I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

An interesting read with plenty of laughs about. An enjoyable book. Full of warmth. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for gifting of the book

Massively enjoyed this book. Love books about families and complex relationships and this book completely ticked that box. Loved the writing style too.

I really enjoyed both the writing and the characters in Straub’s novel. Astrid and her family are quirky, flawed and learning to relate to each other as adults. I read the book quickly, keen to know what would happen, however my own criticism is that it felt like Straub was ticking too many ‘social issues’ boxes. Gay parent - check, ‘trans’ teen coming out - check, bullying - check, the dangers of social media - check, threats to small businesses and small towns - check. I feel that the book would have been more enjoyable with fewer issues and more development of some of the minor characters.

A really interesting read. It's a funny and warm drama with interesting characters, It's not for everyone but it's really enjoyable.
3.5 stars

The thing I enjoyed most about this book was the writing style, no matter the content I found it easy to read with some brilliant nuggets of wisdom against the background of quirky characters and family dynamics.

Don't go into this book if you are looking for a fast-paced action-filled plot, it's more of a meandering character study into relationships and their dynamics.

Overall the story was ok and I will be reading from the author again.

I love a family drama! It definitely got me thinking about my own family for sure! I loved the writing style ( very witty and funny) but it did seem to lack a plot. It’s definitely more character driven and I enjoyed getting to the know the characters who I found relatable. Enjoyable!

This is an enjoyable character driven novel about the Strick family, Astrid and her three grown up children, Elliot, Porter and Nicky.
Astrid witnesses something shocking on page one of this book which sets her thinking about her past and all the mistakes she has made bringing up her kids. Her son Elliot lives locally as does her daughter Porter and both characters have some major decisions to make in the course of the story. Elliot has a business decision and Porter, a personal one. Both seek their Mother’s approval even though they are well past the stage when that is necessary.
The youngest, Nicky, sends his teenage daughter, Cecilia, to live with her grandmother Astrid in small town Clapham after something happens to her in the big city which affects her life and friendships. He is hoping that Cecilia will have the the same secure life that he did growing up in Clapham. He seems the happiest of the 3 siblings but even he has issues with drugs, finding it hard to behave as a “grown up” in some situations.
This is a story about families and the the ties that bind them. It is also the story of relationship between different generations and how they change and mature as we grow older. The mother and child relationship is very different at different stages of our lives and this is examined in this book.
Astrid remembers saying something to Elliot as a teenager which weighs heavily on her but he barely recalls it when she apologises to him many years later. However he remembers something she said on a different occasion which has stayed with him, affecting his life thereafter. Their perceptions are completely different and this just illustrates how misunderstandings can so easily occur.
As I said earlier, the author pays particular attention to her characterisations which are a key part of the novel. Each person is so well described that the reader can easily imagine them as real people!
This book strongly reminded me of novels by Anne Tyler which I’ve always enjoyed in the past and I would highly recommend “All Adults Here “ to any readers who are Anne Tyler fans..
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

The story centres around Astrid, and her three children. It starts when Astrid sees a neighbour hit by a house. It explores family relationships and building this back up.. for some this book will be lovely drawing you in the characters and lives. For me I felt it was too slow.

Dysfunctional families are one of my favourite things to read about in my contemporaries, as I have got a little bored of reading books that featured unrelatable nuclear families. If you're also a fan of family dramas with a family that actually steps away from the norm then this may be a good choice!

Coming of age isn't just for kids. 68-year-old Astrid Strick has always tried to do her best for her three children but now they're finally grown up. When she witnesses the accidental death of an acquaintance, she decides life is short, and that it's time to right wrongs.

I loved the mix of ages in this book. It was lovely to read a coming-of-age story that followed someone older and all the way back down to a teenager. We were able to experience a range of life issues that we are often faced with at the different stages of our lives, and they made for an interesting read. Unfortunately, the volume of topics meant that some were extremely under-developed. I would've preferred it if the author had chosen a select few issues to tackle and handle them to their fullest. Additionally, there were quite a few plot points that didn't evoke as much emotion as they probably should have, but I would put this down to my age and the stage of my life that I am currently in, instead of it being the book's fault. Finally, I wish that the story was a little tidier. It kept jumping all over the place as we switched characters, but the transitions felt really choppy.

Overall, I thought this was enjoyable, albeit a little messy. I reckon fans of contemporaries and family dramas would enjoy it!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

All Adults Here by Emma Straub is an engaging family drama with an abundance of quirky, complex characters and equally divergent and complicated relationships. While I enjoyed reading about the lives and times of the Strick family, I felt it was a little slow and didn’t always hold my attention or interest. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it.

My thanks to Michael Joseph, part of Penguin Random House Publishers for the advance copy.

Not for me this one. I just couldn’t get into it or ‘feel’ the characters. Judging by the reviews I’m happy for the author that I’m in the minority.

When Astrid Strick witnesses a school bus accident in the center of town, it jostles loose a repressed memory from her young parenting days decades earlier. Suddenly, Astrid realizes she was not quite the parent she thought she’d been to her three, now-grown children. But to what consequence? A tale of family dysfunction sprawling many a life, it's thoughtful in its approach and puts enough out there to hook your curiosity until the very end - an easy read.

I found this a little hard to get into. Loved the storyline and the characters but just found it too heavy going for me. There are a lot of brilliant reviews for it so its certainly not the book itself just not my kind of read.

Thank you Netgalley.

This book overs a number of subjects and I loved getting to know each individual story of the characters within the book. Emma Straub creates such unique characters that all have their own stories. It does cover a number of subjects, sexuality, abortion, affairs to name just a few but I think she deals with these in a great way that is sensitive. I liked the fact that she concentrates on the older characters as well as the younger ones and how they all fit in the family dynamic. This book shows me that no matter how old you are, even in adulthood you can still find you need support and guidance from others. I don’t want to spoil the ending but it is a feel good book that makes you want to delve deeper into these characters lives.

I have loved two previous Emma Straub novels but with this one I am starting to find them all a bit similar especially in terms of the humour. I do like her writing and there are some great insights into the complexities of family life but due to the number of ‘issues’ crammed into this book it didn’t do any of them justice and everything fell into place a bit neatly. Nonetheless, a lot of people are looking for a more hopeful, uplifting read right now and I’d recommend it on that basis even if it was really only 3.5 stars for me personally.

Astrid Strick lives in comfortable retirement in upstate New York. Her husband is long dead and she supports her three children as well as she can - Elliott is a family man but fairly disfunctional, Porter is having a baby on her own and Nicky is a self-indulgent hippie. When two events happen in quick succession, the death of a contemporary and the arrival of Nicky's daughter for a prolonged stay, then things in Astrid's life are going to change.
This is a perfectly pleasant book of a sort that seems very popular in the US, family story which never really goes anywhere but is suitably warm and uplifting never the less. It takes a while to adjust to the pace of this story and to the different narrative voices but I didn't really engage with the characters so found it all a little too prolonged and saccharine sweet at times.

What makes you an adult? Is it when you turn leave school? When you turn 18? When you start getting excited about new household objects?
This book explores what it means to be an adult and how everyone has a secret which is precious to them. It shows that you can become an adult at any point in your life as long as you are willing to stand up for what you believe in, make difficult choices and take care of those you love.
I really enjoyed getting to know the characters, in particular Cecilia. Having been sent to her Grandmother’s after an ‘altercation’ with a friend, we follow Cecilia on her journey to understanding herself, her family and the world around her. She is the teenage friend you would want your children to have; willing to stand up for you and look after you, even if it gets her into trouble. It is refreshing to see a teenage character who understands what it’s like to be a teenager whilst also on occasions acting like more of an adult than those around her.
I found myself flitting between liking and disliking Porter throughout the novel. Even though she initially appears as a strong, independent woman, running her own business and about to become a single parent, she keeps running back to her married, teenage love implying a woman does in fact need a man by her side. I jumped for joy when she finally decided to ditch the cheating bum and stand up for girl power alongside Rachel, a rekindled friendship who also happens to be pregnant!
Astrid is perhaps the most complex character in the novel. The first chapter opens with her witnessing the death of her ‘friend’ and it subsequently leads Astrid to making some decisions which will make her happy, rather than putting her family first. As a mother, you constantly strive for the best for your children but instead of doing this, over the years Astrid has pushed her children further away, putting up barriers in order to keep her secret. When she finally shares her secret, you see an instant change in the character which is definitely for the better.
This novel focuses on the need to find yourself and make sure that you are happy, regardless of other opinions. It does try to cram a lot of themes in (LGBTQ+, grooming, death, mourning, drug use just to name a few!) and at times it felt a little bit overwhelming. The theme of non-judgemental acceptance takes the forefront and is done a sensitive and emotional manner; one of my favourite scenes was when Cecilia’s friend was finally able to be who they wanted to be in front of his family, friends and community.

I love books that explore family dynamics and this was a very good one for sure.
There were lots of characters to root for and they were well fleshed out, really charming. I loved the plot and the writing as well. I'd read from this author again.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

It is hard being a Mother. Family dynamics are so well-described here, lots of issues, lots of flaws, lots of spark. A really enjoyable, modern family tale that starts with witnessing an accident and goes on to uncover unexpected family secrets.