tells hilarious anecdotes with a little levity in what it means to be part of Generation Y, born between 1981 and 1996.

This was the nonfiction book I didn't know I needed. I connected with so many stories from Kate's own life, and cackled at some of the references. Other portions brought tears to my eyes as different emotions were stirred up. I also was left wondering and reflecting if some of the things she mentioned affected me in the same way. My only "issue" with the book (and I use that word lightly) is how often she uses the word, "zeitgeist." Which was probably on purpose. Kate Kennedy wrote a book I think most millennials will connect with and enjoy. Even if you don't like non-fiction, give the audiobook a try! As a professional podcast creator, Kate narrates her own words, which is sure to bring them to life.

ARC releasing 1/24/24. A series of essays on Millennial pop culture. The author has a popular podcast but I’ve never heard of it; I simply picked up this book because I’m a sucker for nostalgia. I enjoyed this but felt it was more memoir and personal compared to just a dive on pop culture. Although I enjoyed those moments as I too have personal stories around AIM, fandoms, and being deeply insecure throughout in my younger years, it’s not what I wanted to read about. Enjoyable overall, but not necessarily what I wanted from this book.

One in a Millenial is a series of essays that made me feel seen and heard! The trip down memory lane and all of the pop culture references had me feeling all of the nostalgia! Funny, engaging, and relatable!

I've been following Kate (hi Beths!) for years and was so excited to have the opportunity to read her highly anticipated book! It was chock full of nostalgia - give me plenty of moments of reminiscing about AIM away messages and burned CDs! Fair warning, I do think I enjoyed the content quite a bit more as someone who has an almost identical demographic of KK.
A must read for millennials looking for a trip down memory lane that doesn't require dusting off your old yearbook or flipping through yellowed photo albums!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Kate Kennedy for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book spoke to me on so many levels and it's not just because I can relate to every pop culture idiom that the author discussed. Honestly, I believe that each poem that the parts of this book began with was a fever dream of mine, because I can relate to every single word. From childhood, through college, and into adulthood, the stories within precisely identified the thoughts and feelings of being a female millennial. Thank you for giving a voice to the generation that cared too much about fitting in but couldn't be closer to a band of misfits. For all the millennial zeitgeist that this book stands for, this book should forever be part of this zeitgeist. The truth is that I loved this book and I dare you to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

This was a really fun read! I'm not a millennial (born in 1972), but I still appreciated and was familiar with so many of the pop culture references, and it was a fun journey down memory lane.

I've never listened to Kate's podcast, but have heard of her show before, and may take a listen now that I've read her book. She is definitely passionate about this topic, and her love for it really comes through in her writing.

A few little things that annoyed me about the book:
--chapters are too long (could really be condensed, as there is a bit of repetition and just general wordiness).
--too many references to "the zeitgeist"
--also, she used the "Limited To" joke way too many times
--I thought her word-play was really clever and funny and super-creative. That being said, while I enjoyed it immensely in the first half of the book, by the second half I found it tiresome and overdone.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4⭐️ First off, reading this title has me immediately singing “You’re One in a Million” from “Miss Congeniality,” which is exactly the vibe of this book. It’s like @katekennedy from @bethereinfive is inside my head and wrote a book describing my same childhood angst and love for nostalgia as a true millennial.

I enjoyed this so much. Kate is so clever with her plays on words. All her 90s-2000s references, even ones I thought were obscure memories unique to my childhood, showed that there really is something special about the millennial girl experience — and that we should own it in all its American Girl / Spice Girl / Andie “How To” Anderson glory.

This book is light yet also covers deeper, serious topics like feminism (my jam) and mental health. I also learned a vital lesson on how judgy of a person I am over people who are into “basic” things — why *not* just let people like what they like and enjoy that pumpkin spice latte and T-Swift fandom with no abandon? So I’m committed to ceasing my Judge Judy ways (because honestly, I can be basic myself and who cares).

Anyway, I loved this book and I just adore Kate (I say this like I know her). It felt like I was a reading a long note passed to me in middle school from a friend. With M.A.S.H. in it.

All the nostalgia and all the millennial vibes! This book took me back to my childhood and reminded of all the good days. It was an easy read and made me feel SEEN! It was super funny and I enjoyed it!

Thank you for the free eCopy!