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trin's review against another edition
1.0
This book is . . . bad. It is just bad. I have spent far too long staring at the empty review window, trying to think of an eloquent way to explain its badness, but really it's as simple as: every element is bad.
Let me back up a moment. (Like an uninspired episode of TV following its dramatic tease with "24 Hours Earlier. . .") I really enjoy the TV show Younger, based on Redmond's previous book of the same name. I read Younger the book and found it not great, but still imbued with enough of the TV show's charm for me not to hate it, and for me to be grateful for what it spawned.
This sequel claims to have an amusing premise: that protagonist Liza had also written a book about her experiences pretending to be younger to get a job in publishing after her divorce, and that book is now being made into a TV show by her BFF Kelsey -- a TV show with a lot of amusing meta-connections to our world's Younger show. Then, when she goes to L.A. to work on the pilot, Liza finds herself falling for the actor who's playing her character's boss on the TV show, which is a reference to the real world TV show, time is a flat circle, etc. That sounds fun! Silly! Bring it on!
Except what this book is actually about is how every character is actually a deeply horrible person. I think Redmond wanted it to secretly be about how motherhood is hard and the choices women have to make vis-a-vis having children and maintaining their careers are incredibly difficult -- important topics. But exploring this takes up much more time than the fluffy rom-com the description promises. Worse, it requires, at various points: Liza to be a selfish, awful friend; Kelsey to be a selfish, awful, friend; and Liza's other best friend Maggie to -- you guessed it -- be a selfish, awful friend. These characters spend more time fighting than in any way seeming to like each other. Do you know what's one of the things I like best about the show? The women's friendships.
Worse, though -- Liza has apparently raised a complete monster in her daughter Caitlin, who fully expects her mother to be her new baby's unpaid, live-in caretaker. Liza repeatedly tells Caitlin she doesn't want to do this and patiently explains that Caitlin and her husband -- yes, she's married -- have other options, even if they both want to keep their jobs. Oh, but daycare or a nanny are out of the question, Caitlin says -- she could never trust her child with a stranger!
W
H
A
T
When Liza goes to L.A. for work, she's presented as the bad guy for "abandoning" her daughter in the later months of her pregnancy, despite her daughter being, you know, an adult, with a husband and a support system. After the baby is born, Liza is coerced into being the unpaid help (and at one point thrown shade by Caitlin when Caitlin comes home from work and Liza hasn't also made dinner). Eventually, after giving me a coronary, this plotline peters out so Liza can have her textually unsupported and unsexy affair with a movie star, which ends in a marriage proposal after two seconds. Caitlin decides to have a second baby right away, to like . . . get it over with. And Josh, the only character in the book (and in the show's later seasons) who is consistently likable, is written off as unable to have a happy ending -- but it's cool for Kelsey to use him for his sperm though, lol.
W
H
Y
I hated this book. The writing is bad: at one point early on, Liza is so surprised, that, she says, "My stomach dropped into my vagina." So I guess some of this is on me. But just--yikes. I don't know what else I can say. I'm getting too old for this shit.
Let me back up a moment. (Like an uninspired episode of TV following its dramatic tease with "24 Hours Earlier. . .") I really enjoy the TV show Younger, based on Redmond's previous book of the same name. I read Younger the book and found it not great, but still imbued with enough of the TV show's charm for me not to hate it, and for me to be grateful for what it spawned.
This sequel claims to have an amusing premise: that protagonist Liza had also written a book about her experiences pretending to be younger to get a job in publishing after her divorce, and that book is now being made into a TV show by her BFF Kelsey -- a TV show with a lot of amusing meta-connections to our world's Younger show. Then, when she goes to L.A. to work on the pilot, Liza finds herself falling for the actor who's playing her character's boss on the TV show, which is a reference to the real world TV show, time is a flat circle, etc. That sounds fun! Silly! Bring it on!
Except what this book is actually about is how every character is actually a deeply horrible person. I think Redmond wanted it to secretly be about how motherhood is hard and the choices women have to make vis-a-vis having children and maintaining their careers are incredibly difficult -- important topics. But exploring this takes up much more time than the fluffy rom-com the description promises. Worse, it requires, at various points: Liza to be a selfish, awful friend; Kelsey to be a selfish, awful, friend; and Liza's other best friend Maggie to -- you guessed it -- be a selfish, awful friend. These characters spend more time fighting than in any way seeming to like each other. Do you know what's one of the things I like best about the show? The women's friendships.
Worse, though -- Liza has apparently raised a complete monster in her daughter Caitlin, who fully expects her mother to be her new baby's unpaid, live-in caretaker. Liza repeatedly tells Caitlin she doesn't want to do this and patiently explains that Caitlin and her husband -- yes, she's married -- have other options, even if they both want to keep their jobs. Oh, but daycare or a nanny are out of the question, Caitlin says -- she could never trust her child with a stranger!
W
H
A
T
When Liza goes to L.A. for work, she's presented as the bad guy for "abandoning" her daughter in the later months of her pregnancy, despite her daughter being, you know, an adult, with a husband and a support system. After the baby is born, Liza is coerced into being the unpaid help (and at one point thrown shade by Caitlin when Caitlin comes home from work and Liza hasn't also made dinner). Eventually, after giving me a coronary, this plotline peters out so Liza can have her textually unsupported and unsexy affair with a movie star, which ends in a marriage proposal after two seconds. Caitlin decides to have a second baby right away, to like . . . get it over with. And Josh, the only character in the book (and in the show's later seasons) who is consistently likable, is written off as unable to have a happy ending -- but it's cool for Kelsey to use him for his sperm though, lol.
W
H
Y
I hated this book. The writing is bad: at one point early on, Liza is so surprised, that, she says, "My stomach dropped into my vagina." So I guess some of this is on me. But just--yikes. I don't know what else I can say. I'm getting too old for this shit.
ignited_redqueen75's review against another edition
3.0
I usually read the book first before a tv adaptation or movie adaptation to the book, this time however I had watched the whole series of younger to find out later that it was based of a book. I've had this book for a while and after binge watching the show for a second time I figured it's time to read the book.
I won't see here and compare the two except to say both were fun for me to watch and read.
In younger we meet Alice a forty something divorced mom who gave up her career that had barely begun to be a stay at home mom. Now divorced and her daughter living half way around the world Alice tries to get back to what she loved to do and that is work for a publishing company, however after being turned down numerous times her friend Maggie convinces her to let people assume she is young as she appears to be and just go with it and basically enjoy being in her twenties since she didn't get to do so the first time around at least not as a single career minded woman.
I enjoyed the book, as a mom myself also in my forties I could relate to a lot with the exception that I am not a stay at home mom. This was a fun and cozy read for the most part but also gives you moments of deep thought into your own life at least it was for me. It was cute and quirky.
I won't see here and compare the two except to say both were fun for me to watch and read.
In younger we meet Alice a forty something divorced mom who gave up her career that had barely begun to be a stay at home mom. Now divorced and her daughter living half way around the world Alice tries to get back to what she loved to do and that is work for a publishing company, however after being turned down numerous times her friend Maggie convinces her to let people assume she is young as she appears to be and just go with it and basically enjoy being in her twenties since she didn't get to do so the first time around at least not as a single career minded woman.
I enjoyed the book, as a mom myself also in my forties I could relate to a lot with the exception that I am not a stay at home mom. This was a fun and cozy read for the most part but also gives you moments of deep thought into your own life at least it was for me. It was cute and quirky.
bookstoregirl2143's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
maralyons's review against another edition
3.0
I was very excited to get my hands on ‘Older,’ the sequel to Pamela Redmond’s previous book and eponymous TV show, ‘Younger.’ Especially since filming of the current season was halted in spring of 2020 in New York due to COVID-19. The story was a fun and quick read. Liza Miller has written a thinly-veiled book about her life pretending to be a twenty-something woman in the publishing industry while actually being a forty-something from New Jersey who paused her career in publishing to be a stay-at-home mother. Her book has been greenlit to become a TV show and her friend, Kelsey, who she previously worked with is the showrunner. There were tons of nods to the real TV Land show, including references to actors involved in the show. The book was entertaining, albeit short and a little rushed. The writing was a bit bland and used clichés, which put me off. The end was sweet, but a little too perfect. All loose ends were tied up very conveniently. Overall a fun, light summer read.
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing this ARC.
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing this ARC.
jesassa's review against another edition
2.0
If it want more Younger (tv show), read Marriage Vacation and the Miseducation Of Henry Cane
fantasyfave57's review against another edition
5.0
Don't always judge a book by the reviews you read, try it for yourself,
I really really enjoyed this book probably a little bit more than the first but I feel you need to read the first one to understand the second.
I really really enjoyed this book probably a little bit more than the first but I feel you need to read the first one to understand the second.
laineydunne's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Would read again, light-hearted read, perfect for a quick read to get you out of a reading slump.
lala_rb's review against another edition
1.0
Lame. First book turned into tv show great.
Writing a book on coattails of said show adaptation lame. So disappointing.
Had high hopes. Fell way, way short.
Writing a book on coattails of said show adaptation lame. So disappointing.
Had high hopes. Fell way, way short.
jlsteinberg1's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
allisin's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0