What Happened to Millenials by Charlie Wells was a in depth look at the world Millenials became adults in and why we are the way we are.

I recently also read another book covering the same subject, and both it and Wells’ offer interesting perspectives on the years the millenial generation was growing up and learning to adult in. Wells’ book is more analytical and covers more broad topics that would have influenced the generation. However it was still an interesting read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Abram’s Press for the advanced reader electronic copy.

The book "What Happened to Millennials" by Charlie Wells was a very interesting read. As a fellow millennial (born in 1986 and in 10th grade on September 11), A LOT of the book resonated with me. I liked the way Wells focused on several individual stories and returned to these people throughout the book. The social commentary was on point and he approached the subject with a sometimes critical but always sympathetic viewpoint. I would definitely recommend this book to other millennials and people that enjoy reading about sociological topics.

4 out of 5 stars.

What Happened to Millennials by Charlie Wells is validation that we're pretty great--if flawed and mentally unwell--despite what Boomers say.

So what happened? It's not really a secret but I was nonetheless fascinated and horrified to be diving back into the world when my generation came of age. It was 9/11 and the housing crisis. It was the first Black president. It was technology becoming more relevant in everyday life. It was our parents giving us participation trophies...while also complaining about them?? We're in debt from student loans and don't have money to buy a house. We are having children later, or fewer children, or no children at all.

I enjoyed the structure of following five different people and their unique, yet universal, experiences.

I hope we joke about avocado toast forever.

Thanks to the publisher and NG!

You just know being a millennial I just had to read this! This was the perfect book to dive deep into topics surrounding an entire generation that has lived through the evolution of technology, a terrorist attack, multiple wars, housing crisis’, multiple economic disasters and so much more. This was perfect! 10/5 stars!

This is a well-researched, welcome addition to the insights about different generations and their differences. As someone who is a part of the age group discussed, this title naturally stood out to me, complete with the throwback phone on the cover (good times.) It's a relatively quick read; I finished it within a day and was engrossed by what I read. One of the many draws of the text is the level of empathy and understanding here, something that is missing from most current commentary about this very misunderstood (and unfairly judged, to be honest) generation. The research notes are relevant, well-placed and easily searchable for later reference. As a Millennial, I found many of my views and experiences substantiated by the text, which was encouraging.

Wells painstakingly details the sociopolitical, economic and cultural factors that defined the generation, showing how very distinctive circumstances shaped Millennials lives and made them different from their forebears. We were the last generation to grow up with analog systems and resources, learning the technological developments that have become commonplace now as they debuted while maintaining the knowledge and skill in the older ways. In doing so, he subsequently explains the "whys" of Millennial behavior, such as how engaging in nostalgia serves as a motivator, comfort space and survival technique. Wells presents Millennials not as oversensitive and selfish. Rather, he presents them (generally) as a group of people trying to make their way and achieve some sense of stability and happiness; one that was (again, generally) available to their forebears but increasingly seems out of reach. He also muses on the impact that this status will have on the generations directly following Millennials, such as Gen Z and Gen Alpha. He has some unique perspectives on these impacts and I would like to read more about those in a separate book.

I appreciated that the author took the time to talk to a smaller group of Millennials so as to get more intimate stories, as well as the fact that he did not change their names or identities to be as accurate as possible. Even with the small sample size, there is something recognizable in each of the people profiled, and one gets a full picture of their background, their character and their aspirations. Each of their profiles correlates with one of the aforementioned societal circumstances relevant to Millennials' lives, which help illustrates the author's assertions about how these changes impacted the age group's outlook. Additionally, I appreciated how Wells stresses that all Millennials do not have the same experiences, even in their relationships with their Gen X or Baby Boomer parents, and that there are noted differences among racial and ethnic lines.

There is one important point that bears correction, which is in reference to one of the interviewees' background. Black Americans (African-Americans) are a separate ethnic group descended from those who were enslaved in the United States. As such, they are not and have never been immigrants, and Great Migration transplants should not be referred to as such. The mass movement of Black citizens from the South to Northern and Western cities in the last century was an internal versus an external migration, as they were within the United States and had not arrived from elsewhere. I've noticed the misuse of the term "immigrant" in reference to the Great Migration in other works and feel it's imperative that the distinction is made for better understanding and an accurate depiction of history, particular in the context of others' identity and development.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Abrams Press, for this DRC in exchange for a fair and honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

As a millennial I couldn't wait to be able to read this. A lot of it hit really close to home for me and reaffirmed my view of my generation's upbringing. Very impactful interviews!

This really hit home as a millennial.
The author interviewed five individuals over several years, and their stories each offer a fresh perspective on growing up during a time rapid political, technological, and cultural.
It left me feeling nostalgic and missing those good ole’ AIM days.

Being a Millennial myself 😅 I just HAD to read this book!!!! After growing up hearing how entitled and lazy my generation is....how we ruined American industries like AppleBees and buying diamonds LOL...I mean I've heard it all. So of course when I saw this title I just had to hear about this defense for our generation.

I was surprised at how the book was structured, following 5 Millennial subjects around and discussing how growing up during this time has impacted them. (I mean I could have just read the blurb and figured this out but what can I say I jump into books because of flashy covers and eye catching titles 🫣) I had more expected this book to be about grievances called out by other generations and statistics and refutes regarding those.....the stuff you usually see in news articles but more expanded and organized. So, I was a little taken aback but I did end up really enjoying learning about the 5 people featured in this book. I liked how the author picked very different people to interview 🤔 I also found myself gasping at some of the new information that I did not know before. It makes sense that growing up during a generation doesn't necessarily mean you are an expert on that generation.

I think one of the things I ended up enjoying MOST about this book was the ending. The message of change and writing your own story. The idea that even if we are all put into a group of "Millennial" (or whatever generation you fall under) that we are all unique. That wasn't a message I was expecting from this book but I was pleasantly surprised at how it was conveyed. 🥰

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review was written voluntarily 😊

I think that if you are a Millennial and you want to learn more about events, political policies that shaped our generation then you would really enjoy this book. I think this book is written in a very informative and yet entertaining way (I know sometimes non-fiction isn't EVERYONEs cup of tea but this was very good). I would definitely recommend it to others 😊

This was so introspective I really enjoyed the perspective. It’s always eye opening to read about the impacts of a generation and I really enjoyed this.