What Happened to Millennials: In Defense of a Generation

Bloomberg News editor Wells debuts with a sympathetic yet uneven portrait of millennials. He depicts a generation haunted by the gap between the “impossibly high” expectations set by their childhoods—when “America’s primary economic concern” was having “too much money”—and the far more arduous adulthood that followed. He does so by following five individuals whose lives intersect with major events and trends, among them Olivia, whose father died in the 9/11 attacks, and Aaron, who struggled with opioid addiction. Wells treats these individuals’ stories with empathy, and, as a millennial himself, excels at conveying the struggles confronted by the entire generation, including the collective trauma of 9/11, which “really did change everything for us”; the increasingly divided political landscape driven by cable news (told through Jon Stewart’s notorious 2004 Crossfire appearance); and the difficulty of finding a job in the wake of the Great Recession. However, the book’s incisiveness peters out as Wells dials back his political and economic commentary for an exploration of his subjects’ romantic relationships (including navigating polyamory). He also waffles at providing “an easy hot take” about “what happened to us,” sidestepping this task by pointing out “there are a million versions of us.” Though this provides a window into the troubled psyche of a much-discussed generation, the lack of a more insightful takeaway disappoints. (Sept.)