The journalling exercises in this book were killer. I read my fair share of self-help books, and this is truly the first time I've stopped an audiobook to do the exercises before I continued. They directly reflected the content of the chapters, but they weren't the typical hokey stuff I've seen in other books. They did actually provide some insights for me, and I'm grateful to have done them. In particular, I really grew a lot from examining my own assumptions about the "can'ts" in my life and why I think them. Even if I can't (ha!) change a lot of them right now, I have a much clearer vision of my own biases about my current situation.

I'm not big on astrology, so I never really bought into the Saturn Return thing, which was a central aspect to this book. However, setting that aside, it did have some good advice, and especially reflections, about change at this big point in our lives. The biggest drawback to this book for me is that it seemed to make a lot of assumptions about the reader — especially that the readers were extremely similar to the writers. Usually I take a "take what you can, leave the rest" to self-help books, but this one was so narrow that it was hard to even relate at some parts, which actively worked against the point of "feel less alone." Is everyone dating around and having lots of sex at this age? Not me or my friends, some of whom have never dated and many of whom are in longterm relationships. Is everyone this age struggling that hard with debt? I'm certainly not, and it made me seriously question whether I'm doing almost-thirty "right" and properly living. Is everyone living their lives questioning their moves to big cities while on their second-or-third-choice career path? That's not where I am, nor is it the story of anyone in my immediate or extended circles. There did seem to be an undercurrent of tunnel-vision, which would be more forgivable if it wasn't subtitled "A Definitive Guide...". The authors approached the section on religion with inclusivity and care, from my perspective. I wish the same energy was brought to all of the chapters.

I did like that the book was read by the authors, and the commentary at the end was fun. It's easy to see how the podcast flows based on how the authors spoke with each other. I also appreciated the insight into the creation, and especially the regrets. I thought the story about the weight-loss drugs was one of the most refreshing and honest things I've heard in a while, so I'm not surprised it was difficult to tell, but I also don't think it's worth regret!

With love and thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ARC!