Such a good short fun read, especially if you’re already millennial. Be prepared to go for some memory trips down memory lane and not be bored along the way.

Kennedy's book claims to be a look back at the pop culture that shaped her and the rest of her millennial generation, but it's really more of a memoir than anything else. Told with Kennedy's trademark wit and wordplay, the book also suffers from the same weaknesses as her popular podcast in that it could have used a stronger editing hand. Still, there's a lot to like here, especially if you were also in the same demographic as Kennedy was growing up (white, upper middle class, and Christian). Plenty of humor and nostalgia to go around, though the book loses steam near the end as she focuses on adulthood and motherhood.

If you're going to write a memoir, market it as a memoir.

I feel as though I was tricked into reading this book, the ol' bait and switch.
Come read this pop culture social commentary, but it's actually the stories of one person's experience growing up in the 90s and 2000s. The issue is I don't know who this person is, so I did not have any real desire to read about her obsession with American Girl, or her feelings on slumber parties.

Some parts I could relate to, like the allure of a daybed, but for the most part I was not interested in what I was reading.
There was also a sneaky amount of religious talk in here, which I am not a fan of. Maybe if I knew who this author was, and knew it was a memoir, I would have known to expect that. Or if the synopsis mentioned it ?

The synopsis says

"Kate navigates the complicated nature of celebrating and criticizing the culture that shaped her as a woman"

But it was less about the culture and more about her being shaped as a woman.

Having grown up in the 90s myself, it was quite nostalgic, but felt like a 90s name drop, squeezing in as many 90s references as possible, without adding any substance.

While its reasonable to expect some personal anecdotes in books like this, I thought it was going to be an informative read, but it wasn't, it was just someone's opinions on a variety of subjects.
There were some interesting parts about the pressure society puts on women at a young age, marketing games focusing on shopping, and crushes (I too had the game Mall Madness, and all the girl talk games) it was fleeting.
Had the book been focused more on the effect this had on a generation as a whole, which is what I was expecting, or maybe stories from many people and not juts one, I would have enjoyed this one a lot more.

In the end this was not for me.

I love this! What girlhood feels like as a millennial in the best way. I was shaking my head, cringing, laughing and crying but WOW so enjoyable!

Not much to say that hasn't already been said. This book had me nodding along vigorously throughout many of the sections. As someone who spent many a night on a trundle bed in my best friend's room, I could absolutely relate.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4

One in a Millennial was a quick and entertaining read for this "millennial" who used to be VERY proud of my large burnt C.D. collection. There are so many 90s-early 2000s pop culture references so it was a fun little ride down memory lane. I think anybody who grew up in this time frame will enjoy this one. While I do think I would have enjoyed it more had it not read like a list of millennial things in the author's upbringing, I highly appreciate the nostalgia factor it brought.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

One in a Millennial is both a love letter to the late 90's/early aughts as well as a critical analysis of the times and how it impacted us elder millennials. I absolutely adored this book. It had the perfect mix of pop culture references and also a deep dive into the issues with it and how it continues to resonate now. It is full of hidden Taylor Swift references also so that was also an absolute joy. As almost all elder millennials especially one growing up in that weird straddle time between low tech and high tech, it was a confusing childhood and difficult to navigate. I appreciated Kate's open and honest approach to it all. I look forward to now subscribing and listening to her podcast.

This one didn't quite hit the spot for me. I was raised in Canada, so I think there may be some cultural differences between how american millennials and canadian were raised- but also, the millennial age category is so broad that not every experience is something someone will relate to. I was born in 93, and found some parts of this book to be a little bit older than me.

3.5

It’s an interesting walk through her life growing up a millennial while being both personal and universal to others growing up in the same era.

I really wanted to like this one, but felt like the millennial vibes were going too hard in the paint. Instead of relating (I am a millennial) I felt like cringing. Unfortunately this one missed the mark for me.

Kate Kennedy does no wrong. I'm a millennial and this book was made for me.

In support of the SMP boycott, I will withhold my full review of this title until St. Martin's Press speaks out.

I went into reading this book excited even though I do not typically read non-fiction, however, the more I read the more it felt like I was reading a memoir. I am the target audience for this book but it just wasn’t for me even though I can relate to a lot of the things she talked about.
I wanted to like the book so bad but it just was not for me.

One in a Millennial was the book of essays I didn't know I needed. It brought me right back to my childhood and formative years. Kate Kennedy is inspiring and detailed in her recount of a time that is for influential on a whole generation of people. She speaks of everything from religion to motherhood with such poise, humor and intelligence. I would recommend this book to every single millennial woman that wants to feel seen and understood.

This book made me realize I’ve never had a unique experience in my life. Filled with references to my childhood/pre-teen/teen years including Limited Too, religious summer camps, ridiculous dress codes, double rolled Soffes, D.A.R.E., See You At the Pole and milky pens. Portions of this book were so poignant while others felt a bit like a word vomit of brands from the 90s/2000s.

As a longtime fan of Kate Kennedy and the Be There in Five Podcast, this book felt like a conversation with a friend and the perfect validation of what it means to be a millennial woman and a gentle nudge to embrace my love of all things pop culture, internet culture, and other "frivolous" topics that society loves to remind us could be better used on monetizable hobbies. I do think the essays could have used a tighter edit to make them more apt to being read in a single sitting, but that is just personal preference.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book!

The nostalgia of this book was almost too much -- but in the best way. I loved every minute. I found myself highlighting sentences and (sometimes) entire passages A LOT, which I almost never do. Kate Kennedy somehow made this universal, collective experience feel totally unique and I will definitely but purchasing a copy of this book for my personal library to reread over and over again.

"She tackles AOL Instant Messenger, purity culture, American Girl Dolls, going out tops, Spice Girl feminism, her feelings about millennial motherhood, and more. Kate’s laugh-out-loud asides and keen observations will have you nodding your head and maybe even tearing up." This sentence could not describe the book more. A serious reminder that there is no true unique experience. I related so much to the author and her experiences growing up as a millennial. This book is so good just for the nostalgic pop culture moments of the 90s alone but also a reflection on the experiences that have shaped who we are today. Part funny part serious I laughed and cried as I felt seen. It takes all of the millennial cliches that we have so often been ridiculed for and shows how they have shaped us today. I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley but finished listening to the book on audiobook! I highly recommend the audiobook! I have never heard of the authors podcast but cannot wait to check it out!

For all girls born in the 90s, this novel offers a charming dose of nostalgia reflecting on the trends of that decade and the elements of life that shaped many women in their 20s/30s today. I thought that certain elements of this story were really sweet and thoughtful to reflect upon, but the book felt a little formulaic as it went on. It ended up being a lot of the same topics discussed multiple times. I did think it was interesting how the author managed to tie back the trends to deeper societal issues and gave a very thoughtful and smart analysis of the times.

I made it to 35% before I DNF'd this.

Born in 1980, I fall on the line between millennial and Gen X. When I saw this, I was excited to read it and reflect on the trends from my childhood. It started out strong with the chapter on the American Girl craze, but then it started to fall flat. I think this is due to the author being younger than me. The chapter on AOL, AIM, and away messages was interesting, but it was clearly written from a middle school/high school point of view, whereas I was experiencing that from a college freshman's point of view.

I think this might be a great read for someone a few years younger than me, but I just didn't quite connect with it.

I’m a millennial and have always identified strongly with my generation. Maybe it’s that I was born right in the middle of our era, or maybe I’m just a millennial cliché in certain ways, but my generation is an undeniable part of who I am. So when I came across One in a Millennial, I was sold.

One in a Millennial is divided into three parts: the 1990s, the 2000s, and Today. Earlier chapters capture what it was like for the author (a slightly older millennial) during her childhood, progressing through her high school and college years and ending with where she is as an adult now. She discusses the cultural touch points that impacted her and, to a degree, millennial women overall, from celebrity culture to the art of friendship and dating to the complicated state of our careers.

The earlier chapters were hard for me to relate to. I guess my childhood and teen years had very little overlap with the author’s, whether because I’m a bit younger or I’m from a lower socioeconomic background or I just have a different personality. Discussions around Limited Too, American Girl dolls, the Spice Girls, and so on just didn’t resonate for me. Her efforts to fit in weren’t quite me, either, even if we have shyness and social awkwardness in common.

But as the book progressed, it started to get a lot more interesting and relatable. Ironically, one of the earlier chapters about religion and purity culture had me hooked, even though I was raised in a completely secular household. Later chapters about motherhood, fertility, gender roles, and self-editing (especially among women) were completely engaging and made excellent points that I could identify with. Even if my childhood experiences were quite different from the author’s, our adult experiences and observations seem much more aligned. Now that we’re all well into adulthood, I expect that millennial women in the western world will largely appreciate those later chapters, regardless of how much the earlier ones connect.

One in a Millennial is, nonetheless, engaging throughout. The author has a very strong penchant for plays on words and puns; one that I can’t forget, from a section about penmanship and fonts, was when she wrote “throw caution to the windings.” There are many more where that came from! The writing style is consistently candid and even vulnerable, with endless observations on not only the more “superficial” aspects of popular culture, but the deeper meanings to be gleaned behind it all. Her taste in everything from music to movies is fairly different from mine (though we do have a shared love of Hilary Duff), but the points still stand and generally connected with me.

One in a Millennial is unapologetically written by and for millennial women, and overall it is filled with insightful observations through a lens of pop culture. Maybe other generations won’t get it; maybe men won’t, either. But for those of us in the target audience, this is a great book that is validating to our shared experiences coming of age in the early 21st century.