The Blurb:

Coming of age isn’t just for kids.

Astrid Strick has always tried to do her best for her three children. Now, they’re finally grown up – but you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

Elliott doesn’t have any idea who he really is, or how to communicate with his own sons. Porter is, at last, pregnant – but feels incapable of rising to the challenge. Nicky has fled to distant New Mexico, where he’s living the bohemian dream.

And Astrid herself is up to things that would make her children’s hair curl.

Until now, the family have managed to hide their true selves from each other. But when Nicky’s incorrigibly curious daughter Cecelia comes to stay, her arrival threatens to upturn everything…

Witty, astute, and irresistibly readable, All Adults Here is a novel about how to survive inside a modern family from New York Times bestselling author Emma Straub.

What Did I Think?

When I look back on my notes on this book, my first sentence was… ‘what an opening chapter!’ and I wasn’t joking. The opening chapter was so gripping that I had to carry on to find out more.

There are a lot of characters in this book but that is what I loved most about it. As I don’t come from a big family myself, I love reading books that focus on big families. All Adults Here is a great story that definitely focuses on the trials and tribulations of a modern family.

The more I read the book, the more I fell in love with each of the characters because they each added something unique to the story. I find it hard to choose my favourite character because they all leave you feeling something. I think out of them all, my favourites had to be Astrid and Porter because they are both independent women who have had to live within society’s expectations and had to hide their true selves.

I also loved how Emma Straub featured LGBTQIA narratives from both a young and old character, allowing us as readers to understand how members of the LGBTQIA society struggle in all different ways.

I also enjoyed the discussion around new fathers and how there doesn’t seem to be any support for dads of new-borns. They are just expected to ‘get on with it’ and get back to work. Elliot’s narrative gave us an insight into the highs and lows of being a new parent.

I think out of all the characters, Cecelia offers something for everyone in the book. In my opinion, she is the true heroine in the story because she helps all the other characters to realise their full potential.

Emma Straub brilliantly writes about how families and family traditions are adjusting to modern life and ultimately creates a funny, honest and gripping story that made my heart feel full.