Reviews with content warning for Murder - Together We Will Go

I loved the concept behind this, and loved how the story is told in such an interesting, unique way. I really appreciated some of the conversations and themes, and getting to know many of the characters and see some of the relationships between them develop. There are a couple of things that happen in particular that completely broke me and that I will literally never get over, and I love a book that can do that to me.

The main reason that I didn't rate this higher is a character and his name is Vaughn. I detested him with every fibre of my being, and I don't think that was the intention. I also hated and just could not get behind the fact that the other characters, who I generally liked, are seemingly perfectly fine with him being a disgusting creep and getting involved with a barely legal-age woman. The way said woman reacts to something else that he does - and again I generally liked her - was also just to me entirely unbelievable and did ruin the book a little bit for me.

This is definitely an odd book and one that I appreciated and was frustrated by in almost equal measure. I'm not sure it's one I'd necessarily recommend, as it's super dark and messed-up and does have the above disgusting element, though I did still get a lot out of it and have a good reading experience overall. Make of that what you will.

(Also, if you're going to read this, I'd really urge checking the content warnings, as there is a lot going on in this book beyond the obvious theme of suicide.)

Content Warnings

cernst09's review

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Content Warnings

courtneygiles's review

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challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

storyale's review

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dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

lizama's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

bookclubwithbk's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

jcstokes95's review

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challenging dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.25

*Read this review at your own risk. It is not nice.*

I mean, this book has really inspired a rage I did not know could be unlocked in me. A few weeks ago, I watched a booktuber talk about how she hated books that emotionally manipulated the reader and I didn’t really know what she meant. But, THIS BOOK is the most emotionally manipulative, exploitative thing I have ever read; so much so it borders on dangerous.

I believe the author was trying to open up a dialogue on suicide as a choice, writing about how we should have ownership over our own bodies. An interesting topic for sure, and the premise intrigued me. I didn’t expect it to be uncontroversial, but holy shit. It becomes clear that the author might be muddy on his own message. It seems like choice is the point, but then in the last page

we get Karen giving this completely out of left field speech about how their writing will serve as a warning to people to turn back from suicide

which is …. she opposite of what she thought the whole book, and the opposite of, well, 6 hours previously. It was jarring and after school special-esque. Which isn’t a surprise, because much of the book had the depth of an after school special.

The book serves as a shallow exploration of all the reasons a person might kill themselves. Because there are so many characters, we never get to breathe and really understand their motivations. So, in the end, the reasons are….I am fat…I have a chronic illness…I am an addict…I was abused. The thing is, because everything is so surface, I feel the book runs the risk of, justifying suicide for these groups of people. And it certainly doesn’t tell their full stories. To my knowledge, the author is none of these things and it is painfully obvious. These people do not talk or act suicidal (I understand there are a multitude of ways to act when mentally ill, but…omg). They seem to be….completely emotionally detached from their plan, which detached me as a reader.

But, I have to say, I’m glad that I learned to detach throughout this book. Because it is essentially self-indulgent trauma porn. There are two on page gang rapes. Just, to be clear, there are TWO on page gang rapes. I really should not have to say more than that. But, WHY? Why? I don’t get it. Someone please tell me why?! And they get MAD at one person for being victimized? Fucking WHY?

I feel like the content of the book is reason enough to send me into a thousand years of rage. But, while we’re here…the writing quality, pacing, and characterization is also whack. Chock the bad characterization up to not know how to write a bipolar person, Black person, fat person, etc. But the pacing was truly weird, I felt like we were always on little paths to nowhere. And then the end happens in an absolute mad dash. I am also, deeply confused by the writing style. I will commend one thing…he does manage to separate a lot of character’s voices…in the start, this fades as time passes. And every once and a while, there will be a great section of writing. And then three pages later, it will be very, tumblr girl writes prose poem. I am not sure if this is meant to match character voice or is actually author intent to infuse wisdom. Either way…WHACK.

I hope the author does not see his mission aligning with Karen’s ending speech. If he believes this could ever be anything other than a minefield of triggers for suicidal reader, he may be nuts. A real shame, I had really looked forward to reading a novel from him after reading another beautiful piece of his writing. But, sometimes, life is disappointing, and your reading choices make you want to jump off a cliff.

Content Warnings

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