Rule #1 of senior citizen rebellion: No one ever suspects the sweet, little old lady. In Mikki Brammer’s brilliant new novel, Good Joy, Bad Joy, you are taken on the coming-of-age voyage full of beautiful life lessons. The funniest, however, is that it’s never too late to break a few rules (and maybe a few laws) to find out who you really are.
4/5 stars ★★★★☆
To read the summary of the book
📍 The Setting
- 🏡 Small-Town Hudson Valley, NY
📚 Book Tropes to Expect
- 👵🏼 Senior Coming-of-Age (Late-in-Life Bloom):
- 👯♀️ Soulmates in Friendship
- ⏳ Carpe Diem (Bucket List With a Twist)
- 🎭 Dual Timelines: A beautiful blend of present-day reality mixed with vibrant 1940s schoolgirl flashbacks.
Genre: Women’s Fiction
From the publisher: From the bestselling author of The Collected Regrets of Clover comes a vibrant, heartfelt novel about friendship over the decades, self-discovery, and what it means to have a life well-lived.
Break the rules. Find your joy.
Published on: May 5, 2026
Pages: 304
My Thoughts on Good Joy, Bad Joy:
Characterization:
Mikki Brammer’s characterization is spot on once again (Have you read The Collected Regrets of Clover?). Joy might be 89 years old, but her struggle to figure herself out is universally relatable. If you’ve ever played the “good girl,” followed every rule, and secretly wondered what it would feel like to completely shatter society’s expectations for a change, then you are going to fall in love with Joy.
My favorite character, though, is Hazel, Joy’s best friend since they were in second grade. In the dual timelines, going back to the 1940s, we get to experience Hazel’s wit, vibrant personality, and her carefree way of living. Joy and Hazel are opposites who have stayed best friends almost all of their lives. She is also the reason Joy had a change of heart of how she wanted to live out the rest of her life.
It is their friendship that drives this story. I, too, have a best friend who has been a major driving force in my life since kindergarten. A deep bond like that is hard to find. I think it’s why I loved this story so much. Brammer does a wonderful job of celebrating female friendship without going overboard.
Pacing:
At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to love this book. But once I settled in and embraced the humor and antics, I didn’t want it to end. Joy, Hazel, and Joy’s grandson, Finn, deserve the time it took to really flesh out their characters and witness their growth. It wasn’t slow, I’d say it was cozy.
The Controversy:
After looking at some reviews, I was surprised to see how they took this book apart because of some of the crimes committed by Joy. Personally, they made me laugh. In my opinion, this author is not perpetuating crime. She seemed to be making the point of how senior women tend to become “invisible” in their old age. No one notices them anymore. I kept picturing my little, old grandmother reading this story, and we would have had a great time discussing it.
Book Club?
I believe this would make a great read for your book club, especially if you are an “older crowd.” As a I said earlier, this book is full of life lessons. They would make great discussion points for a group of women.
Where to Buy Good Joy, Bad Joy and More:
Purchase Good Joy, Bad Joy here
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What to Read Next!
If you enjoyed Good Joy, Bad Joy, I would add these three incredible books to your TBR list next:
- Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth | Buy on Amazon
- Read my full review here
- Why it’s similar: It centers on 81-year-old Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick who is a fiercely independent, hilariously blunt elder woman who refuses to act the way society expects her to. Like Joy Bridport, Mabel utilizes the “no one suspects the sweet old lady” card to her extreme advantage, frequently pretending to be “confused” or “hard of hearing” when it suits her. It balances the exact same mix of a touching dual-timeline history with laugh-out-loud senior citizens breaking the rules.
- The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston | Buy on Amazon
- Read my full review here
- Why it’s similar: It follows an elderly man who stumbles into an accidental identity mix-up, allowing him to taste a completely different kind of life. If the part of Good Joy, Bad Joy you love most is an aging protagonist realizing it is never too late to reinvent yourself and find joy, my recommendation of Frederick Fife fits the bill.
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig | Buy on Amazon
- Read my full review here
- Why it’s similar: While Good Joy, Bad Joy plays out its rebellion through real-world petty crime, both books share a common theme: a character reckoning with a lifetime of playing it too safe and realizing they desperately want to change the narrative before their time runs out.
Disclosure: Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Mikki Brammer for my free copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.
To learn more about Mikki Brammer, visit her website.
Let’s Chat!
Have you ever read a book where an older protagonist completely stole your heart? Or even better – what’s the wildest “rule” you’ve ever broken? Let me know in the comments below!
I would love for you to leave a comment!