3.5/5

What a wild ride! I mostly enjoyed this book and loved seeing the dynamic between the sisters, Jules and Poppy. I usually say that I like when main characters are somewhat detestable, but I found it very hard to find anything redeeming about anyone in this book.

This book is for you if:
-You loved the show Girls
-You’re a 20-something trying to figure out your life
-You hate follow someone online
-You have a complicated family dynamic
-Your sister is your best friend but also kind of your worst enemy

Thank you Scribner and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise and was excited to read the book. I found parts of it to be a bit confusing, especially towards the end. The pacing was a bit slow at times and felt like the book could have used a bit more editing. Overall, I enjoyed the story and writing.

Worry by Alexandra Tanner was an unexpectedly funny and entertaining read. I thought that the story was unique to anything else I've read in a while. It's definitely more of a character study/slice of life type of book and doesn't rely on plot too much but it was still an attention grabbing book. The writing was very well done and kept me reading. Overall, a very enjoyable book.

I highly enjoyed this book. It was so easy to read. I felt like I flew threw this book and didn't want to put it down. It was funny and frustrating at the same time. This is a great debut.

I really enjoyed this book. It felt fresh and original, especially the complicated relationship between mother, daughter, conspiracy theorists and social media influencers. I loved seeing the ways that Jules tried to understand both herself and others better, and how the lenses she used to look at people through didn't always paint an accurate picture. I also found Jules to be a really believable character - self aware enough to realize some of her flaws, but certainly not all of them. The dialogue was really well written, especially between Jules and Poppy.

This is very much a slice of life, character study type novel without a twisty plot or huge overarching message. I love books like this but wanted to give a heads up in case that's not anyone's cup of tea.

Worry is a great debut and I can't wait to read more from this author.

While this debut felt fresh and incisive at times, the book as a whole floundered without purpose or direction. Jules is the older sister narrator to a troubled Poppy who comes to stay with her in Brooklyn for a new start after struggling with depression and various medical maladies. Throughout the book, Tanner provides an intimate, truthful look at this sibling relationship through biting dialogue, fights and alternating emotional breakdowns. The novel takes place over the course of 2019 (mercifully ending before covid hits) and portrays not only Jules' issues with her sister and parents, but also her lack of ambition or fulfillment at work and in relationships as well as her addiction to her phone and the internet.

At one point, Jules picks up Poppy's call and says she had a feeling that she was just about to call. Poppy explains that phenomenon by saying "'I think it's just that you're always on your phone...and you only talk to two people, and the enormous amount of time you spend on your phone combined with the smallness of the number of the people you talk to means that of course it seems like you always get a feeling.'" And that so accurately describes the dependence that Jules has on her phone that it makes her feel lonely and almost start to cry. But nothing changes. The closest she gets to making any significant changes in her life is when she tosses her keyboard in the trash during the five minutes when she considers freeing herself of most of her possessions. But within minutes, she's back on Instagram stalking a group of Mormon influencers whom she dubs "the mommies" that make her feel better and worse all at the same time.

Absent a plot, this book is mainly a character study of the sisters. I appreciated the honesty in the dialogue with the close POV of Jules because they said things to each other that were so hurtful and so awful that it really could've only been said between siblings. I think Tanner acutely nailed their closeness and love/hate dynamic. However, neither character is even remotely likable. They are selfish, delusional, close-minded, and dishonest. I can handle an unlikable narrator in a book if there is a purpose or if they act as a lens. And perhaps that's what Tanner was attempting with these two women - to show what the true day to day grind is like for the twenty-somethings trying to stay afloat in today's world. But their despicable attitudes and actions felt cyclical and pointless.

The writing was good, especially the dialogue, and the pages turned quickly as if not being able to look away from a car wreck. But several parts went over the top, especially the interactions with the girls' parents, and made for an uncomfortable overall read. I will happily read more of Tanner's work in the future, though!

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The first few pages of this book struck me as so angsty and neurotic that I nearly quit it without giving it a chance. That would have been a big mistake, because almost immediately thereafter the book settles down, sheds its unrelenting negativity, gets the two sisters going, and transforms into a biting, touching, edgy, and darkly, deeply, luminously humorous tale of how two very different women can fight and embrace every aspect of their sibling bonds, while facing family, friends, and modern society. Every page is loaded with deadpan humor and perceptive and drop-dead funny observations. Timing and pace is spot on and the women's double-act never falters. Over the years I've read blurbs, and read books, that promise to really strike at the emotional heart of sisterhood. Well, yeah, whatever. Guess what - this book actually delivers. As the old school comedians used to say -- "It's funny, because it's true".

Wow I can’t wait for this to be published so I can go on Reddit and figure out the ending (something I’m sure Poppy would take offense to).
This novel was described as “Seinfeldian” and wow, what an apt descriptor. This novel follows two sisters in the every day minutiae of life as they are just completely awful to each other and everyone around them. It’s so funny, so witty, so shocking at times. I had such a good time reading this.

This book felt technically very good but not necessarily enjoyable to read. It was really funny—I genuinely laughed out loud often. I just had this sense the whole time that if a fifty year old was reading it, they might think it was satire, but I’m twenty-four, and it doesn’t feel like satire—it feels like real life. And it’s bleak! So if it’s bleak, but also relatable, does that mean MY life is bleak? Food for thought. Anyway this book definitely strikes a chord. Five stars for Alexandra Tanner. I loved the Oreo imagery in the Pilates scene.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc!

I didn’t like this book and yet I couldn’t put it down. The characters were so selfish it was insufferable, and literally anytime there was a chance for a positive moment they self-sabotaged, which after reading over and over became very frustrating. However, this book was compulsively readable. There were moments I felt like someone cracked my head open like an egg in a frying pan and all my thoughts spilled out and they put them in this book. I was so invested in these two sisters, I needed to know how things would turn out for them. It was truly a snapshot of two insufferable sisters and I was captivated.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

A contemporary take on a dysfunctional family story. An off-kilter humor takes this novel to the next level. The dog in this novel is named Amy Klobuchar, which is very indicative of whether this will hit for you. I found it hilarious.

I’ll start by saying that I’m too old to really be among the target audience for this book, although having had siblings, there are certain elements that I could relate to. But though this book had many humorous moments, overall it just wasn’t for me. I do expect that there will be many readers who will enjoy it, however. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Worry is a disturbing yet comical portrayal of a dysfunctional family. Jules is an anxious editor obsessed with Mormon mommy bloggers and doomsday preppers, as her own mother begins to descend into conspiracy theory territory. Her sister, Poppy, who has struggled with her mental health comes to live with her in NYC. Drama ensues…

For a book with not much of a plot, I could not put it down. The characters were manipulative and disturbing, yet so human. I hated Jules and Poppy and I loved them and most of all I rooted for them.

Worry comes out March 26th, 2024. Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was poignant at times but really (and I cannot underscore this enough) FUNNY. I don’t often laugh out loud at books but this one earned several deep belly laughs while reading, The dynamic between Poppy and our narrator felt incredibly real and it was such a treat to be invited into their world.

This book is a biting social commentary on wide array of topics, including family, politics, religion, Jewish culture, far-right conspiracies, sibling relationships, datIng, mental illness, identity, and finding meaning alongside the banality of existence.

Alexandra Tanner delivers this work with a witty precision.

What a feat!

Loved this! 4.5 stars

The best I can say about "Worry" is that it had a lot of potential. Two adult sisters live together in a flat in NY. Their relationship is contentious - their relationships to their mother even more contentious - and there is a lot to unpack in those tensions. This was why I often couldn't put the book down. Does their envy and malice for one another outweigh their inherit love and understanding for one another? It's an interesting question. I particularly liked the disconnect between what one sister would think to herself and say to the other. It's dark and it's compelling.

However, our main character is obsessed with social media. Any time she could make a connection or a change or an improvement to her life, she dives into the worst of social media. Any progress, any moving forward, is severed. She never learns from it. We don't learn from it.

And I truly hated the ending.

hank you Sciber publication for the early addition of this 2024 release! I don’t like to judge a book by its cover, but the second I saw this beauty I knew I would love it. Worry follows two JAPPY sisters living in new york city, with a neurotic narcissist for a mother. Their mother is simultaneously addicted to speaking with her daughters, but also disgusted with them. As an american jew, this book just had some many points of laugh out loud relatability. Scenes like purposely not saying you’re jewish in an uber, is such a relatable trope that I didn’t even notice I did until the characters did it. If you’re a fan of Halle Butler and Elif Bautman’s style of story telling, you will love this read!

*3.75 stars rounded up to 4 stars*


This is a truly wild ride through sisterhood and the reality of our existential world rooted in the internet. Worry publishes on 3/26 and I recommend recommende it to anyone who is chronically online or hasn’t quite found their place in the world yet.

The plot follows Jules after her sister Poppy moves into her NYC apartment after their parents kick Poppy out. As the older sister, Jules is superficially more established than Poppy, but suffers crippling anxiety working a dead end job writing book study guides and obsessing over her doomsday and Mormon “mommies” she monitors on a secret Instagram handle. Poppy meanwhile is trying to find her footing in NYC after a suicide attempt, sharing Jules’ space along with meals and every day happenings. Together they do their best to face their toxic mother, Poppy’s hives, Jules’ ennui, and the general shitshow world around them.

This novel is deadpan funny, dark, and brutally relatable. This author has her finger on the pulse of the growing generation, as I couldn’t help but see myself in the compulsive tendencies of these characters. I felt really seen by the casual writing style and Jules’ worry spirals. Jules teeters back and forth on the sister spectrum, at points trying to live up to the expectations of sisterhood, and at other points honestly saying, “can I just be mean for a sec” and commits. The relationship between Poppy and Jules perfectly captures the humor of the Zillenial generation, and the creeping existential dread is too real. Special shoutout to the toxic mother of the story, whose lines were so accurate to my life that they actually made me WINCE while reading (a feat).

This novel is structured like a sitcom, with every chapter functioning as its own episode with the overarching life of the characters. A great book to pick up in little pieces if the reality gets too triggering. I highly recommend for NYC girlies, compulsive worriers, sisters, and anyone looking for an honest laugh in a book.

Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Worry is about two adult sisters, Jules and Poppy, as they navigate their careers, relationships, and mental health while sharing an apartment in New York City. It was easy to get sucked into their lives because it felt so current and alarmingly close to real life. From hate-following beautiful religious zealots on Instagram, adopting a three-legged dog named Amy Klobuchar, and realizations that you haven't left the house in days, Worry offers a lot of quirkiness that made this such an enjoyable book.

The dialogue was a lot of fun, but the (often strained) relationship between these two sisters was what interested me the most. They argued, laughed, and grew together, and it was exciting to find out how living together would impact each sister over the course of a year.

The ending took a turn that I didn't love. But, more than anything, I'm a big fan of character-driven novels, and this did not disappoint.

I loved this wild story about two sisters. Tanner's writing is so good and spot on. When sisters Jules and Poppy end up living together in New York City, their relationship is tested.

I think Tanner did such a good job making the interior lives of these two characters come to life. And this book is genuinely funny! Jules and Poppy's conversations are the types you could only have with a sister (or a friend is close like a sister).

But the novel also has a dark edge to it. Jules and Poppy both have their darkness that they grapple with. And their family dynamics. And the ending! I was so curious to see what kind of ending this book had, and while hard to read, it was such a perfect ending for this book.

I always wished my younger sister and I were closer in age so that we could have either gone to college together, or somehow lived together outside of our childhood years. When we are together now, we are constantly talking, referencing things from childhood, over-explaining stories of our current life, showing photos, laughing, arguing, cooking, shopping....we are on the go 24/7 until we leave each other's presence. It's fun, but it also is us in a contained set of time. If we lived together for an extended amount of time, crammed in a small, Brooklyn apartment, I'm sure we would have fights similar to Jules and Poppy.

Jules and Poppy Gold are living together in Brooklyn. Well, Jules lives in Brooklyn, her sister, Poppy, crashes in Jules's extra bedroom/office. They have a close relationship, but also full of anxiety and anger.

What Alexandra Tanner has done with "Worry" is so spectacular and of the moment, I don't know if anyone else has captured the modern sister relationship so well. Internet speak, job anxiety, dating, parent relationships, mommy bloggers...it's all here in these tightly written pages.

I loved every single word. It's scheduled to be released on March 26, 2024.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.