Guac Is Extra But So Am I: The Reluctant Adult's Handbook

by Sarah Solomon

Navigating the landscape of young adulthood is fraught with challenges big, small, and existential that leave even the best of us screaming internally. Guac Is Extra But So Am The Reluctant Adult's Handbook explains the realities of life people expect you to know-but aren't usually spelled out-through humorous, biting commentary, illustrations, and guidance from those who have seen it all.

Packed with discussions, tips, and advice on everything from the shifting etiquette surrounding modern dating (Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and tolerant of your substance abuse?) to how you should be forcing yourself to save for retirement (We're all just a few breakdowns away from becoming an interior designer or golf pro), job hunting (No, you cannot choose "muse" as a career path), to the highly emotional and physical trials of moving (The road to hell is paved with shag carpeting). These topics, and anything else that might fluster a young adult, are explored and addressed with the author's trademark wit and self-deprecating style. Add in contributions from leaders in their respective fields, including Mad Money's Jim Cramer and editors ranging from The New York Times to Town & Country. Guac Is Extra But So Am I becomes an illuminating guide to what it means to be a well-rounded individual in a digitally evolving world ridden with student debt and Instagram "models."

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Humor, Lifestyle

224 pages, Hardcover

Published April 30, 2019

Reviews

[Danielle Schiestle | brooklynbookgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was beyond funny (not to mention beautiful looking!) As someone in their mid-twenties who does not have her shit together, I appreciated the advise and humor that this book provided. A must have coffee table style book that actually has a lot of content to it!

[Ellen Heiman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eh. I was hoping to read something more original or personal, but most of the takeaways were pretty contrived and cliche. I thought the humor was funny for the first chapter, then it became redundant. I laughed, though. I did think the advice on weddings and skin care were useful.

[Sage · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This was an okay read. I’m obsessed with the title and the cover, and the humor and illustrations were great. It didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. I did appreciate the weddings and health section, though.

[Emily Lowenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book! Perfect as a gift for someone in their early 20s.

[Kelsey Park · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kinda useless for most people over the age of 18~19. Tries too hard with dry humor about drinking too much - wow, a twenty something binge drinking cheap alcohol and waking up in a dirty room, how novel! Not. I was into it at first, but by the end if the book I was so tired of that same repetitive White Girl humor.

[Musa Mahoney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guac Is Extra But So Am I: The Reluctant Adult's Handbook is exactly what it promises: a humorous guide for those of us dragging our feet into adulthood. Sarah Solomon delivers practical life advice wrapped in witty observations and laugh-out-loud commentary that makes the medicine of growing up go down easier.

It took me two years to finish this book—reading it in bits and pieces during commutes and travel—which feels oddly appropriate for a book about reluctant adulting. The format works perfectly for this piecemeal approach, with standalone chapters you can digest whenever you find yourself with a spare moment between adulting responsibilities.

Solomon tackles the mundane challenges of adult life with refreshing candor and humor. From financial advice to social navigation, the book offers genuinely useful information that I wish I'd had access to years ago. I found myself repeatedly thinking, "Why didn't someone tell me this sooner?" as Solomon demystifies aspects of adulthood that somehow never made it into formal education.

The author's illustrations deserve special mention—they complement the text perfectly and add an extra layer of humor to the already entertaining content. They capture the essence of the reluctant adult experience in visual form, making complex concepts more digestible and relatable.

Having followed Sarah on Instagram since reading the book, I can attest that her social media presence carries the same wit and charm that makes the book so engaging. Her perspective on the absurdities of adult life feels authentic and reassuring—like having a funny friend who's figuring it out alongside you while making jokes about the process.

For anyone struggling with the transition to full-fledged adulthood (whether you're 25 or 45), this book offers both practical guidance and the comforting reminder that you're not the only one finding the whole experience somewhat ridiculous. It's a worthwhile read that I'm glad I finally finished—reluctantly, of course.

[MayaH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah Solomon's Guac Is Extra But So Am I: The Reluctant Adult's Handbook is filled with an assortment of passages laced with Solomon's voice and personality. The way she writes makes me want to be her friend. She tells of real-life experiences from not just herself, but also anecdotes from peers and colleagues. Solomon writes with humor in order to keep her informative passages interesting, and she does this well. I found her usage of modern and informal language to be interesting and engaging. One of the strong characteristics of this book is the way it is organized. It reminds me of reading a textbook for a math or science class. It is very structured which I greatly enjoyed. Another interesting part of this book was the Solomon discussed relationships and how to handle them. It was interesting because she broke from her regular stylistic choice of sharing life experiences in order to give you the knowledge. With this chapter, she focussed less on telling her own persona; stories and more relating her humor and wit to her reader. There were only a few things I did not fully enjoy about Solomon’s stylistic choices. The first one was that her humor was rather repetitive and she didn’t break her structure very often. The second thing that I disliked about Solomon’s personal writing was that she was a bit aggressive and chose to tell rather than suggest what to do and what not to do. Though it is obvious that this was intentional as it is supposed to be a sort of rulebook, I felt it didn’t work with the overall message the book is supposed to send.

[Sandrine Pal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book sadly fails to live up to its witty title. For all intents and purposes, it's little more than a glorified series of Teen Vogue articles, minus a dash of political consciousness. The proofreading is lackluster (always a huge turnoff) and the layout of pull-out quotes is pointlessly distracting (not least because the quips are irrelevant, unfunny, or both). There are some moments of fleeting grace, but they are drowned in a sea of Michael-Scott-grade lack of self-awareness. A few examples might include: what to do if you have to fly coast-to-coast every other weekend for weddings; cheese plates and mixed drinks for all, but only if you have Williams-Sonoma flatware (it's okay— entry price points are fine!); which type of gemstones to collect as a retirement fund strategy; why you shouldn't buy a car because who needs that kind of expense... So when the author points out that some weddings have more than their fair share of Muffies and Tripps, I think she may need to get her own house in order first...

[John Frelinghuysen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm an in-depth writer/ reviewer normally, but this book is just fantastic. I recommend it as a gift for a struggling, confused millennial. The author clearly brings a slam of humor with helpful insights, almost as if she was your big step sister and you are sitting on the floor of your apartment sharing a bottle of yellowtail - a warm connection and a rewarding read.
Also the format lends itself to a casual pick-up and leaf through cocktail table item vibe. Excellent illustrations and a features from prominent millennials who have also struggled through the mud, but give you hope to keep slugging through . FIVE STARS

[Camille (beancounterbookclub) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. The little jokes/anecdotes on each page were witty and insightful and I enjoyed the frankness with which the author wrote. We have very different life experiences and some parts of the book felt like they were about a whole other world, but I expected some of that due to our differences in age, geography, upbringing, and career. Overall, this book has a lot of good info for those of us just starting out on our own, and will be a good reference for when I start to feel overwhelmed by adult life.

[Harold Solomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Both informative and entertaining, it’s life advice from someone who’s been in the trenches and survived to tell about it. I great college graduation present; a millennial survival guide for and all. Good read!

[Gina Zappa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Y'all know ya girl is equal parts extra and bad at adulting, so I knew I needed to read this book the moment I saw it! The book itself was equal parts funny and genuinely helpful. It was a fun, quick read so overall I would recommend it.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulously hilarious and informative post-graduation read. Would highly recommend for any burgeoning adult in your life.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read. A good tongue in cheek read for a early to mid 20s person to help figure out life after college.

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this to every reluctant adult as an on hand reference guide.

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Bethany Eicher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining...and definitely aimed at a much younger audience. A good one to pass along.

[Bridget Brogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing earth shattering in terms of advice, but a quick, light read that’s very relatable.

[Olena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, quick read with cute illustrations. The advice is definitely more suited to young 20-year-olds. Humorous and relevant - I gifted it to my younger sister.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the concept of this book. It has some very witty, laugh out loud moments; however, it does lack substance. It is a great, light read but do not look for anything further than that.