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.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an arc of One in Millennial by Kate Kennedy. Kate is a pop culture podcaster and this was her debut book. It’s part memoir and part discussing all parts of pop culture for millennials. I am not the right target audience for this book. - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance copy of One in a Millennial by Kate Kennedy in exchange for this honest review. This one is available now for purchase!

As a proud millennial that lived during the best 2000s, this one was a walk down memory lane. Oh the nostalgia, I loved Kennedy's writing, and it was really easy to read and follow. I actually grabbed the audiobook to listen as I was following along, because I sensed this one would be amazing to listen to, and I definitely recommend if you're an audiobook fan - the inflection of the memories was wonderful, and took back to some of my favorite times. Naturally, if you're not a millennial, this one might not hit as hard.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for this review.

Oh, my Millennial heart. This book sent me straight back in time and had me reliving my childhood and teenage years. Everything Kate discussed from hanging at the mall and bouncing from Hollister to Natural Wonders, to American Girl dolls, to having a phone in your room and a house with an extra fridge, and even the college years discussing the going out tops and clothes. every bit of resonated with me.

Of course, this book is much more than a look back nostalgic Millennial culture, but rather essays about why Millennials are the way they are these days. It goes deep into body image, career choices, politics, feminism and much more.

I ended up listening to One in A Millennial in audio versus reading the book, and I found the essays to be much more enjoyable in that format. Possibly because she's a podcaster and she did a wonderful job narrating her book. I really found myself relating to a lot of what she discusses and loved that someone wrote a book about what it was like growing up as a female millennial and how it affects us today.

I recommend anyone who wants to understand the Millennial female in their lives to read this. While she only speaks for herself, it is easy to recognize most millennial women in her stories.

Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.

DNF at 50%. Her upbringing and mine were wildly different and not in a way that felt interesting. Did not capture my attention or interests.

This truly encapsulated 90's baby energy in such a brilliant and fun way. This was an incredibly nostalgic walk through life growing up as a millennial with Kate Kennedy -- I absolutely can't wait to chat with people about this one!

a book/memoir of the podcast Be There in Five by Kate Kennedy, which is hard to describe. it’s anxious basic white girl millennial chic, but make it self-reflective & thoughtful in a calming podcast voice. I love the podcast and loved this book. highlights include American Girl dolls, AIM, milky gel pens, & way more. at one point she even connects the Spice Girls to pumpkin spice lattes. Kate Kennedy’s attention to detail is incredible, & her writing is infused with a combination of nostalgia & reclaiming the ordinary experiences of ordinary basic white girl millennials by taking them seriously, all w/ a self-reflective eye toward whiteness & class privilege. notable quotation(s) toward the end: “battle cry of Entitled Spice… doing just ‘what you want, what you really really want’”; “it’s the shallow…pockets of life where I found the most meaning”; “I don’t feel like a victim, but rather the product of a time”

I didn’t go into this prepared to be sitting back, listening to basically my life story be told to me, but here I am. Sure there were small details different, but pretty much the whole time I was sitting here going “lol same”. This took me a while to listen to, but honestly, it was because some parts hit me right in my feels and I was getting emotional. Kate narrated this herself, which I loved. I absolutely adored it because she was real. You could hear her getting emotional over topics, and it felt absolutely right. I felt validated, and I felt seen. Overall, this is a great read (or listen!) for anyone trying to figure out why they might feel a certain type of way (I see you, Jesus Camp) or trying to get clues to the behavior of an entire generation.

It was fun to walk down memory lane with 'One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In'. I listened to this through Spotify and enjoyed hearing, Kate Kennedy, the author, narrate her own story.

I am not a millennial, but rather on the cusp of millennial / Gen-Z. So, I did get many of the references made throughout the book. I remember the days of going to the mall, playing with American Girl Dolls, and going to slumber parties. I too, also grew up in a generation that was heavily sexualized, and this definitely formed my own body insecurities. I idolized Disney stars like Hilary Duff, and binged episodes of the Rugrats.

Not only does Kate share all of these nostalgic memories, she also sheds light on other things.

Kate touched on many important topics from feminism, media-toxicity, privilege, reproductive rights, and so much more.

I did feel that some of the chapters dragged on, and the overall structure of the book was confusing. Suddenly we were talking about American Girl Dolls, and then we were talking about privilege (although I guess you had to have some privilege to afford accessories, clothes, and the dolls alone).

Overall, I did enjoy going back down memory lane, and it's clear that Kate remembers some of the best parts of growing up in the 90's / early 2000's. I say, lets bring the butterfly hairclips back!

I didn't want to give a star review here because it is a memoir and I want to respect the story told by Kate, so I gave a safe star rating! But overall, it was so much fun and it was so niche. If you're someone who lives as a proud millennial and has a lot of fun memories from your childhood and adolescence, you're gonna love this one!

What a great blast from the past. So witty and truly could not get enough of the references that brought back so much comfort from my childhood. It’s great and you will love it too!

So many laugh out loud moments and a great niche commentary on being a millennial woman. I was literally crying laughing at the parts about American Girl dolls.

I don’t think you understand the excitement and anticipation I have felt surrounding this book. As a certified Basic Millennial, I knew this book would speak to my pop-culture loving soul. What I DID NOT expect was to relate to it on, like, a molecular level. Some of Kate’s lines and observations hit so close to home it was almost scary. I genuinely had to walk away from the book because it was like I was reading from my own brain. Kate is the ultimate wordsmith and has written a book that I think many millennial women will relate to. This is one (along with Busy Phillips’ This Will Only Hurt a Little) I will revisit again and again…