I was so excited to read this book as a long time follower of Eli on socials because I do think she has a unique and interesting voice. In many ways that distinct voice pays off in this book, yet I don’t think that was necessarily enough.
I enjoyed Eli’s conversational and fun writing style, and I think the subject of the book is important as an underrepresented market in the advice/essays/social exploration genres. As a mid-twenties woman myself, I took a lot from this. There were a lot of highlight-able phrases and moments it felt like she said exactly what I’ve been thinking and feeling;
however, the book felt overall pretty repetitive within and across chapters in a way that had me struggling to want to keep reading. The only other issue that knocked off some stars from my rating, is the matter of “advice”. Every time the writing branched from inspiration, commiseration, and anecdotes to try and give some helpful advice it fell flat and a little preachy coming from a peer with a pretty unattainable lifestyle.

Overall, I enjoyed this in a lot of ways, I would even recommend it to certain people, but there were some under edited bits and tonal quirks that kept me from fully investing in the book.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.*

I'm an older follower of Eli's and truly cherish her insight into things I had no idea about at her age.

I resonated a lot more with "I Didn't Know I Needed This" and I think that's due to my age but I did find this book still incredibly relatable.

Eli explores topics of friendship heavily in this and as someone who holds my friends so near I really loved to read about it. Outside of that I truly just enjoyed reading through what she had to say on these topics. Her tone and overall way of speaking has always kept me listening.

I follow Eli Rallo on TikTok, and am charmed by her voice, whether it is spoken or written. She speaks very intimately, like you are a close friend or younger sister who gets to hear all of the lowdown from a fun older sis' perspective. I am quite a bit older than Eli, and my life went in a different direction than hers, but I love the way she really capsulizes the era in your mid twenties with all of the feelings and the uncertainties laid out.

I myself remember learning about the quarter life crisis and feeling seen, so I'm glad that this generation will read her words and feel seen. Nothing is especially groundbreaking, but she has a fun way of storytelling that Gen Z will enjoy. Some parts repeated themselves, multiple times, and I agree with other reviewers who say it could have used more editing or streamlining.

Overall, this will hit the spot for twenty-thirty-somethings who are worried that they don't have it all together.

A wonderful read!
Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

First, I wanna say I see a lot of similarities between Eli and myself. We are both 26, have emetophobia, anxiety, & love to read.
I loved majority of this book - I will say there were a few essays where I did not relate at all, the main takeaway seemed repetitive, and out of touch. I like having a “boring, steady job”. I do not feel like I am missing out for not becoming an influencer or being a creative.
I enjoyed her essay about friendship and how much work it takes as well as continuing to live a new and cool life as you get older.
Some parts this book DRAGGED - like dragged but other parts flew. I think this book is very ideal for a 22-25 year old audience?? Or maybe I’m just in a diff stage of life and that is ok!!

Overall, if you come across this book I would give it a read! I hope you have more takeaways than I did!

Thank you to NetGalley and this publishers for this ARC.

Eli and I are the same age, and I first knew of her through TikTok. At times, reading her thoughts felt like hearing my own. There isn’t enough discussion about how hard it is to be in your mid-twenties today, so her book offers value in that regard. That said, our lives are quite different, so her personal stories didn’t always resonate with me. Still, her reflections on friendship, womanhood, post-grad life, imposter syndrome, and nostalgia were relatable. I do think the book could’ve used more editing—some essays dragged or became repetitive.

The book I needed ten years ago, five years ago, now and forever. Even though Eli focuses on the years in her twenties, it applies to the late teens and to the early thirties. We’re all searching for ourselves, and she shows us that it’s alright, good, ideal even. Her ability to be hyper-specific and general enough to be relatable to all provides a great balance to really illustrate each point. We get to know Eli and ourselves.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and Eli for this ARC copy!

Stay with me when I say this, but this book made me uncomfortable, the kind of uncomfortable that comes with getting older and bearing the weight of responsibility and keen awareness that comes with a developed frontal lobe. I'm 2 years older than Eli and the introduction chapter sent me back to a time when I truly struggled with where I was at in my life professionally and romantically. A couple of relatable tears were shed reading this book, and Eli truly makes you feel like you've known her your whole life when you read her books. I was able to relate more to DAEFTW than her earlier published book, and the opportunity to read it early came to be at a perfect time in my life. I absolutely DO feel this way, actually.

Some good chapters and definite improvement in writing from this author's last book. There are parts that really stuck with me. However, some parts felt a little out of touch with the average every day person. Not everybody can quit their job to be an influencer. 3 stars.

I found the narratives in this book to be quite interesting and I really enjoyed them. This author’s work is very refreshing and I look forward to reading more of it in the years to come!

Like Rallo's first book, a wonderfully insightful collection of essays for anyone in their early twenties feeling "out of place" or like they don't quite fit in yet. A compelling series of stories that will have you feeling much more "normal" for the feelings that always have you thinking "does anyone else feel this way?"

As someone in a similar stage of life, I found many of Eli's experiences and insights relatable, especially her thoughts on friendship and personal growth. Her conversational writing style makes the book an easy and engaging read. However, some topics, like her struggles with the healthcare system, could have benefited from more depth. While the focus on friendship is extensive, it may not resonate with everyone, particularly those with different social experiences. Overall, Eli's honesty and relatable stories make this a worthwhile read for anyone exploring the challenges and triumphs of young adulthood.

This is a comfort for any mid-twenty something. It truly makes you feel less alone and realize that we are all living life for the first time and kind of winging it.

Ok – I LOVE Eli Rallo, but this missed the mark for me. I am not sure if maybe I am just a littleeee too old for her target demographic, but while her first book was poignant and relevant, this one was just... a ramble. The overall themes were good, but each chapter felt like a repeat of the same stories. I wish I liked it more because I do really like her as a creator, but this just wasn’t it.

I think this would be a really good book for someone, but that person is not me. Eli’s voice is clear and the way she tells stories is interesting, but I personally struggled to connect to every story or idea. I’m in my mid twenties, but rather than feeling like this was relatable, I was more off-put by the idea that my experiences of choosing a “safer” degree or working a stable desk job were seen as less than while she endeavors for her creative career goal. I can SEE the point she wants to make, but it feels like she misses it slightly, it’s miscommunication more than anything.

I’d love to see her move into fiction work in the future, and think that could be a good place for her to build her voice and expand on her storytelling capability.

I've been a follower of Eli's for some time on social media so I was excited to read her latest.. think she shines the most in this medium, and I found everything she covered to be extremely relatable. A solid read all around!

As a longtime follower of Eli's, I was excited to pick up this book. I have yet to read her debut book, "I Didn't Know I Needed This," but "Does Anyone Else Feel This Way?" seemed much more relevant for the stage of life I'm currently in. I've watched Eli share her thoughts and insecurities on TikTok, many of which mirror my own. To see such a beautiful, intelligent, creative woman going through similar experiences as I've been through has always made me feel seen.

As a 23-year-old woman, I found many parts of this book relatable, and others not so much. Eli explores the topic of friendship at great length, while other topics I would have loved to hear more about were limited to just one chapter. For example, I really related to her discussion of being let down by the healthcare system multiple times as she struggled to get a diagnosis for a serious illness, and wish she had explored this experience in greater detail (although I totally understand how that could have been traumatic for her). I also really enjoyed the brief insights she gave us into her family life, and would have loved to have learned more about how her family has shaped her into who she is today.

As someone with severe social anxiety, I found many of the discussions on friendship somewhat lacking. Eli describes herself as somewhat of an extroverted introvert, but she seems to have found quite a few meaningful friendships with relative ease, so I don't feel like I gleaned much from her advice in these chapters. I also felt like parts of the book were somewhat redundant, given how many chapters were devoted to friendship and related topics. Overall, I enjoyed Eli's conversational writing style and her honesty in this book. I look forward to seeing what she does next!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

perfectly relatable to a fellow 26 year old woman.. made me feel not so crazy! would definitely recommend to anyone in their mid/late 20s