Book Review: All Adults Here

All Adults Here is the newest book from bestselling author (and owner of the amazing bookstore, Books Are Magic) Emma Straub. Taking place in a fictional small town, in upstate New York, Clapham, All Adults Here tells the story of the Strickland family. It’s a story of family, letting go of the past (past insecurities, past regrets, past mistakes), making brave decisions, and moving forward. 

When Astrid Strickland witnesses a tragic bus crash, a repressed memory from her younger parenting days resurfaces. Astrid begins to question if she really was as good of a parent as she had thought she was. Her grown children are also questioning their parenting skills. Eldest son Elliot can’t let go of a conversation he overheard between his parents years ago, letting it affect the choices he’s making now, in both his personal and professional life. Middle daughter Porter is choosing to have a child on her own, while revisiting an affair with her high school boyfriend. Youngest son Nicholas has sent his daughter Cecelia to live with his mother after feeling like he’s not a good enough parent to help his daughter. However, the bravery that Cecelia and her new friend, August, exhibit, helps everyone to let go of their past, and move forward with their lives.

Straub herself has said that inspiration for All Adults Here came from Gilmore Girls, specifically the feeling of a small town like Stars Hallow. I can absolutely see the connection to the small town of Stars Hallow, though perhaps not in the most positive way. In both Gilmore Girls and All Adults Here the portrayal of living in a small town seems dreadful. Everyone knows each other’s business, whether you wanted to share it or not.

There are times when Porter can’t escape the small town. It’s so easy for Porter to keep starting up an affair with her high school boyfriend, because he’s always there. She also seems to just be always going back to him because she’s never meeting anyone new in this small town. Porter eventually learns that secrets are impossible to keep in this small town when she is confronted by the wife, who’s known about the affair for years.

Cecelia and August also, in my opinion, experience the negative aspects of living in a small town. Although Cecelia is new to Clapham, once a secret from her past gets out, it’s not long before the whole school knows. August worries about being his true, authentic self, for fear of judgement in the small town.    

On Instagram, I saw the book compared to a “more woke Gilmore Girls.” Again, there’s the obvious connection of the small town. And All Adults Here is indeed more “woke” than Gilmore Girls. Straub explores sexuality and gender identity in a way that Gilmore Girls certainly never did. Just as Gilmore Girls explored the dynamics of family and living in a small town, reflecting the early 2000’s, All Adults Here explore family dynamics and life in a small town, reflecting the present times.

Straub did an excellent job of grabbing the reader’s interest and keeping us hooked. I kept reading, wanting to find out the family’s secrets and to see if, and how, they would move on. I was frustrated as Porter continued to behave immaturely, not fully realizing that she needed to grow up quick, and when Elliot and Astrid were unable to communicate with each other, knowing that their issues could be cleared up if the both just told each other what was troubling them. I was rooting for Cecelia and August as they navigated the awkwardness of middle school, while learning to accept who they are and be confident in themselves. Overall, I just wanted to see the Strickland family let go of their past and move forward, stronger than before.

Like other books by Straub that I have read (The Vacationers and Modern Lovers), All Adults Here is a story of complicated family dynamics. I love how Straub introduces the reader to these complex families, and then brings us along as they work to understand each other better and to move forward with their lives.