"May the milk be chocolate and the pizza be square" -Kate Kennedy

This is going to be mandatory reading for my friends and sister! What a fun trip down memory lane...a mix of fun and some cringe moments listening while remembering some things I did pre-facebook times (thank goodness!) As a Xennial (late GenX/Elder Millennial), I enjoyed the insight Kate brings us about what makes us who we are, and I fully appreciate that. While never a Spice Girl fan, I understand the fandom and the sudden "uncoolness" of being a fan when the boys decided it wasn't cool ... because NKOTB forever!

While this book is for a particular generation, that is okay. Not every book is for everyone...this book is for the 80s and 90s kids who had a childhood of Walkmans and teen years of hoping to hear "you've got mail" after the screech of the dial-up connection.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the ARC. The review is my own. LYALAS!

One in a Millennial by Kate Kennedy was so relatable as a millennial. I loved that Kennedy read this audiobook herself, I felt like I was having a sleepover with her, getting to muse about shared childhood experiences. I think this would be an amazing choice for a millennial book club!

I was expecting more of a memoir, but it's not that. It's more of Kate's musings on many different millennial topics, some of which deeply resonated for me since Kate was born a mere two months before me. If you like her podcast, you will obviously like the book. If lines like "I wasn't in the market for someone being Contempo Casually cruel (in the name of being honest) about my outfit" make you laugh, then this is also probably up your alley.

4 stars

As a person who was born in the last moments of what is widely considered the Generation X range and has taught college for almost 20 years, I'm always hesitant about how I'll connect with anything including "millennial" in the title, but then I go for it to better understand (?) my students. That's why I initially picked up this one: the podcast, the cultural insights, the millennialness... What I got instead - a memoir involving all of these things - actually worked better for me than a 'millennials for dummies'-style guide might have.

Kate Kennedy is an interesting character, and this memoir - as good ones do - does focus on the cultural and generational connections, but it also goes into more moving elements of her at times challenging life experiences. A motif that may strike some readers more profoundly is her discussion of fertility struggles. If this content is too much for you right now or in general, hold off. She does not shy away.

I started this with no previous exposure to this author, and I came away enjoying the listen (go for the audiobook, which she narrates). I expect but cannot confirm from personal experience that incoming fans of hers will be even more thrilled to get to know her on a more personal level.

I loved this audiobook! Not just about millennial fads and pop culture but a great memoir for Kate's life so far.

She had me laughing and I ended the book with tears in my eyes. I was originally worried about the length of the audiobook but time flew by because I was so entertained. Kate also narrated the book perfectly and I enjoyed parts where I could tell her emotions were taking over.

I highly recommend if you are a millennial or you love generational memoirs. I have never listened to Kate's podcast but I'm adding it to my list immediately!!

Pros: I assumed I would love this book because of how much I enjoy the author on Instagram and on her podcast Be There In Five, and it was everything I hoped it would be. Kate Kennedy’s voice is genuine, thoughtful, vulnerable, smart, and funny. My favorite thing about her is how relatable she is, which I know has a lot to do with us being the same age and having the same pop culture references (American Girl Dolls! Gilmore Girls! Boy Bands!). My favorite section was about the 1990s, especially the essay about faith/evangelicalism/purity culture.

I loved this book in print, but I loved it even more on audiobook because I am used to hearing the author's voice on her podcast. I've preordered it on Audible to listen to again!

Cons: Although I gave this book 5 stars (which I almost never do), I don’t think this will be the perfect book for every reader because it is an examination of a specific generation. I think readers who are not as close in age to the author will enjoy the book but not deeply connect with it like millennials will.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this book.

(I've shared this review on Goodreads and Storygraphy but could not get the Goodreads link to work.)

I really do think this book needs a different marketing strategy. I requested an advance copy of this because the description said it was a commentary on millennial pop culture when this is really a memoir. The author writes about various topics from her childhood and adolescence through college and her adult working life.

This book is definitely a sipper.. in the best way! You’ll eat up each bit of nostalgia little by little. Millennials are going to be screaming yesssss to so much in this cutie. I’ve never highlighted more on my kindle!

Growing up in conservative west Michigan, she talks at points about the problematic issues in religious communities in the 90s/00s and how they still effect millennials today. I say that to share that it gets deeper than just spice girls and beanie babies 😘

She is hilarious and raw. So relatable. This would be the perfect gift for any millennial in your life!

I did the first 85% on my kindle and the last 15% on audio. I LOVED them both but the audio is really well done! ❤️

Thank you NetGalley for my copies!

This was a shot of nostalgia straight to the veins. It was social, cultural, and generational commentary wrapped up in a 90s canopy bed bow. I laughed, I cried. No seriously, I cried - I'm a sympathy crier and when the author (also the narrator) got choked up, I got choked up. This is one of my top reads of 2023 and I desperately hope that my fellow millennials put this on their "most anticipated reads of 2024" lists. This made me feel shots of nostalgia about things I hadn't thought of in years. Like Pop-Up Video and Pentel RSVP pens (the superior pen for us with a penchant for fine-tip pens). The writing was a beautiful combination of super relatable, like talking with an old friend over brunch, but also lyrical and poetic enough to pack a punch without getting drawn out.

I look forward to the publishing date so I can pick up a physical copy of the book. To re-read and annotate, with my barely-visible Milky Gel pens.

Big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a free audiobook advanced listener copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of “One in a Millennial” by Kate Kennedy. I was definitely the target audience for this book and it resonated with me on a variety of levels. This book is full of nostalgia that brought me right back to movies, dolls, and all of the things that were so important to me growing up. The subtle allusions to tv shoes or other pop culture moments had me laughing out loud. This book also has serious moments too, touching on fertility, loss, and grappling with the impacts of religion and purity culture. I appreciated the focus on how millennial woman are taken seriously, or not, depending on how we show up. I’m not familiar with Kennedy’s previous work at all but I really enjoyed this. The only thing that got to be a bit too much for me was the frequent rhyming and other literary devices. Sometimes that felt a little distracting and was too over the top for me…but that’s just my personal opinion.

This is my new favorite of the year, hands down. This was the most related story I’ve ever read/listened too. The audiobook provided a deeper sense of authenticity as well. I listened at 2.5 x and it felt perfect for me at that speed.

I fall somewhere between very young Gen X and Geriatric Millennial depending on who is defining the generation, and as such this collection of essays was a nostalgic wonder through a life I’ve left behind. Kennedy as a podcaster who focuses on the experiences of millenials is funny and relatable. Her experiences are narrow, but this is something that she clearly states and examines without co-opting other experiences.

If you are a Millennial, especially one whose identity is close to the authors, this is a funny and fun experience. Narrated by an author who often becomes overwhelmed by the emotions of her memories to the point of tears.

There are large gaps in the experiences surrounding those who are not white, CIS, straight, able-bodied, and Christian, however, I think that the author does a good job of framing these experiences as personal and to stray would be a tokenize a story best told by an Own-Voice author.

Wow. Someone wrote my entire life’s memoir for me! How convenient! Kate Kennedy carefully described
exact experiences from my childhood all the way through adulthood in with nuance and hilarity. I’m endlessly thankful for #Netgalley and #Macmillan for this audio ARC. That being said, this book demands to be listened to so you can tear up with her in some of the heavier moments. This memoir had me rolling and crying all in one book. To labor a cliché, I truly have never felt more seen. Bravo, Ms. Kennedy.

I love that Kate Kennedy narrated her own book since I enjoy listening to her podcast. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this book as much as I hoped to. It felt like multiple books smushed into one with the varying themes Kate discusses and traces through her life. It just felt like too much and not enough simultaneously.

The absolute best feel good read, nostalgia trip, and a must for every millennial woman.

If you’re familiar with Kate’s podcast Be There in Five, this is an expansion on the topics she discusses there, and it’s fantastic.

I’m always impressed by how Kate navigates both rage and joy equally well, managing to handle both the serious stuff and the fluff with equal aplomb.

I’m not sure anything I’ve read has ever been more relatable, and though much of this is because the author and I have a similar background and grew up similarly, I think this will resonate with an entire generation of women.

The American girl dolls, the “vacation boyfriend,” and the question you ask yourself and your friends every weekend in college: “Are we going out, or are we going OUT out?” Every bit of this feels poignant, insightful, and acts as a love letter to the zeitgeist, with all its joys and flaws.

If you frequently played “Quack Diddly Oso” this book is for you…

👏🏻🙌🏻👏🏻🙌🏻

When my girls are old enough I’m going to hand them this book and say… “This was literally my childhood… enjoy!” What a time to grow up in, I feel so lucky. Kate poetically shares all the nostalgia of growing up in the 90s.

⌨️AIM
🛋️Daybeds
✍🏻 Hot Girl Handwriting
🇬🇧Spice Girls
🩳Salute Your Shorts
🖤Oh and the fashion!
Just to name a few that really resonated with me. I mean come on a Daybed?!! Nostalgic!!!

A master with word play I ate this up in one sitting. I could not get enough of her humor, the relatability and her openness. I’m excited to add this to my gift list for friends!

I love me some non-fiction and I am so thankful to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, Kate Kennedy, and Netgalley for granting me advanced access to this gem before it hits shelves on January 23, 2024.

I resonated with this book so much because I too was a teen of the 2000s and I lusted after things like Limited Too and American Girl Dolls, and even later in life I partook in the Sorority Life/Night Club hangs and I had several going out tops that were staples of my college experience, outside of all the learning and thousands of dollars being spent on a degree and whatnot.

As I listened, I laughed, I empathized, I revolted, and I cringed in response to the various essays and short stories that signified what growing up in the 2000s looked like for girls everywhere.

Thoughtful, nostalgic, and empowering, Kate Kennedy’s One in a Millennial is packed with fun, insightful musings on the pop culture icons and moments that shaped the millennial generation, while also providing a thoughtful critique of how the messaging and media we were bombarded with has led to emotional baggage that in some cases we are collectively still unpacking and dismantling for future generations. Kennedy’s writing style was engaging and conversational and while she definitely delivered the fun and frothy moments, she didn’t shy away from diving into more serious topics like mental health, grief, infertility and miscarriage.

While on the surface this may seem purely lighthearted (and in some sections, it is and there’s nothing wrong with that), One in a Millennial contains many layers and Kennedy uses her platform to create community, “solidarity among strangers,” and a place where we can commiserate, reminisce, encourage, and heal. At the heart of this collection is a celebration of the experiences and fandoms that shaped us during formative years, but Kennedy also calls out the exclusionary and misogynistic media and religious movements that thrust its ideals upon young girls, specifically. Personally, I appreciated Kennedy speaking to the lasting harm of the purity culture movement and holding space for those of us who are still working through the brainwashing, fear and shame spewed from the church.

When I saw Kennedy narrated the audiobook, I knew I had to listen. While I reading a physical copy would be fun, the experience of listening to the audiobook was exceptional and felt like a conversation with a dear friend. Kennedy’s writing is entertaining, insightful, witty, and honest and her vulnerability when sharing about her own mental health and infertility was moving and incredibly brave.

Ultimately, I think the most important takeaway is that there is power in sharing your story. Your experiences don’t have to be profound or life altering for them to be impactful and worth sharing with the world. What a moving experience it is to see ourselves, our struggles and joys represented in different forms of media and to be able to build connections with others who have been through or are experiencing the same.

It was such fun to reminisce about boy bands, our questionable fashion choices, inflatable furniture and the potential health hazards of beaded curtains, and the thrill of a flash sale when playing Mall Madness. Mostly, I love that Kennedy reminds us there is nothing wrong or shameful with liking what you like or celebrating the things that bring us joy. Reminder: if it’s socially acceptable for sports fans to go all out with paraphernalia and body paint, then so should dressing up in pink or sequins for a movie or concert. Don’t make yourself more palatable for others, let your inner fangirl shine, don’t be afraid to take up space in the world, and order that PSL!

Five out of five millennial pink hearts 💕

I LOVED this book. I'm recommending it to every woman my age. Kennedy is spot-on with her observations of what it was like to grow up as a millennial. From the 'Going Out' vs "Going Out-Out' to our surprising love of the American Girl doll and their historical drama ( shout out to Marta on that boat)- this book was a delightful trip down memory lane with some astutely thoughtful call outs on the ways that we as girls were ridiculed for our love of anything popular. Just let me have my pumpkin spice in peace!

A MUST READ!