Talk about a dysfunctional family. && where did that ending come from?? I flew through this one and found it so easily digestible. I enjoyed it.

Oh my gosh, yes!! I absolutely devoured this book. It is the epitome of all vibes, no plot and I loved every single minute of it. From the raw and honest intrusive thoughts to familial and sisterly drama to the emotional attempts at understanding life and where you fit into to the world. What an incredible debut novel!!

I would recommend this to fans of "No One Is Talking About This" by Patricia Lockwood, and novels that integrate the internet and social media into the plot and characters. Everyone has their own "mommies" on Instagram that they keep up with daily, like the protagonist, and that little reality keeps the dialogue so realistic. This novel reminds me of the show "Girls" in that it represents a very zeitgeist-y sibling, friends, and dating relationships from 2019. I think other readers will identify with the two sisters in ways they haven't seen in literature yet, which was my experience!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Alexandra Tanner, and Scribner for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Oof, feeling very seen as a mid-20s Gen-Z woman reading this. I didn't fully resonate with all aspects of this book, but as someone who is semi-chronically online and has my days of questioning wtf I'm doing with my life, I definitely saw aspects of myself reflected. Tanner has an intriguing writing style, and I thought the slightly stream of consciousness narrative worked well for the story. As an older sister, I could relate to Jules's anxiety of making sure she was doing her best for Poppy while also not knowing what her best was. However, I could also relate to Poppy trying her best to simply get through and be who she was. I do wish the book would have leaned into the characters a bit more, as it would have helped the story to be a bit more flushed out. If you enjoy "hot girl books" (with sad, "unlikeable" girls a la My Year of Rest and Relaxation or The Guest), you will enjoy this read!

I really thought I was going to love this one, and I really loved parts of it, but overall it disappointed me. The characters are a lot meaner than I expected. I would never speak to my sister or mom the way these characters did. The ending was also unnecessarily upsetting. There were absolutely parts that cracked me up, and I wish there had been more of those moments. Or maybe if the characters redeemed themselves in some way? I was really looking forward to this, and it just didn't live up to my expectations.

"Worry" by Alexandra Tanner is a humorous and relatable coming-of-age novel that follows two sisters as they navigate the tumultuous journey of their twenties while living together in New York City. As they strive to find their purpose and happiness in life, the sisters encounter a series of challenges, including job struggles, relationship woes, health scares, and family drama.

Despite the ups and downs they face, the sisters find moments of laughter and joy amidst the chaos of everyday life. From adopting a dog to dealing with the trials and tribulations of adulthood, Tanner offers a painfully accurate portrayal of the trials and triumphs of coming-of-age experiences.

Through witty dialogue and vivid storytelling, "Worry" captures the essence of young adulthood with humor and authenticity. Readers will find themselves laughing out loud and nodding along as they recognize their own experiences mirrored in the lives of the characters. A must-read for anyone navigating the unpredictable journey of their twenties!

Overall I thought this was a very enjoyable read but had some issues with certain points of the novel. Thanks to NG and the author and publisher for an arc.

MY SYNOPSIS: It’s 2019 and Poppy comes to crash with her sister Jules in Brooklyn a year after a suicide attempt that only Jules knows about. The two twenty something sisters search for meaning and grapple with what they want their futures to look like while Jules spends way too much time doom scrolling and stalking Mormon mommy bloggers on the internet. Meanwhile, their mother seems like she might be slowly turning into one.

WHAT I LIKED:
The first half of the book was laugh out loud funny. Tanner uses satire to poke fun of millennials and radicalism. She examines issues such as mental health, sisterhood, social media, politics, extremism, and dysfunctional family relationships. She does a great job of shedding light on hypocrisy in a lighthearted manner. The characters were layered and flawed which made them interesting to read about…for a while.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
There was absolutely no character development from most of the characters. I felt like the sister relationship was still just as toxic and dysfunctional at the end of the book; there was no conflict resolution. Beyond that, they didn’t seem to learn anything about themselves by the end of the book. I’m okay with “thoughts not plots” but there HAS to be character development or it feels pointless. This also ended so abruptly with a drastic change in tone from the rest of the book. The last 35% of the book also felt like a slog.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
This book had so much promise and there were elements I enjoyed but ultimately it fell flat for me. I was left asking myself “what was the point of this?” I would’ve liked more character development and a more fitting ending. I was so excited about this and I am so sad that it didn’t work for me.

Thank you to Scribner & NetGalley for the eGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I can't find one good thing about this book. The characters were awful and with the most annoying conversations. I love a good no plot just vibes book but this one was just nonsense. And there was too much animal abuse. This was one of the worst books I have read in a really long time.

Absolutely insufferable. Way too much talk of anti-semitism, anti-vaxxers, and just THE MOST annoying conversations on anything and everything political. I was looking forward to reading this because I knew it was about sisters and since I have a sister, I was interested in seeing their dynamic but holy sh*t was I wrong in assuming I would enjoy any part of this book.

Really eye-catching cover with one of the worst books i’ve ever read on the inside.

This book was neither plot or character driven, it was all vibes. There were times it was easy to relate to the MC especially when it came to the mismanaged free floating anxiety. By the end of the book I felt like I knew her pretty well but still didn’t necessarily like her. The book definitely got some chuckles out of me and the author’s observations on doom scrolling and some influencers were absolutely spot on. Thank you so much to Scribner books for the ARC!

One of my favorite books of the year - devoured it. Viciously funny and manic. The narration reads like the author popped an Adderall, tapped into the collective internal monologue of every 20-something woman, and put it up to a funhouse mirror. Narcissistic, uncomfortable, and, at times, painfully accurate - it's giving My Year of Rest and Relaxation except I didn't despise the main character. Highly, highly recommend.

I tried this one but just ultimately couldnt get myself to care. felt like i was listening to girls have an annoying conversation in a coffee shop while im trying to work. sorry - not for me

For a book full of unlikeable characters, I sure found myself thinking "I've had this conversation before" way too many times to be comfortable.

There were moments when I was laughing then crying then scratching my head in confusion (as someone who doesn't have a sister, I can't relate to the highs and lows of sisterhood) but I devoured this book so quickly. I think sometimes when reading a book when their isn't a clear goal, I find the writing to lag and the pace to be slow but not with this book. The rapid ways the main characters could flip between thoughts/topics/passions/mental health crises was astounding and I could not put this down.

3.5 rounded down

Things I liked about this book:
- how real the characters were
- how observant the writing was in terms of how 28 year olds today think (I am literally 28 so who better to judge)
- how relatable the characters were (for better or worse)
- the overall writing

Things I disliked about this book:
- the fact that there really was no plot (I am a lover of a good character driven, vibes only book, but I felt like this was almost too much vibes)
- because of the above point, it felt a little repetitive by the end, especially when it ended so abruptly
- it is likely I missed the point of the ending but I would like to think of myself as a person with SOME critical thinking skills so I didn't like that I missed it, if so

But overall, I still liked the book. I think a lot of people will relate to the characters and it was easy to get through. I would recommend it to lovers of lit fic and books about unhinged women.

I am grateful I was approved for this ARC! Thank you so much!

Links to my other reviews/thoughts:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6202633433
https://instagram.com/p/C4y00HSL7ap/

Worry chronicles two adult sisters living together. It is definitely a no plot, just vibes book, but a real and honest depiction of life. I found it be funny, while also being mundane at times. I definitely enjoyed, but if I was not in the right head space this book may have received a lower rating.

A headlong rush of words. This tale of Jules and her younger sister Poppy will make you nod in recognition and occasionally chuckle but might also exhaust your patience. Poppy has mental health issues and Jules worries about her, a lot (and justifiably). While set in 2019, it's a story that, minus references to social media among other things, could be told at any date because it's very much about the two of them. And a dog. I wasn't a fan of the ending but no spoilers from me. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Great imagery but not so much plot.

Wow, really not a fan. I went into this blind and didn’t know what to expect. I’m still not really sure what I read… there was no plot and the character's honesty drove me nuts.

Also, there was no warning that the ending was going to be so intense. There was animal abuse that came out of left field (so just a heads up). I feel like the entire book was just a bunch of red flags.

I appreciate NetGalley and Scribner for allowing me to read this book and review it honestly.

𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴."

Real as real. Siblingship is a slow 𝘚𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘥 episode. Dialogue driven sister-sister quibbles with overbearing parents that reminds me that perhaps all our families are dysfunctional. Families remind us that we’ve all got issues. And it’s how we handle the issues that make us who we are. Anxiety is just a big kiddy blanket for all the ways we’ve naturalized and commodified the traumas we’ve integrated early on in our lives from first love, the love we learn from our brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers. And this love is warped.

For those who text dumb stuff to their siblings before responding to the podcast-length voice notes from their best friend. For those who want to learn how to better dance around the racist things your parents say (sometimes!) with combative humor.

Incredibly New York. Hilarious and full of heart. I’m waiting for Tanner to write pilots for Hulu and HBO dramadies because she writes characters towards earnest reality.

Worry follows two sisters, Jules and Poppy, as they navigate living together while having a complicated relationship and the general difficulties of being in your twenties in the late 2010s.

This is yet another “lonely unlikable woman in her twenties is struggling” book and I enjoyed it just as I usually enjoy books like that. Jules and Poppy were, in a way, even more unlikable than the usual unlikable main characters I read about because unlike those characters these two feel like real people I’ve known in my life. They weren’t cartoonishly evil. They were the kind of people you come across every day everywhere you go.

My very very favorite thing about Worry is that Alexandra Tanner did an exceptional job at writing realistic dialogue (and general interactions) between sisters. I was in awe while reading it and even now as I write this review and think back on it I’m still in awe of her ability to do that. I’ve never read a book with conversations between sisters that felt this natural and true to real life. It was almost creepy to be reading dialogue and behavior that captured all of the most intimate and minute details of my relationships and interactions with my sisters (don’t worry! Our relationship isn’t as toxic as Jules and Poppy’s lol) and the interactions I’ve seen other women I know have with their sisters.

Although I did enjoy Worry I didn’t love it. It wasn’t memorable to me. When I talk about books I’ve read this month I always forget about this one. But Worry’s greatest flaw for me is that although it was a HEAVILY character focused book Jules and Poppy didn’t have strong enough personalities or even characteristics to stick with me emotionally. I loved reading the interactions between them, even their terrible fights, but it was almost as though their relationship was the only “character” that had the depth and attention to detail necessary to create a true personality while they as individuals didn’t. Maybe that was the point. Maybe the point was to show that they’re hollow unless they’re intertwined with one another. Them being overly dependent on each other in every aspect of their lives is an idea that’s mentioned throughout the book so it’s not far fetched me to say that that might’ve been the point. If it was the point I can respect that and I think it’s a cool concept. But in any case it made the book less enjoyable at the time that I read it.

I recommend Worry!