Book Report: Younger

I never planned on reading this book. In fact, I read the first few pages and decided I would not continue, as it is exactly the kind of book I thought I hated: Chick lit in all its glory.

But 'Younger' by Pamela Redmond Satran turned out to be a very enjoyable read, one I finished in a record three days. Alice, a 44-year-old divorcee with a daughter, passes for a 20-something and searches for the fountain of youth when she meets a handsome man also in his 20s. The white lie Alice tells Josh gets her thinking that if no one asks her age, she doesn't have to tell. So she applies for a job she had briefly before becoming a full-time mom-and gets it. Meanwhile, Josh is falling head over heels for Alice, who's just way cooler than girls his age. He figures she's about twenty-nine-and for the first time since she was twenty-nine, or possibly ever, Alice feels that life is ripe with possibility. Unfortunately one possibility is that she's gonna get caught.

This handsome man, quickly introduced in the second or third chapter, had me cooing out loud. Josh is perhaps too perfect: always saying the right thing, his image loosely described as having long dark hair and a great body. But he is only a fraction of Alice's journey, and I always yearned to read more about him.

Practically everything—from fashions in pubic hair to telephone technology—has changed since Alice was a single career girl, but a lot remains the same: the office bitch still steals underlings' ideas, and people still desire the contradictory poles of truth and illusion. Satran weaves a sparkly thread of fantasy through her solid social realism, writing precisely what Alice tells her boss readers want: "a book that's going to keep them awake beyond half a page at the end of a long involved day."

Each character is vibrant and strong, bringing something of their own to the table which usually made life harder for Alice. Scenes are tense and colorful, motives are clear and fresh. The first person narrative ran smoothly and quickly and kept me turning the pages. It provided an insight so deep, I found myself reacting to the story's events right along with Alice, and those events stuck with me after I'd put the book down. Like a truly good story should, it made me think and apply Alice's lessons to myself. Days later, I'm still seeing scenes in my head. Although I wished it had a slightly happier ending, the one it has fits it nicely, and I am honestly glad I read this book.

Challenging the adage that the truth will set you free, 'Younger' is a hilarious and insightful story that proves that you're only as young as you feel.