The Celebrants by Steven Rowley on May 30, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Family Life / General, Fiction / LGBTQ+ / General, Fiction / Literary
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
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This was a very character driven story with a lot of heart. The characters in this one are so real and so complicated that I wanted to get to know them better.
The group of 6 in The Celebrants become close friends in college after switching colleges and being the newbies, but not freshman. Alec, Craig, Naomi, Marielle, Jordan, & Jordan are the like the six muskateers until the sudden death of one of the groups rocks them all.
Alec was the one that was the comedian and the one to likely be the buffer in any situation so his death hits everyone hard. They all come up with a pact. They decide to do “living funerals” for each other if they are ever feeling down and out and need to be lifted up.
The Jordans are the couple that are relationship goals! Craig is the crumudgeon of the group,but he is one that grows on you. Naomi is a people pleasing perfectionist. Marielle is someone who doesn’t like to be alone. They all come together after decades of friendship when called on for these living funerals. Marielle is shattered after her failed marriage and is trying to handle being a single mother. Naomi’s tragic loss of her parents makes her wonder where her place is in the world. Craig gets in legal trouble after an art fraud. And the Jordans are facing another cancer scare.
This one will tear at your soul. I’m not typically a fan of character driven novels, but I did enjoy this one. The characters were so complex and real that I cared what happened to them. I wanted to know what was going to happen in their lives. The writing is amazing and the pace is just right. If you liked his previous books, you will like this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.