Twenty Something

by Ron Lim

At the age of 22, Ron packed his bags and bought a one-way ticket out of the place he’d lived in his entire life. Now, at age 29, he looks back at his twenties, writing out his thoughts, feelings and the lessons he’s learned while living on the road for the last 7 years.

“Twenty Something” is a collection of prose and poetry that tells the story of the most chaotic phase of your life. From making a life changing decision entirely on your own, continuing to move forward in spite of feeling lost and filled with self-doubt, to eventually finding peace in the unknown.

Although the collection is told through the perspective of a twenty-something-year-old, any person of any age going through a period of change in their life will find a story to relate to.

“maybe
what i’m actually afraid of
are the things i can do
if i allow myself
to really try”

— Excerpt from “Twenty Something”

Genres: Poetry, Self Help, Nonfiction

181 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2024

About the author

At the age of 22, Ron packed his bags and bought a one-way ticket out of the place he lived in his entire life.

Thinking back, “I remember when I was on the plane by myself, leaving for the first time with no destination in mind, there was no fear. It felt strangely… liberating. And it was in those few starting hours of my journey that I already knew that I’ve made the right choice” he said.

“Time flies when you’re on the road. All you do is try to live in the moment and focus on the next thing, and before you know it… years have passed and you have come a long way”.

While on the road, Ron found inspiration in his journey and started documenting his thoughts publicly on Instagram. It was also during this time that he found an interest in writing and in 2020, he started a separate account solely dedicated to posting his writings – @ronwritings.

In less than 2 years, @ronwritings amassed over 600k followers and in December 2021, Ron released his debut book – no idea what I’m doing but f*ck it.

Reviews

[Anastasija Ivanova]

This isn’t what I’d call great poetry—it definitely has that “notes app poetry” vibe. But honestly, I felt seen and understood while reading it, and I think that’s exactly what the author was going for. It’s the kind of book I’ll keep coming back to, just to read a page or two when I need it.

[Maha · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is pure definition of JUST BECAUSE YOU WROTE IT IN VERSE DOES NOT MEAN IT’S POETRY

I cannot enhance this enough… I love poetry, and I love that poetry has become “trendy” again, but please someone review the definition of this genre. Thank you.

Maybe it would have resonated more with me if I had read it at 20/21 years old, not 27? I don’t know.

[Samantha Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/5 stars. I’ve followed Ron Lim on Instagram just after his first book release and was patiently waiting for this book to come out as I deeply resonated with the poems he posted promoting the release of this book. I don’t think this book is for everyone but it definitely was for me. I have tabs/sticky notes on about half of the pages from this book and will be recommending it to all of my friends in our twenties!

[Jules.Bookverse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently turned 30 and finished my twenties but I still feel like I have started my twenties all over again. Still clueless about where life will take me this book was just perfect and gave me the uplift I needed right now. I can recommend it to anyone who feels like they are struggling to find their right place and purpose in this life. It doesn't matter what age you are the perfect time to start doing what you want and living your dreams will always be now!

[Mafalda Viana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only wish I could have read this earlier in my twenties.

[Natalie Ebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read and relatable book about what it’s like to be in your twenties, learning, trying new things, traveling the world, etc. Will probably read this book over and over again!

[paraniha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gang Risike ih, mach Fehler, getrau dich meh usw. Es ermuetigt einem witerzmache und git dir en neue Blickwinkel. De Schribstil higege isch es biz enttüschend gsi.. Sind für mich kei Gedichte gsi, viel meh wie TED-Talk Ussage.

[Gigi Maroulis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I kept getting recommended this book on my Instagram, and I decided to give it a shot and right off the bat, I really liked it. The book was really motivational and I found myself taking pictures of different pages throughout the entire book. It was really nice to read and I hope to read more from this author in the future.

[Cait · Rating 4 out of 5]

“there is nothing you can say to me that I haven’t said to myself before”
“the best things you can do for your life is to do the things you say you will”
“some of us get lost in the chaos some of us find ourselves in it”
“if you don’t sacrifice for what you want, what you want becomes the sacrifice”
“how boring it would be to live a life where you know exactly what will happen”

[Lindsey Treacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy little poetry style read about your twenties!! Definitely great for those who need a little uplifting about finding your place in the world.

[Joshua Avina · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy read, not life changing but has some nice quotes here and there

[Rebecca McAlees · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring collection of poems about the struggles of being in your twenties. I could relate to a lot of the emotions the author experienced in his twenties and it was reassuring to read how he overcame these and survived his twenties. I think everyone in their twenties should read this short book, they won’t regret it.

[Moaza AK · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book due to instagram feed of things I felt that I related to. Most of the poems written by Ron Lim were relatable and some were about his journey in life and what he had to go through. My only comment to the author is to have focused on what it actually feels/happens in the 20’s instead of having it mostly based on his travel experience etc. because not many can relate to that or hit them directly. However, I do appreciate him expressing his feelings and experience even coming from a male’s perspective because we usually believe that men have it the easy way.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone feeling lost but not lost should read this book. If you get it, you get it. I love Ron’s honesty and way of writing. So many relatable and inspiring poetry and quotes in this work of art. A lot of pieces really made me stop and think and evaluate myself and life. Highly recommend especially for anyone in their late twenties. It’s okay to not have it all planned out.

Some of my favourites:

“happiness is really just
a bunch of simple things on repeat
over and over again”

“the person making your life complicated is you you want things to be a certain way, but you don't always want to put in the work to get there.”

“is it a hard life or are you making it hard for yourself?”

“things i've learned in my twenties
1. stop waiting for the perfect time. the perfect time is when you start.
2. don't take risks you don't believe in.
3. leam to do things alone. if you always wait for other people, you'll miss out on a lot.
4. if you can't beat fear, just do it scared.
5. if you don't sacrifice for what you want. what you want becomes the sacrifice.”

“there's more to life than this shitty routine you do on repeat
hanging out with people you don't really care about doing things
that don't light you up
there's more to it there has to be
i believe
there is a version of life out there
you will like more than this”

[emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

i don’t want to be too harsh cuz the author seems chill but my god this was so painful to get through. i’ll say 1.5 stars because the content of a lot of the quote unquote prose is important and very relevant for ppl in their early/mid twenties, but i feel like this would’ve been better suited for a self help book or youtube video or something cuz….this prose….. “prose”……… i just can’t. repeating a sentence doesn’t make it poetry.
you want to change
you want to change
LIKE LFMAOOOSMSKDMF and he did it like TWENTY TIMES THROUGHOUT THE BOOK i actually felt like i was going insane. i’m sure and hope that this was touching for other people but wow this was so rough to get through. Like wow. wow…… just shite innit

[Brooke Bielski · Rating 5 out of 5]

feeling hopeful

So, I saw part of this book on Tiktok about needing a good friend. I immediately bought the book and it actually turns out that I needed to hear/read a lot more than I thought. I actually started to cry because I became so overwhelmed by reading the words I’ve been thinking for SUCH a long time. I feel that I’ve been stuck in this cycle I’m currently in and I’ve been dreaming of breaking out of it and I’m pretty sure this book just gave me the push i needed. So, Mr. Ron Lim, thank you for that. I also followed your IG immediately after finishing the book. This 26 yr old needs more of your wisdom.

[Sondos 🎀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

At 28, I found myself connecting deeply with this book. It doesn’t read like traditional poetry; instead, it read more like someone’s personal journal—which I actually enjoyed. Many times, I felt truly seen, pausing to reflect on the lines and how they connected to my own life. Other times, I couldn’t relate, and that was okay—our journeys aren’t all the same. Maybe one day I’ll connect with those lines, or maybe I never will, and that’s perfectly fine. What I do know is that this is the kind of book I’ll return to—opening a random page in the future just to see how differently it resonates with me over time.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ron’s writing always hit so hard. It’s truly a form of self care and motivation to go on out and do the things that you deserve to be doing, and to be self compassionate with yourself at the same time. I will always be his number one fan and buy every book possible. I related to so many pages that I ran out of sticky notes. Overall, I read this in an hour, deeply resonated, and recommend everyone to go and read it.

[Alexa Rohloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give this book 10 stars if I could. I’m currently just under a month shy of my 30th birthday and I figured this would be the perfect book to read to end my twenties. There was so much that resonated with me. It’s a very relatable book. There are so many life lessons from our twenties. Personally, it was a difficult decade for me as I had to learn how to navigate not just life but emotions and people too. Read this book and know you are not alone!

[Nate Buchan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your 20’s will be filled with ups and downs. Time will start to pass you by so fast you wish you were a kid again listening to your parents tell you “time goes by faster when you’re older”.
Read this on and off, not all in one go. When you feel you need guidance or a little something to take the edge off. Bookmark the pages to look back on during or after your twenties to relive those memories or feelings.
Don’t forget to enjoy life.

[Maddie Weiland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and loved a new poem every time I picked it up!! But seemed a little redundant, and I wished we got to know/read more about the poet’s travels and specific stories instead of just a highly summarized takeaway of their stages and what it meant to be 20.

All in all great! I love reading poetry, just wanted more!

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A follower of this author on Instagram.
This is the second book of his I have read. He writes very well and has interesting points that's he mentions through his writing. Great work, again, Ron! Congratulations!

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book from TikTok, so I had already read a lot on there.

I liked the poems and used some to journal/reflect.

I know many will find this a cop out, but I need to reach my reading goal

sooooo mind your business :)

[Mousa Aboukhodr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written with moments that hit deeply and felt incredibly relatable. The author has a way of capturing emotions that truly resonate. A must-read for anyone seeking both connection and reflection.”

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a 28 year old who spent most of her 20s in a bad relationship and working my ass off. I have struggled for the past two years after my relationship ended. This book made me realize that I am not alone.

[Adrianna Burleson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book for someone who is 21 and turning 22 in a couple months it’s nice to see my thoughts on paper. Everyone is worried about where they’re going and how it’s all ping to end up. But you can’t spend your life stressing and this book will help you feel comfortable to go out and try new things. Even if you fail cause that’s what your twenties are for.

[Darby Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

wanna feel understood and comforted? Read this

[Margot Correa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am extremely unwell 😭

[Kwuang · Rating 2 out of 5]

really repetitive, just boils down to like 5 things that basically are just yolo

[Cora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poems to get you through your twenties.