Read 25% of this at the doctor's office and then an additional 20% at home post-work and all I can say is brutal!! I sometimes think I am a mean person but these gals definitely have me beat...there were some totally hilarious moments though so I am hopeful that this will find the right audience! I also think three years ago I would have eaten this up so that's some ~character growth~ for me personally

thanks to Scribner for the early copy through Netgalley and soz that I didn't actually finish it

Worry is going to be a talked about book, dripping in millennial ennui and charting the enmeshed and complicated relationship between two sisters in NYC. Jules lives in the city, in a relationship that she thinks is going to go the distance when her younger sister Poppy moves in, after having left their mother's house. On the surface, Jules has her act together- the aforementioned relationship and a stable job at a Cliffs Notes-esque company. Poppy appears more fragile. She attempted suicide in the past, something that is not talked about and is experiencing debilitating recurrent hives, which no one can figure out the cause of.

There is a sustained undercurrent of anxiety throughout Worry. Things on the surface are not as they appear. Jules spends her time on a secret social media account searching for mommy bloggers and conspiracy theorists. She amuses herself by reading these, but becomes obsessed with searching. While the relationship with the sisters is complicated, their mother adds another degree of pathology, often pitting the two sisters against one another, when also saying that they bring out the worst in one another.

At times this book can be funny (there's a three-legged dog named Amy Klobuchar, the girls go home and get "touched up" by their plastic surgeon dad as a sign of love), but also there is a sense of dread throughout. There is not all that much of a plot, as just when it appears something changes in their relationship, it reverts back to baseline.

The ending of this book will be polarizing- and triggering to some folks. If I had known going in about it, I may not have read, but I also don't want to spoil. I would have rated this book higher, if not for the ending.

Thank you to Scribner via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

OOF. This is one that started strong for me but the ending absolutely brought my rating down by half a star. I did not like the final few pages of this book or how it felt like it abruptly ended. Okay now that the bad is out of the way- here's what I loved:

1. Unlikable female characters: Jules could be painfully relatable with her cynicism and detachment from the world. Poppy was terrible but also pretty sure I've met tons of girls my age likenher.

2. The premise of two sisters living together: the arguing and love/could be very relatable at times having a sister. However, these two definitely outdo me and my sister's arguments lol.

3. Some parts were SO FUNNY: Honestly I laughed out loud at this book and its ridiculousness way too many times.

3 5 stars overall rounded up! Out 3/26

This book is unfortunately a DNF for me. I enjoyed it in the beginning until the negative conversation about Israel. Either the characters were seriously describing Israel as an apartheid, debating the validity of the BDS movement and accusing Israel of bombing everyone, or this was meant to be satirical. Either way it is harmful and upsetting given the current climate and the rise in antisemitism throughout the world. I was looking forward to the Jewish representation in this novel, but this is not the type of representation I want as a Jewish reader. I didn't find it funny.

Thank you Scribner for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The stream of consciousness in this felt so realistic 1) because of the actual content and 2) because the author is not looking down on her subject the way a lot of people who write internet obsessed twenty/thirty year olds do. I was trying to figure why I didn’t connect with this because I really liked the writing and realized that was the answer-i had very little emotional investment in the character, what happened to her, her decisions. poppy was more interesting honestly (she would hate that). I think this definitely has a large audience who will loveeeee it and alexandra tanner is very talented and i will be looking out for whatever she writes next!!

3.25 rounded up for debut and also prose!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for the ARC!

"Worry" by Alexandra Tanner offers a candid and dark exploration of anxiety and sisterhood. The novel documents the days after Jules Gold's sister, Poppy, moves in with her. The book is described as "Seinfeldian", as I assume it to be sketches about nothing but daily life. Jules deals with anxiety, particularly around food poisoning and Poppy is dealing with hives of unknown origin and the aftermath of a suicide attempt. They're also both dealing with their mother, falling into conspiracy theories and Messianic Judaism, who generally seems absolutely uncaring about either of her daughters needs or cares.

This is one of those books where every single character is a horrible person and the text feels like it's 90% dialogue, feeling both quick moving and awfully slow at the same time. There's a lot of micro-commentary on internet-obsessed millennials and so much of the novel, it felt so accurate in a way that I haven't seen in literature yet, especially as someone who loves watching Ballerina Farm and other homestead mommies.

The book felt so blunt though. Scenes just switched from to another, the dialogue unending. The fact that both sisters are so mean to each other for no reason throughout the whole book was so upsetting. Though Jules' treatment of Poppy mirrors how she sees herself more than anything, the ending of the book is so sudden, which really affected how I think of it.

Overall, I think that if you like reading books with terrible people and dark humor with commentary on society, you'll LOVE this book. It's not for everyone, but if you like character-driven books with minimal plot and mostly internal and external dialogues, this is for you.

Thanks to Goodreads and Scribner for the copy of the book.

I finished this book a week ago and I still can't gather my thoughts about it. It's so raw and real. Worry is about two sisters and their messy relationship. I don't personally have sisters but I feel every sister's relationships are complicated yet extremely beautiful. This novel talks about some deep themes so I suggest to check trigger warnings before picking it up. It's very character-driven, it doesn't seem to have a plot or like anything is really going on, but I enjoyed the writing.

I don’t know how to rate or review this one. One on hand, I found the 2 main characters to be insufferable, but on the other hand I was interested in their lives and wanted to see what was going to happen. Which was not much, because very little actually happens in this character-driven story. I’m not sure if there was satire or if I laughed at the wrong things, and I felt really old while reading. But I overall enjoyed my reading experience, I think. I’m not sure how I feel, but I’m very curious what others are going to think of this one!

I could not maintain interest in this book because I did not find the characters interesting. I do not think I am the right audience for this author.

"WORRY delivers a rollercoaster of emotions wrapped in humor and tenderness. From sibling dynamics to the absurdities of life, including a three-legged dog named Amy Klobuchar and reflections on the nonsensical nature of work, this novel offers a wild ride. Its unexpected moments of warmth remind us of our flawed humanity, urging us to laugh at ourselves a bit more. Dive into this captivating read and experience its unique charm firsthand. Trust me, you'll love it!"

4.5 stars

This was so good, I couldn't put it down - it was one of those books that I wanted to neglect all my other responsibilities for. It's the story of Jules and Poppy, sisters that end up living together in NY. The sister relationship between Jules and Poppy is hilarious; even though they're constantly fighting it made me wish I had a sister! I loved the Insgram mommies that Jules was obsessed with, loved the totally toxic relationship Jules and Poppy had with their 'mommy' and 'daddy'. The ending was totally unexpected and a little traumatic, but other than that I really enjoyed it. Definitely pick this one up!

Thank you Scribner and NetGalley for the ARC.

The statement “I think you guys might be thinking about yourselves too much” in book form. Chronically online, full of mind-numbing Instagram conspiracy theories, endless consumption and misery and nihilism. But I swear it’s also funny! I thought the writing and character work here was very well done. It’s difficult to capture the intense kind of love that is also deeply toxic and often hateful that can exist between sisters (and mothers), knowing that these characters are acting this way out of deep love and even deeper insecurity. I do think the ending was a bit strange and out of nowhere, it kept up the themes of this book but otherwise didn’t feel like it fit, being as quick and jarring as it was. If you are a fan of messy 20-something coming of age stories, I’d say this is another solid installment, though I can’t say it’s the strongest of the genre.

4.25⭐️ I absolutely loved this! I found a lot of myself in the main character, the story centers around the older sister Jules as her sister Poppy comes to live with her in NYC. Jules is used to her own problems taking a backseat to her sisters, and struggles to find her own voice in the world. It’s definitely a “no plot just vibes” kind of story, so if you’re not into that then I wouldn’t recommend it!
I cannot wait for this book to come out, and to hear other’s thoughts!

What did I just read? The blubs brought me in with comps to Frances Ha and Seinfeld, but it’s the worst parts of those two properties - a book about nothing with lost, narcissistic girls lacking any redeeming charm.

There were some funny bits and even some aspects where I recognized myself, but for the most part, it was like looking in a mirror and only seeing your disgusting flaws for hours at a time. Not how I want to spend my free time. Also, as an only child, I thoroughly did not understand the sister dynamic that was central to this story.

I usually love sad girl lit, but this was a bridge too far for me.

3.5⭐️

the definition of no plot just vibes!!

enjoyed the sister dynamic and the dysfunctional family, the mother made me laugh so much!!!!

the chronically online aspects were good and living in New York as a young person was spot on.

the ending, however, was not what I was expecting and it was kinda traumatic Imao I am not even an animal person but I was like Jesus Christ what is happening here…

I honestly don't have much to say but I'm glad I read and this book is one of my favorite covers ever

I am hit or miss with the cool girl lit genre - this was almost a hit for me !! almost...

Is there a real plot to WORRY? Maybe, but you have to enjoy the characters and for a lack of better word, the vibe to enjoy reading it. And luckily for me, I did. Tanner has written a book with dialogue so real, I felt like I was eavesdropping on family conversations. I enjoyed the sister dynamic and their dynamic with their mother. This book won't be everyone, but it definitely has an audience (which includes me) and if you enjoy Melissa Broder, Ottesa Moshfegh, or Mona Awad, then I think you will enjoy WORRY. The abrupt and gruesome ending did unsettle me, so I'd recommend checking TW/CW.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

Wow... how can one even describe the feeling of this book? The specificity in the viciousness of family trauma and conversations was so raw it felt like I was in the room. Honestly, this felt almost too triggering to me at parts, but it was executed so well that I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the portrayal of how interlocked nihilism and social media can be, especially with each sister's stark differences in reactions to trials and tribulations. That dynamic felt insanely intimate. I fluctuate from giving this 4 or 5 stars - for now, I am settling on a comfortable 4.5/5.

Thank you so much to Scribner for sending me a physical copy of this book!

Worry was a wild ride. Like other reviewers, I highly recommend checking the CWs but I will add a few at the bottom of this review as well.

A character-driven novel, Worry follows sisters Jules and Poppy through a year of living together in New York. They aren't particularly close, but are trauma bonded in many ways, which leads to entertaining but troubling dialogue and mishaps. Their mother is quickly slipping into the QAnon realm, which adds an additional layer of tension but also comedic value to the narrative.

I wouldn't say that any of the characters are "likeable". They are complex and extremely messy and despairing and sad and anxious and all of the things. The story can quickly go from funny to straining, but there were many parts that felt almost too real and kept me going.

I would recommend this to people who like character-driven stories, complex family relationships, millennials wasting away into the abyss, and new york city cliches.

CWs: animal violence, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt (off-page), antisemitism and antisemitic slurs, ableism, graphic medical content

Follows two twentysomething sisters who become roommates in Brooklyn and struggle to maintain jobs, relationships and their sanity. The premise sounds so boring and overdone but something about these characters felt deeply relatable. This has some of the most authentic mental illness representation I’ve ever read while also being unbelievably funny. Read this!

Humorous, solipsistic, and oddly sweet at times. I can already tell that this book is going to be one of the "it" books in 2024. I think this will definitely cater to a certain audience (those who enjoyed Big Swiss, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Death Valley, etc). If you're not into the whole sarcastic and existential tone that a lot of these post-pandemic books come with, I don't think you will enjoy this too much. I, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed this.

It's clear that Tanner is skilled in the art of reading people. Many of the characters are painfully reminiscent of the people that you'd meet in real life. I don't think I've ever read a book that is as on the nose and honest as this one.

Also as a side note, I definitely sympathize with Poppy as a younger sister with skin issues. We just want to feel loved by our older siblings!!!