A review by stephsnextread
How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley

4.0

This book is delightful! It has a large cast of characters who are all connected through their use of a community center. There is a group of senior citizens in  a social club who all have their secrets, the leader of their group (a middle-aged mom coping with her own struggles of being an empty nester in a loveless marriage), and children in the childcare at the center (and one of their teenage fathers). The book starts with a scene from the end of the book to introduce the characters, and then the book goes back in time to explain how the characters got to where they are today.

The story has a little bit of everything: mystery, romance, friendship, and humor. I especially loved Daphne, who is one of the senior citizens in the social club. Another character compares her to the character Evelyn Hugo (from Taylor Jenkins Reid's book), and I can totally see it! Daphne is such a vibrant person, and her presence and influence encourages the other characters to be confident in who they are. It did take me a while to sort out the characters because there are so many, and the point-of-view changes frequently. Once I sorted the characters out, I loved reading about how they came together to support each other and their community. I also really loved the message of the author's note at the end. 

Thank you Netgalley, Viking Penguin, and Claire Pooley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.