Publishers Weekly
10/16/2023
Be There in Five podcaster Kennedy debuts with a perceptive personal meditation on the late 1990s and early 2000s pop culture that shaped her childhood. Looking back on her “homogenous suburban Virginia” upbringing, she discusses feeling uneasy about conforming to consumerist visions of femininity during her preteen years, when she sought “self-improvement through consumption” by shopping at Limited Too and played such board games as Pretty Pretty Princess, “where you’re taught success means simply just collecting more jewelry.” Concerns about authenticity pop up in Kennedy’s account of repressing her personal style to adopt the posh, preppy aesthetics of her high school’s popular girls (she recounts buying and tailoring Ralph Lauren polos, whose logo was a vaunted status symbol, from the “little boys’ husky section” because the shirts were cheaper than those made for women). Elsewhere, she expounds on the pleasure of “pregaming” with friends before a night out (her “favorite mid-aughts bonding ritual” in college), the unrealistic romantic expectations she imbibed from NSYNC songs, and the misogynistic portrayal of Saved by the Bell character Jessie Spano. Kennedy provides memoir by way of cultural commentary, cleverly using her hybrid approach to highlight the ways in which trends and media popular during one’s formative years profoundly influence one’s identity. Told with wit and candor, this will strike a chord with Gen Yers. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
"A perceptive personal meditation on the late 1990s and early 2000s pop culture that shaped her childhood... Kennedy provides memoir by way of cultural commentary, cleverly using her hybrid approach to highlight the ways in which trends and media popular during one’s formative years profoundly influence one’s identity. Told with wit and candor, this will strike a chord with Gen Yers."
— Publishers Weekly
"A nostalgic look at what it was like growing up as a millennial girl in the 1990s and as a young woman in the early 2000s...Millennial patrons will love this title, but so will pop culture followers and fans of nostalgia and humor."
— Library Journal
"In just 336 pages, Kennedy somehow became the voice of a generation—and we are the better for it."
— Marie Claire
"[A] hilariously relatable—and subversively smart—book that’s hard to put down...With silly stories that turn into omg insights, this is a nostalgia-filled romp—about American Girl dolls, the Spice Girls, and finding your place in a culture that has turned those born in the ‘80s and ‘90s into scapegoats. Finally, millennials get our due."
— Amazon Book Review
“Finally, a book that covers all things millennial from an actual millennial's viewpoint! Kate Kennedy's clever analyzation of an often critiqued generation is as witty as it is charming.”
—Brit & Co.
"This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. When you read this book, you’ll see yourself in the pages, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll feel like finally somebody put into words what it was like to grow up as a millennial woman."
—The Everygirl
“Deliciously nostalgic and brain-tinglingly astute. Kate Kennedy has a Gilmore Girls-snappy voice, Taylor Swift-style emotional relatability, and a witty wisdom all her own. Thanks to this book, I’m actually proud to be in my millennial cringe era.”
— Amanda Montell, author of CULTISH and WORDSLUT
"Kate Kennedy is a champion of — and among — millennial women, and her debut book reinforces that there is depth to even the seemingly shallowest subjects. Kate has the rare gift of making everything interesting, and every page of this insightful, tender and hilarious collection feels like a late-night conversation with an old friend about things you were sure only you thought about. She is definitely a voice of this generation. I loved every single page of this book, and was devastated to find that, like all good things, it came to an end."
– Nora McInerny, author of BAD VIBES ONLY
"In today's digital age, where it can be challenging to keep up with rapid changes of everything happening around us, this book offers a fresh perspective from one millennial to another. What I find fascinating is that, amidst all of our diverse experiences, we all share the common thread of growing up navigating through these transformative years. This book is filled with vivid details, from Pentel's R.S.V.P. pens to Beatles’ songs performed by the Across the Universe cast that are more than just nostalgic, but provide opportunities to cultivate a multidimensional and nuanced approach to both cultural analysis and personal reflection, while also encouraging us to embrace the present and look ahead to the future."
– Morgan Harper Nichols, Artist and Author of WSJ Bestseller ALL ALONG YOU WERE BLOOMING
"Hilarious, brilliant, and relatable as hell, ONE IN A MILLENIAL establishes Kate Kennedy as a dazzling new voice for the millennial generation. In every fresh, insightful, and sneakily powerful essay, Kate excavates personal memories and pop culture moments by pinpointing exactly why they were so meaningful and formative. She allows women of all generations to celebrate our surface-level interests and not limit ourselves to the boxes society tries to put us in."
– Jenny Mollen, New York Times bestselling author
Library Journal
12/15/2023
Pop-culture guru Kennedy (Twinkle, Twinkle, Social Media Star), host of the podcast Be There in Five, delivers a nostalgic look at what it was like growing up as a millennial girl in the 1990s and as a young woman in the early 2000s. Throwbacks to sleepovers in trundle beds, boy band lyrics, Spice Girl mania, and more are all incorporated into this book that will have readers laughing and crying in turns. Her narrative reads like a conversation between close friends, and the topics she explores get deeper as the book progresses. She discusses at length the perceived need to seek external validation, which was a prevalent message to girls growing up during that time period. She examines how that has impacted her and women today. Her descriptions of her own experiences challenge readers to celebrate who they are as individuals, even if they have interests that some in society look down upon. VERDICT Millennial patrons will love this title, but so will pop culture followers and fans of nostalgia and humor.—Katy Duperry
