If you want something light and airy, and that’s where Pamela Redmond’s Older comes in ... Like Younger,Older” contains a lot of wisdom between its one-liners... Older explores what happens when a woman rejects societal expectations, embraces her experiences and trusts her gut.
Certainly the existential crisis that Liza is experiencing puts forward a broader set of questions of reality and what is real, the ability to trust instinct and questions what is true, and ones overarching comfort in who they are, whilst still becoming who they will continue to become ... So what happens when you have to make a choice and the stakes are too high? Older is a must read for all of us because sooner or later we all have to make decisions which seem too hard. Older is where you get to be you and make decisions only for yourself and letting everything and everyone else take a backseat for a change. It’s a reminder you can always be you at every age in life. A delightful read with great dialogue, well written characters, and some punchy moments that drive the narrative towards a very satisfying and romantic ending.
Older is a delightful read; great dialogue, well drawn characters, punchy momentum and some key action kernels that drive the narrative towards a very satisfying and romantic ending. Certainly the existential crisis that Liza is simultaneously experiencing and learning from has something that everyone, young or old can take something away from, including the broader questions of reality and what is real, the ability to trust instinct and question what is true, and ones overarching comfort in who they are, whilst still becoming who they will continue to become.
In many ways, Redmond has successfully created another rite of passage book – one that will be forever relevant in our youth obsessed culture. Undoubtedly, all Happily Ever After Fans will find Older a thoroughly enjoyable read with some big philosophical undertones that are worth pondering irrespective of what stage of life you are in.
But as Liza attempts to balance shooting the series with caring for Caitlin, figuring out her growing feelings for Hugo, and examining her continuing attraction to ex-boyfriend Josh, it can feel like the book is simultaneously doing too much and not enough. The plot wades into issues of motherhood, career, and aging but never dives in fully, and attempts at lighthearted moments like Liza’s ill-advised use of hallucinogenic mushrooms feel out of place. Fans of Younger are better off waiting for the show to return to the small screen.
Redmond touches on a couple of unique problems, such as how to deal with one’s life being cannibalized for television, but she doesn’t explore them in a meaningful way and instead focuses on manufactured drama many people would wish they could have, such as the attention of two highly attractive men. Fans of Younger —the book or the show—may like seeing familiar characters again, but others can take a pass.
