Now, onto the book review...
I've suffered from a quarter-life crisis since I turned 21 years old so I knew once I turned 25, it would only get worse. I've talked your ear off about it for years so you know exactly what I'm talking about.
In the same breath, since I started blogging and getting more into the digital space, I've seen one book floating around and I always knew that I was going to read it. It was on my to-read list for years and when I turned 25 years old last year, I knew it was going to be the book I finally bought.
It just so happens that instead of me purchasing it, my sister saw it in my Amazon cart and gave it to me as a birthday gift.
That book is '20 Something, 20 Everything' by Christine Hassler.
You've probably seen the somber blue cover with the woman looking into the water somewhere on the Internet; I know I definitely have! This book usually pops up on a lot of 'Books for 20 Somethings' lists, or anything related to adulting.
Because it's become such a classic in the world of millennials going through a quarter-life crisis, I was expecting a lot. I don't know what I was expecting but I know I wanted to be wowed.
I was definitely not wowed.
Why I Didn't Like It
1. The book felt a little outdated which it should because it's was published in 2005. It has since been updated to include social media, but if it wasn't published within the last year, it still would feel outdated.2. It was very long and I felt a lot of it was unnecessary. It felt very wordy and drawn out for no reason. Because of that, it took me close to 8 months to finish. I just couldn't get into it because it was so slow.
3. Part of the beauty of this book was that it gave you interactive activities and prompts to do in every chapter. I am just not that type of person to stop reading, grab a pen and paper and jot down notes. I like to read because I want to escape, even if it is a self-help book. I think not taking advantage of those prompts defeats the purpose of the book and I wasn't able to fully enjoy it.
Why I Did Like It
1. It covered a lot of different topics and I felt like it did a good job of validating all types of feelings of 20- something women. From identity to career to love, this book has it all.
2. It was very validating. I felt like I wasn't alone in this book and that the feelings that I currently have are not unique. All women have felt like this and what I'm feeling is totally normal.
Verdict
While it was a good book and beautifully written, I think there are other self-help/quarter life crisis books out there that will help you more than this. It was a very generalized book and wasn't a straight up, 'if you're feeling this way, do this' type of book.
If you're someone who loves to write as they read, then DEFINITELY pick this book up. You will love it and you will get the most out of it.
If you're curious and have been curious, it's probably worth reading because you want to quench that curiosity. You could definitely use it more of an inspiration than a true book on what to do in certain situations.
Has anyone read this book? What did you think?
xoxo
B
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