Hiii! This book captures perfectly what it was like to be a teenager in the early 2000s and totally validates the plights of the millennial and GIRLHOOD! Kate is a girls girl.

I've enjoyed Kate's podcast for a while now and knew that her way with words alone would make this book great! I'm slightly younger than her target demographic, but I could still relate to much of the book. She provides space for thoughtful discussion on often trivialized topics, giving permission for us to enjoy things without second-guessing ourselves. Its a refreshing and fun read, definitely recommend the audio book too for the added spoken inflections that might not come through in just text.

While quite long winded at times, I found this book to be full of nostalgia and the author someone who would’ve seamlessly fit in with my friend group. Recommended for all millennials who had American Girl Dolls and angsty AIM away messages.

This was funny, witty, and had all the nostalgia. As a millennial female I loved being thrown back to all the wild and crazy things we obsessed over in our youth and definitely recommend if you fall in that category. However, this does read more memoir which isn’t how it was described/ marketed but I have zero regrets reading this.

Usually I pop onto NetGalley to do my reviews more or less as soon as I finish a book, but I marinated on this one a few days. I think, in the end... it wasn't for me?

Going back and reviewing the info, it's marketed as a 'commentary on millennial pop culture' but it was... a memoir of a person who was really into pop culture...? And not at all what that pop culture meant to... culture, and how it really affected those that grew up within its grasp.

Kate Kennedy (who I was wholly unfamiliar with prior to reading this book) is only about four-ish years younger than I am, but we experienced a lot of the same things -- in completely different ways. Reading Once in a Millennial was like listening to the little sister of a classmate talk a lot about pop culture of the time, thirty years later. And while that pop culture was really important and formative to all of us who grew up through it (especially us who were raised as girls as media "for girls" is continually undervalued) it really just didn't affect me the same way as it did her. I have fond memories of TGIF nights but the whole boy crazy phase skipped me (and then I turned out to be not straight and very strongly demiromantic/sexual bordering on the "a" part of the spectrum, so, the gap is real) and living my school age life around what boys may think of me just... completely passed me by. So I'm glad she called it "One in a Millennial" and explains it's her very personal experience living through the 90s (00s, and now) and it's fascinating how very different we who grew up in the same era are.

Also, unfortunately, I found the very "I got really into Hamilton during That Period and it obviously affects my writing" rhymes that happen SO OFTEN really distracting and it took away a lot of this reading experience for me. Same goes with the constant trying to see how she could work in every possible pun/play on words/reference as much as possible. I didn't like that! A play on words and a reference is so fun but when it happens SO MUCH it's just distracting and not as clever as it probably felt at the time.

So, not for me, but I can see how a lot of people roughly my age would probably like this a lot.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for review!

An early DNF, I will not review any further due to the ongoing Speak Up SMP boycott on social media platforms.

Wow, this book was spot on and relatable af - I especially appreciate all the commentary on deep topics such as feminism, intersectionality, and the really horrendous misogynistic culture we come from, while also discussing more trivial topics such as popular girl handwriting and boy bands.

That being said, I did find the book WAY TOO LONG, and it was a bit unorganized and chaotic in its delivery. I also found rather then feeling nostalgic at times, it was just very sad.

I feel like I have to start by saying that I love Kate Kennedy’s podcast. I love the range of topics and find her tone and sense of humor very fun. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like that translated super well in print. I found that her fun wordplay (which I love in the context of her podcast) made for kind of a clunky reading experience, and even as a millennial myself, I struggled to get into some of the chapters. The book was at its best when Kate talked about herself vs. the universal “millennial” experience, and I would’ve loved more content about current pop culture (though I know that wasn’t the point of this book). It’s worth a read if you’re a millennial, but I’d probably recommend the audiobook based on my experience reading the physical book.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

A humorous and heart felt take on what it means to grow up as a millennial woman.

This was a little bit of mixed bag - I actually expected this to be a commentary on millennial culture and got what Kate Kennedy, the author, proclaimed this book isn’t - a memoir. Her commentary on her life, feminism and what it means to be a white woman with a whole lot of privilege was funny and achingly familiar at time, but not what I signed up for.

I think this has a specific niche audience (white girl, Lisa frank obsessed loved the spice girls in the most basic of ways type audience) - and not sure how well it would translate outside of the author’s huge, also niche instagram following.

Thanks in advance to Kate Kennedy, Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

When I posted my favorite book of each month from 2023, I got a few questions in my DMs about July’s entry: ONE IN A MILLENNIAL by Kate Kennedy. It felt a little like cheating when I put it on the list because I read an eARC in July in a few gulps while traveling (truly the perfect Amtrak + long drive to the beach companion) and the book finally hit stores yesterday, so it felt like the perfect time to share my long-awaited (by like, three people) review!

As a long-time fan of Kate Kennedy and her podcast, Be There In Five, I’m 99.9% certain that I let out an audible yelp when this eARC landed in my inbox. I had a pretty good feeling that I would be OBSESSED with this book.

Spoiler alert: I was & am obsessed.

ONE IN A MILLENNIAL is an essay collection revolving around pop culture and nostalgia, with a millennial-tinged view of coming of age and navigating the world. Some essays are a bit lighter, while others deal with topics like feminism, and privilege. While this is an essay collection, some of them do skew closer to memoir.

While I’m a bit younger than the intended audience of this book, there were SO many things in here that hit me with a wave of nostalgia (granted, it does not take much to make me feel this way, I feel nostalgic for the 80s when I watch Stranger Things and I was born in 1997). I mean, the discussion of AIM screen names inexplicably involving brand names in order to seem like a cool surfer girl? HELLO, I was quite literally Roxychick199 on AIM.

What I truly loved about this book was that it read EXACTLY like the way the podcast sounds. Kate gets long-winded sometimes (I say with love, as a fellow long-winded gal), and she can’t resist a tangent. I loved how these were delineated as mini essays within the larger pieces. While I’m a fast reader (and ended up reading this in just a few sittings), it’s actually a book that I’d suggest slowing down while reading so you can pick up on all of the inside jokes and pop culture references.

Admittedly, I know Kate Kennedy from her social media presence, but I have not listened to her podcast. That being said, I was excited to hear about her thoughts on Millennial culture, as I am a loud and proud member of the group. The book comprised of several essays that looked into how being a millennial affected the way in which Kennedy grew up, and I enjoyed it quite a lot! This read less like a memoir and more like an examination of a culture. Some of the parts of the book totally resonated with me (like the going OUT out parts) and there were several parts that were truly quite funny. It made me realize that I didn't have the most unique experience myself, as a lot of the topics she broached applied to me as well. The book did a get a bit wordy at times, which was my only critique. Overall, it was good to see the humor in things that I used to take seriously, and I appreciated how much heart Kennedy put into this examination of being a Millennial. I'm still proud to be born when I was, and applaud Kennedy on how she celebrated this specific age group.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

I am a big fan of Kate Kennedy and was very excited for this book. Was happy to see that she was able to translate her content so well into writing. I really enjoyed this book, it was both entertaining and poignant to me as part of her demographic, millenial women. Hope to see more from her.

This is definitely a memoir and that’s not a bad thing, but let’s call it what it is. Kennedy applies social commentary to some of her most triumphant and tragic experiences as a millennial during all the iconic phases - American Girl, gel pens, Spice Girls, etc. She shares about lighthearted topics such as popular girl handwriting, as well as more emotional topics like struggles with fertility.

I genuinely enjoyed her stories and felt a lot of connection to childhood aspects I had long forgotten. Plus I laughed a lot!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A very good look at what its like being a solidly middle class millennial. I enjoyed Kate's thoughts on the 90s and early 2000s.

this was an interesting read. my favorite part was the discussion of girlhood, pop culture, and the way that women are made fun of for the things they like. kate kennedy really hits the spot explaining how girls are made to feel ashamed of their guilty pleasures (meanwhile men are allowed to throw temper tantrums over sports and it’s fine…). the dialogue about being a woman and the emotions and experiences it entails was also very powerful. kennedy’s discussion of her attempts to conceive, the loss she has experienced, and her thoughts on women’s reproductive rights was also stunningly raw and important to hear.

i struggled with the repetitiveness of the millennial concept. obviously i am aware that it’s in the title of the book, but it’s referenced so much that it becomes exhaustive and almost is made to seem like an excuse for sometimes poor behavior? this led to me getting bored and losing interest quite a few times throughout the book. i also had a hard time with the faith elements. this story was kate kennedy’s alone, and it hurt me to see how the church had treated her so poorly that she lost her faith (and how commonly we see that today). i am grateful i still have such a deep relationship with my faith, but it’s difficult to see the harm it can bring to others when shared wrongly.

It feels harsh to rate this book one star, but this was marketed as a millennial book that provides social commentary on friendships, feelings, and fangirls. While these topics are mentioned briefly, it does not add anything to the conversation on millennial culture. Author Kate Kennedy says this is not a memoir but proceeds to go into great detail about specific experiences that occurred in her childhood. This is definitely a memoir. And unfortunately, I lost interest after the first two chapters. I found the so random thoughts boring and felt they could have been left out of this book. The book was already long-winded enough without the extra thoughts. I was really excited when I saw this book because I'm the target demographic for this book. If you like Kennedy's podcast. Maybe you'll enjoy the book, but I'm dnfing this book at the 70% mark because I can't listen/read anymore.

Thank you. St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of One in a Millennial

As a millennial whose life motto is "my culture is pop culture," I eagerly anticipated reading this book. I'm not a regular listener of Be There in Five, but I love Kate and trust her content and "takes" on some pressing pop culture issues. I'm just a bit younger than Kate but loved her recounting of the 90s, 2000s, and today as one subscribed to the millennial zeitgeist. Specifically in the chapters of the 90s, her stories scratched the nostalgic itch ever-present in my brain.

I know she claimed this was NOT a memoir, but I'm not sure how one can write about their experience without it falling in the memoir category. I found myself loving the 90s chapters but thought the narrative slowed a bit as we approached the present. Perhaps because I have not yet started my fertility journey, I found that the closer we got to the present, the less relatable the book became. I thought that some of the book was a little dense, wordy, and repetitive, but it was an enjoyable read nonetheless. I loved the poetic entries to each of the sections as they felt very authentic to Kate and her passion.

Will definitely recommend this to any lover of millennial culture and how they shape our experience as women in the world today!

This was absolutely not for me. I am squarely a millennial, and after chatting with my friends in the minority, but I really felt like the author was leaning SO heavily into being a millennial that it was her only personality trait. I could not relate at all and found myself getting truly annoyed at reading this one. I could not finish it. I know that is not the experience of many of my other female millennial friends, so take this as one persons opinion of an otherwise popular book. But if you prefer a more subtle foray into millennial culture, this is not the book for you. Thank you to the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m the target demographic and tried multiple times to get into this one — even on a plane where I had nothing else to do. Unfortunately, the voice did not jibe with me and it ended up being a DNF.

I adored this book. I thought it would be surface level and overly stereotypical, but Kate Kennedy LIVED IT (this is a memoir, even though it doesn't appear to be on the surface), and I felt myself as a young girl going back and reliving it. I think it really really gripped me with the daybed chapter. I'd all but forgotten about my daybed - steel bars painted white with some sparse pink flower designs in random spots. I was brought back to those sleepovers (never slumber parties) that I'd have at my house, and I found myself smiling and even highlighting in my Kindle (something I literally never do) because it felt so comforting. Kate and I veer in drastically different directions around college age, and I found myself losing interest a tad bit due to not being able to relate at this point, but the book stayed well-written, well-humored, and well-stocked with references that I thoroughly enjoyed throughout.

I do also appreciate the millennial pink cover.