This is an excellent read, full of heart and humour. Highly recommended for anyone who who enjoys a good fun read.

A great book that gives you a bit of everything heart, laughter and full of emotion.

I loved the character and no matter your age there is still plenty of adventures out there.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

I liked the character of Hendrick and how he shows that growing old doesn't mean you can't live an interesting life.

Oh my word what an absolutely glorious read this was. I loved every page, it made me laugh out loud and cry at times. Wonderful

Absolutely loved this masterpiece of a book. Made me laugh and cry in equal measure. What a joy to read.

Sweet ramble through old age - it didn't feel like it was very plot driven but the characters were interesting - wouldn't rush to read it again but nice to dip into

A brilliant book that is full of personality and wit. Written in diary form, Hendrik is able to convey the escapades of himself and his 'gang’ whilst expressing all the things we wish we could say. Set within the confines of a retirement facility, Hendrik is trapped yet amused and challenged by its rules and personnel. Over the course of a year, we become more familiar with Hendrik, his friends, his foes, and the workings of the home. At times, there is almost a school vibe to the story, filled with friendship, rivalries and playing within the rules of the schoolyard.

Much of the novel is very heartwar­ming and witty, but it is also honest and moving in its depiction of life in its last years, as well depicting this story within a strong social and political viewpoint.

Perfect for pans of Adrian Mole, The 100 Year Old Man and A Man Called Ove.

I loved this story so much it may be one of those rare books that I will re-read. I enjoyed meeting the characters and spending time in Hendris Groen's world.

'The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 years old' by Hendrik Groen is a year in the life of Hendrik Groen who lives in a nursing home.

Funny on first sight, but moving and thought provoking.
A thoughtful and interesting read. It makes you wonder about about the way society deals with their aging population, and wonder whether there's another way.

As a teenager I really enjoyed The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole 13 3/4 and have read the whole series, so when I was asked to review 'The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 years old' I was intrigued to see how the format worked for an older generation. It worked really well with Hendrik documenting his everyday life, filling his diary full of observations of the life of the members of the 'Old But Not Dead Club'. As it can be assumed there are many happy but also some low and sad moments throughout the book, however they are dealt with in a sympathetic manner and not dwelt upon for long periods.
I found myself laughing out loud throughout the book as Hendrik described his day to day life in the care home. There is a great supporting cast of residents who also live in the care home. Day to day life is really that, with the ups and downs documented along with the weird and wonderful instances that I can imagine happening as the care homes aging population deal with their various medical conditions while living their lives to the max. Recurring themes are evident throughout the book and the feeding of the fish is one which I enjoyed. Do fish really enjoy Battenburg?
I really enjoyed this book and strongly recommend it to others who want a great read this summer time. It is predominantly a laugh out loud book, however also be aware that there are some poignant and tear inducing moments sprinkled throughout.
Thank you to the publishers, Penguin Randomhouse, for sending me the book to review and to take part in this blog tour.

This felt poorly written and I didn't enjoy the childish japes of the secret author.

This book was wonderful! I loved it so much that I bought multiple copies to give to elderly relatives! Hendrick is a real character, and this charming novel shows that growing old is not the end of still being able to live an interesting life! Hence, "The Old but not Dead Club" and it's lovable members still are able to have their adventures in spite of living in a nursing home. Humorous, touching, bittersweet!

I had been recommended to read this by a friend of mine - she said it would cheer me up. She was right. This writer gives you a character who is trying desperately to stay sane in an old peoples home in Amsterdam and is writing a diary for a year about his adventures. I laughed out loud, I cried & got frustrated at their treatment but overall walked away from this book with a slight smile on my face and an urge to recommend the book to my friends and family. Lovely book - perfect to while away the hours on a blustery day.

A witty, bitter sweet memoir of a group of residents in an Amsterdam care home. Hendrik is the narrator, a grumpy but charming octogenarian who, along with his rebel band of likeminded miscreants, try to inject some life, humour and adventure into their otherwise humdrum existence. Naturally, this doesn't go down too well with some of their fellow 'inmates' and, more importantly, the care home management!
This book challenges preconceptions about old age, care for the elderly and the increasing pressure on infrastructures when faced with a growing, ageing population.
I hope, if I ever get to this stage, that there will be people like Hendrik and Evert to prove the saying that 'there's life in the old dog yet.
Funny, sad and moving - a book that will stay with me.
My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this copy.

I really enjoyed this book there was so much going on I was gripped from the begging to the end

Everyone needs to read this book! Hendrik is such a character and the shenanigans he gets involved with are wonderful, it's such a fun book to get into.

2 huge thumbs up!!

This is a delightful book about the importance of love, friendship and camaraderie across the lifespan. It examines some of the important social, medical and legal issues that become increasingly relevant as we age. Although this book is written with humour, it showcases the often sad plight of elderly people in aged care facilities. It will entertain you and, at times, make you laugh out loud, but it will also make you consider whether the 'care' in aged care is all that it should be. Thanks to Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for the ARC.

A lovely feel good story with humour and some fab characters

Hendrik lives in a care home in North Amsterdam, he is starting the year with the resolve to keep a diary and through the pages he tells of his fellow 'inmates', a little of his past and helps us get a picture of life in the home.
It is has gentle humour but is also quite dark and difficult as care for the elderly is put under the microscope. Hendrik and some friends do challenge the norm but there are deaths, degrading situations and dementia to deal with.
This is an insightful and I think quite an honest book but although Hendrik has some very endearing characteristics I felt that some aspects of the book did go slowly and thus my attention did drift.
An interesting, enjoyable read but 4* as not quite 'A Man called Ove'!