I hate the cover of this book. There's no way I would have even checked it out if I hadn't heard the author interviewed on NPR last year. It seemed like an interesting story: 4 very different people meet by chance on New Year's Eve, on the top of a building that they are all intending to jump off of. They form a sort of awkward relationship, eventually helping each other to better understand themselves and/or improve the quality of their life.The problem with this book was that the characters were so unoriginal. Take JJ - an American musician who is depressed because his band broke up. He wore a leather jacket and read a lot to convey that he was a thinker. Oooh. And Jess, a angsty teenager who swears a lot. And Maureen, who takes care of her disabled son and consequently doesn't have a social life. Apparently she wears orthopedic shoes and is very conservative. How original. All she needs is a vacation to improve her outlook on life (so it would seem.) The only vaguely entertaining character was Martin, a talk show host that had recently spent time in prison for sleeping with a 15-year old. Even in his case, I felt like he lacked any depth.
I read this book fast and it was mildly entertaining at times, but I wouldn't recommend it. Eventually I'll forget I ever read it, and that won't matter.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
No comments:
Post a Comment