When We Grow Up

In Baker’s underwhelming sophomore novel (after Our Little Racket), a group of 20-somethings contend with their fading friendships and their mortality during a disastrous vacation in Hawaii. After an alert pops up on their phones urging them to take shelter from an incoming missile (“This is not a drill,” the message reads), Clare, an aspiring novelist, realizes she doesn’t want to die with the others. Almost an hour later, their phones ping again, notifying them the warning was sent in error. Though they try to have a good time, the scare provokes difficult conservations. Clare has never been close with Jessie, the only other woman in the group, and their long-running competition spikes during the crisis. She’s always felt closest to Renzo, even though his condescending nature forces her to seek his approval. There’s also Mac, who used to date Jessie while they were in high school, and who makes jokes about being the only Black person in the group. The friends’ conversations provide a sounding board for the author to riff on racism, climate change, and other contemporary issues—for instance, when Clare schools Jessie on anti-racist campus protestors—but the conversations barely scratch the surface. This one fizzles. Agent: Marya Spence, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (Feb.)