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lillieeereads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Car accident
clacranes's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
daera's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I donβt know that this is a book I would ever pick up again or recommend to anyone. There were parts that were good (mostly in the middle) but it often felt like I was just trudging through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Rape, and Sexual assault
madelinedalton's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book made me think a lot more than the usual 3.5 star book does. Rachel's reflections at the very end were really beautiful and singlehandedly bumped this book up by a half star. I really resonated with her thoughts on "settling." I also thought the redemption arc of one very unlikable member of the core four was executed quite well. That said, this book has many flaws.
I believe the message would have been stronger had we bounced between all four characters throughout 2006-2019, vignette-style, rather than picking one character as the central focus of each year. Much of the chapters were spent recapping what had happened to that particular character since we'd last heard from them. It made the book's pacing wonky and dampened my emotional investment.
I think this book also had an opportunity to explore how socioeconomic status and privilege play a role in how our lives pan out, and it did not take it. Maybe this isn't a bad thing, as it could have cluttered up the book or pigeonholed the author into talking about something she isn't qualified to speak about. But it's not lost on me that the majority of these characters are white and all four of them are very wealthy for at least some portion of the book. The novel explores how past choices and past events affect each character's life in the present; the privileges of going to Northwestern, being surrounded by wealth, and (except for Dev) being white equally impact the paths their lives take, and yet it is hardly discussed.
Not necessarily a flaw, but it's worth mentioning that I correctly predicted which one of them died within the first 80 pages. I don't even remember why I thought it would be that person? I just kind of... knew? It seems like many other readers have had that experience, too. Not necessarily a bad thing--books don't need to have unexpected twists in order to be objectively good--but something to note if you're a reader who needs shock value to enjoy a story.
I believe the message would have been stronger had we bounced between all four characters throughout 2006-2019, vignette-style, rather than picking one character as the central focus of each year. Much of the chapters were spent recapping what had happened to that particular character since we'd last heard from them. It made the book's pacing wonky and dampened my emotional investment.
I think this book also had an opportunity to explore how socioeconomic status and privilege play a role in how our lives pan out, and it did not take it. Maybe this isn't a bad thing, as it could have cluttered up the book or pigeonholed the author into talking about something she isn't qualified to speak about. But it's not lost on me that the majority of these characters are white and all four of them are very wealthy for at least some portion of the book. The novel explores how past choices and past events affect each character's life in the present; the privileges of going to Northwestern, being surrounded by wealth, and (except for Dev) being white equally impact the paths their lives take, and yet it is hardly discussed.
Not necessarily a flaw, but it's worth mentioning that I correctly predicted which one of them died within the first 80 pages. I don't even remember why I thought it would be that person? I just kind of... knew? It seems like many other readers have had that experience, too. Not necessarily a bad thing--books don't need to have unexpected twists in order to be objectively good--but something to note if you're a reader who needs shock value to enjoy a story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Drug abuse
Moderate: Death, Rape, and Grief
mollywill's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer and Sexual assault
chaptersofchase's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Get ready for a trip down memory lane β¨
Thank you, Dutton Books, for the gifted copy of Who We Are Now {partner}
Genre: Fiction
Format: π§π
Audiobook Narration:ββββ
Pub Date: 8.8.2023
Star Rating: ββββ
Thank you, Dutton Books, for the gifted copy of Who We Are Now {partner}
Genre: Fiction
Format: π§π
Audiobook Narration:ββββ
Pub Date: 8.8.2023
Star Rating: ββββ
"She felt like a punch in her gut that someday, they would be too old for this. They would have to grow up, get married, stop having sleepovers, and sharing a bed with their friends. Maybe they would enjoy it, maybe there would be some appeal to that phase of her life that remained unseen⦠but it certainly wouldn't be this - this kind of cramped, close love that you could physically curl into."
Lauryn Chamberlain is so talented at capturing the junctures of life and then writing about them in a precise and nostalgic-filled way. While my post-graduate life didn't pan out exactly as it did with Rachel, Nate, Dev, and Clarissa, I still found the book relatable.
Who We Are Now opens during the character's last night of college and flawlessly captured what that moment was for me - the excitement of achieving so momentous and the sense that life would never quite be this way again. It was a trip down memory lane for me.
The rest of Who We Are now follows each character through their post-graduate years - their triumphs, heartbreaks, and missteps and the story ends when the characters are my age, which brought the whole story full circle.
π©π½βπ Post-graduate nostalgia
π½ Set in NYC
π£οΈ 4 perspectives over 15 years
β³ Slower paced
Who We Are Now is perfect for those of us looking for a little reminder that life is a journey and that sometimes, your found family is all you need.
_
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Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Sexual assault