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A review by okevamae
Together We Will Go by J. Michael Straczynski
4.0
I’ve loved J. Michael Straczynski’s writing ever since I was a 12-year-old sci-fi nerd obsessed with Babylon 5. (If you’ve never seen it, check it out – the 90s styling and visual effects might look a bit dated now, but the storytelling 100% holds up.) When I found out he had a new book coming out, I knew I had to read it. And I was even more excited to see it on Netgalley!
I’m going to come out in the very beginning and announce Content Warning: Suicide for this novel. If this is a topic that triggers you, you should probably skip this book.
The premise is a strange but compelling one: depressed writer Mark puts out an ad on the internet, looking for individuals across the United States who are set on ending their lives to come together for one last epic party/road trip, culminating in a pleasant but final act of mass suicide. As the group comes together, we learn what has brought them all to this decision.
The narrative is told in an interesting format – a mix of journal entries, emails, audio transcriptions, text messages and internet postings that come together to tell the story. The book is very thoughtful about its central conceit, exploring the idea of suicide from a lot of different angles. It doesn’t glorify the act, but it also doesn’t shy away from the real and varied reasons why people choose to make that decision. Also, despite its deep and dark subject matter, it really is beautifully written. It's full of little moments of humor, reflections on the beauty of life, and moments of pure human connection. The characters are vivid and the relationships that develop between them are profound.
Again, if you’re triggered by discussion of suicide, this isn’t the book for you. But if you can stomach an exploration of this sensitive subject, give this book a try.
TW: suicide, fatphobia, rape, drug use
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’m going to come out in the very beginning and announce Content Warning: Suicide for this novel. If this is a topic that triggers you, you should probably skip this book.
The premise is a strange but compelling one: depressed writer Mark puts out an ad on the internet, looking for individuals across the United States who are set on ending their lives to come together for one last epic party/road trip, culminating in a pleasant but final act of mass suicide. As the group comes together, we learn what has brought them all to this decision.
The narrative is told in an interesting format – a mix of journal entries, emails, audio transcriptions, text messages and internet postings that come together to tell the story. The book is very thoughtful about its central conceit, exploring the idea of suicide from a lot of different angles. It doesn’t glorify the act, but it also doesn’t shy away from the real and varied reasons why people choose to make that decision. Also, despite its deep and dark subject matter, it really is beautifully written. It's full of little moments of humor, reflections on the beauty of life, and moments of pure human connection. The characters are vivid and the relationships that develop between them are profound.
Again, if you’re triggered by discussion of suicide, this isn’t the book for you. But if you can stomach an exploration of this sensitive subject, give this book a try.
TW: suicide, fatphobia, rape, drug use
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.