Book review: Younger

Never ask a lady about her age, goes the adage. So what is it between a woman and her age? Why can't they just get over it and go on living their lives?  Isn't age just a number? 'It isn't!' says Alice. Go ahead read her life's story

Title:  Younger
ISBN:1416510214 (ISBN13: 9781416510215)
Author:  Pamela Redmond Satran
Genre: Fiction - Chicklit
Setting: Brooklyn, New Jersey, USA


Alice, a recently divorced mother of a 20 something Diana, is looking to restart her career and her life - except that she is 44 years old and job market isn't looking for someone of that age group. She starts her New Year in a dull note with her friend Maggie, who stumbles on a brilliant plan - passing Alice as a younger woman. With a few wardrobe changes and hair coloring - voila, Alice seemingly becomes a new younger persona.
A new life awaited her-  job at marketing in a publishing house, a new boyfriend (a much younger and fun game developer) Josh, new friend (Lindsay at the publishing house) and a new place to live (Maggie's apartment). With her daughter who took Alice for granted living at Africa, she goes deep diving into her new life. She reports to Terri, a single mother of three and a tough boss, who despises stay at home moms. Lindsay assumes Alice to be of her age, late twenties, helps her to handle Teri as well as keep her afloat socially. 


Maggie, a creative free spirit and lesbian, decides to inseminate herself or adopt a baby and though Alice doesn't feel Maggie is cut out to be a mother, supports her effort being her best friend. Alice also proves herself worthy at work when Teri isn't around and Diana returning home to stay at home. Her misrepresentation regarding her age is found my Teri and she is fired, while Alice breaks the truth to Lindsay and Josh, whom she has fallen in love with and he reciprocates the same. Diana understands her mother's predicament after she hears the story from Lindsay and encourages to get back together with Josh, who was leaving to Japan the next day.


The story ends with Josh inviting Alice to Japan for a visit, Maggie pregnant with a baby and also adopting one while Diana decides to study nursing after her stint at Africa. Alice gets a contract with the same publishing house for another novel.


I had seen the season 1 of the TV show of the same name and hence I picked the book. I kept visualizing the actors while I read it. Though there are few minor differences between the show and the book, I somehow liked the show better (maybe the first time am saying this).


The novel goes to view the issues related to ageism and sexism apparently. It is a light read and definitely dated, but not your normal chicklit, meaning it was not all fluffy. But I felt the characters were not developed to their fullest and that is where I liked the show better. I should accept I did not put the book down till I finished it (thankfully it was 300 odd pages), though more for waiting it to end than for the story. 

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