As someone who is in their early twenties, this was definitely a helpful and insightful read! Being a twenty year old is filled with confusion, uncertainty, and anxiety. The tips Jemma gave were realistic and could be used on a daily basis. It could be somewhat repetitive or obvious at times, but it’s nice to hear these ideas in the form of a rule book. Kind of like the do’s and don’ts as a person trying to figure their life out. I think Person In Progress can help many young people.

Jemma Sbeg, creator of The Psychology of Your 20s podcast, offers research-backed advice, personal stories, and reflection prompts to help you navigate the chaos of your twenties. From overcoming imposter syndrome to reframing career choices and healing from heartbreak, this relatable, empowering guide helps you embrace mistakes, growth, and the unknown.

I'm actually not familiar with her podcast (though I'm curious to check it out now), but I wanted to see what new advice was out there for navigating this special decade. I'm 29, so I didn’t really go into this looking for advice for myself; I went into it hoping to glean greater insight and guidance for the young adults I pastor. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of research presented. This isn’t Jemma’s personal dissertation or anything—she’s simply sharing others’ research she’s found useful and explaining it all through the lens of her personal stories. That being said, there’s limited scope because her experience is that of a single, college-educated, career focused twenty-something without kids.

I think I would have learned and appreciated this the most if it was my first year post-college. That’s primarily who I’d say it’s designed for and who will benefit from it. And maybe that’s my problem—I went in assuming this “wasn’t for me,” so I missed out on some parts I still could have learned from. A great reminder for us to always enter a book open to learning, even if we’re not the primary audience. I know I could have learned more personally. Though I don't agree with some of the conclusions she reaches (particularly her opinions on what teens should be free to experience), the research throughout is well worth the read.

I breezed through the audio—partly because it’s evident she’s a gifted podcaster, and partly because of her fun Australian accent (gotta love a girl who pronounces z(ed) correctly 😉). Definitely recommend this format!

Perfect for you if you like:
Learning from mistakes instead of fearing them
Personal stories blended with psychology

Similar to:
The Hard Twenty-Somethings by O. Brent Dongell (my professor and friend)
The Defining Decade by Meg Jay (I have not read)
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

⚠️explicit language (infrequent)

I absolutely loved this book! It was filled with so much good advice that I honestly wish I would have had in my early 20s to help navigate college and finding out who I was as a person. I thought the little exercise throughout the chapters were very helpful and a very good idea. I won’t be able to recommend this book enough.

I have never read a self help book, but I did decide to pick this one up.

As a 23-year-old, I felt like Person in Progress could apply to some of the things I'm currently facing in my life. Jemma Sbeg covers 4 key subjects that people in their 20s typically face, and provides insightful advice on how to cope with the turbulence we experience at this point in our lives. Although this isn't my typical read, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It made me sit back and reflect on my experiences, how they have made me who I am, and gave me inspiration to work on some things.

I loved how this was set up as well. The book is broken up into 4 subjects that include subtopics as different chapters. It made the book flow and easy to comprehend. Each chapter also ends with a set of summary statements which I found to be helpful and impactful. In fact, many of my highlights came from these statements. There are a few topics that I found to be heavy for myself which caused me to pause for a break or skim through parts of the book. The summary statements were a great reminder of what I should be taking away from each chapter.

Overall, this was a great, quick read!

✨ARC REVIEW✨

Thank you so much to Rodale books for the gifted eARC of this title! 🫶🏻

✨ @wellenough #partner

🤍Person In Progress: A Roadmap to the Psychology of Your 20s
✨by Jemma Sbeg
🤍Available April 29th!

This book was my first non-fiction read of the year and it did not disappoint! Being an adult in your 20s can sometimes be a tough thing to navigate. You’re no longer that same teenager that you once were with all of your goals planned out as a certain “roadmap” of life.

🤍As a woman in my 20s, I absolutely loved how this book touched on those topics while also covering important insights into our lives and the way that our brain works.

✨Jemma has such a special gift of being able to describe what it’s like being a new adult onto the page and really allows us a whole new perspective of figuring out different ways to navigate this new chapter.

🤍This book covers so many different topics, emotions, and stages of our lives as well as has a wonderful collection of quotes that had me annotating on my kindle!

✨Thank you @jemmasbeg for writing this story and for hosting your Podcast! You definitely have a new reader AND listener in me. 🫶🏻🤍

*I received a gifted copy of this title and am leaving this review voluntarily. Opinions are my own.*

I think this is a great book for all but especially those of us in our 20s. The writing is all rooted in psychology and I found myself reviewing some things I learned in my university psychology courses and learning some new concepts too.

I've been listening to this podcast for a while now and have recommended it to multiple friends and I was ecstatic when I saw this book waiting for me in my email inbox. In the start of the book, the author Jemma Sbeg listing every period of life as a season of television. My friends and I always bring up how in the first season of Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw is only 32-years-old so I loved this passage immediately. As someone who is traversing through their 20s currently, this podcast and book have helped me do a lot of reflection that I needed to force myself to have. I'm still finishing my undergraduate degree and living in my hometown; this book helps you come into your next stage of life and that is exactly what I am looking for. I don't think this book is limited to people in their 20s or 30s though; I think anyone who is looking for a change or deeper reflection would get something out of it.

This is the perfect guide to being in your 20s. I didn’t even really relate to the first half of this book, but I still loved it! It says in the intro that everyone has different experiences in their 20s and they won’t relate to every topic. Even still, the topics I did relate to blew me away.
This book helped me realize that I’m actually not alone in the struggles I face as a young adult. The topics I enjoyed the most were about trying to find your identity in your career and navigating mental health. I loved that this book supplies examples of things you can do to improve such as journaling and making lists of what is important to you.
Another thing I liked about this book is the bolding and lists at the end that really drive the main topics. It makes it easy to annotate and come back to for later which is perfect. This was my first time reading a self help book, and I genuinely enjoyed it. I will definitely apply the information to my life moving forward!

Some parts were helpful and felt relevant—especially the section on things to do every day for a full life. But overall, it started to feel repetitive. If you’re really into psychology, you might get more out of it, but it didn’t fully land for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Rodale Books for the ARC!

3.5🌟🌟🌟💫

This book was good, just not really my cup of tea. Certain parts of it I enjoyed and felt as though they were applicable to my life, but other sections i found to be increasingly repetitive and they did not seem to provide practical advice. Overall, I can see the appeal of this book for people who are interested in psychology specifically, but it may not be for everyone in their 20s.

The author of this book is also the host of a podcast I’ve been following since its inception. Listening to every new episode on the day of release has become a part of my lifestyle and a cherished part of my world. Reading the book was a delightful experience because I could hear Jemma’s voice as if she were right there with me, making the reading experience deeply personal and relatable. Having been a part of her podcast community, I felt as though I was revisiting shared experiences and understanding her insights on a deeper level.

Reading this book felt like enjoying a comforting cup of tea on a rainy day with a friend, discussing real life and the endless possibilities the future holds. It was refreshing to have a blend of strong advice and heartfelt support that made me feel seen and reassured, reminding me that my doubts and fears are valid but not insurmountable. Life is okay, and I’m doing okay. Thanks Jemma, you are a light.

Admittedly, I went into Person in Progress a little unsure of how I'd feel about it. While I am in my early 20s and the clear target for this book, I am not the type to seek out self-help reads. But I was curious to see what the author had to say, especially learning that Sbeg also has a successful podcast on the subject. I DNFed this at 14% but did also jump around to later sections, just to get a taste of some of the advice on the specific topics before making a final judgment call. However, I found most of the psychological research and advice to be pretty basic and surface-level and the writing to be repetitive. This book could definitely have value for a reader in their late teens or early 20s who is feeling pretty lost and hasn't had much exposure to this type of content before. When reading this, most of the information felt pretty obvious, so it most likely just comes down to personal preference, previous experience, and current life circumstances.

I loved this book. Sbeg’s ability to incorporate the science side of young adulthood with personal anecdotes makes this book easily digestible and relatable. It felt like any anxiety or concern that I’ve personally experienced as I make my way through my 20s was discussed with care and actionable items to help me manage future situations. Before this book, I was a stranger to Sbeg. I had not heard of her or her successful podcast “The Psychology of your 20s”. But after reading her work and experiencing her empathetic approach to all of life’s anxieties, I’m making my way to her podcast after writing this review. The experience of reading this work was reminiscent of Dolly Alderton’s “Everything I Know About Love.” Sbeg’s careful examination of twenty-somethings made me feel seen and heard. It truly felt like we were having a personal debrief, like I had gone to a friend for advice. This is one of those special books that I believe everyone in their 20s should read, and if you’re not in your 20s, this book offers valuable life lessons that are never too late to incorporate in your daily life.

As someone who just turned twenty-one, I am incredibly thankful to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read Person in Progress! I feel as though this was the perfect time to read a nonfiction guide to how to survive my twenties. Throughout reading, I really appreciated the different case studies and experiments that were mentioned. It gave a clear insight and connection to the psychological examples the author used. Additionally, the author's tone throughout the book was my favorite part of my reading experience. Whenever I opened my Kindle to read a few chapters, it felt like I was listening to an older sister or trusted friend give me valuable advice. As someone who typically reads fiction, I really enjoyed reading something different and will definitely be looking into the author's podcast!

I didn’t love this as much as I thought I would. Nothing really connecting with me despite being on the hunt for these exact premises. It just didn’t reach me how I wanted it to.

Overview

This book is like having a motivational friend in paperback form—the one who talks you through career confusion, failed relationships, and general “WTF am I doing with my life?” energy that hits hard in your twenties. It’s chatty, relatable, and definitely aimed at people figuring out the chaos of adulthood in real-time.

It’s not a book for everyone, and that’s okay. While there’s some solid insight and comfort, especially for twenty-somethings navigating big life transitions, there were a few moments where it felt a little one-size-fits-all.

⸻

What Worked for Me:

✔ Super relatable if you’re in your twenties – It covers a lot of the common feelings that hit during that phase: job hunting, quarter-life crises, moving cities, feeling behind, or just feeling lost. Think: advice with a side of pep talk.

✔ Conversational tone – It genuinely reads like a friend who gets it. The tone is warm and motivational without being too preachy, and I appreciated the you’ve got this energy throughout.

✔ Encourages failure as part of the process – One of the strongest messages is that your twenties are for trying, failing, and figuring things out, and I love that perspective. It’s refreshing in a world that puts a ton of pressure on having it all together before you turn 30.

⸻

What Didn’t Quite Hit:

➖ Feels a little limiting in scope – While this book offers great advice for many twenty-somethings, it assumes a fairly specific lifestyle—one without kids, often single, usually college-educated, and career-focused. I have friends who got married and had children in their twenties, and this book didn’t speak to that experience at all.

➖ Heavily anecdotal – Most of the content comes from the author’s personal journey, which makes it feel authentic but also means it lacks a broader range of examples or diverse perspectives.

➖ Might unintentionally add pressure – As someone in my early 30s, some parts made me think, “Yikes, are we really still romanticising pressure-packed twenties?” The message could’ve used a little more nuance around trying and failing at any age, not just before 30.

⸻

Final Thoughts:

This is a solid guidebook for navigating the messiness of your twenties, especially if you’re someone who wants to feel seen, validated, and gently motivated. While it’s not universally inclusive, and at times feels like a narrow definition of what “doing your twenties right” looks like, the intention is clear: you’re not alone, and you don’t have to have it all figured out yet.

📖 Would I recommend it?
Yes—for people in their early twenties who are overwhelmed and need a non-preachy voice of encouragement.
As a rule book? Absolutely not.
As a companion read? 100%.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early access copy!

I really enjoyed how insightful this book is! I’m at the end of my 20s about to be 28 in May but when this book was offered to me via email to review I was still very interested in reading it. It’s nice to know I’m not the only person who has ever felt completely lost in my mid twenties. I honestly wish I had this book back when I was 20 or 21 I think this book is full of knowledge a newer to adulthood person may love to have.

Person in Progress by Jemma Speg unfortunately was not for me. I can see where this may be beneficial for those in their late teens who may be anxious about approaching their 20's or even those in their early 20's. However there is simply a lack of connection between author and reader. I may be bias, as I am 27, but I felt the author was unable to bring her points home. When she would try to circle back and make a point feel complete, it instead felt repetitive and surface level.
Additionally, as this book is marketed as focusing on the psychology of your 20's, I felt there were too few in depth connections to real life studies and the actual "psychology of your 20's". When a study or psychologist was referenced it was extremely surface level and the findings referenced were only those to further our authors point, as opposed to reviewing the entirety of a study or theory including their oppositions in modern day psychology.
Overall, I felt the book was a bit underdeveloped and repetitive. Unfortunately not for me personally but others may enjoy.
Thank you Penguin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early!!

I'm about to turn 23 in a few weeks and this was just the book I needed to read right now. I feel so much pressure to make my 20s the best years of my life, but this book taught me that it's ok to take my time in life. I loved that there were personal anecdotes and also statements back by facts. It was the perfect mix for while I was reading. Thank you to the publisher for my advanced copy!

I have never read a self help book before, nor was I the target audience for this book (being that I am at the tail end of my 20s). That being said, this book was an interesting dive into the psychology surrounding all of the major life events one experiences in their 20s. I was able to look back on my life and see how everything the author talked about was similar to my actual life experiences over the last decade. I did indeed move out, get a job, lose a job, have a relationship breakup, have a friendship breakup, move somewhere that I've never been and know no one, and get married.
I did resonate a lot with the final section. Dealing with your past and mental health is such a large aspect of any therapy session and I think is very vital to a book like this that is aimed at making you feel less alone and helping you to navigate difficult times in your life.
I appreciated how the author left each chapter with a few quotes that highlighted the material within, so you could read only those if you were deciding if you wanted/needed to read the content of that particular chapter.
Jemma, overall, was very insightful and relatable in her writing style. At times l, broad to appeal to the masses, and at other times, raw and real about her own experiences.
Very interesting read.