This is a book for fans of not only Buffy the Vampire Slayer but specifically of the podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer. I haven't watched Buffy and didn't know this podcast existed until seeing this book was coming out. There wasn't a nostalgia factor for me here but even given that, I teared up multiple times from their story, be it the divorce and how each of them were hurting or how amazingly supportive the Scoobies were.

I laughed. I cried. And I felt so happy about queer community by the end. I am so happy to have the chance to listen to this audiobook as a huge fan of the Buffering podcast. About halfway through, I found myself texting my friends who aren't fans of it or Buffy to keep an eye out of this book because there is a lot of great details here for anyone.

While Kirstin Russo and Jenny Owen Youngs walk us through some Buffy love and behind the scenes details about Buffering, they also discuss a vulnerable part of their lives about what it is like to be a queer couple struggling with pregnancy and a miscarriage. I found myself sobbing in this part not because of loss but also the individuals within their queer community who came together. They also discussed what it's like to go through a very public divorce while trying to keep everything together not necessarily for their audience but the queer community they brought together.

There is so much love here, I had to tell everyone about it. I also love all things Buffy and am glad I got a little extra out of my favorite podcast with some Buffy takes in this memoir.

I watched Buffy back in the day (with my Superfan mom of all people), but I haven’t watched in 20 years and I definitely haven’t listened to this podcast. I am, though, a huge fan of basically any memoir and this book is an excellent revisiting of these two formerly-married, Buffy-superfan podcast hosts and their lives throughout the creating of what appears to have been a hit.
The audio version of this book is especially important since the hosts wrote songs for every episode and preform quite a few of them throughout the narration. And even having no familiarity with these two women, I related so much to their passion for a TV show, for each other, for the political climate in the past years, and their cross-country moves throughout adulthood.
I’m sure anyone who listened to this podcast will fully love this book. It makes me sad that I wasn’t a part of this community while it was active, but I’m happy for the joy I can feel radiating throughout this book.

slayers

This is absolutely for fans of Buffy! if you haven’t watched or read any Buffy, i don’t think you would enjoy this as much. it would still be a great time though!

this audio read to me like a podcast (they have one) and it was great! listening to the authors read this book was truly a great experience. i have never listened to their podcast.

i love all things Buffy, so i immediately requested this book because of that. i will say it is on me and not the authors for how this read. i should have read more about it before requesting. i was thinking it was a cute YA about slayers, but I was wrong. if that’s what you are looking for, this is not for you!

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio ARC of this book

Recommended for any fans of Buffering. This book (narrated by our beloved Kristin and Jenny) dives deeper into their personal lives, relationship, divorce, and podcast-making. It's a sometimes heart-wrenching look behind the scenes of my personal favorite podcast. Always a delight to spend time with these women. I respect their vulnerability and honesty in telling their story - grateful they shared it with us.

Thank you MacMillan audio and St Martins Press for the review copies of Slayers, every one of us. I am a long term, watched the show when it was originally on. Buffy fan so this was a big treat for me! I will say it might have resonated more if I was familiar with the podcast, so readers consider your level of buffy familiarity and/or podcast engagement, but once I got into the Buffy focus this was really fun and reminded me why this show is an enduring favorite, and why it matters to many. I pause now to go rewatch the show AGAIN for at least a fifth or sixth time. :)

SLAYERS, EVERY ONE OF US was a fantastic audiobook and I loved getting to know more about Kristin and Jenny, their relationship, and all things Buffy. I can't give enough kudos to Kristin and Jenny for sharing their story with the world. My husband kept popping in to listen with me and asking questions about what was happening, haha. "They got divorced?! And they still hosted the podcast together?! Whaaaa?" I have had BUFFERING songs stuck in my head for days and am not mad about it.

4 out of 5 Stars

A great nonfiction listen for fans of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe. Ten out of ten would recommend.

I have watched Buffy since the last century. And I have listened to the Buffering Podcast since the beginning. While I was not an active part of the community that Kristin and Jenny "accidentally" created, it still took me through good and bad times.
And Buffy, let's be honest, is a show I will never stop watching.
This audiobook, narrated by the authors/hosts themselves, is a deep insight into their lives since the first thought of doing a podcast about this show. And while Buffy fought, won, lost, died and came back, so did they (kinda, they not literally died of course) .
Kristin and Jenny don't hold back telling us about their life, from standing in the sun to the abyss of the Hellmouth itself.
It really moved me, and I found myself uncontrollably sobbing at one point (the part with the phrase that gave the book its name).
Thank you for always fighting and not crumbling in the face of demons.

4/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio and @bufferingcast for the eARC!

#SlayersEveryOneOfUs #Buffy #Netgalley #Bookstagram

Slayers Every one of Us by Kristin Russo and Jenny Owen Youngs
Audio Version
Overall Grade: A-
Information: A-
Writing/Organization: B+
Narration: AB+
Best Aspect: Equal parts memoir of the authors and conversations on Buffy the Vampire Slayer were enjoyed.
Worst Aspect: I could have used more Buffy and I had never heard their podcast so I couldn’t relate to it when mentioned.
Recommend: Yes.

I chose to read this mostly because I’m watching Buffy for the first time (I didn’t watch much tv when I was a kid!). I didn’t listen to the podcast, but I want to even though it’s over.

This book was just wonderful. I loved how she tied Buffy in with the ways life takes us, the great, the bad, the ugly. I felt so connected with the author, and just had sooo many feelings.

Even if you’ve never watched Buffy or listened to the pod, I’m sure you’ll love this book.

PS - love the mention of Lagusta’s Luscious chocolate as a New Paltzer… it is indeed the best chocolate. :)

Entertaining and engaging. A recommended purchase for collections where pop culture and memoir are popular.

When I first seen the cover and the title Slayers I had to know what this was about. I was fortunate enough to get an ebook and audiobook arc for this. I really enjoyed this memoir. I had never heard of this podcast before and I absolutely will be checking it out after this. I liked that they were able to connect episodes of Buffy to their life events. Also, in the narration they included their original songs and the production were fantastic. Def check it out if you're a fan of memoirs.

Thank you @macmillan.audio @netgalley @stmartinspress for the gifted arcs.-Ash

Although I've known about this podcast, Buffering, I hadn't listened to it yet. After reading this book I have moved it up way up on my to-be-listened list.

I came into the Buffy fandom in my early twenties once it was streaming on Netflix and I was immediately hooked -- like I dressed up as Buffy for Halloween that year.

I loved revisiting Buffy through the lens of Jenny and Kristin and learning about their personal lives. You two had NO right making me tear up so many times. And because I hadn't listened to the podcast before, I didn't know there were songs. Buffy themed songs!!! They are incredible and I instantly added it to my Spotify list.

If you have the chance of listening to the audio it is for sure the way to go. It's narrated by Jenny and Kristin and some of the songs are included.
The physical copy has some super cute doodle and chord sheets (which I believe is also available as a pdf with the audio)

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 listening to 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.
The audiobook format is the superior way to experience this book due to them being podcasters, and I loved all the song elements that were included. It’s a fun way to make the audiobook experience special and different from the physical book experience.

What a love letter to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to a marriage that once was, to art and creativity and honesty, to Scoobies every one of us. While it is true that this book may not be for everyone (it is a memoir borne on the wings of a podcast, after all), the target audience will laugh and weep and hope along with the author-narrators. This is not a book about Buffy (there are plenty of those) so much as it is a story of how Buffy helped two people move through the very reality of life. What a gift to have music from Jenny Owen Youngs as part of the audiobook. On the surface, she may not seem /quite/ as forthcoming as her co-author but pay attention, it’s all right there in the music. As for Kristin Russo, her raw feelings come through her gorgeous prose and candid delivery thereof. At one particularly emotional moment, I found myself saying aloud, “These two are so good at words!”

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook and reader copy of Slayers, Every One of Us by Kristin Russo and Jenny Owen Youngs in exchange for an honest review. My listening to this audiobook coincided with another rewatch of Buffy. I have been watching this show and the spin-off, Angel, since they first aired, which was my last year in highschool. I remember always finding a way to watch these shows no matter what was happening, moving out while still in highschool, break ups with boyfriends, moving all over the Bay Area and being kicked out of my Aunt's house two weeks before Christmas. Buffy was always there for me and still is as I'm realizing I'm like Willow and that is why I have always had a crush on her. Jenny and Kristin shared their lives and how Buffy helped them get through their hard moments. I enjoyed this book so much, I found the podcast that inspired it and am now following it. Read and/or listen to this book. Buffy has lessons for everyone and I hope they'll do a new podcast with the reboot/sequel of Buffy coming out.

I came to Buffy late, when it was already done as a series, and it quickly became my favorite show. There's just so much about it to love, on so many different levels. I was attracted to this book because it's like sharing my love for the show with strangers.
I haven't listened to the podcast -- I've listened to very few podcasts -- but it's easy to like the ladies who do this one. Listening to the audiobook was great because it was really them, and they talk about a lot of personal things that went on in their lives throughout the history of their podcast.
Buffy can be for anyone who wants to save the world, or who even just wants to support the people saving the world. It's such a positive experience.

I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer yet I did not listen to the authors' podcast in real time. This book is a great highlight of the podcast WITH the memoir of the authors. It highlights the evolution of the BTVS series with their lives, joys and struggles. I loved the music aspect in the audiobook version (Thanks MacMillan Audio for the ARC!) but was unable to see the graphics or other supplemental materials. I imagine a physical copy of the book would be better for that purpose, but then you'd only read the lyrics for the songs. So, it's a toss up about which version I'd recommend. But, overall, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it for any fan of the series, podcast and/or authors.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, Netgalley, and the author for the complimentary copy of SLAYERS EVERY ONE OF US by Kristin Russo and Jenny Owen Youngs.

Publication Date: 4/8/2025
Rating: 5/ 5

SLAYERS EVERY ONE OF US is the authors' memoir of their life together and apart, and the time they spent centered around the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television show. The pair were married when they started their popular podcast, Buffering the Vampire Slayer which followed the show episode by episode. In the span of their podcast they went through a lot, including the end of their marriage, but still Buffy kept them working together, figuring out how to make a relationship still work between them.

This book opens with trigger warnings. Over the course of the book, the pair go from married to divorced, they deal with fertility issues and pregnancy loss so do use care going into this one if any of this might be triggering material. The authors do delve into their feelings and it really pulls at the heart.

I really think they did a fantastic job of relating so much back to the TV show that brought them into the limelight with regular podcasts, live appearances, and events centered around the show. I consumed a lot of this via audio and you get clips of the songs that were written for their podcast about the Buffy show, while the print copy includes some song lyrics along with the musical chords to go with them and other additional materials.

I wasn't familiar with the podcast going into this book, I was just drawn to request a copy by the Buffy reference, but I thought that this book was exceptionally well done!