But How Are You, Really

Praise for But How Are You, Really

“Where to read it: On your alma mater’s freshly mowed lawn. . . . A quintessentially millennial take on the return-to-campus novel, told with equal parts sensitivity and self-deprecation.”
–Elle, “The Best New Books to Read This Summer”

“It felt so good to return to college with the protagonist, Charlotte, for her five-year reunion and watch her confront all the ghosts I wouldn’t dare to approach. I needed a Reece Kruger at twenty, and I need one even more now. Willing to pay shipping costs if required.”
–Betches

“To find out that [Dawson has] written a novel that encapsulates an especially fraught era—a 27-year-old media worker’s five-year college reunion weekend—is the book equivalent of an autoclick.”
–Paste, “Most Anticipated Books of 2024”

“With wit and heart, Ella Dawson transports readers back to their chaotic college years, leaving them aching with laughter and grief for their past selves.”
–Wesleyan

“Dawson brings Charlotte’s pain and passion to vivid life. It’s a worthy addition to the shelf of campus novels.”
–Publishers Weekly

“Dawson’s lively debut features a diverse and relatable cast of characters with realistic issues that will be immediately recognizable to young millennials and Gen Zers. It’s both a celebration of the uniqueness of the college years and a testament to the struggles new graduates face in the ‘real world’.”
–Booklist

“Ella Dawson’s But How Are You, Really lives in my chest as a deep, aching blue. The whole time I was reading I had that expansive feeling like I could cry at any moment — for sadness at some of what Charlotte has been through, but also for the sheer joyful triumph of watching Charlotte with her supportive friend group, her creative awakening as an artist, her hot and tender second chance with the love she wasn’t ready for back in college. Sharply funny and observant, But How Are You, Really managed to make me nostalgic for places I’ve never been and people I’ve never met. It is easily one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.”
–Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of With Love, from Cold World

“But How Are You, Really reminds us with humor and grace that growing up isn’t something that happens all at once, but sloppily, gradually, beautifully. Dawson has a tender eye for detail, renders Charlotte and her world relatable, heartbreaking shades. A wonderful book that will have you aching for every one of your past selves.”
–Jean Kyoung Frazier, author of Pizza Girl

“Part journey to self-love, part love letter to college and chosen family, But How Are You, Really vividly captures the highs and lows of post-grad life. Dawson’s debut is emotional and nostalgic, introspective and romantic, featuring a beloved cast of characters who come alive on the page.”
–Carola Lovering, author of Tell Me Lies and Bye, Baby
 
“Moving, sexy, and painfully relatable, Ella Dawson deftly captures that lost and longing feeling we all experience in our twenties, particularly when faced with the ghosts of our past selves. Set at a college reunion, But How Are You, Really is a story of second chances and rediscovering one’s self that will have you cringing, crying, and nodding in recognition. I absolutely adored it.”
–Genevieve Wheeler, author of Adelaide
 
“Ella Dawson knows sexy angst and this book has it. It’s a throwback full of funny characters, nuanced realistic heartbreak, and the power of recovery and friendship. Come for the hot sex, stay for the catharsis. Is it possible to craft a perfect 2018 period piece? Ella’s done it.”
–Gabe Dunn, New York Times bestselling author of I Hate Everyone But You

“But How Are You, Really is a delight to the senses. Dawson displays biting humor and poignant storytelling in a book that is shameless in all the best ways.“
–Andie J. Christopher, USA Today bestselling author