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Now That We're Adults
"Poignant, quirky, cleverly humorous, and infinitely relatable." —Booklist (Starred Review)
A group of geeky 20-somethings in Scranton, PA, struggle to form post-college identities without alienating each other in the process.
When happy-go-lucky Wade is dumped by his longtime girlfriend, he’s left to wonder whether she might have a point about his lack of ambition. Needing a distraction from the heartbreak, he begins programming a video game, which soon becomes a passion project as he strives to prove he can follow through on his own.
Meanwhile, his brother Ian barely has time for games now that he’s overloaded at work and struggling to connect with pregnant wife Kat, who’s starting to doubt whether she wants a baby at all. In fact, without the shared experience of college, their entire friend group is splintering. Needing his friends more than ever, Wade becomes obsessed with turning back the hands of time.
But with everyone’s hopes and expectations so tangled up, it might take an outsider—someone like painfully shy librarian Eleanor—to provide some much-needed perspective. That is, if she could get out of her head long enough to risk making a connection.
A group of geeky 20-somethings in Scranton, PA, struggle to form post-college identities without alienating each other in the process.
When happy-go-lucky Wade is dumped by his longtime girlfriend, he’s left to wonder whether she might have a point about his lack of ambition. Needing a distraction from the heartbreak, he begins programming a video game, which soon becomes a passion project as he strives to prove he can follow through on his own.
Meanwhile, his brother Ian barely has time for games now that he’s overloaded at work and struggling to connect with pregnant wife Kat, who’s starting to doubt whether she wants a baby at all. In fact, without the shared experience of college, their entire friend group is splintering. Needing his friends more than ever, Wade becomes obsessed with turning back the hands of time.
But with everyone’s hopes and expectations so tangled up, it might take an outsider—someone like painfully shy librarian Eleanor—to provide some much-needed perspective. That is, if she could get out of her head long enough to risk making a connection.
- GenresFictionContemporary
362 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2016
466 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Almengor
2 books21 followersLynn Almengor writes funny character-driven stories about creating personal meaning from chaos. Because her parents were right about art rarely paying, she also works as a UX researcher in her hometown of Philadelphia, PA. When not working or writing, Lynn can usually be found playing video games, watching “bad” movies, or goofing off with her husband, ferrets, and jack chi.
Follow her on BlueSky and YouTube @PlaidCoreLynn
Follow her on BlueSky and YouTube @PlaidCoreLynn
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 15, 2019
Where do I begin?
When I read the blurb for this book a few months ago I had the feeling that this would be one of those unputdownable reads; the kind of book that stays with you long after the last page is turned.
I began reading with the highest of expectations and Now That We’re Adults did not disappoint!! I love every aspect of this book so there will be nothing negative in this review. The characters in this book were sweet, lovable, fallible and entirely human. They were real. The dialogue was authentic; close your eyes and you can imagine any number of people you know saying the same things in the same situations. Everything about this cast of characters is relatable. All of us know people just like Wade or Ian or Kat or Eleanor and that’s why this book works; it’s like reading about old friends.
And the core of this book is an examination of the friendships that sustain us all. Why do they work? Why do they not? Through any number of situations within these pages (I won’t spoil any of them here) it’s the dynamic of the various relationships that propels the narrative and keeps the reader furiously turning those pages. This is that moment in time right after college when we all ask ourselves “Now what?”
This is life in all of its nuanced beauty. Lynn Almengor shows us the multitude of emotions involved without ever having to resort to telling us about them. This is an artist at the height of their craft. In my opinion, Lynn Almengor has written a masterpiece of fiction with this novel. The fact that this is her debut novel is astounding—writers are not supposed to be this good the first time out.
Like the greatest of fiction, Now That We’re Adults will make you run the gamut of emotions from start to finish and leave you thinking long after you’re done. Superlatives fail to adequately capture the impact of this book. The writing is amazing. The story is phenomenal. The characters are incredible. This is a MUST READ.
Definitely one of the best books I’ve read all year. Buy it and you won’t be disappointed as you will hold in your hands the promise of what writing can be.
5 stars because it won’t let me give it 10 stars.
When I read the blurb for this book a few months ago I had the feeling that this would be one of those unputdownable reads; the kind of book that stays with you long after the last page is turned.
I began reading with the highest of expectations and Now That We’re Adults did not disappoint!! I love every aspect of this book so there will be nothing negative in this review. The characters in this book were sweet, lovable, fallible and entirely human. They were real. The dialogue was authentic; close your eyes and you can imagine any number of people you know saying the same things in the same situations. Everything about this cast of characters is relatable. All of us know people just like Wade or Ian or Kat or Eleanor and that’s why this book works; it’s like reading about old friends.
And the core of this book is an examination of the friendships that sustain us all. Why do they work? Why do they not? Through any number of situations within these pages (I won’t spoil any of them here) it’s the dynamic of the various relationships that propels the narrative and keeps the reader furiously turning those pages. This is that moment in time right after college when we all ask ourselves “Now what?”
This is life in all of its nuanced beauty. Lynn Almengor shows us the multitude of emotions involved without ever having to resort to telling us about them. This is an artist at the height of their craft. In my opinion, Lynn Almengor has written a masterpiece of fiction with this novel. The fact that this is her debut novel is astounding—writers are not supposed to be this good the first time out.
Like the greatest of fiction, Now That We’re Adults will make you run the gamut of emotions from start to finish and leave you thinking long after you’re done. Superlatives fail to adequately capture the impact of this book. The writing is amazing. The story is phenomenal. The characters are incredible. This is a MUST READ.
Definitely one of the best books I’ve read all year. Buy it and you won’t be disappointed as you will hold in your hands the promise of what writing can be.
5 stars because it won’t let me give it 10 stars.
September 9, 2016
Now That We're Adults is a coming-of-age story, though not in the traditional sense. While none of the characters are children, we get to watch as they're violently shoved from being 20-something post-college slackers into being "mature, respectable" adults through a series of bad decisions, heart breaks, and dashed hopes and dreams. A good book makes you relate to or sympathize with the main character. A great book makes you empathize and connect on some level with every character. Now That We're Adultsis easily one of the most relatable books I've ever read in my life. I saw parts of myself (sometimes big, sometimes small) in just about every single character that popped up in these pages. So much so that I wondered if Lynn Almengor had been following me around for the past 10 years or so. The characters' trials and tribulations, their existential quandaries and moral dilemmas, were so grounded in modern day reality that it brought the true weight of the world crashing down with every page. I loved every character and rooted for them from the very beginning because I had lived through so many of the same things they had.
There was plenty of humor (sometimes awkward, sometimes LOL worthy) mixed in to keep things from getting too heavy. And fans of the early-mid 00's emo scene and/or gaming will find a lot of excellent little nuggets peppered throughout as well.
Am I gushing? I don't even give a crap. I loved this book.
An amazing debut novel that everyone should read.
There was plenty of humor (sometimes awkward, sometimes LOL worthy) mixed in to keep things from getting too heavy. And fans of the early-mid 00's emo scene and/or gaming will find a lot of excellent little nuggets peppered throughout as well.
Am I gushing? I don't even give a crap. I loved this book.
An amazing debut novel that everyone should read.
July 23, 2017
When you're in college, you think that those people who've already graduated and moved on with their lives have everything figured out. But then you graduate and move on yourself, and you discover you're still the same person who always were, only with more responsibilities and life choices. How you handle that is up to you.
"Now That We're Adults" is the story of four twenty-something people who are trying to get their adulting game together. Ian and Kat have just gotten married; Ian wants a baby, and Kat goes along with it because that, as she realizes too late, is the kind of person she is. Unfortunately, she's the one who has to do all the work of carrying and bearing the baby, and then nursing and caring for it once it's born, which she doesn't enjoy nearly as much as she thinks she will. Ian feels overwhelmed by work and is resentful of Kat for not being thrilled about changing her name, quitting her job, and putting herself through a draining physical and emotional ordeal in order to create his drama-free dream family. Meanwhile, Wade, Ian's younger brother, is heartbroken after his long-time girlfriend leaves him because of his immaturity, and Eleanor, the anti-social local librarian, is still nursing the flame of an old high school love ten years later.
The story could be soap-opera-y or weird, but instead all the characters feel natural and authentic. It's told from alternating points of view, and each character is allowed to come across and sympathetic and engaging. From the cover I was expecting something more game-y; while Wade's game is a major component of the plot, it's really more like low-key, slice-of-life literary fiction, although the language and structure are easy-going rather than high-brow. There are some hard life choices in front of the characters, and a certain amount of grit to the story to the book, rather than glamor--this is Scranton, PA, after all--but it's also positive and heartfelt. Overall, a very enjoyable read about struggles that will be familiar to modern 20-somethings, or anyone who's every been through that stage of their life.
"Now That We're Adults" is the story of four twenty-something people who are trying to get their adulting game together. Ian and Kat have just gotten married; Ian wants a baby, and Kat goes along with it because that, as she realizes too late, is the kind of person she is. Unfortunately, she's the one who has to do all the work of carrying and bearing the baby, and then nursing and caring for it once it's born, which she doesn't enjoy nearly as much as she thinks she will. Ian feels overwhelmed by work and is resentful of Kat for not being thrilled about changing her name, quitting her job, and putting herself through a draining physical and emotional ordeal in order to create his drama-free dream family. Meanwhile, Wade, Ian's younger brother, is heartbroken after his long-time girlfriend leaves him because of his immaturity, and Eleanor, the anti-social local librarian, is still nursing the flame of an old high school love ten years later.
The story could be soap-opera-y or weird, but instead all the characters feel natural and authentic. It's told from alternating points of view, and each character is allowed to come across and sympathetic and engaging. From the cover I was expecting something more game-y; while Wade's game is a major component of the plot, it's really more like low-key, slice-of-life literary fiction, although the language and structure are easy-going rather than high-brow. There are some hard life choices in front of the characters, and a certain amount of grit to the story to the book, rather than glamor--this is Scranton, PA, after all--but it's also positive and heartfelt. Overall, a very enjoyable read about struggles that will be familiar to modern 20-somethings, or anyone who's every been through that stage of their life.
July 20, 2017
To be honest, I wasn't sure I was going to relate to the characters in this book, mainly because it's been about twenty years since I was a twenty something myself. But as it turns out, adulting hasn't gotten any easier since I was a brand new grown up. I could see very real shades of my own drama in some of the characters, which was both amusing and slightly cringe inducing.
Each character was real,with a clear voice and intriguing story to tell. I found my sympathies shifting often as the perspective shifted as well. My only complaint, if you can call it that, is that
Outstanding and I do hope to see more by this author.
Each character was real,with a clear voice and intriguing story to tell. I found my sympathies shifting often as the perspective shifted as well. My only complaint, if you can call it that, is that
Outstanding and I do hope to see more by this author.
August 9, 2017
This is an excellent novel that I could not put down. The characters were all so interesting and entirely relatable. I loved getting to read each storyline from each character's perspective as it challenged me to see each scenario from different angles. Loved this novel. One of my favourite reads this year. Hoping she writes another as I'm sure I won't be able to put it down either!
September 20, 2017
We are proud to announce that NOW THAT WE’RE ADULTS by Lynn Almengor is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells a reader that this book is well worth their time and money!
January 8, 2017
Thoroughly enjoyed this book had a bunch of different stories all twisting in to one so it never got boring for me. It deals with real life situations that you can actually relate to. I finished this book in a day. I couldn't put it down and it sucked me in from the very beginning. I'm hoping this author has more books I can find cause this was a winner in my mind :)
December 20, 2017
There are times when we think we have the direction of our lives pretty well figured out. We're confident we know who we are and how our relationships with friends and family are supposed to operate. Suddenly, everything changes, and we're left reeling in the aftermath, trying to figure out which of those beliefs to hold on to and which to let go.
Now That We're Adults is a beautiful novel about just such a time in the lives of four twenty-somethings. Ian rushes into the traditional life of marriage and career that his parents had, but quickly becomes overwhelmed. His wife, Kat, loves him dearly but is increasingly wary of the changes in their relationship, including a baby on the way. Ian's brother, Wade, is dealt a crushing heartbreak and obsesses over a new passion project while wondering why no one seems to treat him like an adult. Choosing her own path for the first time, Eleanor looks to rekindle an old flame and is forced to confront her deep-rooted insecurities.
The four main characters are all well-developed and relatable, especially for those of us who grew up in the video game era. It's the one constant in their ever-changing lives, and they often work through their issues with controllers in hand. Non-gamers shouldn't worry, though, as the games are not presented with intrusive jargon, obscure references, or technically complex descriptions.
The supporting cast is excellent, as well. Shakeups in established relationships with parents, cousins, and feuding mutual friends affect Ian, Kat, and Wade. Meanwhile, Eleanor deals more with the uncertainty of new adult friendships.
I loved all of the main characters, but Ian and Kat really stole the show for me. Almengor depicts the tumult in their relationship with unflinching honesty as the two of them grow both separately and together. They are a couple who truly love each other but at times doubt whether they even know how to do so anymore. Every argument feels like it could shatter them both, and while I tended to agree with Kat most of the time, Ian's inner turmoil and refusal to give up on their marriage kept things from being one-sided.
There is a lot to love about this book, and I highly recommend it. Lynn Almengor is a wonderful writer whose debut novel perfectly balances drama, humor, and heart. I can't wait to read more of her work.
Now That We're Adults is a beautiful novel about just such a time in the lives of four twenty-somethings. Ian rushes into the traditional life of marriage and career that his parents had, but quickly becomes overwhelmed. His wife, Kat, loves him dearly but is increasingly wary of the changes in their relationship, including a baby on the way. Ian's brother, Wade, is dealt a crushing heartbreak and obsesses over a new passion project while wondering why no one seems to treat him like an adult. Choosing her own path for the first time, Eleanor looks to rekindle an old flame and is forced to confront her deep-rooted insecurities.
The four main characters are all well-developed and relatable, especially for those of us who grew up in the video game era. It's the one constant in their ever-changing lives, and they often work through their issues with controllers in hand. Non-gamers shouldn't worry, though, as the games are not presented with intrusive jargon, obscure references, or technically complex descriptions.
The supporting cast is excellent, as well. Shakeups in established relationships with parents, cousins, and feuding mutual friends affect Ian, Kat, and Wade. Meanwhile, Eleanor deals more with the uncertainty of new adult friendships.
I loved all of the main characters, but Ian and Kat really stole the show for me. Almengor depicts the tumult in their relationship with unflinching honesty as the two of them grow both separately and together. They are a couple who truly love each other but at times doubt whether they even know how to do so anymore. Every argument feels like it could shatter them both, and while I tended to agree with Kat most of the time, Ian's inner turmoil and refusal to give up on their marriage kept things from being one-sided.
There is a lot to love about this book, and I highly recommend it. Lynn Almengor is a wonderful writer whose debut novel perfectly balances drama, humor, and heart. I can't wait to read more of her work.
December 13, 2017
Simply put, "Now That We're Adults" is an adept coming of age story... or rather four of them.
The story unfolds by shifting focus between four focal characters - Eleanor, Ian, Kat, and Wade - and their personal struggles coming to terms with the often harsh adult world. Each of the characters and their goals are well-defined and real, as are their trials and triumphs, making each of them intimately relatable right out of the gate.
Kat and Ian are starting out their lives as 'perfect' newlyweds, Eleanor is drifting through life anxious, lonely, and desperate for a genuine human connection, and Wade is dealing with thoughts of a lost, all-important love, looking for a little light to guide him onward.
But it isn't all serious business, and, unlike many coming of age books, isn't over-encumbered with ham-fisted, inspirational platitudes. Just realistic characters with realistic reactions (or, in many cases, overreactions) to real life issues.
Also like real life, there's a lot of well-timed humor in "Now That We're Adults" (there's an excellent Winona Ryder joke early on I won't spoil, but may be one of my favorite things in the whole book), and it serves to make all of the more hard-hitting, stark, emotional moments resonate even more than they would in a strict drama. In turn, the jokes and humorous observations are made all the more memorable by being framed with such heavy, often heartbreaking moments.
It isn't a sprawling epic, nor is it an overly light jaunt. What "Now That We're Adults" is, at its heart, is a story we've all heard (and maybe lived) many times over, but in Almengor's hands, feels fresh and vital. It has a satisfying conclusion, but left me wanting to spend more time with the characters. I genuinely cared what became of them beyond the closing scene.
I look forward to seeing more from Almengor in the future, and if you too like having your heart ripped out, cut to pieces, taped back together, and put back in, you're likely to agree.
This is how you start your career as an author. Get this book.
The story unfolds by shifting focus between four focal characters - Eleanor, Ian, Kat, and Wade - and their personal struggles coming to terms with the often harsh adult world. Each of the characters and their goals are well-defined and real, as are their trials and triumphs, making each of them intimately relatable right out of the gate.
Kat and Ian are starting out their lives as 'perfect' newlyweds, Eleanor is drifting through life anxious, lonely, and desperate for a genuine human connection, and Wade is dealing with thoughts of a lost, all-important love, looking for a little light to guide him onward.
But it isn't all serious business, and, unlike many coming of age books, isn't over-encumbered with ham-fisted, inspirational platitudes. Just realistic characters with realistic reactions (or, in many cases, overreactions) to real life issues.
Also like real life, there's a lot of well-timed humor in "Now That We're Adults" (there's an excellent Winona Ryder joke early on I won't spoil, but may be one of my favorite things in the whole book), and it serves to make all of the more hard-hitting, stark, emotional moments resonate even more than they would in a strict drama. In turn, the jokes and humorous observations are made all the more memorable by being framed with such heavy, often heartbreaking moments.
It isn't a sprawling epic, nor is it an overly light jaunt. What "Now That We're Adults" is, at its heart, is a story we've all heard (and maybe lived) many times over, but in Almengor's hands, feels fresh and vital. It has a satisfying conclusion, but left me wanting to spend more time with the characters. I genuinely cared what became of them beyond the closing scene.
I look forward to seeing more from Almengor in the future, and if you too like having your heart ripped out, cut to pieces, taped back together, and put back in, you're likely to agree.
This is how you start your career as an author. Get this book.
November 20, 2017
SPOILERS*** Very good writing, but the story left me hating men.
This was a book I picked up at a local book fair. I always have really low expectations for local authors that self-publish, but I must say this author has a talent! Despite my irritations with almost all of the characters, I was captivated by the development. I would recommend.
However, I felt the ending was tied up too nicely- Ian is a complete jerk and I wanted Kat to LEAVE HIM. There is no way that couple would have stayed together in real life. From the very start their relationship was not solid because she doesn't tell him how she truly feels when she doesn't want to be pregnant! That is HUGE! You can tell she doesn't even really like him at so many points, I'm shocked that she was okay with him quitting his job and just "fixing" everything at the end. Plus, men do not fix things in real life.
I had no empathy whatsoever for all of the male characters, but I was waiting for Kat to have her big breakthrough moment that never happened... I kind of felt like the entire story surrounded young men who were trying to be adults before they were ready.
All in all, great read but more girl power was needed!
This was a book I picked up at a local book fair. I always have really low expectations for local authors that self-publish, but I must say this author has a talent! Despite my irritations with almost all of the characters, I was captivated by the development. I would recommend.
However, I felt the ending was tied up too nicely- Ian is a complete jerk and I wanted Kat to LEAVE HIM. There is no way that couple would have stayed together in real life. From the very start their relationship was not solid because she doesn't tell him how she truly feels when she doesn't want to be pregnant! That is HUGE! You can tell she doesn't even really like him at so many points, I'm shocked that she was okay with him quitting his job and just "fixing" everything at the end. Plus, men do not fix things in real life.
I had no empathy whatsoever for all of the male characters, but I was waiting for Kat to have her big breakthrough moment that never happened... I kind of felt like the entire story surrounded young men who were trying to be adults before they were ready.
All in all, great read but more girl power was needed!
October 19, 2018
This book was so relatable. In college, and even in high school, there is always a sense that the adults around you have it all together. Once you become an adult, you quickly realize that most people are just doing their best to make it through. Sometimes I still can't believe that I have the responsibilities I do, even though I am a full-fledged adult, and have been for some time.
These characters are interesting and flawed. You can relate to some aspect of each character, even if you haven't gone through the things they have. This is a great example of the way people can change as they grow, and sometimes you grow together, and sometimes you grow apart.
It was a fun read, and I couldn't put it down.
These characters are interesting and flawed. You can relate to some aspect of each character, even if you haven't gone through the things they have. This is a great example of the way people can change as they grow, and sometimes you grow together, and sometimes you grow apart.
It was a fun read, and I couldn't put it down.
April 9, 2018
I'd say this is a great first novel, but it doesn't really need the qualifier - it's a great novel, period. Lynn Almengor has written an incredibly insightful and truthful tale of the lives of a group of twenty-something friends trying to figure out what exactly it means to be an adult in today's world.
The book follows newlyweds Kat and Ian, Ian's brother Wade, and Eleanor, a painfully shy young woman who's just moved to town. Over the course of the story, their lives twist and turn in sometimes funny and sometimes very painful - but very real - ways.
I absolutely, highly, recommend this book, and I look forward to more from the author.
The book follows newlyweds Kat and Ian, Ian's brother Wade, and Eleanor, a painfully shy young woman who's just moved to town. Over the course of the story, their lives twist and turn in sometimes funny and sometimes very painful - but very real - ways.
I absolutely, highly, recommend this book, and I look forward to more from the author.
January 9, 2018
This felt like the first book about growing up that actually had characters that were not canned depictions from a teenage movie plot. This book was awesome! (And I'm not just saying that because I met the author at MagLabs last September.)I'd recommend it to anyone that likes a good read with a solid plot. Plus being able to live in Pa again through these characters was great. My hometown was a lot like Scranton - a Pa mountain town that has been there for decades. But seriously, read this book! It's really good.
July 25, 2017
This book was adorable in every way. I really connected with all the characters as they were embracing/resisting adulthood since I am leaving my sheltered college campus life within the next year. I feel like Almengor communicates really well that even in our twenties, we still have room to change and there shouldn't be any shame in changing our mind on bigger life decisions.
January 3, 2018
3.5 stars
I flew through this book and enjoyed it. However, I felt like it was very rushed and too "happily ever after" at the end. I loved the premise of posted college "adult" life, and it was amazing until the neatly wrapped bow at the end. It just wasn't realistic for me and some of the characters (Drew) was underdeveloped. I still loved the writing style and most of the storyline.
I flew through this book and enjoyed it. However, I felt like it was very rushed and too "happily ever after" at the end. I loved the premise of posted college "adult" life, and it was amazing until the neatly wrapped bow at the end. It just wasn't realistic for me and some of the characters (Drew) was underdeveloped. I still loved the writing style and most of the storyline.
January 5, 2019
Sometimes I'm caught off guard by this book and how much of myself I see in the characters, especially Wade. It's wonderfully written, highly relatable, funny, touching, and you should not miss it for anything. It should strike a chord with any millennial who find out just how difficult life can really be.
You're crazy not to read this book. CRAZY, I SAY!!!
You're crazy not to read this book. CRAZY, I SAY!!!
February 16, 2025
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was an easy read for me.
I liked the part in Ch 28 about life long friends. if you didn’t have the history and met them as adults, would you still be friends?
And in Ch 27 when Ian comes alive rediscovering his love for music doing karaoke. I want to be fully alive. Not just going through the motions!
I liked the part in Ch 28 about life long friends. if you didn’t have the history and met them as adults, would you still be friends?
And in Ch 27 when Ian comes alive rediscovering his love for music doing karaoke. I want to be fully alive. Not just going through the motions!
June 17, 2017
An excellent read. So well written and engaging that I can't believe this is her first novel. The characters are so authentic and easy to relate to. Highly recommend reading it. I can't wait for her next novel!
September 14, 2017
This was phenomenal. Completely relatable, blending humour and light perfectly with the darker parts of life. I could not put this book down; I finished it in two days. I hope this first time novelist doesn't stop at one.
June 18, 2018
i think this is the technically the first New Adult book i’ve ever read! i really enjoyed it but also i care way more about Eleanor than any other characters and i kinda want a while book just about her
August 3, 2018
This story covers the time after we leave school and uni.
It’s when we make gigantic decisions that totally affect how we grow as adults.
We see four people whose lives are linked but they all find it hard to get to being functioning adults.
A great story.
It’s when we make gigantic decisions that totally affect how we grow as adults.
We see four people whose lives are linked but they all find it hard to get to being functioning adults.
A great story.
July 1, 2017
About 20-something's and making decisions and growing up.
April 9, 2018
This book had some cool ideas behind it, but I thought the characterization was minimal, the plot was eh, and the writing was not great quality. The whole thing was pretty much characters doing uncharacteristic things we know are uncharacteristic only because the author tells us (like ), and then they somehow end up happily ever after anyway. It was still a fairly decent book. Just a bit disappointing.
January 5, 2018
A realistic portrayal of new adulthood.
August 21, 2021
Awesome Indies Book Awards is pleased to include NOW THAT WE’RE ADULTS by LYNN ALMENGOR in the library of Awesome Indies'
Badge of Approval
recipients.
Original Awesome Indies' Assessment (5 stars):
Now That We're Adults is a beautifully crafted book that will affect different readers in different ways. For some, this will be a book about a time that has passed you by, before the complexities of adult life fully took over. For others, it will be a tale of the inevitable - a glimpse into a period of life that is different for everyone, but always has the result of shaping us into the people we will be. Even much older people who haven't been in their twenties for decades will find that while the scenery changes, the nature of people doesn't. This is a book about ups and downs, and the minor and major tragedies that unfold as the result of the decisions we make. Whether the reader is looking at the book with the benefit of hindsight or as a cautionary tale of the future, the story that unfolds is one that will evoke a number of emotions and culminates in an ending that will leave you satisfied.
The characters in Now That We're Adults are well-written and convincing twenty-somethings. Wade is a childish lover of video games who feels the sting of first love lost and must mature as a person to heal and move on. Eleanor is stuck in the past, and has self-esteem issues which prevent her from finding happiness. Ian and Kat are well-intentioned newlyweds who, like most young married couples, are confronted with the burdens of adulthood sooner rather than later. A lot of their conflict arrises when they have their first child, and each find themselves less-enamored with their role in the new family than either had anticipated. What follows for each character is a tale of growth and compromise, and without giving away too much of the book, the endings will resonate with many people who have witnessed or are in similar situations as authentic. This a down-to-earth presentation that doesn't shy away from the most uncomfortable of emotions, and the author has a gift for depicting guilt, grief, melancholy and listlessness. That isn't to say that the book is all maudlin, and each character's arc reaches a satisfying conclusion.
The dialogue is snappy and realistic, and the author does a good job of making interactions and events seem organic. The book's structure alternates focus on members of the main cast, but it isn't guilty of head-hopping and the character focused on is clearly depicted at the beginning of each chapter. The stories interweave at points, and having the characters play off one another is a particularly enjoyable aspect of the book. Readers of all ages will find something to like in this book, although obviously the closer to twenty you are, the more the story will resonate. I give Now That We're Adults 5 stars and recommend it for inclusion in Awesome Indies.
Original Awesome Indies' Assessment (5 stars):
Now That We're Adults is a beautifully crafted book that will affect different readers in different ways. For some, this will be a book about a time that has passed you by, before the complexities of adult life fully took over. For others, it will be a tale of the inevitable - a glimpse into a period of life that is different for everyone, but always has the result of shaping us into the people we will be. Even much older people who haven't been in their twenties for decades will find that while the scenery changes, the nature of people doesn't. This is a book about ups and downs, and the minor and major tragedies that unfold as the result of the decisions we make. Whether the reader is looking at the book with the benefit of hindsight or as a cautionary tale of the future, the story that unfolds is one that will evoke a number of emotions and culminates in an ending that will leave you satisfied.
The characters in Now That We're Adults are well-written and convincing twenty-somethings. Wade is a childish lover of video games who feels the sting of first love lost and must mature as a person to heal and move on. Eleanor is stuck in the past, and has self-esteem issues which prevent her from finding happiness. Ian and Kat are well-intentioned newlyweds who, like most young married couples, are confronted with the burdens of adulthood sooner rather than later. A lot of their conflict arrises when they have their first child, and each find themselves less-enamored with their role in the new family than either had anticipated. What follows for each character is a tale of growth and compromise, and without giving away too much of the book, the endings will resonate with many people who have witnessed or are in similar situations as authentic. This a down-to-earth presentation that doesn't shy away from the most uncomfortable of emotions, and the author has a gift for depicting guilt, grief, melancholy and listlessness. That isn't to say that the book is all maudlin, and each character's arc reaches a satisfying conclusion.
The dialogue is snappy and realistic, and the author does a good job of making interactions and events seem organic. The book's structure alternates focus on members of the main cast, but it isn't guilty of head-hopping and the character focused on is clearly depicted at the beginning of each chapter. The stories interweave at points, and having the characters play off one another is a particularly enjoyable aspect of the book. Readers of all ages will find something to like in this book, although obviously the closer to twenty you are, the more the story will resonate. I give Now That We're Adults 5 stars and recommend it for inclusion in Awesome Indies.
February 13, 2021
Realistic yet heartfelt - the story of 4 twenty-somethings trying to get by in the "adult" world.
Ian is unhappy at his job where he struggles to find the time to actually help his students and reconciling that help with the expectations of administration. A week after getting married to Kat, he watches his baby cousin for a few minutes and decides he wants to have kids. Now.
Kat is Ian's wife who is obsessed with going above and beyond for everything and is having doubts about being a mother now that she's pregnant and even after she gives birth.
Wade is Ian's brother just going through his first "adult" breakup and it's hitting him hard. He decides to distract himself by programming a video game by himself as the first "adult project" he's taken initiative for. Meanwhile, he's learning that relationships - both romantic and friendships - will change as life goes on.
Eleanor has been in love with the same person since high school and just can't get over him. She moved back to Scranton in hopes of running into him, but still hasn't had any luck. Can she move on?
This book will strike a chord with millennials and Gen Z trying to reconcile life without the structure of high school/college along with the inevitable changes that life loves to bring.
The character growth of Wade and Kat were especially strong in my opinion. Ian's story was ok. I feel like Eleanor's story was the weakest and felt the most rushed. . I'm not usually of the opinion that books need to be longer than they are - the opposite in fact! - but in this case, I wish the book was longer to explore each of the main characters' developments in greater depth.
I definitely recommend this book to those looking for a non-YA coming-of-age story.
Ian is unhappy at his job where he struggles to find the time to actually help his students and reconciling that help with the expectations of administration. A week after getting married to Kat, he watches his baby cousin for a few minutes and decides he wants to have kids. Now.
Kat is Ian's wife who is obsessed with going above and beyond for everything and is having doubts about being a mother now that she's pregnant and even after she gives birth.
Wade is Ian's brother just going through his first "adult" breakup and it's hitting him hard. He decides to distract himself by programming a video game by himself as the first "adult project" he's taken initiative for. Meanwhile, he's learning that relationships - both romantic and friendships - will change as life goes on.
Eleanor has been in love with the same person since high school and just can't get over him. She moved back to Scranton in hopes of running into him, but still hasn't had any luck. Can she move on?
This book will strike a chord with millennials and Gen Z trying to reconcile life without the structure of high school/college along with the inevitable changes that life loves to bring.
The character growth of Wade and Kat were especially strong in my opinion. Ian's story was ok. I feel like Eleanor's story was the weakest and felt the most rushed. . I'm not usually of the opinion that books need to be longer than they are - the opposite in fact! - but in this case, I wish the book was longer to explore each of the main characters' developments in greater depth.
I definitely recommend this book to those looking for a non-YA coming-of-age story.
October 10, 2017
I knew as soon as I saw the cover that this book would be right up my alley! There aren't that many books on being a 20-something, but Almengor perfectly captures this season of life and both its ups and downs. Once I started reading, I had trouble putting it down. Almengor is a strong writer, and I found the four main characters engaging to follow, complex and relatable. I either saw myself or someone that I knew in all of these characters. I found Kat's struggles with pregnancy and motherhood particularly superbly human. Fans of MICROSERFS will love this book for its geekiness, as well as its careful observation of the human experience.
November 9, 2016
I bought this book at a book sale for local/new authors. I read the description and thought it sounded interesting. Besides, even if it wasn't that great, it felt nice to help a young, first time, female author. But I was blown away by its realism, and it's quite but deep simplicity. I'm used to reading complicated, crazy stories so this was a nice change. It was basically about real people dealing with real problems. It wasn't sugar coated and never did I think "oh right! Like THAT would happen in real life." But it was real life. And it wasn't mundane. It wasn't an outrageous, crazy storyline but it was still very moving. I think this author will go far with her writing career. And now I have an autographed copy of her first book!
February 5, 2017
I walked into the library, saw this book and picked it up without hesitation. I loved it so much, like- probably going to end up buying it, much. The characters are relatable, and it takes place in and around Philadelphia, and for me that's home so it made it even more relatable. Not to mention one characters recurring , "I'll buy you tacos" line (buy me tacos, please?) I'm so happy this was the first book I read this year.
October 25, 2016
Official Review to come
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