- Daisy Andrews
Reluctant Adult by Katie Kirby - November '21 Review

Our minds are neurotic, busy things and the load they take on is often overwhelming. At Sunday Sanctuary, we try to help you with this by sharing tips and tricks to practice and develop better mental wellbeing - especially while at work: an often stressful and overwhelming environment. This month's book 'Reluctant Adult', author Katie Kirby, otherwise known as @hurrahforgin, discusses (and doodles!) the reality of being an adult and all the responsibility and worries that come with it. It's a bundle of laughs and offers comfort to anyone who feels the same.
The Blurb:
Do you overthink everything?
Do you struggle to say no to people?
Are you paying membership for a gym you never go to?
Do group chat politics make you want to throw your phone under a bus?
Are you overjoyed when people cancel plans so that you can sit at home in your pyjamas eating coco pops for dinner?
If so, then this book is for you!
We spend our childhoods wanting to be adults, and when we get there, find ourselves lost under a pile of life admin, half completed to-do lists and anti-ageing face creams that promise to make you look as good as Natalie Imbruglia.
In her new book, Hurrah for Gin, pinpoints with painful precision just how overwhelming life can be when you're all grown up. From the worry spiral that keeps you up at 3am, to maintaining a professional aura when you can't stand other people - this is for everyone trying to stay afloat.
Honest, relatable, funny and containing no useful advice whatsoever, take comfort in the knowledge that it's not just you, we're all as f*cked as each other.
Our Favourite Quote:
"Social media for me is a bit like tequila. Feels like it should be fun, but leaves you with an icky taste in your mouth."
Our Thoughts:
We're giving 'Reluctant Adult' a full 5/5. This book is a short and super easy read - perfect for it's audience: the busy and overwhelmed! As the blurb describes perfectly, this book is not a self-help book, it provides no advice or answers to the troubles of adult life. Instead, it gives you the relief of knowing that you are not alone and that struggling to cope is totally, completely ok. In fact, it's normal.
Kirby's writing is witty, succinct and made us laugh out loud - as did her brilliant stick person doodles. 'Reluctant Adult' is light-hearted, while also making you feel very seen, but never uncomfortable.
This book is a natter and giggle with a close friend and we couldn't recommend it more!