Time for another ARC review 👏

Slayers, Everyone of Us ⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️

So, I applied for this book not realizing it was a memoir, and those typically aren’t my thing. While it is not a book that I would recommend from a personal standpoint, I know there are others that will enjoy this.

I have never watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but reading this honestly made me feel like I have watched some episodes with the way they linked each episode to something personal happening in their lives. While reading, Kristin was definitely more forthcoming with her emotions (which is a trend in their relationship), and Jenny was very closed off about most things. I will say that I celebrate them being openly queer women during such a troubling time during the 2016/2017 election, and using their platform to bring others together in those scary times 💕

Besides it being a memoir, another big turn off for me was the constant shift in point of view- going from third person to suddenly being in first person it again. I believe a book needs to be written in either one or the other.

Thank you for the opportunity to read!

i want to preface this by saying i've never watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer. but this memoir still landed for me and was really great! 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I'm a massive Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. If you give me the opportunity to talk about her, what she means to me, and which episodes I turn to when I'm feeling specific emotions I will go all afternoon. Very much like Kristin and Jenny. This book is both a love story to the show and a love story to their love of the show. They cover the last few years with every major upheaval, at the global level, the national level, and the home level. Processing big emotions becomes much easier when you have a comfort, and it helps that their comfort show covers events as apocalyptic as a global pandemic. Kristin and Jenny are both funny and open about their experiences, and won't shy away from the details, even though they specifically try to. The shared love of BtVS made me feel like I was just bonding with another fan. I felt a kinship with them that I don't feel when I read an actor's biographer or a journalist's ode to sport. They were just two other fans who love a stick figure Buffy and a night at the Bronze.

I love stories that examine how people interact with the pop culture fandom they love in interesting ways, so Slayers Every One of Us seemed exactly like the type of book I would enjoy. Even though I was not the direct target audience for this book (I’ve seen a lot of Buffy through the years but have never done a complete chronological watch through and I had not listened to the Buffering podcast prior to picking this up) I was pleasantly surprised with just how impactful I found this memoir. The structure of covering each season of the podcast through alternating perspectives of ex-wives Kristin Russo and Jenny Owen Youngs serves itself well to looking at how our experiences impact the way we view art at different moments of our lives and how that art can leave its impact on us. Slayers Every One of Us quickly went from a “read on my lunch break book”, to a “read at home where no one can witness me crying” book (in the best way possible). While it is difficult reading through the (incredibly relatable) heartbreak of suffering tragedies and slowly watching a relationship fall apart, the vulnerability put on display through this telling provides us with a beautiful example of how the media we love can teach us strength, build community, and bring comfort during our most trying times. This book is a love letter to the Buffy tv show, the Buffering podcast, and the fans that made both of those artistic endeavors so successful. If you are interested in any of those things or just love memoirs that examine pop culture from a personal perspective, I highly recommend checking out this book!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I had never heard of, much less listened to, Buffering, the podcast from authors Kristin Russo and Jenny Owen Youngs, but I was a Buffy fan from the original run, to the point that I spent large chunks of my time studying abroad in England in the university's computer lab reading Buffy fanfic. So I thought this book would be interesting, tying the experiences of Kristin and Jenny as they made the podcast, tried for a child, and got divorced to the show. Overall, they did a good job of show the connections between their story and Buffy's; unfortunately, I didn't particularly connect to it.

The memoir largely focuses on the couple's struggle with pregnancy, then their breakup, and then the fallout from the breakup. I did like hearing their appreciation for their listeners; I'm not super into a listener fandom for any podcast (though I do listen to a handful), but I've seen how strong and powerful these communities can be and what good they can do for people. It was affirming to see how much the podcasts hosts feel that. Jenny and Kristin kept working together, it seems, largely because of the fans of their show (and, I have to imagine, the money they made from it; look, I don't know how much podcasters make, but given their popularity, these women were probably making GOOD money, which had to be a motivator to keep the pod going--something that is definitely not mentioned at all).

I also particularly liked how they found strength in Buffy's Season 1 ender, "Prophecy Girl" when the 2016 election happened. They gained strength from Buffy's will to fight, which is admirable.

I think I struggled a bit because it seemed to me that Kristin was more forthcoming with her feelings (which seems 100% to be the dynamic in the relationship) and Jenny remained a bit removed. Quite frankly, I didn't particularly like her, and while I know that I should find it heartwarming that the two women managed to continue their show and then find a way to become friends after their divorce and subsequent remarriages, I got a bit frustrated. They acknowledge occasionally that the way some things were handled was likely unhealthy; they didn't delve into those too much. Ultimately, I think there were a number of issues left unexplored, and I became frustrated.

One of the hooks in the podcast was that the pair would write a song for each episode of Buffy (Jenny is a musician, so this makes sense), so there's a lot of discussion of the songs and how the songs both showed the emotions of the characters in the show and Kristin and/or Jenny's feelings (mostly Kristin's) and, for better or for worse, I am not someone who connects with music in that way. Totally a me thing! (Also, just reading lyrics, not hearing them, loses something in translation.)

On the Buffy front, I definitely don't feel the need to listen to their podcast; from the occasional reference, I feel like I would be frustrated by a number of their takes. (One of the hosts is very pro-Riley. What?) I also just wanted a bit more Buffy content in the book, though the book really is more of a memoir than a Buffy book. (Nary a mention is made about Joss Whedon and how problematic he is, but again...not a Buffy book. But I still found it kind of odd.) (I also don't know that I'm convinced by their "Hellmath" about Buffy and Faith, but whatever.) They do include an appendix with some fun encounters with Buffy actors that Buffy fans will enjoy.

Overall, I think they did a good job of tying their lives to Buffy's themes and I enjoyed the point of view of hosts of a very successful podcast. Still, though, the book is just a 3-star one for me.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the free advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Fantastic story. Hope to see a follow up story in the near future. Loved the characters and the powerful message behind the plot.

As a millenial woman in North America, it's hard not to be a Buffy fan, and to seek out ways to be a little more Buffy in my everyday life. Even though I've never listened to the "Buffering..." podcast, I was immediately drawn to the description of this book, where two women talk about their life and divorce through a Buffy lens. Part memoir, part ode to fandom, part "history of a podcast", this book is all heart, an emotional roller coaster through and through. I'm not sure I would've made the same decisions as Jenny and Kristin (continuing to make a podcast with your ex-wife even when you're in the thick of heartbreak is definitely a choice!), but clearly both they and their community benefitted from their dedication. I think should be marketed a little more towards the fans of their podcast and a little less towards a general audience, as I am definitely missing out on a lot of nuance and in-jokes here, but it was an enjoyable read for Buffy fans nonetheless.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was nice for the intended audience of reader. I had a lot of fun pairing moments in the buffyverse with import moments in the podcast and their lives at large.

Buffering the Vampire Slayer, the podcast that this book surrounds, has been one of my favorite podcasts for the past six years. I can remember specific moments so vividly via listening to it: the author's divorce? I was laying in the bed at my apartment in disbelief, the first time I heard Prophecy Girl? At my old job trying very hard not to cry. They are still in my ears with their new podcast adventure the eX-Files. Yet, despite loving this podcasting duo, I wouldn't say I'm a die hard fan, I don't subscribe to the Patreon, go to live events, or even follow them on socials. Hell, I don't listen to any of Youngs's other music outside what she writes for the podcast. Despite all this, and much to my surprise, I loved this. I mean I knew I would like it, but I didn't expect to be sobbing while reading it. Not only did it tug on my heart strings, but it was incredibly well written. I saw a few reviews that rated it low due to it not focusing enough on Buffy proper, but I thought it was fairly evident that this was a recounting of what the show meant to these women through the context of their podcast; So I thought that was a pretty unfair critic. This is a love letter to their community, and I for one felt the love.

This was an interesting read but nothing really memorable and nothing I would read again or recommend to friends. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

As a longtime fan of Buffering the Vampire Slayer, I was so excited to be able to get my hands on this book! I ended up listening to the audio, which I highly recommend, as you get audio clips, and songs! This books uses Buffy as a framework, but is ultimately the story of how Kristin and Jenny built the podcast, got divorced, and continued their work together. At times very sad, but always shot through with humor, this was very moving and ultimately hopeful book.

As a huge Buffy fan, I loved this! Buffy lore meets memoir, and both writers did a wonderful job of writing their own version and together. Really well done!

Slayers, Every One of Us by Kristin Russo and Jenny Owen Youngs

4 Stars

Nonfiction; Memoir

I received an e-arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will start this review by saying I have listened to the Buffering: The Vampire Slayer podcast - though I am not such an avid listener that I knew a ton of the lore behind Russo and Youngs before going into this book. This is, surfacely, a memoir about making a podcast about Buffy the Vampire, but much more a memoir about queer romance, divorce and the delicate balance of personal and professional relationships in bot public and private spheres of life. A greatly enjoyable memoir, even if you aren't overly familiar with the podcast, though it does delve into difficult topics of miscarriage and divorce and facing homophobia by family members.I ended up reading this book in a day - a feat for a medical student with a busy schedule. I liked the additions of lore and drawing and music chords in the memoir. My one main grip is that Russo's and Youngs' voices tended to blend together - different sections were written by one or the other or both of them, but their voices were similar for much of the book, and it is unclear if this is because of how much of this was a true joint effort of writing or because of some over-editing. Not enough to detract from the book overall though.

I can appreciate what this book is, but I don't think I was the right audience. Don't get me wrong, I love Buffy and this made me want to rewatch it for sure! But I'm not really into podcasts and I didn't realize that this was a memoir about 2 Podcasters and their love of Buffy. I didn't even know there was a Buffy podcast, but that makes sense cause there seems to be a podcast for everything 😅. I wasn't right for this book, but I know others will absolutely love it! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!

Memoir. I have never watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer. After reading this book, it is on my "to watch" list! Kristin and Jenny share the story of how they met, how they became a couple, how they began a podcast called "Buffering the Vampire Slayer", and how they kept it going even as their marriage fell apart.
While this is the memoir of a relationship and the two people in it, Buffy and the podcast plays a large role within the story. It is at turns fun, entertaining, touching, heartbreaking, and affirming.
Highly recommend!

In a lot of ways, I feel like the Buffering podcast raised me. I was in high school when I started listening to the podcast in its early days, when it was maybe halfway through the first season. I grew as the podcast did and it accompanied many significant moments in my life, so for me, reading this book was a reminder of big moments in the series, the podcast, and my life. It's a unique format, with individual and dual sections, and it may not be as meaningful for people who are simply fans of Buffy the show. It's a book for the fans of the podcast (and for people who were reading between the lines of Instagram posts) - and in that sense, it's wonderful. It carries the same humor, warmth, and heart that Youngs and Russo have created throughout their body of individual and collective work.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

A two-person memoir about a marriage, a divorce, and a podcast about Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I liked the two-person memoir style. I can’t say I have read anything done this way before and it was fun to get the same story from two different angles. While I have not listened to the podcast that this memoir is about, now I want to!

The thing that I guess let me down a little, was how little actual Buffy content there was.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

I’m only halfway through, but this is already a five-star read for me. As a huge Buffy fan, I jumped at the chance to review this book. I’ve never been into podcasts, so Buffering was new to me, but now I’m excited to go back and listen. With talk of a possible Buffy reboot, it feels like the perfect time to rewatch the series and dive into Kristen and Jenny’s podcast. I’m especially curious about how their post-divorce dynamic plays out in the podcast, but I’ll have to finish the book and start listening to find out. Thanks for the opportunity to review this!

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of Slayers, Every One of Us: How One Girl in All the World Showed Us How to Hold On, by Kristin Russo & Jenny Owen Youngs, from St. Martin's Press/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

Well, I have only myself to blame this time. I should’ve realized they meant what they said in the last line of the summary: While chock full of Buffy-related content (and Buffering!) for true fans, this is ultimately a memoir of queer love and chosen family. It's a heartwarming story for anyone who's experienced lost love, and a roadmap for staying close with your ex.”

Sigh.

That’s not what I wanted to read. I wanted to read about how Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed people’s lives, not about songs written about Buffy episodes that were going to be talked about during a podcast that—until this week—I’d never even heard of (https://www.bufferingcast.com/about ).

I’m guessing this book was written with the target market of podcast listeners in mind, though, so that will probably put me in the minority with my opinion on this book. Which is…..that it felt like a vanity project for Jenny Owen Youngs in particular.

Oh, well. At least it brought back some good memories of scheduling my life so as to be able to watch Buffy back in the day, when it aired in real time and we did not have the option to record it live (finances, I guess?). As well as a few other Buffy-related memories…..

- I was in an awful car wreck (not my fault) in 2006. Had to see a psychiatrist because of ensuing bad dreams. In the course of my time with him, he noted that I talked a great deal about Buffy the Vampire Slayer and how it was coming to a close, and asked had I given any thought to how I would grieve when the time came. I pretty much rolled my eyes at what I perceived to be a ridiculous question (conveniently forgetting at the time that I had actually sobbed when WKRP in Cincinnati came to an end years earlier). Well, Dr G was spot-on; I did grieve. It was like I had lost a best friend or close family member.

- During one episode of the show, when we were living in a very hilly neighborhood in Birmingham, Alabama, there was some bizarreness involving an abandoned vehicle careening down the street and through our across-the-street neighbor’s yard, crashing to a halt at a partial wall around it……which kept the vehicle from continuing on into our yard (and house). Things get fuzzy right about here….to the best of my recollection we wound up hollering at a young black man who was totally uninvolved with the crash to come into our house because the police were on their way and we didn’t want him getting accused of anything. So this total stranger sat there in the den with us and watched the last part of the episode while the police came and went. He’d never heard of the show before. I urged him to go back and start watching from the beginning. I wonder if he ever did?

- I loved the Buffy movie, too. Totally different vibes in most respects, but still a classic. Can’t remember if we forced both Precious Nephews or just No. 2 to watch us with it in the past year or so….

- Oh, I almost forgot! We went to a wedding in Boulder, Colorado, in the summer of 2025. While on the trip, we went out to eat at a place we had somehow heard about—it had Slovakian food, and we’d been to Slovakia in 2002. It was sort of castle/mansion up on a hill out from the city. We should’ve realized when the parking lot was mostly empty and the one for the restaurant across the street was full that something was off, but no…..anyway, we went in, and nobody was in the dining/bar area. We could hear someone in the back. So we sat for a bit, and that’s when we noticed there were pictures of Eliza Dushku all over the place. And HUGE hummingbirds flying around outside, seemingly keeping time with the music they could hear from inside because a door was open. Eventually someone came out and quite angrily took our order for beer and brought it out, after, like, FOREVER. And then we ordered something to eat, and he disappeared again. At which point my husband said, “Let’s just lay down a twenty and run.” Which was kinda did. As we walked to our car in some really weird twilight I grabbed his hand and said, “And Hansel and Gretel promised themselves never to go to anybody else’s house alone ever again.”

PS
Eliza Dushku played the character Faith both on Buffy and on Angel. An awful lot has changed for her since then…..here’s a great piece on all that from Boston Magazine: https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2...

DESCRIPTION
A memoir reflecting on heartbreak, perseverance, and life lessons learned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, from the hosts of the hit podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer.

Kristin and Jenny’s marriage started with an ultimatum: to further their relationship, Kristin must watch Jenny's favorite show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With the terms set, they began a journey that has led them through seven seasons of the beloved genre show, a podcast rewatching the series with their newly minted listenership of “Scoobies,” unexpected success, and a divorce. Through it all, their love for Buffy and their commitment to their community held them together against the odds.

Slayers, Every One of Us is the story of how two queer women navigated divorce on a very public level and managed to stay in each other’s lives through it all. While chock full of Buffy-related content (and Buffering!) for true fans, this is ultimately a memoir of queer love and chosen family. It's a heartwarming story for anyone who's experienced lost love, and a roadmap for staying close with your ex.

I just finished reading this delightful deep-dive into the making of the Buffering podcast, and it was as engaging and entertaining as Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristen Russo themselves. The book deftly balances tongue-in-cheek humor with insightful commentary on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the broader pop culture landscape. Jenny and Kristen’s warmth, inclusivity, and unabashed geekiness shine through on every page, making you feel like a part of their cozy, welcoming community. With anecdotes that range from laugh-out-loud hilarious to genuinely moving, this book is a perfect companion piece for fans of the podcast—or for anyone who simply enjoys smart, heartfelt musings on fandom and friendship