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What a Time to Be Alive
A fresh, sensual coming of age story by a dazzlingly talented young novelist, for fans of Sally Rooney and Mieko Kawakami.
Some people move to the big city hoping to find themselves, but young Sickan Hermansson isn't leaving it up to chance.
Twenty-one, friendless, without money but not without hope, Sickan's arrival at Stockholm University represents a new start. Her lonely childhood in a small southern town has left her utterly unprepared for for friends, for sex, for love even. But Sickan is determined to build a new version of herself from the ground up, to make up for lost time. To simply be normal.
Just as Sickan seems to be finding her first ever friends, in whose company she finally feels safe, she meets beautiful, charming—and by some miracle he wants her too. Unlike Sickan, Abbe seems completely at ease in his own skin. A solid foundation then, on which to build a relationship? Maybe?
What A Time To Be Alive is a story of class, sex, loneliness, and the trials of young womanhood. But above all, it's a story of the first party you're actually invited to, the first moment you fall in love, the first time you betray a friend. The first time you ask yourself, how much of myself am I willing to sacrifice, to finally fit in?
Some people move to the big city hoping to find themselves, but young Sickan Hermansson isn't leaving it up to chance.
Twenty-one, friendless, without money but not without hope, Sickan's arrival at Stockholm University represents a new start. Her lonely childhood in a small southern town has left her utterly unprepared for for friends, for sex, for love even. But Sickan is determined to build a new version of herself from the ground up, to make up for lost time. To simply be normal.
Just as Sickan seems to be finding her first ever friends, in whose company she finally feels safe, she meets beautiful, charming—and by some miracle he wants her too. Unlike Sickan, Abbe seems completely at ease in his own skin. A solid foundation then, on which to build a relationship? Maybe?
What A Time To Be Alive is a story of class, sex, loneliness, and the trials of young womanhood. But above all, it's a story of the first party you're actually invited to, the first moment you fall in love, the first time you betray a friend. The first time you ask yourself, how much of myself am I willing to sacrifice, to finally fit in?
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 2025
174 people are currently reading
6744 people want to read
About the author
Jenny Mustard
5 books631 followersJenny Mustard is a writer and content creator, born in Sweden but living in London.
Jenny and her work have featured in the Observer, the Independent, Vogue, Stylist, the Evening Standard and elsewhere. She has over 600k followers, and more than 50 million views on YouTube.
Her acclaimed debut novel, OKAY DAYS, was published in 2023 and her work has been translated to ten languages. Her second novel, WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE, a New York Times Editors' Choice, was published in spring 2025.
Jenny and her work have featured in the Observer, the Independent, Vogue, Stylist, the Evening Standard and elsewhere. She has over 600k followers, and more than 50 million views on YouTube.
Her acclaimed debut novel, OKAY DAYS, was published in 2023 and her work has been translated to ten languages. Her second novel, WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE, a New York Times Editors' Choice, was published in spring 2025.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 211 reviews
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March 29, 2025everything really is on fire
April 24, 2025
London-based, Swedish author Jenny Mustard’s absorbing novel is narrated by Sickan who’s moved away from her small town to attend Stockholm University. Sickan’s a flawed but highly relatable character. Deeply self-conscious, overwhelmed with social anxiety, she finds it hard to feel at ease around other people, too intent on fitting in to allow herself to relax. But her interactions in Stockholm with her first friend the wealthy misfit Hanna and her relationship with guarded Abbe gradually enable Sickan to give voice to her own needs and desires.
In many ways Mustard’s plot is fairly predictable, a coming-of-age story about learning to navigate the world as an adult and work out who it is you might want to be, but what made it stand out was the accomplished delivery. Although Mustard’s been compared to Rachel Cusk and Raven Leilani, this reminded me more of pieces by Gwendoline Riley or perhaps Sarah Manguso. Like them, there’s an emphasis on character and atmosphere, on the intricate boundaries between self and others. But Mustard also uses Sickan’s experiences to broaden out into a critique of Swedish society: from its complex class hierarchies to school bullying, racism and misogyny - not that it's ultimately downbeat. I particularly responded to Mustard’s style. Her prose could be coolly precise but could also convey a meditative intensity that I found close to irresistible.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Sceptre for an ARC
In many ways Mustard’s plot is fairly predictable, a coming-of-age story about learning to navigate the world as an adult and work out who it is you might want to be, but what made it stand out was the accomplished delivery. Although Mustard’s been compared to Rachel Cusk and Raven Leilani, this reminded me more of pieces by Gwendoline Riley or perhaps Sarah Manguso. Like them, there’s an emphasis on character and atmosphere, on the intricate boundaries between self and others. But Mustard also uses Sickan’s experiences to broaden out into a critique of Swedish society: from its complex class hierarchies to school bullying, racism and misogyny - not that it's ultimately downbeat. I particularly responded to Mustard’s style. Her prose could be coolly precise but could also convey a meditative intensity that I found close to irresistible.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Sceptre for an ARC
September 15, 2025
die 21-jährige sickan zieht für ihr studium nach stockholm und findet nach jahrelanger ausgrenzung ihre erste freundin hanna. die beiden sind grundlegend unterschiedlich, geben aber ein gutes team ab. sickan, vorerst vorsichtig, hanna hingegen tollpatschig und aufmerksam. über freunde von freunden lernt sickan abbe kennen. ein cooler typ, der extrem charmant ist und ihr die aufmerksamkeit gibt, die sie nie von ihren eltern bekommen hat.
wir begleiten sickan in ihrem alltag: mit einprasselnden erinnerungen aus der kindheit, angst vor ablehnung, komplexen zwischenmenschlichen beziehungen (hannah & abbe) und den herausforderungen jeder frau im patriarchat.
mir hat die geschichte unglaublich gut gefallen - auch, wenn es hier und da schon parallelen zu „okaye tage“ gab. es war eine geschichte aus dem leben, die sich so echt angefühlt hat, sodass ich am liebsten ein teil von sickan‘s freundesgruppe wäre. ich brauche mehr von jenny mustard!!
wir begleiten sickan in ihrem alltag: mit einprasselnden erinnerungen aus der kindheit, angst vor ablehnung, komplexen zwischenmenschlichen beziehungen (hannah & abbe) und den herausforderungen jeder frau im patriarchat.
mir hat die geschichte unglaublich gut gefallen - auch, wenn es hier und da schon parallelen zu „okaye tage“ gab. es war eine geschichte aus dem leben, die sich so echt angefühlt hat, sodass ich am liebsten ein teil von sickan‘s freundesgruppe wäre. ich brauche mehr von jenny mustard!!
November 5, 2025
I appreciate the general coming of age vibes and Jenny Mustard’s writing is simple and easy-to-follow. That said I unfortunately found this novel lacking in most respects: the scenes and internal conflicts felt repetitive, the prose was overall unremarkable and flat, and it wasn’t clear to me what Mustard wanted to say with this book. There were a few semi-interesting reflections on class, sex, and gender, though those weren’t enough for me to more fully sign off on this novel as one worth reading.
September 24, 2025
what a time to be alive = the universal syllabus for your early twenties: loneliness 101 with a minor in heartbreak.
imagine moving from a small town where the peak of drama is being ignored at lunch, to a city where everyone looks like they’re auditioning for an indie film poster, and you’re just trying to figure out how to exist without losing yourself. that’s 'what a time to be alive'.
jenny mustard’s writing is quiet but sharp. she nails those tiny moments that feel universe-shaking when you’re young: the awkward silences, the sting of comparison, the weird thrill of being seen. the kind of details you’d want to screenshot and send to your group chat because they just get it.
this isn’t reinventing coming-of-age, but it doesn’t need to. it’s a mirror, for anyone who’s sat alone in a student flat, overthinking texts, buzzing with excitement and dread, loving and losing on a small but very real scale. stockholm isn’t just a backdrop; it’s the mood, the longing, the safe/scary stage for all of it.
imagine moving from a small town where the peak of drama is being ignored at lunch, to a city where everyone looks like they’re auditioning for an indie film poster, and you’re just trying to figure out how to exist without losing yourself. that’s 'what a time to be alive'.
jenny mustard’s writing is quiet but sharp. she nails those tiny moments that feel universe-shaking when you’re young: the awkward silences, the sting of comparison, the weird thrill of being seen. the kind of details you’d want to screenshot and send to your group chat because they just get it.
this isn’t reinventing coming-of-age, but it doesn’t need to. it’s a mirror, for anyone who’s sat alone in a student flat, overthinking texts, buzzing with excitement and dread, loving and losing on a small but very real scale. stockholm isn’t just a backdrop; it’s the mood, the longing, the safe/scary stage for all of it.
May 5, 2025
A wonderful coming-of-age novel set in Stockholm about 21 year old student Sickan who's trying to find out who she really is. It's mostly about identity, friendship, and loneliness, but Mustard deals with class, bullying and racism as well. The dialogue is excellent and if you like Sweden (like I do), then you'll love all the Swedish words and references.
Thank you Simon & Schuster US and Edelweiss for the ARC.
Thank you Simon & Schuster US and Edelweiss for the ARC.
February 19, 2025
I am sorry, but I don't think I am the target audience for this book, although I love literally fiction and coming-of-age stories.
What I liked:
- The text is simple and understandable
- It's very Sally Rooney-ish, so it will receive praise in similar fan communities
- I kinda understand the background of the heroine and why she is like this, but the author should have said more about it
What I didn't like:
- The heroine is privileged and extremely pretentious. She is that person who thinks it's all about her when a girlfriend of hers talks about her sexuality. Also, she is unemotional and flat, so in my opinion badly written
- The novel is unengaging. I didn't notice the inner conflict or culmination, and I have no idea what the author wanted to say with this story. I was very bored and thought about DNFing because it felt like a waste of time
- It's repetitive. Too many similar sex scenes, without any characters or relationship development
- The love relationship is also flat, as the heroes are emotionally unavailable and I couldn't care for them less.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the free arc.
What I liked:
- The text is simple and understandable
- It's very Sally Rooney-ish, so it will receive praise in similar fan communities
- I kinda understand the background of the heroine and why she is like this, but the author should have said more about it
What I didn't like:
- The heroine is privileged and extremely pretentious. She is that person who thinks it's all about her when a girlfriend of hers talks about her sexuality. Also, she is unemotional and flat, so in my opinion badly written
- The novel is unengaging. I didn't notice the inner conflict or culmination, and I have no idea what the author wanted to say with this story. I was very bored and thought about DNFing because it felt like a waste of time
- It's repetitive. Too many similar sex scenes, without any characters or relationship development
- The love relationship is also flat, as the heroes are emotionally unavailable and I couldn't care for them less.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the free arc.
April 26, 2025
What a Time to Be Alive is a quiet, introspective story about first love, heartbreak, and trying to figure out who you are. Jenny Mustard’s writing is simple in the best way — clean, honest, and full of little moments that really hit. It’s not trying to reinvent anything, but there’s a lot of beauty in how stripped-down and real it feels. I found myself highlighting so many lines about identity and belonging.
January 3, 2025
jenny mustard you have done it again.
(longer review to come)
(longer review to come)
September 26, 2025
„Beste Zeiten“ erzählt von Sickan, die es aus der Provinz in Südschweden nach Stockholm schafft und dort ihr Studium und vor allem ihr eigenes Leben beginnen möchte. Durch die Übersetzung von Lisa Kögeböhn kann man außerdem so richtig in den schwedischen Alltag und die schwedische Sprache eintauchen.
Was anfangs nach einem unbeschwerten Neustart für Sickan klingt, ist allerdings gleichzeitig geprägt von den Narben ihrer Vergangenheit: massives Mobbing, wenig einfühlsame Eltern und verlorenes Vertrauen belasten sie noch immer. Jenny Mustard beschreibt einfühlsam, wie Sickan Schritt für Schritt lernt, sich selbst zu spüren, Grenzen zu setzen und ihre eigenen Bedürfnisse wahrzunehmen – ohne dabei die Unsicherheiten und Widersprüche einer jungen Erwachsenen zu verschweigen.
Mir gefiel, wie realistisch das Uni-Setting und das WG-Leben dargestellt sind, wie intensiv Freundschaften und erste Beziehungen erlebt werden und wie Sickan trotz Schmerz und Fehlern immer wieder kleine Wachstumschancen ergreift. Die Nebenfiguren sind interessant und vielfältig, das Campus-Setting bildete für mich einen vertrauten, lebendigen Rahmen - auch wenn der Roman für mich definitiv kein Pageturner war.
Obwohl der Roman an manchen Stellen ein wenig vor sich hinplätschert, überwiegt für mich der positive Eindruck: Die Mischung aus Schmerz, Liebe und Selbstfindung macht „Beste Zeiten“ zu einem nachdenklichen und zugleich leicht zugänglichen Coming-of-Age-Roman. Dass die langfristigen Folgen von Mobbing thematisiert werden, habe ich so auch noch nicht in einem Roman gelesen.
Was anfangs nach einem unbeschwerten Neustart für Sickan klingt, ist allerdings gleichzeitig geprägt von den Narben ihrer Vergangenheit: massives Mobbing, wenig einfühlsame Eltern und verlorenes Vertrauen belasten sie noch immer. Jenny Mustard beschreibt einfühlsam, wie Sickan Schritt für Schritt lernt, sich selbst zu spüren, Grenzen zu setzen und ihre eigenen Bedürfnisse wahrzunehmen – ohne dabei die Unsicherheiten und Widersprüche einer jungen Erwachsenen zu verschweigen.
Mir gefiel, wie realistisch das Uni-Setting und das WG-Leben dargestellt sind, wie intensiv Freundschaften und erste Beziehungen erlebt werden und wie Sickan trotz Schmerz und Fehlern immer wieder kleine Wachstumschancen ergreift. Die Nebenfiguren sind interessant und vielfältig, das Campus-Setting bildete für mich einen vertrauten, lebendigen Rahmen - auch wenn der Roman für mich definitiv kein Pageturner war.
Obwohl der Roman an manchen Stellen ein wenig vor sich hinplätschert, überwiegt für mich der positive Eindruck: Die Mischung aus Schmerz, Liebe und Selbstfindung macht „Beste Zeiten“ zu einem nachdenklichen und zugleich leicht zugänglichen Coming-of-Age-Roman. Dass die langfristigen Folgen von Mobbing thematisiert werden, habe ich so auch noch nicht in einem Roman gelesen.
October 7, 2025
Nur Liebe für Jenny Mustard und ihre feinen Beobachtungen und die Klarheit ihrer Sätze und die Sanftheit dieses Buches💛💛
July 21, 2025
After Okay Days, which I really loved, I was very excited to read Jenny Mustard’s second book – and it did not disappoint. What a Time to be Alive reminded me a lot of Sally Rooney’s work: it’s more about atmosphere and emotions than plot. The narrative has little structure and no chapters, which takes some getting used to, but if you go with it, it becomes a quiet and thoughtful reading experience.
I was surprised by how heavy some of the themes were, often presented in a very subtle way. Although we’re very close to the main character throughout the book, I never felt like I fully understood her, and some of her developments felt a bit rushed. Still, I really enjoyed reading it.
What stood out to me were the many little glimpses into Swedish life. As someone who speaks Swedish myself, I loved finding Swedish words sprinkled throughout the English text - that added an extra layer of joy for me.
All in all, a quiet but intense novel with some flaws, 3,5 stars I think.
February 25, 2025
4.5/5
jenny mustard has done it again!! I absolutely adore how easily you slip into her novels and how much you get her characters and all their eccentricities.
you can see, feel, hear and smell the cities she describes and you are guaranteed to relate to the human experiences so expertly crafted.
loved it!
jenny mustard has done it again!! I absolutely adore how easily you slip into her novels and how much you get her characters and all their eccentricities.
you can see, feel, hear and smell the cities she describes and you are guaranteed to relate to the human experiences so expertly crafted.
loved it!
April 30, 2025
I’ve anticipated this book for months and am disappointed. I couldn’t even tell what exactly the book is about and what to root for throughout the story. Unfortunately, I couldn’t relate to the rather entitled main character Sickan either. Also, quite repetitive. Maybe I’m just not the target audience here.
December 14, 2025
4.5 stars!! A gem. Review to come
May 14, 2025
What a Time to be Alive is a gorgeously quiet and cinematic novel that crept up on me. It reminded me of what it feels like to be in your 20s and figuring out who you are and what you want from life, from friendships and from relationships, making mistakes along the way but learning life lessons.
Sickan is 22 and from a small town in Sweden. She’s moved to Stockholm to study computer science, and having never had any friends, she makes her first one in Hanna, who sticks out like a sore thumb, but who is endlessly kind and giving towards Sickan. Sickan meets and begins dating Abbe, who has had his own difficulties fitting in growing up. The book charts Sickan’s coming of age as she falls in love for the first time and finds out what true and genuine friendship is.
The book got off to a slowish start; some lovely unpretentious writing kept me reading. I loved Sickan’s vulnerability and fragility, and her slowly building sense of resilience and opening up to the world and all of its possibilities. It’s a rather lovely and timeless reflection on youth and the boundless joy and heartbreak that comes with it. Distinctly Scandi (understated, pared back) but universal in theme and emotion. Very much enjoyed this one. 4/5 ⭐️
Many thanks to Hodder/Sceptre Books for the arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sickan is 22 and from a small town in Sweden. She’s moved to Stockholm to study computer science, and having never had any friends, she makes her first one in Hanna, who sticks out like a sore thumb, but who is endlessly kind and giving towards Sickan. Sickan meets and begins dating Abbe, who has had his own difficulties fitting in growing up. The book charts Sickan’s coming of age as she falls in love for the first time and finds out what true and genuine friendship is.
The book got off to a slowish start; some lovely unpretentious writing kept me reading. I loved Sickan’s vulnerability and fragility, and her slowly building sense of resilience and opening up to the world and all of its possibilities. It’s a rather lovely and timeless reflection on youth and the boundless joy and heartbreak that comes with it. Distinctly Scandi (understated, pared back) but universal in theme and emotion. Very much enjoyed this one. 4/5 ⭐️
Many thanks to Hodder/Sceptre Books for the arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
September 23, 2025thank you to Jenny Mustard & Pegasus Books for the ARC - can't wait to dive in!
May 31, 2025
Ich hab so viel gefühlt! Ich wusste dass ich Jenny Mustards 2. Roman mögen werde, aber am Anfang hat mich der Schreibstil bisschen fertig gemacht. Aber sie hat Sickans Unsicherheiten so roh und greifbar gemacht und ich hab mich so gesehen gefühlt. Wir haben die gleichen Ängste und Mustard hat sie so gut in Worte gepackt.
January 13, 2025
Actual rating 4.5
Thanks to Sceptre books for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
There is a quality to Jenny Mustard's youtube videos, reels and posts that she manages to translate into her prose – she makes the everyday brilliantly beautiful, down to the little details.
She gives mundane things a certain sparkle, a little indulgent lushness.
This quality kept me hooked from page one, Sickan's story is so utterly readable but also so real; despite a lot of gorgeous scenery and elements there is also a lot of gritty real life going on. Childhood trauma from being bullied mixed with mushroom-sauce pasta eaten from elegant dishware in an apartment with herringbone floor on Artillerigatan in Stockholm's bougie Östermalm; themes of physical abuse of one of the characters mingled with Valentino dresses for the St Lucia ball that the university throws. You get the vibe.
So here are a few other things I really enjoyed about What a Time to Be Alive:
* The dialogue! There is so much of it, and I love when characters talk like actual people would (well, of course) and this felt excatly like that. I liked that Sickan herself has a certain storyline re dialogue that she overhears and journals about.
* The setting! Stockholm and a little bit of (if not very favourably described) Skåne – I love when authors make the place kind of a character in itself; especially when it's Sweden. There aren't too many contemporary Swedish litfic novels in translation, according to my ongoing research, so I'm always happy when I do find something set in this special country with all its idiosyncracies.
(If you have some recommendations though, please let me know! No thrillers or crime please.) So many Swedish words thrown in too – jättebra!
* The relationships! Hanna, Noor, Abbe, Sickan's parents – every single one of them so well executed and the developments of each so believable and vital to Sickan's growth.
If you already loved Okay Days, then I hope for you all that April will come super quick, because you'll have an equally great (or even better?) time with What a Time to Be Alive.
Thanks to Sceptre books for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
There is a quality to Jenny Mustard's youtube videos, reels and posts that she manages to translate into her prose – she makes the everyday brilliantly beautiful, down to the little details.
She gives mundane things a certain sparkle, a little indulgent lushness.
This quality kept me hooked from page one, Sickan's story is so utterly readable but also so real; despite a lot of gorgeous scenery and elements there is also a lot of gritty real life going on. Childhood trauma from being bullied mixed with mushroom-sauce pasta eaten from elegant dishware in an apartment with herringbone floor on Artillerigatan in Stockholm's bougie Östermalm; themes of physical abuse of one of the characters mingled with Valentino dresses for the St Lucia ball that the university throws. You get the vibe.
So here are a few other things I really enjoyed about What a Time to Be Alive:
* The dialogue! There is so much of it, and I love when characters talk like actual people would (well, of course) and this felt excatly like that. I liked that Sickan herself has a certain storyline re dialogue that she overhears and journals about.
* The setting! Stockholm and a little bit of (if not very favourably described) Skåne – I love when authors make the place kind of a character in itself; especially when it's Sweden. There aren't too many contemporary Swedish litfic novels in translation, according to my ongoing research, so I'm always happy when I do find something set in this special country with all its idiosyncracies.
(If you have some recommendations though, please let me know! No thrillers or crime please.) So many Swedish words thrown in too – jättebra!
* The relationships! Hanna, Noor, Abbe, Sickan's parents – every single one of them so well executed and the developments of each so believable and vital to Sickan's growth.
If you already loved Okay Days, then I hope for you all that April will come super quick, because you'll have an equally great (or even better?) time with What a Time to Be Alive.
May 18, 2025
I’m glad I’ve finally read a book by Jenny Mustard! Absolutely loved the setting and atmosphere of the city in this one, and the more I read of the book the more I liked the characters and their messiness. Mustard writes well and creates a really believable set of characters. The book didn’t blow me away but it really kept me entertained and reminded me of the messiness of being in university and trying to make friends. I would recommend if you like general literary fiction about young women not knowing what they’re doing with their life.
November 1, 2024
Jenny Mustard's What a Time to Be Alive is a poignant and relatable exploration of youth, friendship, and the bittersweet transition from small-town life to the bustling city. The novel follows Sickan, a young woman who, like many of us, embarks on a journey of self-discovery as she ventures from her familiar surroundings to the vibrant city of Stockholm.
Jenny Mustard’s prose is both familar and makes you feel a part of Sickan's world with such authenticity. Sickan's experiences, from the excitement of new beginnings in romance, friendship and academia, to the anxieties of growing up, will resonate with anyone who has ever felt uncertain and doubted themselves but also those who discover a new confidence in unexpected situations.
One of my favourite parts of this book is the friendship that Sickan develops with Hanna; it’s one that many of us have had. It’s intense but sometimes hard to navigate and as with all new friendships, there is a slight hesitancy that you’ll do something to mess it up. I loved Sickan and Hanna’s talk about boundaries and friendship towards the end of the novel, it felt mature and healthy and it was lovely to see.
I don’t want to say too much but it’s a story that made me feel safe and hopeful for all that is to come.
It reminded me that new experiences, whilst scary, are also a time to feel alive! I can’t wait until April 2025 because I know so many people will adore this as much as I did!
Thank you so much to Jenny and Sceptre publishing for sending me a first manuscript in return for my reading and reviewing!
Jenny Mustard’s prose is both familar and makes you feel a part of Sickan's world with such authenticity. Sickan's experiences, from the excitement of new beginnings in romance, friendship and academia, to the anxieties of growing up, will resonate with anyone who has ever felt uncertain and doubted themselves but also those who discover a new confidence in unexpected situations.
One of my favourite parts of this book is the friendship that Sickan develops with Hanna; it’s one that many of us have had. It’s intense but sometimes hard to navigate and as with all new friendships, there is a slight hesitancy that you’ll do something to mess it up. I loved Sickan and Hanna’s talk about boundaries and friendship towards the end of the novel, it felt mature and healthy and it was lovely to see.
I don’t want to say too much but it’s a story that made me feel safe and hopeful for all that is to come.
It reminded me that new experiences, whilst scary, are also a time to feel alive! I can’t wait until April 2025 because I know so many people will adore this as much as I did!
Thank you so much to Jenny and Sceptre publishing for sending me a first manuscript in return for my reading and reviewing!
February 26, 2025
In a way, you didn't really get to know the characters very well, but at the same time, it felt like none of the characters behaved like themselves throughout the whole book...?
October 13, 2025
What a time to come of age as a first-year student at the big Stockholm University. Leaving her chemist and physicist parents in their smaller town, Sickan plans to leave behind the bullies and remake herself at uni. She befriends two central pals: Hanna, a wealthy, offbeat-styled classmate and soon-to-be flatmate, and Abbe, a friendly and well-liked student who is two years older. In their distinct ways, as a best friend and a situationship, Hanna and Abbe respectively provide Sickan the social scaffolding that allows her to explore her fears and desires, even as the pals lean on Sickan in their growing, too.
As someone who experienced ongoing verbal and physical bullying while growing up, Sickan excessively observes others’ behavior and how they perceive her. Furthermore, her parents approach their academic careers like passion projects rather than work that can offer a stable income, and she has long detected their detachment from their family and primary devotion to their research. The combination of her loneliness at home and school before university life causes her to see herself with little self-worth.
A strength of the book is Mustard’s decision to hone the concept of self-disgust as the unique challenge Sickan faces, which is vividly emphasized without the drowning pull of an aggressive rip tide. Rather, the sinking feeling is less sensationalized and thus perhaps more realistic. When Sickan picks up old journal entries that record the slurs hurled her way, she recognizes a resounding theme: “Disgust, that’s what it was.. . . It was amazing to me, how clear it was. How I had wondered all this time what it was about me, specifically, that made me not fit and it was right there. I was disgusting. To other people.. . . Because the core of me was repulsive. I couldn’t do anything to change this.” By identifying how she fundamentally sees herself, she can make the appropriate adjustments in her relationships and career goals.
Another strength, which pleased me a great deal, was the slow reveal of Abbe’s demons. On the one hand, I didn’t mind that Sickan initially carried the weight of functioning as our main unhealthy character dealing with a healthy romantic partner. Having read another bildungsroman recently wherein the main character’s love interest bears the bulk of the blame, Sickan’s situation almost felt refreshing. On the other hand, Abbe’s revelation of encountering physical abuse and its ongoing aftershocks, Mustard deftly underscores the theme of disgust in a surprising yet unsentimental way.
I rate What a Time to be Alive 4 stars, and I look forward to Mustard’s future works.
My thanks to Pegasus Books and Edelweiss for an ARC.
As someone who experienced ongoing verbal and physical bullying while growing up, Sickan excessively observes others’ behavior and how they perceive her. Furthermore, her parents approach their academic careers like passion projects rather than work that can offer a stable income, and she has long detected their detachment from their family and primary devotion to their research. The combination of her loneliness at home and school before university life causes her to see herself with little self-worth.
A strength of the book is Mustard’s decision to hone the concept of self-disgust as the unique challenge Sickan faces, which is vividly emphasized without the drowning pull of an aggressive rip tide. Rather, the sinking feeling is less sensationalized and thus perhaps more realistic. When Sickan picks up old journal entries that record the slurs hurled her way, she recognizes a resounding theme: “Disgust, that’s what it was.. . . It was amazing to me, how clear it was. How I had wondered all this time what it was about me, specifically, that made me not fit and it was right there. I was disgusting. To other people.. . . Because the core of me was repulsive. I couldn’t do anything to change this.” By identifying how she fundamentally sees herself, she can make the appropriate adjustments in her relationships and career goals.
Another strength, which pleased me a great deal, was the slow reveal of Abbe’s demons. On the one hand, I didn’t mind that Sickan initially carried the weight of functioning as our main unhealthy character dealing with a healthy romantic partner. Having read another bildungsroman recently wherein the main character’s love interest bears the bulk of the blame, Sickan’s situation almost felt refreshing. On the other hand, Abbe’s revelation of encountering physical abuse and its ongoing aftershocks, Mustard deftly underscores the theme of disgust in a surprising yet unsentimental way.
I rate What a Time to be Alive 4 stars, and I look forward to Mustard’s future works.
My thanks to Pegasus Books and Edelweiss for an ARC.
May 23, 2025
What a Time to Be Alive - @jennymustard ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was the perfect “get out of a reading slump” read for me!! I love a book with interesting flawed characters that explores different relationships and how they learn and grow from each other 💚
This book is a coming of age that really looks at identity, friendships, bullying, and social anxiety - being in your early 20s and figuring out who you are.
I absolutely loved the small details in the descriptions of everything - it really brought me as the reader right into the story. The dialogues were also so naturally flowing I was able to tear through this book in about a day, I wanted more!
Thank you @pegasus_books so much for the gifted ARC - it was a dream to get to read this early:)
Read if you love: Sally Rooney style messy relationships, relatable characters you don't want to stop reading about, and 20 somethings still figuring things out.
This was the perfect “get out of a reading slump” read for me!! I love a book with interesting flawed characters that explores different relationships and how they learn and grow from each other 💚
This book is a coming of age that really looks at identity, friendships, bullying, and social anxiety - being in your early 20s and figuring out who you are.
I absolutely loved the small details in the descriptions of everything - it really brought me as the reader right into the story. The dialogues were also so naturally flowing I was able to tear through this book in about a day, I wanted more!
Thank you @pegasus_books so much for the gifted ARC - it was a dream to get to read this early:)
Read if you love: Sally Rooney style messy relationships, relatable characters you don't want to stop reading about, and 20 somethings still figuring things out.
December 4, 2025
kein knaller aber hilft aus leseflauten raus & dafür gibts props
December 6, 2025
Kort samengevat: ik kan me niet herinneren wanneer ik voor het laatst zo veel zinnen gemarkeerd heb als in dit boek. Zo veel rake gedachten en omschrijvingen over vriendschap, opgroeien, het toch soms echt wel gure Scandinavische weer. Heer-lijk.
Iets te vaak wel raakt het thema's die wat mij betreft verder uitgewerkt hadden mogen worden; de eerste driekwart was vooral ✨vibes✨ en minder plot. Maar juist die plaats- en sfeerbeschrijvingen voegen ook veel toe. Love de alledaagse observeringen, de focus op taal en accenten en de plek waar je opgroeit. En wat betreft vlakheid en coming-of-age maakt het laatste deel veel goed.
En dat er dan ook soms een Zweeds woordje - of een halve pagina 👌 - doorheen glipt, ik heb er mycket van genoten.
Iets te vaak wel raakt het thema's die wat mij betreft verder uitgewerkt hadden mogen worden; de eerste driekwart was vooral ✨vibes✨ en minder plot. Maar juist die plaats- en sfeerbeschrijvingen voegen ook veel toe. Love de alledaagse observeringen, de focus op taal en accenten en de plek waar je opgroeit. En wat betreft vlakheid en coming-of-age maakt het laatste deel veel goed.
En dat er dan ook soms een Zweeds woordje - of een halve pagina 👌 - doorheen glipt, ik heb er mycket van genoten.
July 10, 2025
4,5 loved it
November 30, 2025
4.5
Sally Rooney girlies, I urge you to pick this up. A greatest-hits collection of some of the awkward, thrilling, uncomfortable, wonderful, terrifying Canon Events™️ of early womanhood. An introspective, grounded, and realistic portrayal of the insecurity and uncertainty of being in your early twenties trying to figure out who you are, what you care about, and who matters most.
Sally Rooney girlies, I urge you to pick this up. A greatest-hits collection of some of the awkward, thrilling, uncomfortable, wonderful, terrifying Canon Events™️ of early womanhood. An introspective, grounded, and realistic portrayal of the insecurity and uncertainty of being in your early twenties trying to figure out who you are, what you care about, and who matters most.
June 30, 2025
Aangeraden door zoe omdat het misschien op Dolly zou lijken. Dat vind ik niet, het is veel rauwer dan Dolly, maar alsnog was het mooi. Eigenlijk gebeurt er niet heel veel maar de gevoelens zijn daar en het einde is heel fijn en mooi voor de lezer.
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