Quarterlife Crisis

May 7, 2001
This addition to the crowded self-help genre claims to document a previously overlooked phase of life: the period between college graduation and one's 30th birthday, when young adults struggle to find their place in the world. While the assertion that this period can be wracked by "crisis" rings true, this attempt by recent college grads Robbins and Wilners to document it falters. Their overall effort, though uplifting, lacks the substantive advice that many people need as they enter adulthood. According to the authors, the difficulty arises when 20-somethings are ejected from the structured academic environment and forced to choose a career, find a home, carve out social niches and manage money (or the lack thereof). This period can indeed be rocky, especially when a young person is told that the world is her oyster and then can't find a satisfying job. In a somewhat self-conscious vernacular, Robbins and Wilner discuss, among other things, spirituality, job-hopping and living with parents. Most of the book's advice lies in lengthy quotes from other 20-somethings—an anecdotal overabundance that makes for more of a pastiche than a guidebook. But while the book may not have all the answers for members of generation-Y, it at least provides proof that they're not alone in feeling pressured, depressed or disappointed. Agent, Paula Balzer, Carlisle Agency. (May 21)Forecast:Robbins presented the catchy idea of a pre-midlife crisis in a Mademoiselle article last month, which may help spark sales among this year's crop of college grads.

June 1, 2001
Although their elders may roll their eyes, twentysomethings will likely find this book useful because it shows that other people their age are struggling with similar issues, such as trying to balance work, pleasure, family, friends, and romance. Robbins and Wilner talked to dozens of twentysomethings, and, for the most part, the authors merely relate their stories rather than trying to offer advice or an easy solution. The individuals they talked to describe the pressure of coming from a relatively stable environment, such as college, and then being flung into a world where they have to worry about finding out exactly what they want to do, land the right job, pay the bills, and still manage to have time for friends and family. But these twentysomethings also tell how getting into the wrong field and even failure helped them find careers in which they could be happy. Although " Quarterlife Crisis" doesn't contain all the answers that people in their twenties are looking for, it does feature helpful stories they can relate to.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)