I enjoyed this more than French Milk because in addition to cataloging her experiences, she expands on reflecting how she feels about whether it's okay to feel untethered in your mid-20s, whether or not that dovetails with wanting stability in the future, and if it's okay to just enjoy the now.

I appreciate that she recognizes the privilege to even have this 'age of license' moment traveling, especially as a creative type tight on funds, and thought that she covered her brief relationship with Henrik thoughtfully, capturing the feelings of infatuation and physical chemistry while backburner worries about how long it will last linger without villainizing him or revealing too much.

The back's copy says "Eat, Pray, Love of the Girls generation" and while I haven't consumed either of those things, I am looking at that description with some side eye... introspective privileged woman adventures for young white millenials? Probably not wrong, but also not a positive plug in the eyes of some readers. ( )

For quite some time I have been searching for works that convey the life experiences of the twentysomething, the twentysomething that I can relate to. Someone who is not of sound mind and of a similar mindset to me. And I have, finally, found that author in Lucy Knisley. And so of course I promptly passed An Age of License on to Laura as soon as I finished! But on to my thoughts on the book.

Lucy doesn’t censor her writing or her drawing. I say that not because it is in anyway graphic (it’s not), but because her complete honesty and transparency with her feelings is refreshing and insightful. An Age of License reads as it really is – Lucy’s diary of her trip through northern Europe on her book tour – and it is really neat to read about book about a book tour! It also chronicles her relationship with a very opinionated young Swede.

I loved reading about Lucy’s stressors on her trip as well as her enjoyable moments, and having them illustrated certainly helps! The sense of loss (of oneself) and confusion over who you are and what you are meant to be, to me, defines the life stage known as one’s twenties and Lucy experiences them both, and chronicles them with a deft and skillful hand, I highly recommend it! ( )

I love trip stories -- I love writing them, and I love reading them. This is a particularly enjoyable one, and I appreciate Knisley's fearless storytelling. ( )

Seriously fun book about being lost, in your mid 20s and yet self-aware enough to know that your problems are not the world's problems. Were I this vigorous with myself at that age, I would have probably been at least somewhat as fun to be around as Lucy Knisley and her work. ( )

I enjoy Lucy's travelogues. They're fun, insightful, and an interesting peek into someone else's life. Having been introduced to her work via French Milk (also a travelogue), I also enjoyed seeing how much more refined her work is and references back to French Milk. ( )