Book Review for Together We Will Go by J. Michael Straczynski
Full review for this title will be posted at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

3.75 Stars

Well first off this book has quite the cast of characters. A guy named Mark his decided to end it all. He places a want ad cryptically in the paper asking for like minded individuals to join him on a cross country trip before they end it all together. You get a behind the scenes look at each character's story and why they have decided that suicide is for them. The reasons are thought provoking, controversial, philosophical and at some points relatable.

The adventure that ensues is sad, heroing, hilarious and has redeeming qualities. Even though the theme is dark and taboo even today it hits on enough light notes to carry it without it becoming overwhelming.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

J. Michael Straczynski's Together We Will Go is a surprisingly heartwarming, funny, and brilliant meditation on a very serious topic- suicide and the mindset that precedes it. Together We Will Go focuses on a group of people intent on ending their lives by driving cross country to drive off a California cliff. This story has no business working, but it does so exceedingly well. Don't let the conversational tone and banter fool you, for this is a dark yet ultimately touching tale that exposes the humanity in all of us. The style was engaging and the pacing full throttle. No cliches in the character development here.
If I have one critique, it would be for the designer of the Betty Crocker style font cover. Not sure if it's a true reflection of the content, but I almost passed this one by. On the other hand, the cat hooked my interest as I was puzzled how it would weave into the narrative, so perhaps there's some marketing or designer genius at work here affecting my subconscious. No idea. In full disclosure, I own a cat and sometimes daydream of her early demise for I find her catness at times offensive. This novel showed me I can even have empathy for cats, who knew.
I was relieved this novel included the suicide prevention hotline number as I was worried some would see this as glorifying suicide. It does nothing of the sort. If anything, Together We Will Go shows us that we are most human when we have free will and community with others. There is bravery in togetherness and living our authentic selves.
I give this a five-star review.

<i>Together We Will Go</i> is a trip of a tale--literally and metaphorically. Mark wants to be a published writer, but his mediocre life has resulted only in lackluster storytelling and countless rejections. In an attempt to create a story that publishers will want to buy, he advertises for suicidal individuals to join him on a bus trip to the end of their lives. The cost of admission? E-journaling their thoughts and experiences along the way; Mark will compile the stories on a cloud server that will be sent to his publisher post-humous.

<i>Together We Will Go</i> is the story of this cross-country bus journey and its riders. As each participant hops aboard, we read the journal entries that detail their reasons for suicidality. The individuals are varied in age, lifestyle, and reason, each bringing their own interesting story to the bus ride. The characters are, generally (one annoyed me), likable with histories that are a mix of entertaining, saddening, and thought-provoking.

<i>Together We Will Go</i> felt new and different, which always is a plus for me as an avid reader. I imagine that the concept will offend and/or trigger some readers, but I quite enjoyed it. Despite the gravity of the topic, it reads lightly. This also feels like it could be a great movie. Recommended.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley!

An interesting topic for a story with several twists along the way. The author writes from the perspective of each of the participants on the journey and gives the reader some insight into each of their decisions to make this journey. Well written.

After getting yet another declined publishing offer, Mark Antonelli decides this is the last straw and buys a bus.
The passengers he hopes to fill it with?
Others who have also had enough and want to finish their last days with fellow broken souls.
Reading from their point of view in texts and journal entries, you follow the 12 passengers as they go through the ups and downs with their decision, and what led them there in the first place

Okay, woah. This was a depressing book honestly, but also so very well thought out and intriguing. You follow 12 people who see no point in life, and each of them have their own reason for that.
The pain from their bodies failing them, the heartache from the hurts of life, and the failure at never truly feeling complete.
Each one has a past that’s well thought out and realistic.
Their pain isn’t simply a means to further the plot, but a way to relate to all the readers and make them feel as though they too are in the same situation.

I’m torn on if to say this book may or may not make someone that is struggling have a harder time. That’s just how realistic it feels.
It’s the cold hard truth of life and pain, and it does not shy away from what that emotion may bring up. So if you intend to read this book, please keep that in mind since suicide is such a heavy topic through it (the main topic really).

Overall, if you’re looking for a sad read, one that rips your heart out and makes you pause and realize how difficult the world is, then I think you would find this to be a good fit.

(Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books of the ARC in exchange of an honest review

A few months ago, I was at a point where I was requesting so many titles because I had to review book that were releasing after the month of June. This led to me being approved for some titles that, if I had not been under that deadline, I may not have requested at all. I went through these books, read at least 20% of them, and decided which ones I would continue on with and which ones I would put down, as to not risk giving it a bad rating due to my prior poor judgement. Sadly, Together We Will Go is one I will not be continuing with. The style just didn't click for me, and even at 20% through the book I was still a little confused as to the direction the story was going. This is definitely more of a me-problem than a book problem, as I can tell from other reviews that speak very highly of this title. I'm rooting for this book to find its home with its readers who will love it the way stories deserved to be loved. *Thank you to NetGalley and the pubisher, Galley Books, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Brilliant and so un expected. The characters go right to your heart. Was an easy to read considering it was about suicide.

Mark is a writer who has only known rejection of his stories. He hits on the idea of a premise for a new book that he believes will finally get a publisher to pay attention. Mark takes out an ad seeking passengers that wish to take a cross country road trip ultimately to collectively commit suicide by driving off a cliff in California at the end of the trip. Mark’s only requirement to board the bus is that all passengers document their reasons and experience via journals, texts and voicemails. Through these journals the reader understands that not all are clinically depressed but sees what motivates each of these passengers by providing insight into each of their lives. This topic is definitely not an uplifting one but makes you realize that suicidal people’s motives are as varied as each individual person that either contemplates or successfully commits the act. Whether they all complete the trip or succeed in their intent is worth staying with this book. A thought provoking read.

This is an unusual and thought-provoking book about suicide, our society, and the things that make humans react the way they do. The story is about a group of disparate people who want to end it all. As the bus travels along to the end of their journey, we learn what makes each person yearn for death and how our society fails its most vulnerable people. Straczynski knows how to make the characters human and tug at the reader's heart strings. I laughed and cried and the end made me think. I definitely would recommend this book.

I was given the opportunity to read and review this book through Net Galley and I am so glad! The story sucked you in and you'll find yourself thinking about the characters long after you finish the book. Can't wait to read more by this author!!

On my "great book" rubric, character development is the most important single component. Well, one way to develop great characters is to stick 12 suicidal people on a glorious final bus ride and slowly reveal where they've been, where they are and where they are going. However, what starts out as a book about dying, slowly becomes a book about living.

Dark? Yes. Edgy? Absolutely.

Of the many things this book has going for it, perhaps the greatest is how it unflinchingly confronts difficult topics, such as suicide, with grace. Myths and preconceived notions are deconstructed and the characters are humanized. The struggle is relatable. I have to admit, this book made me see many things, maybe everything, with new eyes. Yes, it gets messy, but this is why we read…to think and feel. To ponder the difficult underbelly of survival in this time and place. It can be gut wrenching and painful and disturbing and not fun, but well worth the read. This book is not flawless, but it is 4.5 stars, absolutely. Would I recommend it to everyone? Probably not. However, it absolutely worked for me.

One additional note. This book is, on one level, a fascinating case study in generational attitudes. Specifically, how each generation approaches the next as if it were their own...when each is fundamentally different. That may seem obvious, but I've never seen it portrayed the way it is in this book. I truly appreciate the author opening my eyes to this reality. I will never look at millennials the same way, let alone judge them for the things they are traditionally judged for.

This book may not appeal to everyone and I know I was initially forcing myself to read it because it deals with suicide and reasons why people might be driven to that extreme. However, the more I got into the book, the more I could identify with and empathize with those who boarded the bus. An unusual format with people "signing in" to a onboard recorder, so to speak, to explain why they were there and their backgrounds, but it was never confusing. I always knew who was "speaking." Not everyone who boards the van/bus continues on their journey and I really understood why some of those who continued to their end did so. Made me much more aware of how many different ways people are turned off life. Only critique I would have is on ebooks some of the, I believe, phone messages, do not print large enough be read, and I tried. Author/publisher should put those messages on a separate page by themselves and enlarge them. Don't know if they were important but it was frustrating not to be able to read them at all on my Kindle.

Struggling in more ways than one, twenty-something writer Mark comes up with a twisted but brilliant idea, using an online classified ad to gather like-minded folks in a cross-country party bus trip/suicide pact. By getting on the bus, everyone agrees to submit electronic journal entries of their journey to the end. Throughout the journey the passengers bare their hearts, souls, fears, and joys. A description I read called the book The Breakfast Club meets Silver Linings Playbook and that's not far from the truth.

The resulting tale is a character study full of questions and answers. While (in my opinion) the book doesn't condone suicide or assisted suicide, it doesn't step back from the realities of the act. Full of tragedy, joy, and everyday monotony, Together We Will Go brings power back to the depressed, the misfits, the ones in chronic pain, the folks battling mental illness, the exhausted. The rich lives and thoughts of the characters will keep you interested throughout this well-written book.

First, thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will suck you in. It will make you think..A lot ..about life and how other people live and deal with their lives. It is about suicide and the book has the potential to anger a reader and set off emotional triggers. I don’t know that I would recommend it for someone who has been close to anyone that has entertained or committed suicide. It is a very good book and well-written. It explains why some people fall into that well and can’t come out. Reading it, I felt like the characters clearly understood what and why they felt suicide would be their only road. I even respect their decisions. The bus trip has some awesome, caring moments. It also turns some of the characters around— they decide to live another day, until they just can’t. There is lots of love and some laughter and some very beautiful moments in this book. It is not light reading but I read it through without stopping. Because of the topic, I cannot say it is funny but there are laughable moments. PS.. I think Mark is a villain—and I still am not sure what his end point was. I’d love to hear what other readers take is on him.

First and foremost, the content provided in the review and book may be triggering. Topics within the book are suicide, drug abuse & use, self-harm, rape, and assisted suicide. Second, I am not being paid to review this book. This is an honest reflection of how I felt reading and finishing Together We Will Go.

Mark, an aspiring and failing writer, embarks on a cross-country journey with the end result of dying by suicide. He buys a low-end tour bus and takes out an ad for people to join him on his journey; only those that are serious about the end result. Driving off into the sunset, over a cliff, in San Francisco is how they plan to leave this world. The price of admission onto the bus is their words. The passengers must complete journal entries to stay on the bus. As more state lines are crossed, the plan is headed in a direction that they hadn’t planned. The complications that arise help us see who has the will to live and who is solidified in their choice to die.

Based on the introduction, I thought it was boring and I’d struggle to finish the book. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. The characters are introduced to the reader through their initial journal entries. Through the journals, texts, and emails, readers piece together the characters’ multifaceted personalities. Each character expresses their own why for wanting their life to end. The story that made them end up here. Some of the characters I wish had their own books, complete with their life stories, not just snippets. The characters’ chose suicide for different reasons such as, a result of their past, mental illness, physical illness, and one was rational thought.

I loved each and everyone of these characters. My favorites were Karen, Dylan, Vaughn, and Zeke. The unconditional love Zeke felt was beyond words and made me cry. I am still emotionally reeling from the characters’ truths, emotions, and choices. It took me the majority of the book to love Lisa, but eventually I got there.

After reading this book, I am aware of the complicated process in which someone decides to end their life. The book helped me realize dying by suicide isn’t always a result of a sudden deep depression and fit of rage, but many small moments that lead up to their choice. It was heart wrenching to read these stories, and realize that these characters could be your neighbors, friends, family members, etc., fighting the silent battle.

Together We Will Go is thought provoking, eloquent, and thoughtfully written. I found myself going back to reread some of the more insightful quotes about love and life. Currently, until the book is published, I cannot quote from it, but I will add those at a later date. However, these quotes made me reflective of my own life: how I have behaved and loved, all of the people I’ve judged, who have judged me, without knowing each others’ stories. The book makes you acknowledge your choice to keep going in life, at least it did for me. I was rocked to the core while reading and it will stay with me for a long time. I rated this book a 4/5 stars, which means I HIGHLY recommend you read it.

Very good. This is unpredictable and well-constructed, and held my interest. It also contained some surprises along the way. Strong character development and good dialog also helped.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

Review also published on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

Brilliant, Heart-Wrenching and So Very Unexpected.

A group of strangers come together for a road trip with only one destination: The end of the road.

For these strangers, either their lives didn’t turn out as they expected or things seem utterly hopeless and when an opportunity arises, to face the end together, they decide to take it.

Mark is a writer who never got that big break. Having always felt like a failure, he is the one who comes up with the idea and posts about it online. Thereafter, several people sign up. A bus trip commences across the United States, with pickups along the way.

Here we meet the passengers, whose struggles vary. Each one journals while on the road trip and via these journal entries and their interactions with each other we get to know them and their reasons why.

This character-driven novel is impactful, bright, and extremely well written. The bonds formed between the characters felt so real as did their conversations that I was filled with such warmth throughout. My favorite characters here are Tyler, Karen, Dylan, and Zeke, whose love for his best friend brought me to tears.

I’m not sure what I expected going into this or why this book spoke to me, but “Together We Will Go” was nothing like I expected it to be.

Clever, smart, sweet, quirky, and yes, at times both funny and sad, this book is absolutely brilliant. There were many times where I laughed quite a bit and yes, cried too.

Written by J. Micahel Straczynski, the writer, and co-creator of many tv shows including Sense8, one of my favorite shows from a few years ago, it’s actually not surprising after having read this, that there is more here than meets the eye.

While this novel deals with the extremely difficult topic of depression and suicide, it is also about so more. It is about friendship, love and the impact people have on each other and also about how we can help each other if we simply try. I know that several people will shy away from a book like this, given its subject matter, however, I hope some of you will give it a chance as the characters and the storyline are worth it. If you or anyone you know are depressed and require help, please contact https://13reasonswhy.info/

Thank you to Gallery Books, Scout Press, NetGalley, and J. Michael Straczynski for the arc.

Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Insta on 2.7.21.

What’s the mark of a good book? For me, it’s when you’re still thinking about it days after you’ve finished it. You’ll meet a dozen people here, all with a shared purpose and destination but nothing else in common except their shared humanity. As the journey progresses, you’ll get to know them as they get to know each other and sometimes bond in surprising ways.

I can only remember one other book I’ve read in the epistolary format but I very much like how this style is used to help the reader understand the characters, why they’re there, and why they want to do what they’re doing. You’ll experience this journey and these characters through journal entries, text messages, voice recordings, and emails between each other and the other people in the characters’ lives. It’s an effective and in-depth way to learn about each of them.

In the end, I think it has a happy ending whether each achieved their purpose or not. Whichever way each character goes, it’s a satisfactory conclusion for them. I whole-heartedly recommend this book!

I was so excited for this one, but unfortunately had to DNF it due to the tint text messages that are incredibly hard to read and the constant use of run-on sentences. With a little editing, this has potential to be an amazing book.

I'll definitely give it another go if it's edited a bit more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ebook in exchange for my honest review.