New York Times Bestseller A TODAY Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick A Big Chill for our times, celebrating decades-long friendships and promises—especially to ourselves—by the bestselling and beloved author of The Guncle. It’s been a minute—or five years—since Jordan Vargas last saw his college friends, and twenty-eight years since their graduation when their adult lives officially began. Now Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle find themselves at the brink of a new decade, with all the responsibilities of adulthood, yet no closer to having their lives figured out. Though not for a lack of trying. Over the years they’ve reunited in Big Sur to honor a decades-old pact to throw each other living “funerals,” celebrations to remind themselves that life is worth living—that their lives mean something, to one another if not to themselves. But this reunion is different. They’re not gathered as they were to bolster Marielle as her marriage crumbled, to lift Naomi after her parents died, or to intervene when Craig pleaded guilty to art fraud. This time, Jordan is sitting on a secret that will upend their pact. A deeply honest tribute to the growing pains of selfhood and the people who keep us going, coupled with Steven Rowley’s signature humor and heart, The Celebrants is a moving tale about the false invincibility of youth and the beautiful ways in which friendship helps us celebrate our lives, even amid the deepest challenges of living. Finalist for the CALIBA Golden Poppy Award A Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick An Indie Next Pick A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Pick One of The New York Times Book Review Summer Books 2023 One of Buzzfeed ’s Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books of 2023 One of Electric Lit ’s Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books of Spring 2023 One of Nerd Daily ’s Most Anticipated Books of 2023 One of Entertainment Weekly ’s Best New Books for Spring One of Real Simple ’s Must-Read Books of Summer One of Today.com 's Most Ancitipated Books of 2023 One of New York Post ’s Best New Books One of Reader’s Digest ’s Most Anticipated Summer Books One of BookRiot ’s Best New Books of May One of Esquire ’s Best LGBTQ Books of 2023 One of Southern Living ’s Best New Beach Reads "A modern take on The Big Chill, this novel celebrates decades-long friendships and personal promises. . . . With humor, heart, and a touch of mystery, it’s perfect for a reflective yet entertaining summer read." —Healthy Living + Travel "Rowley, author of the adorable novel The Guncle , navigates friendships and the challenges of adult life with humor and warmth." — The Free Lance-Star " The Celebrants offers the combination of tears and laughs fans of Rowley, author of The Guncle , have come to expect.” — Parade "It’s hard to think of a novelist who handles grief with more gentleness than Steven Rowley. . . . Rowley himself nails the vibe as 'four funerals and a wedding'. . . . Rowley’s repartee is witty, and the importance of making sure those you love know how much they mean to you comes through on every page.” — The Christian Science Monitor "This novel is a newly minted New York Times bestseller—and for good reason. It’s Steven Rowley’s sharpest work to date, which is saying something, as his bibliography includes modern queer favorites like The Editor and The Guncle ." — Esquire "A Big Chill for our times . . . Funny, tender, and incredibly moving, [ The Celebrants ] is a life-affirming, powerful ode to friendship that will inspire you to reconnect with your own treasured friends." — Serendipity Magazine "A little The Big Chill , a little St. Elmo's Fire , the kind of buddy book you want for the summer . . . Perfectly crafted, and author Steven Rowley packs a lot of characters in it while still leaving the tale uncomplicated." — Seattle Gay Times "This funny, poignant, heartfelt novel is a testament to the importance of friendship, especially when life gets hard." — Good Housekeeping "Witty . . . A tender reminder of the exigencies of life and the remarkable ability of happy memories to melt the years away." — Shelf Awareness "Steven Rowley is one of those authors where if you read one of his novels, his name gets added to a mental 'TBR' (to-be read) list. That is, of course, if you love rich characters written with love and humor that you'd like to know in real life. Each of his books is so uniquely different in plot and beautifully told. . . . Rowley keenly taps into the vibe of old friendships. . . . People are craving connection now more than ever. Rowley's The Celebrants is not only a reminder of that, but a salve. Treat yourself, read this book, and call an old friend.” — Associated Press ”From the author of The Guncle comes the ultimate story of friend goals. . . . Throughout this ode to good friends is lots of clever dialogue and some genuinely funny moments.” — BookRiot "Rowley has created such living, breathing characters that the heartbrea