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The Grown Ups
From the author of The Summer We Fell Apart, an evocative and emotionally resonant coming-of-age novel involving three friends that explores what it means to be happy, what it means to grow up, and how difficult it is to do both together
The summer he’s fifteen, Sam enjoys, for a few secret months, the unexpected attention of Suzie Epstein. For reasons Sam doesn’t entirely understand, he and Suzie keep their budding relationship hidden from their close knit group of friends. But as the summer ends, Sam’s world unexpectedly shatters twice: Suzie’s parents are moving to a new city to save their marriage, and his own mother has suddenly left the house, leaving Sam’s father alone to raise two sons.
Watching as her parents’ marital troubles escalate, Suzie takes on the responsibility of raising her two younger brothers and plans an early escape to college and independence. Though she thinks of Sam, she deeply misses her closest friend Bella, but makes no attempt to reconnect, embarrassed by the destructive wake of her parents as they left the only place Suzie called home. Years later, a chance meeting with Sam’s older brother will reunite her with both Sam and Bella - and force her to confront her past and her friends.
After losing Suzie, Bella finds her first real love in Sam. But Sam’s inability to commit to her or even his own future eventually drives them apart. In contrast, Bella’s old friend Suzie—and Sam’s older brother, Michael—seem to have worked it all out, leaving Bella to wonder where she went wrong.
Spanning over a decade, told in alternating voices, The Grown Ups explores the indelible bonds between friends and family and the challenges that threaten to divide them.
The summer he’s fifteen, Sam enjoys, for a few secret months, the unexpected attention of Suzie Epstein. For reasons Sam doesn’t entirely understand, he and Suzie keep their budding relationship hidden from their close knit group of friends. But as the summer ends, Sam’s world unexpectedly shatters twice: Suzie’s parents are moving to a new city to save their marriage, and his own mother has suddenly left the house, leaving Sam’s father alone to raise two sons.
Watching as her parents’ marital troubles escalate, Suzie takes on the responsibility of raising her two younger brothers and plans an early escape to college and independence. Though she thinks of Sam, she deeply misses her closest friend Bella, but makes no attempt to reconnect, embarrassed by the destructive wake of her parents as they left the only place Suzie called home. Years later, a chance meeting with Sam’s older brother will reunite her with both Sam and Bella - and force her to confront her past and her friends.
After losing Suzie, Bella finds her first real love in Sam. But Sam’s inability to commit to her or even his own future eventually drives them apart. In contrast, Bella’s old friend Suzie—and Sam’s older brother, Michael—seem to have worked it all out, leaving Bella to wonder where she went wrong.
Spanning over a decade, told in alternating voices, The Grown Ups explores the indelible bonds between friends and family and the challenges that threaten to divide them.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 27, 2015
48 people are currently reading
2074 people want to read
About the author
Robin Antalek
7 books119 followersMy second novel, THE GROWN UPS, will be published by William Morrow in January of 2015. It's the story of a group of friends over many years and what they mean to each other. It's about family, about love, about disappointment and heartache. It's about celebrating the small triumphs in life and hanging in there for those you love. It's about longing to be grown up - and then finding out what it really means to one.
THE SUMMER WE FELL APART was published by Harper Collins in January of 2010. It was chosen as a TARGET BREAKOUT BOOK.
THE SUMMER WE FELL APART was published by Harper Collins in January of 2010. It was chosen as a TARGET BREAKOUT BOOK.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
January 27, 2015
1/27/15-Now Available!
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
4 Stars!
I ended up being completely sucked into this book. After I was invested in the story, I had such a hard time putting this book down and found myself telling my family members that I needed "just one more minute" on the day I read this book. Anyone who reads a lot can tell you that that is a sign of a really good book.
This story is told from three points of view over the course of 15 years. During this story, we watch Sam, Suzie, and Bella grow from the awkward age of 15 to their adult years at 30. I think that most readers who are in their adult years will relate to this story because everyone know how hard it is to find your way in the world and deal with the multitude of issues in our lives.
Sam, Suzie, and Bella are part of a larger group of friends who somehow manage to stay together. These three are impacted by their fair share of problems: divorce, alcoholism, relationships, marriage, career choices, and caring for an aging parent to name a few. Each chapter is a moment in time in one of the three characters intersecting lives. Their lives and decisions all impact one another in varying ways because of how their lives have become intertwined.
This was one of those rare books where I found that I actually liked all of the characters. That doesn't mean that I liked everything that they did because some of their actions were just horrible. I liked these characters even though they made some horrible decisions and I guess I can relate because I have made a few of those myself. I loved the relationships between the characters and thought that their portrayal was incredibly realistic.
I must admit that I had a hard time getting into this book and the story did not immediately grab me. After I read a few chapters, I started to relate and eventually couldn't put the book down. This book doesn't have a big mystery and nothing is tied up in a pretty bow at the end. This book is a snapshot of a period of time in the life of a group of friends. We can only imagine what comes next for Sam, Bella, and Suzie.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who love an intriguing coming of age story. This is the first book by Robin Antalek that I have had a chance to read and I thought her writing style was simply wonderful. I plan to look for other works by this very talented author in the future.
I received a copy of this book from William Morrow via Edelweiss for the purpose of providing an honest review.
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
4 Stars!
I ended up being completely sucked into this book. After I was invested in the story, I had such a hard time putting this book down and found myself telling my family members that I needed "just one more minute" on the day I read this book. Anyone who reads a lot can tell you that that is a sign of a really good book.
This story is told from three points of view over the course of 15 years. During this story, we watch Sam, Suzie, and Bella grow from the awkward age of 15 to their adult years at 30. I think that most readers who are in their adult years will relate to this story because everyone know how hard it is to find your way in the world and deal with the multitude of issues in our lives.
Sam, Suzie, and Bella are part of a larger group of friends who somehow manage to stay together. These three are impacted by their fair share of problems: divorce, alcoholism, relationships, marriage, career choices, and caring for an aging parent to name a few. Each chapter is a moment in time in one of the three characters intersecting lives. Their lives and decisions all impact one another in varying ways because of how their lives have become intertwined.
This was one of those rare books where I found that I actually liked all of the characters. That doesn't mean that I liked everything that they did because some of their actions were just horrible. I liked these characters even though they made some horrible decisions and I guess I can relate because I have made a few of those myself. I loved the relationships between the characters and thought that their portrayal was incredibly realistic.
I must admit that I had a hard time getting into this book and the story did not immediately grab me. After I read a few chapters, I started to relate and eventually couldn't put the book down. This book doesn't have a big mystery and nothing is tied up in a pretty bow at the end. This book is a snapshot of a period of time in the life of a group of friends. We can only imagine what comes next for Sam, Bella, and Suzie.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who love an intriguing coming of age story. This is the first book by Robin Antalek that I have had a chance to read and I thought her writing style was simply wonderful. I plan to look for other works by this very talented author in the future.
I received a copy of this book from William Morrow via Edelweiss for the purpose of providing an honest review.
September 3, 2016
Antalek nails the thoughts and emotions of each character. Dialog is well done. She unbolts her characters vulnerability, fears and inner thoughts. Her writing style tight and delineate.
The reader is intimately aquatinted with each character. They stumble, fall, rise, relish and regret their choices. They are whole with their share of flaws, honest in knowing themselves. Each character deals with their rocky childhood shaping them for adulthood, while trying not to mimic or allow unsettled feelings taint their life. Spanning from teen years to adulthood, their struggles realistic, their reactions authentic. Yes they make questionable choices adding to the affecting plausibility to the story. Character development, outstanding, Antalek allows you entry into their mind and heart.
A wonderful portrayal of lifelong bonds, navigating adulthood as childhood strains leave a lingering presence. A story readers will identify with in some manner either through issues and/or characters.
The reader is intimately aquatinted with each character. They stumble, fall, rise, relish and regret their choices. They are whole with their share of flaws, honest in knowing themselves. Each character deals with their rocky childhood shaping them for adulthood, while trying not to mimic or allow unsettled feelings taint their life. Spanning from teen years to adulthood, their struggles realistic, their reactions authentic. Yes they make questionable choices adding to the affecting plausibility to the story. Character development, outstanding, Antalek allows you entry into their mind and heart.
A wonderful portrayal of lifelong bonds, navigating adulthood as childhood strains leave a lingering presence. A story readers will identify with in some manner either through issues and/or characters.
May 16, 2015
Relationships. Can't live without 'em, can't, well...
The summer of Sam Turner's 15th year was an eventful one. Spending time with his group of childhood friends, he suddenly catches the interest of Suzie Epstein, and they begin a romantic relationship that they keep hidden from their friends, even though the hookups of others are known among them. But as quickly as it begins, their relationship ends when Suzie's estranged parents decide to give their marriage another try and move the family to another city. And then Sam suffers another blow, when his mother decides to leave his husband and move away.
In the wake of Suzie's abrupt departure and the dissolution of his family, Sam finds himself drawn into a relationship with Suzie's best friend, Bella. Their relationship continues into college, but while Sam feels strongly for Bella, he can't seem to give her the full commitment she desiresand he can't seem to give that commitment to anything in his life, which also causes trouble in his relationships with his father and older brother. He finds himself drifting, from job to job, relationship to relationship, without feeling any pull to put down roots.
Suzie left her old life and her old friends behind, mostly out of embarrassment for the way her parents' marriage affected the lives of so many. She becomes the caretaker for her younger brothers and her alcoholic mother, and works hard to graduate high school one year early, so she can start anew. And she never thinks she'll be able to have a relationship that isn't dysfunctional, until, surprisingly, she connects with Sam's older brother Michael.
The Grown Ups follows Sam, Bella, and Suzie over a decade, as they weather romantic, professional, and familial crises. Robin Antalek does a terrific job weaving their stories, and even though her characters aren't completely likeable, their lives are tremendously compelling. Even though what happens in this book is more commonplace than unique, I still really enjoyed this book, and found it emotionally provoking at times as well. This is a book about all types of relationships—romantic ones, parent-child, siblings, and of course, friendships—and at least one of the relationships in the book may seem familiar to you.
"She could feel the world that Mindy was talking about pressing in on all sides, and then the crazy crooked line that ran from her mother to Sam. They had known each other all their lives. They were in each other's DNA. This place was all she had ever known."
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
The summer of Sam Turner's 15th year was an eventful one. Spending time with his group of childhood friends, he suddenly catches the interest of Suzie Epstein, and they begin a romantic relationship that they keep hidden from their friends, even though the hookups of others are known among them. But as quickly as it begins, their relationship ends when Suzie's estranged parents decide to give their marriage another try and move the family to another city. And then Sam suffers another blow, when his mother decides to leave his husband and move away.
In the wake of Suzie's abrupt departure and the dissolution of his family, Sam finds himself drawn into a relationship with Suzie's best friend, Bella. Their relationship continues into college, but while Sam feels strongly for Bella, he can't seem to give her the full commitment she desiresand he can't seem to give that commitment to anything in his life, which also causes trouble in his relationships with his father and older brother. He finds himself drifting, from job to job, relationship to relationship, without feeling any pull to put down roots.
Suzie left her old life and her old friends behind, mostly out of embarrassment for the way her parents' marriage affected the lives of so many. She becomes the caretaker for her younger brothers and her alcoholic mother, and works hard to graduate high school one year early, so she can start anew. And she never thinks she'll be able to have a relationship that isn't dysfunctional, until, surprisingly, she connects with Sam's older brother Michael.
The Grown Ups follows Sam, Bella, and Suzie over a decade, as they weather romantic, professional, and familial crises. Robin Antalek does a terrific job weaving their stories, and even though her characters aren't completely likeable, their lives are tremendously compelling. Even though what happens in this book is more commonplace than unique, I still really enjoyed this book, and found it emotionally provoking at times as well. This is a book about all types of relationships—romantic ones, parent-child, siblings, and of course, friendships—and at least one of the relationships in the book may seem familiar to you.
"She could feel the world that Mindy was talking about pressing in on all sides, and then the crazy crooked line that ran from her mother to Sam. They had known each other all their lives. They were in each other's DNA. This place was all she had ever known."
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
March 4, 2015
I really LOVED this book. I loved that it followed a group of friends through the good, bad and ugly times. There is so much heart, honesty and truth in the pages of this novel. This is a coming a age story that focuses on a group of friends as time ebbs and flows. I love that there are no loose ends upon finishing the novel and that the novel highlights the ups and downs of family, love, friendship. The story made me both ache for the times of high school and college while simultaneously making me happy those times are long gone. I laughed, cried and felt connected to the characters. I felt a deep sense of wanting things to work out while watching them all make mistakes...both little and big. In the end I felt satisfied that they were all going to be ok...that things would work out. My heart is both a little broken and happy at the same time...but isn't that life?
January 29, 2015
I loved this book. I really did. Normally there's at least something I didn't like about one of the characters or how it was written when a book spans across so much time and gives you the point of view of several characters. The really great thing is that even though you may not have dedicated points of view of a lot of the characters, Robin Antalek writes so incredibly well that you know these characters. You get it. You get what they feel, why they are doing the things they are doing, and it's like you actually know these people and you've grown up right with them.
The story is mainly about Sam, who after falling into a boyhood lust with Suzie, kind of finds himself adrift in life. Suzie moved away when they were still in high school bu can read more abut not without revealing something kind of catastrophic to a teenage boy. Not only that, Sam's mother abruptly leaves him, his brother, and his father behind and so while reeling from Suzie's departure, he's now dealing with his mother's unexplained escape. Sam's older brother goes to college and Sam... well he kind of makes it. He finds himself in a relationship with Bella, one of Suzie's best friends, and though it's a comfortable, predictable, and non-demanding relationship, it's also not as exciting as what he had with Suzie. Though he'll never know for sure if what he felt for Suzie was reciprocated, he's not sure what to do with any of it. And then when Bella's mom dies, Suzie unexpectedly returns for the funeral.
Easily, one of the best lines out of the book was this:
"They were here now, all of them. Relationships slightly rearranged, but still together. That was more than any of them would have imagined years before. They had watched their parents stumble and vowed never to do the same, only to fail one another in different ways. They experienced love, but they also caused disappointment and sorrow. They felt fear, and they knew loss. They ran away, only to return."
I mean, can't we all relate to that in some way? The great thing about this book is that every single character goes through something that we have all been in. Marriage, divorce, death, financial problems, college woes, feeling unsuccessful and unsure in life, Feeling like a disappointment and confused when your parents don't regard you as such. Watching parents age, and then sometimes die and questioning if you had been good enough of a kid all along, if you should be doing more, but also being afraid to do more because it makes their impending loss from life seem more real.
I'll be honest, it was a bit of a slow go at first. I thought immediately I was going to hate some of the characters, but then I got hooked. I think it was right after Bella's mom died because I could empathize with how she felt as her mother was dying and then how she felt immediately after. And then, I just fell in love. If you are someone who has life long friends, maybe they come and go in your life, but you know that no matter what, they'll always be back- this is definitely a book for you.
The story is mainly about Sam, who after falling into a boyhood lust with Suzie, kind of finds himself adrift in life. Suzie moved away when they were still in high school bu can read more abut not without revealing something kind of catastrophic to a teenage boy. Not only that, Sam's mother abruptly leaves him, his brother, and his father behind and so while reeling from Suzie's departure, he's now dealing with his mother's unexplained escape. Sam's older brother goes to college and Sam... well he kind of makes it. He finds himself in a relationship with Bella, one of Suzie's best friends, and though it's a comfortable, predictable, and non-demanding relationship, it's also not as exciting as what he had with Suzie. Though he'll never know for sure if what he felt for Suzie was reciprocated, he's not sure what to do with any of it. And then when Bella's mom dies, Suzie unexpectedly returns for the funeral.
Easily, one of the best lines out of the book was this:
"They were here now, all of them. Relationships slightly rearranged, but still together. That was more than any of them would have imagined years before. They had watched their parents stumble and vowed never to do the same, only to fail one another in different ways. They experienced love, but they also caused disappointment and sorrow. They felt fear, and they knew loss. They ran away, only to return."
I mean, can't we all relate to that in some way? The great thing about this book is that every single character goes through something that we have all been in. Marriage, divorce, death, financial problems, college woes, feeling unsuccessful and unsure in life, Feeling like a disappointment and confused when your parents don't regard you as such. Watching parents age, and then sometimes die and questioning if you had been good enough of a kid all along, if you should be doing more, but also being afraid to do more because it makes their impending loss from life seem more real.
I'll be honest, it was a bit of a slow go at first. I thought immediately I was going to hate some of the characters, but then I got hooked. I think it was right after Bella's mom died because I could empathize with how she felt as her mother was dying and then how she felt immediately after. And then, I just fell in love. If you are someone who has life long friends, maybe they come and go in your life, but you know that no matter what, they'll always be back- this is definitely a book for you.
January 27, 2015
Original review can be found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
I received an advanced readers copy from William Morrow Paperbacks via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
The Grown Ups is definitely a coming of age story and a really good one. Some coming of age stories can be boring and unsatisfying but that isn't the case with this title. It's told through multiple narratives which I adore and begins at the age of fifteen into adulthood. We hear from childhood friends Sam, Suzie and Bella.
It showcases how the decisions and actions of parents, friends and loved ones can really impact the lives of others and shape who they become. All three characters have families that are dysfunctional in one way or another and as the reader we get to see how this affects their relationships and lives. It also showcases the power of friendship and how everything always leads back to it. Each point of view held my interest and kept the pages moving. Some of Sam's choices did get on my nerves but I found myself routing for all three characters and hoping they would all get their happy endings.
The story really comes full circle. It begins when Sam, Suzie and Bella are all teenagers and their lives are changed by the actions or circumstances involving their parents. As time goes on they take on the roll of caregiver to those same parents. It truly is a beautifully written and powerful story of family, love, loyalty and friendship. It is definitely one of the better coming of age stories that I have read in a long time.
Robin Antalek is a new author to me and now I can't wait to read some of her other work.
I received an advanced readers copy from William Morrow Paperbacks via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
The Grown Ups is definitely a coming of age story and a really good one. Some coming of age stories can be boring and unsatisfying but that isn't the case with this title. It's told through multiple narratives which I adore and begins at the age of fifteen into adulthood. We hear from childhood friends Sam, Suzie and Bella.
It showcases how the decisions and actions of parents, friends and loved ones can really impact the lives of others and shape who they become. All three characters have families that are dysfunctional in one way or another and as the reader we get to see how this affects their relationships and lives. It also showcases the power of friendship and how everything always leads back to it. Each point of view held my interest and kept the pages moving. Some of Sam's choices did get on my nerves but I found myself routing for all three characters and hoping they would all get their happy endings.
The story really comes full circle. It begins when Sam, Suzie and Bella are all teenagers and their lives are changed by the actions or circumstances involving their parents. As time goes on they take on the roll of caregiver to those same parents. It truly is a beautifully written and powerful story of family, love, loyalty and friendship. It is definitely one of the better coming of age stories that I have read in a long time.
Robin Antalek is a new author to me and now I can't wait to read some of her other work.
January 27, 2015
The Grown Ups is a story spanning over a decade and explores the bonds between friends and family. There are many, many challenges for them to overcome and could threaten to divide them. The story is told in alternating voices of the characters we meet in the book.
It seems as though everyone in the book is searching for something. Do they find what they need in life? Some may and some may have a harder time.
I enjoyed this book. It is a good read.
Also, I won this book through the Goodreads Giveaway. Robin Antalek and Goodreads, thank you for the opportunity to give this book a good rating.
It seems as though everyone in the book is searching for something. Do they find what they need in life? Some may and some may have a harder time.
I enjoyed this book. It is a good read.
Also, I won this book through the Goodreads Giveaway. Robin Antalek and Goodreads, thank you for the opportunity to give this book a good rating.
January 1, 2021
4.5 stars!! Really enjoyed digging into this novel about childhood friends growing up. It's told in alternate voices: Sam, Susie and Bella. It starts in the summer at Susie's 15th birthday party when everyone got sick and a father was found to have been having affairs with all the neighborhood wives (or at least taking naughty pictures of them) and the fall out from that.
Sam is in love with Susie and then she moves, and we read about the fall out from that.
A lot happens just like in life but there is no big plot, which is just the kind of story I love. Character driven realistic fiction where you glimpse a little of your teen self and young adult self in well written chapters.
Sam is in love with Susie and then she moves, and we read about the fall out from that.
A lot happens just like in life but there is no big plot, which is just the kind of story I love. Character driven realistic fiction where you glimpse a little of your teen self and young adult self in well written chapters.
April 9, 2017
An unexpected surprise. I had a hard time putting this book down. Good characters and a good story of first loves, friendship and growing up.
May 2, 2023
I like this book but I did wonder who the grownups were. Most of the parents were awful. Hunt was the only one I liked. The womanizer was a real creep and Sam’s and Suzie’s moms were pathetic. It was a wonder any of those kids turned out okay. They definitely rose above their situations.
January 22, 2015
My Thoughts:
The Grownups was a bittersweet look in to the lives of Sam, Bella, Suzie, and Michael. It's a story that spanned glimpses from childhood, high school, college, and adulthood. This is a story that everyone should be able to relate to in one way or another. We learn about first crushes, kisses, loves, self discovering, and growing in to the person that you want to become. There were moments of heartache, heartbreak, excitement, passion, healing, and peace.
Sam and Michael may be brothers, but they couldn't be more different. Sam is the younger brother. He is carefree, optimistic, and enjoyed adventure, and discovering new things. Unfortunately, he has a tendency to run away when things gets tough, and has trouble to committing to anything in his life. He has always felt inferior to his older brother, Michael, who is highly intelligent, dedicated, ambitious, and dreams of becoming a doctor. When their mother leaves their father, and abandons them to live in another state, live with a much younger man, and make goat cheese, it effects them in different ways. This has a lasting effect on Sam's life, whereas Michael seems to cope with it better.
Suzie and Bella are best friends. Suzie is dealing with the fact that her father is a cheater who has been with most of the most of the neighborhood mom's, and Bella has her own pain to deal with as she watches her mother die a slow and very painful death before her very eyes.
The summer Suzie and Sam are fifteen years old, they spend a lot of time together. They confide in each other, support one another, and participate in a physical relationship. At the end of summer, Suzie, is forced to move while her parents try to have a fresh start. Sam is devastated, and Suzie losses touch with him, Bella, and all of their mutual neighborhood friends. Bella has always had a huge crush on Sam, but felt like she was second best. After Suzie leaves Sam and Bella have an on again off again friends with benefits type of relationship.
Everyone is reunited many years later when they return for Bella's mother's funeral. Sam is upset and a bit shocked when he finds out that Michael and Suzie are involved in a relationship. As Sam, Bella, Michael, and Suzie grow up, they will experience, love and loss, pain and bliss, and discover what is most important in their lives, but one thing is for certain, they will always be there for each other.
My Rating:
The Grown Ups, by Robin Antalek, was true to life. This story put me through the emotional wringer, and not just because of the love relationships. I connected most with, Bella. She was sweet, down to earth, loving, kind, loyal, and compassionate. My heart broke for all of the challenges that these characters faced regarding their families. If you enjoy realistic fiction, coming of age stories, and the friends to lovers trope, read The Grown Ups. It will make you laugh and cry, and experience intense emotions right along with the main characters!
My Favorite Quote:
"They had watched their parents stumble and vowed never to do the same, only to fail one another in entirely different ways. They experienced love, but they also caused disappointment and sorrow. They felt fear, and they knew loss. They ran away, only to return." (eARC, Loc. 5380)
~Sam
*To Read More Book Reviews, Visit A Bookish Escape at http;//www.abookishescape.com
The Grownups was a bittersweet look in to the lives of Sam, Bella, Suzie, and Michael. It's a story that spanned glimpses from childhood, high school, college, and adulthood. This is a story that everyone should be able to relate to in one way or another. We learn about first crushes, kisses, loves, self discovering, and growing in to the person that you want to become. There were moments of heartache, heartbreak, excitement, passion, healing, and peace.
Sam and Michael may be brothers, but they couldn't be more different. Sam is the younger brother. He is carefree, optimistic, and enjoyed adventure, and discovering new things. Unfortunately, he has a tendency to run away when things gets tough, and has trouble to committing to anything in his life. He has always felt inferior to his older brother, Michael, who is highly intelligent, dedicated, ambitious, and dreams of becoming a doctor. When their mother leaves their father, and abandons them to live in another state, live with a much younger man, and make goat cheese, it effects them in different ways. This has a lasting effect on Sam's life, whereas Michael seems to cope with it better.
Suzie and Bella are best friends. Suzie is dealing with the fact that her father is a cheater who has been with most of the most of the neighborhood mom's, and Bella has her own pain to deal with as she watches her mother die a slow and very painful death before her very eyes.
The summer Suzie and Sam are fifteen years old, they spend a lot of time together. They confide in each other, support one another, and participate in a physical relationship. At the end of summer, Suzie, is forced to move while her parents try to have a fresh start. Sam is devastated, and Suzie losses touch with him, Bella, and all of their mutual neighborhood friends. Bella has always had a huge crush on Sam, but felt like she was second best. After Suzie leaves Sam and Bella have an on again off again friends with benefits type of relationship.
Everyone is reunited many years later when they return for Bella's mother's funeral. Sam is upset and a bit shocked when he finds out that Michael and Suzie are involved in a relationship. As Sam, Bella, Michael, and Suzie grow up, they will experience, love and loss, pain and bliss, and discover what is most important in their lives, but one thing is for certain, they will always be there for each other.
My Rating:
The Grown Ups, by Robin Antalek, was true to life. This story put me through the emotional wringer, and not just because of the love relationships. I connected most with, Bella. She was sweet, down to earth, loving, kind, loyal, and compassionate. My heart broke for all of the challenges that these characters faced regarding their families. If you enjoy realistic fiction, coming of age stories, and the friends to lovers trope, read The Grown Ups. It will make you laugh and cry, and experience intense emotions right along with the main characters!
My Favorite Quote:
"They had watched their parents stumble and vowed never to do the same, only to fail one another in entirely different ways. They experienced love, but they also caused disappointment and sorrow. They felt fear, and they knew loss. They ran away, only to return." (eARC, Loc. 5380)
~Sam
*To Read More Book Reviews, Visit A Bookish Escape at http;//www.abookishescape.com
January 31, 2015
They say “Don't judge a book by its cover,” this is one time when I'm glad I dived in without taking much notice of the front cover. When I began to read this book, I had absolutely know idea where the plot would lead. I admit I wasn't immediately struck with the story but somehow after a few pages it gripped me in a way I can only describe as spellbinding!
Sam, Bella and Suzie live in the same neighbourhood, attending the same school. It's 1997, they're fifteen years old and carefree. They're completely oblivious to the fact that all their lives are about to change forever. Until then, Sam spends an idyllic Summer, not quite understanding why he is the focus of Suzie's attention, but enjoys the awakening feelings that stir within him. Then suddenly, everything changes! Suzie leaves town with her younger brothers as their parents attempt to re-build their failing marriage in a new location. Already devastated, Sam sees his own mother walking out of their family home, leaving him and his brother Michael with their Father. Bella lost her best friend when Suzie moved away so she and Sam comfort one another. Over the course of the following decade we follow each one of them during their transition from being a free teenagers to mature adults.
Robin Antalek has written an intriguing ensemble. Each character eventually heads off in different direction, but somehow manage to make their way back to each other over a period of years. Things never go back to how they originally were, but they're all still very much connected. Gut-wrenching at times, us the readers go on a roller-coaster of a ride as we follow these three young people. With alternating points of view, we feel their emotions and live their challenges as new life events assault them from many directions. Our three protagonists deal with some hefty life issues including heartbreaking dementia and miscarriage, which the author deals with in a sensitive and realistic way.
The only reason I didn't award this 5 stars is because I felt overwhelmed at times trying to keep track of which person belonged to which thread of the plot. Other than that I am completely in awe of the author's ability to draw me into this enthralling novel.
4½ Stars
***arc received courtesy of publisher William Morris in exchange for an honest review***
Sam, Bella and Suzie live in the same neighbourhood, attending the same school. It's 1997, they're fifteen years old and carefree. They're completely oblivious to the fact that all their lives are about to change forever. Until then, Sam spends an idyllic Summer, not quite understanding why he is the focus of Suzie's attention, but enjoys the awakening feelings that stir within him. Then suddenly, everything changes! Suzie leaves town with her younger brothers as their parents attempt to re-build their failing marriage in a new location. Already devastated, Sam sees his own mother walking out of their family home, leaving him and his brother Michael with their Father. Bella lost her best friend when Suzie moved away so she and Sam comfort one another. Over the course of the following decade we follow each one of them during their transition from being a free teenagers to mature adults.
Robin Antalek has written an intriguing ensemble. Each character eventually heads off in different direction, but somehow manage to make their way back to each other over a period of years. Things never go back to how they originally were, but they're all still very much connected. Gut-wrenching at times, us the readers go on a roller-coaster of a ride as we follow these three young people. With alternating points of view, we feel their emotions and live their challenges as new life events assault them from many directions. Our three protagonists deal with some hefty life issues including heartbreaking dementia and miscarriage, which the author deals with in a sensitive and realistic way.
The only reason I didn't award this 5 stars is because I felt overwhelmed at times trying to keep track of which person belonged to which thread of the plot. Other than that I am completely in awe of the author's ability to draw me into this enthralling novel.
4½ Stars
***arc received courtesy of publisher William Morris in exchange for an honest review***
December 19, 2014
"They were here now, all of them. Relationships slightly rearranged, but still together. That was more than any of them would have imagined years before. They had watched their parents stumble and vowed never to do the same, only to fail one another in different ways. They experienced love, but they also caused disappointment and sorrow. They felt fear, and they knew loss. They ran away, only to return."
Antalek is such a poetic writer. This was my first novel by her, and I hope to read more. The story is told so fluidly, even as it changes voice from one person to another. The book spans many years, and has some drastic jumps in time, yet it never skipped a beat. There was no rock left in turned, and the story was revealed in such a fresh and beautiful way.
The Grown Ups is a story about coming of age. It is about best friends growing older, growing apart, and still coming back to the heart of their being: home. The tale takes you through twists and turns, ups and downs. It reveals the strength of the bonds of childhood friendships, and even the power of a first love.
Grown Ups is also a story about the parents in our lives. Not just our own parents, but the substitute parents we have along the way. The parents of our best friends, or the neighbor down the street. Those adult figures that are so looked up to, loved, let us down, and then need our help to carry them through in the end. This book really paid tribute to how coming of age runs full circle. We go from needing and depending on our parents, to our parents needing and depending on us. Then the cycle repeats with the next generation. Our choices affect our children and their futures, for better or worse.
I usually am not one for coming of age novels. They usually end up boring me. This book was an exception. It kept my attention the whole way through, and even got me right in the emotional gut a few times. I know I found myself relating to many of the characters and circumstances. At times, it was like looking into a mirror.
*I received this advanced copy from Harper and Collins in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for the opportunity to be one of the firsts to read this great book!
Antalek is such a poetic writer. This was my first novel by her, and I hope to read more. The story is told so fluidly, even as it changes voice from one person to another. The book spans many years, and has some drastic jumps in time, yet it never skipped a beat. There was no rock left in turned, and the story was revealed in such a fresh and beautiful way.
The Grown Ups is a story about coming of age. It is about best friends growing older, growing apart, and still coming back to the heart of their being: home. The tale takes you through twists and turns, ups and downs. It reveals the strength of the bonds of childhood friendships, and even the power of a first love.
Grown Ups is also a story about the parents in our lives. Not just our own parents, but the substitute parents we have along the way. The parents of our best friends, or the neighbor down the street. Those adult figures that are so looked up to, loved, let us down, and then need our help to carry them through in the end. This book really paid tribute to how coming of age runs full circle. We go from needing and depending on our parents, to our parents needing and depending on us. Then the cycle repeats with the next generation. Our choices affect our children and their futures, for better or worse.
I usually am not one for coming of age novels. They usually end up boring me. This book was an exception. It kept my attention the whole way through, and even got me right in the emotional gut a few times. I know I found myself relating to many of the characters and circumstances. At times, it was like looking into a mirror.
*I received this advanced copy from Harper and Collins in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for the opportunity to be one of the firsts to read this great book!
June 3, 2015
"The Grown Ups" is the story of Susie, Sam, and Bella and by extension, Michael, who is Sam's brother. When the book opens they are teenagers. It's the things that they do as teenagers that will shape them into the adults that they become. This book is really interesting because it looks at each of the characters throughout their formative years, those strange years from being a teenager to being a full fledged adult. Each chapter of the book focuses on a different character in a different time period. We see them first as teenagers and then college-age kids and then adults. This book tracks the trajectory that each of their lives take and how even after they flee the comfort of their suburban neighborhood, their lives continue to be interwoven with each other.
I really enjoyed this book. I think anyone who has gone through the transition between those strange years as a teenager to trying to find ourselves in college to becoming a full-fledged adult who has to do adult things will get something out of this book. In many ways this book is a traditional bildungsroman tale about all three of these characters. They start out not really knowing what their future lives are going to be like. Each life is different. Suzie knows what she wants. Bella thinks she knows what she wants but may not really know. Sam has no idea what he wants.
I really like the way that this book was written. At first I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the characters as we only get to see them every so often throughout each of the different sections. However, the author has a really great way of making the reader understand what is going on in each of the characters heads. We see them succeed. We see them struggle. We see them try to make a sense of the world where they are supposed to eventually be the adults even when it feels like they really don't want to. It was that part of the book that really hit home for me. I think I was particularly struck by the way that the author was able to show how sometimes even as an adult you wake up and wonder how exactly you got to wear you are. Overall, this was a good story.
I really enjoyed this book. I think anyone who has gone through the transition between those strange years as a teenager to trying to find ourselves in college to becoming a full-fledged adult who has to do adult things will get something out of this book. In many ways this book is a traditional bildungsroman tale about all three of these characters. They start out not really knowing what their future lives are going to be like. Each life is different. Suzie knows what she wants. Bella thinks she knows what she wants but may not really know. Sam has no idea what he wants.
I really like the way that this book was written. At first I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the characters as we only get to see them every so often throughout each of the different sections. However, the author has a really great way of making the reader understand what is going on in each of the characters heads. We see them succeed. We see them struggle. We see them try to make a sense of the world where they are supposed to eventually be the adults even when it feels like they really don't want to. It was that part of the book that really hit home for me. I think I was particularly struck by the way that the author was able to show how sometimes even as an adult you wake up and wonder how exactly you got to wear you are. Overall, this was a good story.
June 5, 2015
This fabulous book arrived wrapped in brown paper as part of the BookSparks 2015 Summer Reading Challenge which made me absolutely giddy. There’s nothing better than the arrival of a new book and the promise of hours of delving deep into the fictional reality of new characters. Unwrapping it was great fun and I was so eager to read this title knowing it was written by the author of The Summer We Fell Apart (HarperCollins, January 2010 release, chosen as a Target Breakout Book).
The Grown Ups by Robin Antalek is a novel with rich story complexities and sentences so dense with character development, each new chapter will leave you feeling rising empathy for the young Suzie, Sam, and Bella.
Left to make sense of their parents’ complicated lives (all unhappy, some unfaithful, another gravely ill), the three adolescents at the heart of the narrative come of age as members of a neighborhood that’s both comforting and dysfunctional. With the turn of each page, their stories deepen, and you see the power and the pain interconnectedness brings. Ironically, a death brings them together, love tears them apart.
The novel spans ten years with chapters that alternate between three point-of-view characters. There’s friendship, a love triangle, sibling rivalry, death, loads of childhood memories, and lots of unanswered questions about the true nature of the people you love. There’s great beauty in the writing as it captures all of the raw and pure tendencies of Suzie, Bella, and Sam as they experiment with their bodies and try to make sense of their emotions.
I couldn’t put it down. It’s a book that hooked me so deeply into the story my eight-year-old son had to find me in the living room then tap me on the knee to tell me I forgot to fix supper.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Julie Valerie's Book Blog: www.julievalerie.com
The Grown Ups by Robin Antalek is a novel with rich story complexities and sentences so dense with character development, each new chapter will leave you feeling rising empathy for the young Suzie, Sam, and Bella.
Left to make sense of their parents’ complicated lives (all unhappy, some unfaithful, another gravely ill), the three adolescents at the heart of the narrative come of age as members of a neighborhood that’s both comforting and dysfunctional. With the turn of each page, their stories deepen, and you see the power and the pain interconnectedness brings. Ironically, a death brings them together, love tears them apart.
The novel spans ten years with chapters that alternate between three point-of-view characters. There’s friendship, a love triangle, sibling rivalry, death, loads of childhood memories, and lots of unanswered questions about the true nature of the people you love. There’s great beauty in the writing as it captures all of the raw and pure tendencies of Suzie, Bella, and Sam as they experiment with their bodies and try to make sense of their emotions.
I couldn’t put it down. It’s a book that hooked me so deeply into the story my eight-year-old son had to find me in the living room then tap me on the knee to tell me I forgot to fix supper.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Julie Valerie's Book Blog: www.julievalerie.com
July 11, 2015
This book was simply wonderful. It started in the year 1997 when the main characters--Suzie, Bella and Sam are 15. The first few chapters read like a YA, but as the book progresses, it becomes an amazing story of how awkward your 20's can be. Although there is so much drama (Seriously, parents, get your shit together.) I related so much to these characters and these friendships that have spanned most of their lives.
I sometimes complain that it is hard to find great new fiction for people my age and that speak to what its like to be trapped between this place where your friends are married, having children, and in the midst of their life-long career, while others are still working a part-time job and living with their parents. Antlek did just that--diving into the pysche of why some float and some fly through the first few years of adulthood.
The 20-something theme is what I related to most but the story has many more layers. Readers can easily connect to the many themes presented--caring for parents, fertility, heartbreak, loss of a loved one.
Above it all, this story is about friendship, family, and all other relationships in between.
.
I sometimes complain that it is hard to find great new fiction for people my age and that speak to what its like to be trapped between this place where your friends are married, having children, and in the midst of their life-long career, while others are still working a part-time job and living with their parents. Antlek did just that--diving into the pysche of why some float and some fly through the first few years of adulthood.
The 20-something theme is what I related to most but the story has many more layers. Readers can easily connect to the many themes presented--caring for parents, fertility, heartbreak, loss of a loved one.
Above it all, this story is about friendship, family, and all other relationships in between.
.
July 18, 2016
This book was wonderfully written. The story begins in adolescence and travels over a decade into adulthood. Every theme is touched upon so beautifully and realistically - family, friendship, parenting, love, loss, jealousy, sacrifice, forgiveness, and the list goes on.
It's hard to find a book for people my age that conveys what its like to be in this place where your friends are engaged, married, having children, in the midst of ticking off all their life-long goals, while you feel trapped in a sort of limbo trying to catch up to them. Antalek reminds the reader that everyone goes through life at their own pace. Some people seem to fly through life with ease as if they just have all the luck. But, everyone has their own internal battles that you might not know about. The best thing is to stay focused on what you are doing and not on what everyone else is doing.
A book with this many layers can sometimes be overwhelming and difficult to read. But, Robin Antalek did a fantastic job of keeping the drama to a minimum and making the experiences more realistic.
It's hard to find a book for people my age that conveys what its like to be in this place where your friends are engaged, married, having children, in the midst of ticking off all their life-long goals, while you feel trapped in a sort of limbo trying to catch up to them. Antalek reminds the reader that everyone goes through life at their own pace. Some people seem to fly through life with ease as if they just have all the luck. But, everyone has their own internal battles that you might not know about. The best thing is to stay focused on what you are doing and not on what everyone else is doing.
A book with this many layers can sometimes be overwhelming and difficult to read. But, Robin Antalek did a fantastic job of keeping the drama to a minimum and making the experiences more realistic.
April 3, 2015
Start off with your typical CW/WB teenage drama. Fast forward until you get into a timeframe that resembles a bad Friends or Thirtysomething. Voila. Now you've read Grown ups.
The characters are well developed and they do go through changes as the years (and chapters) pass. But there is no great character to root for. Everybody has something bad happen, but they all bounce back thanks to their friends. Put on repeat and you find that (give or take the tragic/ dramatic death), all the characters at the end are the ones you started with.
Teenagers have underage sex, spouses cheat with their neighbors, and all their kids pine after each other. It sounds like something you've seen before because it is.
It won't crush your love for books, but it is hardly reinventing the wheel. There are a few touching scenes to be found, but not enough to seek this novel out with any real urgency. It was just fine.
The characters are well developed and they do go through changes as the years (and chapters) pass. But there is no great character to root for. Everybody has something bad happen, but they all bounce back thanks to their friends. Put on repeat and you find that (give or take the tragic/ dramatic death), all the characters at the end are the ones you started with.
Teenagers have underage sex, spouses cheat with their neighbors, and all their kids pine after each other. It sounds like something you've seen before because it is.
It won't crush your love for books, but it is hardly reinventing the wheel. There are a few touching scenes to be found, but not enough to seek this novel out with any real urgency. It was just fine.
September 5, 2014
Other readers may connect more to this tale of teenage love triangles crossed with coming-of-age angst, but I found myself largely underwhelmed. The multiple narrators and large jumps in time made it difficult to feel like I had any grasp on who these people were and how all the events were building up to something. That feeling was compounded by the fact that the teenage characters often had no idea what was going on with their parents and their peers and so a lot of actions went unexplained -- I completely understand why Antalek made this decision, but it made the bigger picture hard for me to follow. So this one didn't work for me, but I'm going to chalk that up to my own personal preferences as a reader than anything else.
November 22, 2014
This novel spans the course of more than a decade but begins with the lives of three teens who are sort of friends. Each teen has their own issues they are dealing with, but their commonality are the difficulties that their parents are dealing with. One of the teens has a sick mother, another has a father who likes to cheat, and the other has a mother who likes to cheat as well. The book follows the lives of these three main characters: Sam, Bella and Suzie as they explore different relationships, marriage and more. The characters are well written and realistic and the secondary characters are very well developed as well. This was one of the better family dramas I have read in a long while.
February 17, 2015
This is the story of some teenagers growing up and then following them to adulthood. The central focal point of the novel is about Sam who has a tremendous crush on a girl named Suzie. She leads him along but he is taking the relationship far more seriously than she is. When she gives him the heave ho it takes him years (if ever) to rid himself of this infatuation. Lots of family drama in this one and I am not sure that this cast of characters ever truly act like grown ups even when they are older but perhaps that is the point of it all.
August 21, 2015
I will admit that the cover drew me in. I love it! Reminds me of one of my favorite TV shows, Parenthood (if you haven't watched it, you are totally missing out!). Often times in life you wonder what might have been if your past went a different path, if you didn't move away, or if you acted on your feelings at the time instead of waiting. This book covers the aspect of young love and the evolution of friendships over the years. This was a relatable read and I enjoyed the book.
June 5, 2018
My favorite book in a very long time.
I loved this book! I adored the narrative structure and how multiple stories were told through a few character's perspectives. I did not want it to end and stretched out the final chapters, sad to let go of the story.
This book fills me with nostalgia and makes me reach out to my close friends, eager to see them and to create new memories, while we reflect upon the past.
I loved this book! I adored the narrative structure and how multiple stories were told through a few character's perspectives. I did not want it to end and stretched out the final chapters, sad to let go of the story.
This book fills me with nostalgia and makes me reach out to my close friends, eager to see them and to create new memories, while we reflect upon the past.
March 30, 2015
Honestly, I was surprised about 2/3 of the way in when a minor character finally voiced my overwhelming thought about this book: did these people ever make any friends besides the ones from their childhood?
March 21, 2015
Intense, Emotional & Realistic! A Beautiful Read! I Loved It!
January 14, 2017
It was okay. I guess I expected more of the book and struggled with the beginning. The story really dragged, but I am glad I stuck with it.
October 11, 2023
Depressing af and honestly felt pointless. Came so close to DNF so many times, really had to push myself to finish. And then, the end just sucked. Definitely a waste of a book.
August 4, 2025
I wanted to like it more than I did.
in some ways that it wasn't the same played out brothers love triangle we see all the time with Suzie, Michael and sam. but on the other side, they could have really built up the drama more by building up the brother dynamic more. I don't even remember any mention of Michael when Sam and Susie were 15 and hooked up that summer.
obviously the part where Suzie just outta nowhere seemed to lose all sight of anything but becoming a mom was boring and basic. it wasn't even clear til later if she continued with med school.
I couldn't tell about half way though if Bella and Sam were meant to be endgame, tho obvs they were. there were a few tok many side friends characters, and it felt kinda absurd that they all stayed as close as they were /friends throughout the book. on the other hand, for friends in their 30s who had been friends in high school, they weren't actually v close?
obvs the end with Sam and Michaels dad hunt getting dementia was hard to read, esp here in sb. pretty sure I wouldn't recommend this to anyone
in some ways that it wasn't the same played out brothers love triangle we see all the time with Suzie, Michael and sam. but on the other side, they could have really built up the drama more by building up the brother dynamic more. I don't even remember any mention of Michael when Sam and Susie were 15 and hooked up that summer.
obviously the part where Suzie just outta nowhere seemed to lose all sight of anything but becoming a mom was boring and basic. it wasn't even clear til later if she continued with med school.
I couldn't tell about half way though if Bella and Sam were meant to be endgame, tho obvs they were. there were a few tok many side friends characters, and it felt kinda absurd that they all stayed as close as they were /friends throughout the book. on the other hand, for friends in their 30s who had been friends in high school, they weren't actually v close?
obvs the end with Sam and Michaels dad hunt getting dementia was hard to read, esp here in sb. pretty sure I wouldn't recommend this to anyone
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2025
"But seriously, you guys, how is it that I'm still looking at your same damn faces after all these years? Why don't we have any other friends?"
Seriously! No one stays with their high school sweetheart beyond Christmas break of college freshman year . The early chapters were intriguing but as the characters moved into their post-college years and Sam and Peter were still respectively pining for and pursuing their high school flings, the storyline became pathetic and repetitive. How do you age 15 years without expanding your circle of friends beyond your high school neighborhood? Much Groundhog Day repetition was then followed by a predictable, formulaic, happily-ever-after ending.
The parents in this story are reprehensible and undeserving of the description "The grown ups," and the children are still finding their way and recovering from their dysfunctional childhoods. No grown ups were evident.
November 12, 2018
Sam, Suzie and Bella are three friends that have grown up together. Their lives are very different and they have dealt with break up marriages of parents and moving away. After high school they go their separate ways and off to college. Sam does not do well in college and is failing but does not tell his father but does confide in his brother Michael. Michael and Suzie meet and become a couple but Sam always remembers Suzie in a very special way. Bella and Sam have a relationship but they also go their own ways. Circumstances bring these friends back together and their lives again become intertwined.
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