Good Joy Bad Joy, a Review by Susan

👵👵👵👵1/2

Good Joy, Bad Joy
Mikki Brammer
St. Martin’s Press
MacMillan Audio
304 Pages
Publication Date May 5, 2026

Goodreads/Amazon/Bookshop.org

When I read Mikki Brammer’s debut, The Collected Regrets of Clover, I knew that I would read her next book.  This new novel, Good Joy, Bad Joy, her sophomore work, as deep as it is, does not for me, quite capture the magic of her earlier work.  That being said, it is well worth reading, especially for us “older women” who are entering or who have entered the twilight of their lives.  It is actually quite remarkable how Ms. Brammer, who looks like a relatively young person, captures the words and thoughts of an elderly woman, who is the protagonist in this book and her best friend, a very different elderly woman.  Ms. Brammer must have some older women in her family whom she loves very much.

            The strongest point of this book is its character development.  Joy, the protagonist, is a woman who has followed the rules all of her live.  This novel is about her voyage of self-discovery and realization that always following the rules can have consequences, both good and bad.  Her best friend, Hazel is her opposite. Hazel has been the rebel all her life, which also has consequences.  We see how both women deal with those consequences at a time in their lives where they are running out of time.  As a 64 year old woman, it is hard not to connect to these characters or to the plot.  The book might not appeal as much to younger women or to men, but that is fine because not many novels are marketed to us as an audience.  While this book does have a plot and events, it is largely character driven, and the older I get, the less patience I have for them.  Perhaps it was the commonality between myself and the characters, I did not have this problem.  However, readers should know that if they are looking for action-packed, this is not it.  This is for those who like quirky characters, dialogue and heart. This is a quiet book that calls for contemplation and reflection.  The only reason that this was not quite a five star read was that it was a little predictable.  Four and a half stars.

            I read a digital copy and listened to part of it on audio and both versions were equally good.  I enjoyed the inflection on the audio but the digital copy was engaging as well.

            Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and MacMillan Audio for providing me with access to this provocative novel.  All of the opinions expressed here are my own.