Intrigued by the premise, I devoured this story of two sisters who end up living together after one breaks up with her boyfriend and the other is looking for a fresh start. Tanner’s prose is easily digested and will make any millennial and really anyone who is -online- laugh, cringe and wonder if the novel was written for you. As an older sibling with a sister 20 months younger than me, I identified with Jules (even though I hated it) and felt deeply for Poppy who sometimes reminded me of my sister. There can be so much joy in being a sibling but you can also be so incredibly mean to each other. It’s important to remember that just because someone is there, it doesn’t mean they have to be. This was a four star read for me until the ending…I just didn’t get it. I’ll definitely pick up whatever Tanner writes next though.

‘Worry’ is like if scrolling on your phone was a book. l think this caused me to be detached from the story the way I am detached scrolling on my phone. ‘Worry’ is full of existential millennial dread and self-deprecating humor, and I think it does those things very well. The characters aren’t necessarily likeable, and growth is not something they are familiar with. I thought the exploration of family dynamics was the most compelling part of this book. I wish there had been more growth or more resolution in the end. I know this book is going to be beloved by many, but I don’t think this one landed for me.

I don’t think that the humor, politics, memes, relationships, etc. of my generation have ever been put on page as accurately as they have been in this book.
We follow two sisters who have recently moved in together in New York. Jules is the oldest, and our narrator. As the oldest sister myself, I related to her so much when it comes to feeling like your younger sibling is not only looking up to you, but kind of stealing your life. As hard as that is to admit bc let’s be honest, it’s a little selfish… but, it’s true. Poppy is the younger sister in this book, and she has so many problems. She suffers from depression -they both do, really- and flares into hives with no discerning trigger.
We follow the two sisters as they navigate living together and being together almost 24/7 whether in person or texting. They are always connected, even if they don’t want to be.
Their mom is an absolutely unbearable narcissist, their father puts up with it bc he thinks he’s a Jewish feminist. Jules especially is torn between confronting her mother on her bs or trying to salvage what little there is of that abusive relationship. There’s so much and not much going on all at the same time.
This book tackles internet obsession, disgusting mommy bloggers, sister relationships, extreme depression, being in your 20’s and not knowing wtf is going on, and childhood trauma with a tone of humor and dismissal that is like nothing I’ve ever read before.
The ending felt a little disjointed and strange, but still a fun read that didn’t feel like reading at all. It felt like a conversation with my own sister, who I should probably call more. Also, justice for Amy.

The bond between sisters is the focal point of this novel and it is explored in a way that is both honest and heartbreaking. It is well- written, believable and impossible to forget.

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!