Review: A light weight and fun read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 14, 2010
The book is written by the author in the first person about her experiences as she transitions in her 40's from an exuberant, extraverted, social, attractive, and sexy woman to a nice looking 40-year-old working woman that few people notice.  The author refers to the period of transition from vibrant adult to senior citizen as an adult "tween" period.  The author's self-image was changing and she herself noted that she really did not recognize herself anymore.  There were multiple small physical, social, and emotional changes that in aggregate created a new persona for her - one she did not understand.This could have been a serious or depressing book, but humor made it an enjoyable read.  My mother often speaks of her life now as an official senior citizen and I have to admit, I've seen and understand much of what the author notes from seeing how my mother has handled all her changes.  I have different challenges as I approach my fortieth birthday because I look much younger than my real age.  Most people expect me to think and behave as a young twenty-something.  The author refers to the vibrant adult stage that she has left behind as her former stage of life and refers to herself now as a Formerly.  I'm still waiting for that stage even as I approach 40!The good news for readers is that Mrs. Dolgoff, the author, writes that perspective comes with age - something my mother has also noted.  She once commented that by age 50, she understood so much more about life and that it made her much calmer about all the small things, but also much more concerned of the critical periods and influential people.  My mother's comments are normally very serious but this book takes a much lighter look at life from a Formerly's perspective.Although I really enjoyed the humorous writing style and her insights into various stages of life, I do agree with some other reviewers that some of the book was not as impactful or interesting as other parts and seemed somewhat too free-flowing.  One particular section I did enjoy was the explanation of how beneficial "friend-families" can be.  A "friend-family" refers to an entire family who becomes friends with all the members of another family and each family mutually benefits from their new extended family.  On the other hand, several of the examples she provided seemed trivial and/or not relevant to my own experience.  For example, in one paragraph, she comments about a medical scare and how she thought she might not be able to caress her daughters' hair.  When faced with a serious medical issue, my mother thought about how her children would be negatively affected if something happened to her.  Mrs. Dolfgoff seems to focus too often on her own vanity through examples such as this and how her social life and looks are changing.  I understand the book is a humorous look at the adult tween years, and yet I would have liked more depth interspersed with the humor, especially when serious issues such as medical scares are included.  Near the end of the book, the author does mention that some older readers do think her priorities are misplaced and she is on her way to becoming a formerly Formerly.I think my own value system of trying to be a good person instead of a "hot" woman is what keeps me from giving the book a full five stars.  I do think there is enough truth, self-realization, humor, and links to those adult tweens I have known, that I would recommend it to those who are entering, are currently in, or have gone through their own adult tween years and become a Formerly.  Younger readers who have not experienced or witnessed the changes Mrs. Dolgoff writes about would most likely not enjoy the humor.