A wonderfully original story and exploration of suicide that somehow manages to find humor, love, sadness, and hope. Written from the point of view of those pondering looking to end their lives on their own terms.
An unsuccessful writer decides to place an oblique ad that only those who are contemplating this final act would understand and if they so choose, they could join in an unorthodox bus trip to the west coast for the final destination. The only caveat is those choosing to come aboard must journal throughout the trip. The book takes the form of alternating chapters of different characters and also journal entries.
The characters are as varied as the reason for wanting to end their lives. There is the old guy that has done something bad he must atone for., the young man with an unusual disease that will ultimately take his life, the non-binary individual that remains a mystery to the reader, a young woman with mental health issues, and more. A persons right to choose is explored in an unusual manner but still the story may be a large trigger for some readers.

Over my course of following the creative output of J. Michael Straczynski, one of his strengths has been the creation of diverse characters who form a connection with his audience. So, the highest compliment I can pay his latest offering Together We Will Go is that it continues that trend in the best possible way.

After suffering the latest in a long string of rejections, writer Mark has landed on his next project -- an epistolary tale of a dozen strangers who have decided for one reason or another to end their lives. Renting a bus, Mark places an online ad to find people to join him on his final journey across the United States, planning to culminate the trip by everyone driving off a cliff near San Francisco. Riders earn their spot by agreeing to upload journal entries to a central server and occasionally having the audio transcript of dramatic moments archived and uploaded.

What Mark doesn't count on is the diverse group of people who will join his cross-country trek and the ways various personalities connect and clash. He also didn't count on the authorities in some of the states he's crossing having an issue with a group of people on their way to commit suicide.

As with the best work of JMS, Together Will We Go is an unflinching examination of a "big idea." In this case, it's a frank examination of suicide and assisted suicide, brought into stark reality by the epistolary nature of the novel. Whether it's emails, text exchanges, journal entries, or audio transcripts, JMS creates a bond between the characters and the readers -- to the point that as we get close to the nearer the final destination, I found myself wondering if I had the strength to keep going with these characters to the final end.

This book is bleak, dark, and full of things that could and should depress you. But like life, it's also filled with an abundance of hope and kindness, even when things are looking the bleakest. I found myself having a complex relationship with these characters -- loving some one minute, only to hate them the next, to not understanding their decisions the next. I found the book haunting, vexing, and utterly compelling. Once again, JMS has more than delivered upon a promise --and then some.

This one will probably end up on the top books I've read in 2021. I know it's one that has lingered with me long past the final page.

I will say this one may not be for everyone. But if you're up for it, it's well worth your time.

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

#togetherwewillgo
#jmichaelstraczynski
#NetGalley published 7/6/2021
#mentalillness
#mentalwellness
#triggerwarningsuicide
#epistolarynovel
#greatcharacters

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (5 for ratings)
At first I was worried by the fact that there were going to be a few different ways in which the story would be told. Emails to friends/family. Journals. And audio amongst the people on the bus. But it wasn't confusing at all. The story was told very well. Bc of the personal journals being uploaded to the cloud, the characters were very well described.
As a matter of fact, I am going to recommend this book to a friend who has a daughter who is manic depressive. This may help the mom understand the child more.
Each person on the bus has their own reasons for wanting to end it. And they are all fully described.
I think the only reason why I took off the half a ⭐ is bc there are just a few too many to keep track of. I find it difficult. Some others may not. I had to look up a character bio a couple of times. Thank goodness for highlights in my kindle!

#triggerwarning
#realisticfiction
#bookstagram #booknerds #bookworm #booklover #bookdragon #readalot #ilovereading #inkdrinker #librarymouse #booknerdbookreviews #bookaddict #bookaholic #bookrecommendation #bookreview #booknerdigan #bookish #gottareadthisbook

Wow! This book will be in my thoughts for a long time to come. 12 strangers who have chosen, for numerous reasons, to end their lives join together on a cross country bus ride planning to end their lives on a bus all together while driving off a cliff in San Francisco at sunset. The characters are picked up one or two at a time and their story is told through dialogue, texts, emails, and the required daily journal entries. Some of the characters will be indelible in my mind - Tyler, Zeke, Dylan, and Karen. Their stories and struggles with life were mostly heartbreaking. It definitely gives the reader insight into suicide and the idea of assisted suicide and the current laws that seem to differ from state to state.
The tolerance, support, and humanity that most characters showed for each other was extremely moving. I sobbed throughout Zeke’s voyage with vivid pictures in my mind. Karen and Dylan brought me joy and a sense of relief and satisfaction. I wanted each of them to find happiness in their lives and make the decision to leave the bus. My only disappointment was that when reading it on a Kindle the texts are almost impossible to read, even when using the largest font.
You will laugh, cry, and this book will forever remain in your mind whenever suicide comes up. This is a must read for everyone.
Many many thanks to J. Michael Straczynski, Gallery/Scout Press, and NetGalley for affording me the honor of reading an arc of Together We Will Go.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for gifting me a digital copy of this book by J. Michael Straczynski - 5 stars!

Mark has been depressed for so long and sees no other option than suicide. But as a writer, he comes up with a plan to immortalize not only his suicide but a group of like-minded people as well. He gets an old bus, a driver, Dylan, and briefly posts an ad. Then they're off, picking up people along the way with the end trip being a drive off a cliff in San Francisco. Each passenger is tasked with keeping journal entries of their reasons, their experiences, their story which no one else will read but will be uploaded to the cloud.

We get to know each of the passengers through their entries - emails, journal writings, conversations. And you will fall in love with these characters, empathize with them and be rooting them on for whatever may await them. Be clear - this is a book about suicide ideation so it's definitely not for everyone. But it's worth it - my biggest takeaways were that (kudos to the title) we are all in this together and that everyone has a story. Both are well worth remembering every day to give us more compassion towards our fellow travelers. This story will definitely make you cry but will also make you laugh - kind of like life does. Highly recommended!

An old tour bus that has seen far better days is purchased for one final job. Its mission? To carry a group of initial strangers' cross country for one vitally important destination. A farewell tour of sorts; The likes of which have yet to be accomplished by anyone and pulling it off ensures headlines on every news avenue around the country. There's a lot of pressure on this bus and its driver to see this journey through to the end.

It all starts when Mark, an aspiring writer who has seen nothing but rejection letters for the past ten years chooses to throw in the towel after one final rejection slip leading him to weigh the options for what move to make next in life. His decision leads him to place a personal ad online, posted for merely a few days, calling for anyone out there who "gets it" to join him on a cross country trip. The ad promises not only to bring its responders to a shared destination, but also a great time along the way because if you're answering this ad what could be more appropriate than one final blow out?

You may or may not be surprised at how many people not only saw the ad, but responded, agreed to the conditions of stepping foot on the bus and make arrangements to be picked up and join the party. The passengers are from various states with different lifestyles representing a wide spectrum of demographics and ages ranging from early twenties to mid-sixties it doesn't seem like they have much in common at first but a beautiful, close, and truthfully a bit odd, family of sorts develops quickly and like it or not they find themselves protecting each other in unexpected ways.

The wonderful thing about Together We Will Go is the narrative shifts fluidly between passengers each sharing personal "diary like" entries as well as outward interactions with each other providing the reader the opportunity to truly understand and bond with each and every character to the point of sharing the pain, the tears, and the laughter of every single one.

Together We Will Go is dark, daring, quirky, one of a kind and absolutely BRILLIANT. At times the story can be hard to read because of the experiences and thoughts described but what makes it worth it is the lessons learned by the reader, such as why would anyone choose to do this? What were they thinking? Feeling? What were they hiding? And perhaps most importantly what suicide is truly about and what it isn't.

J. Michael Straczynski has given us a very unexpected novel that is a delight to read in spite of the subject matter. Together We Will go is strikingly relevant and I cannot imagine a scenario any different from this being a near instant best seller.

Thank you to Netgalley, J. Michael Stracznski, and publishers for gifting me with an advanced copy to read and share my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions in this review are mine completely unprompted by anything other than the book itself.

A random group of strangers embark on a road trip with the intention of committing suicide at the end.
I didn’t love this book. It just seemed too long, too drawn out and not interesting enough. The characters came across more like cliches, rather than real, fleshed out people. This was probably a good thing, however, because who wants to invest in a book in which you actually care about the characters knowing they all plan to drive off a cliff at the end? It worked for Thelma and Louise; it did not work for this book.
Thanks to #netgalley and #galleryscoutpress for this ARC of #togetherwewillgo in exchange for an honest review.

Together We Will Go begins with begins with a failed writer placing an ad for anyone interested in ending thier journey through life. He has many interested people and along with a bus driver he hired, travels through the country picking up people to join the trip. The ultimate destination being a cliff in California that they will drive the bus off. Throughout the book, the travelers get to know one another and you the reader learn a lot about each of them including why they are planning on ending their lives through journal entries they have written. The failed writer has contacted a publishing company about using the journal entries to write a book. All contents of the server on the bus would go to the publishing company. The writer is hoping that this will be his big breakthrough.

As the story developed, I found myself wondering if everyone on board the bus would follow through on their plans to end their lives or would they change their minds as they began to develop relationships with others. This was a very intriguing book and I really enjoyed reading it. I found it difficult to put down and kept wanting to find out what happened.

Who'd think that a book about a group of people banded together because they all want to end their lives by suicide would be one that I'd like? Certainly not me, but this one surprised me! A look at some of the many reasons people commit suicide handled gently and with care and even some moments of laughter.

I was intrigued by the description of this book and it didn’t disappoint. The characters aren’t prettied up, they are emotional and truthful and say what they mean. After all, they’ll be dead soon, why not tell the truth and be exactly who they are. It was fascinating to hear why each of them was taking the suicide bus ride, and why each of them either stayed on the bus or didn’t. The interaction between the characters kept me interested in the story which had a few twists near the end. I’m so glad I read this book, it’ll stick with me for a long time. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

It seems weird to say that I thoroughly enjoyed a book about people planning their suicide, but the book is so charming, heartfelt and well-written that I have no choice. Mark, age 30 and a failed writer, buys an old bus, hires a young army vet as the driver and hides an ad in the personals inviting people to come with him on a country-wide road trip to San Francisco, where they will find a beautiful cliff, drive off the edge and end their life, and their pain, together.

Mark picks up several people on his journey, all joining for their own particular reasons. Mark provides the ride, snacks and drinks - the only requirement is that each person upload their stories through texts, voicemails and emails to a cloud-based database. Through these uploads, and the interactions between group members, we begin to know each person and why they have made the ultimate decision to end their lives.

The author writes about the topic of suicide in a very straight-forward manner and through each person's story, the reader begins to understand that none of the characters made this choice lightly. While some people may ultimately feel that certain characters' issues are not "big" enough to decide to end things, especially since some of the characters are rather young, the author does a good job of forcing the reader to see things from the character's perspective. Everyone has their own level of tolerance, and what is no big deal to one person, could be life shattering to another.

Even though the topic is very heavy, the author does a great job of sprinkling in light and funny moments. There are also plenty of heartfelt interactions between the characters and while I didn't cry while reading the book, there were times when I had to stop and live in the moment of what I had just read. Don't let the weighty topic dissuade you from reading this book. It's a wonderful read that will stay with you long after you put it down.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Gallery Books. All opinions are my own.

Aspiring author Mark Antonelli places an ad inviting a dozen suicidal people to join him as he drives cross-country in a dilapidated old bus, destination San Francisco, where they intend to drive over a cliff into the sea. Each person must convince Mark they have a compelling reason to end their life and are required to keep a journal chronicling their thoughts and feelings along the journey.

The interactions of the ensemble cast are in turn poignant, humorous, and downrght crazy as they quickly bond over their shared goal. Can they make it cross-country when various law enforcement agencies are on their tail?

Together We Will Go is definitely different and entertaining, but the story line also addresses serious issues such as suicide and the right to die.

J Michael Straczynski is at it again with emotionally gutting, big hearted stories in a new medium. One of the best books of the year.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from NetGalley, J. Michael Straczynski, and Gallery-Scout Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I was depressed and sad the first time I started Together We Will Go and set it aside, but I found it interesting and encouraging at a time of a better attitude.

New Yorker Mark Antonelli finds himself lost and unwilling to go on. He cannot remember a time he didn't want to die. This time, he has a plan. He buys an old tour bus, has it repaired, hires a driver, and places a discrete ad on several commercial websites. Mark picks a dozen applicants located along his proposed route to California for inclusion on his trip to San Francisco, where he will drop off the driver at the airport and the baker's dozen will drive the bus off a cliff and die together.

A trip not to be missed - you will find humor, despair, charm, and generosity among the bus riders, and see them through their trip, often chased by family members and various police determined to stop their arrival in California once their ultimate purpose is exposed. It is a telling trip. Get on the bus.

Holy shit, what an emotional book. The story was incredible, and I loved the premise.

This was the perfect book to listen to on audio. The cast was perfect and made it easy to keep so many characters straight, and I loved the little details like the text noises, the audio recorder voice, and the noise in the background of the recorded clips. It’s details like those that make an audiobook really worth it, and add things that you can’t get off the page.

This book certainly isn't for everyone, as it closely examines the emotions that lead to committing suicide and the ethics of assisted suicide. Surprisingly, though, it is done with such good humor. I can’t think of a way to word it that doesn’t sound off-putting, but trust me that it is very well done. I think it has to do with the depth of the characters. Each is so complex, and they are able to enjoy the journey despite knowing how it will end.

I cried a lot. Especially over Soldier (a cat) and Zeke’s love for him, and also about Vaughn’s kindness towards Chantel. (Please excuse name misspellings--I listen to this on audio and am guessing.)

This book was very well written and extremely powerful. If you can handle the subject matter, I would highly recommend picking it up.

I applaud Michael Straczynski for tackling the subject matter of suicide in such a unique way. The characters in this book each have been dealing with their own personal issues for years...to the extent that they see no future for them that is in any way better, and they want to leave the world on their own terms. The man behind "the plan" is Mark, who has been living with depression and rejection almost all of his life. He places a personal ad aimed at others who are ready to call it quits, and invites them on a cross-country journey with an end-goal on the West Coast. He hires a driver who understands the journey but is not planning to participate in the finale. And away they go, picking up passengers as they drive across the country. The men and women he picks up are each unique. Their stories are told through required journal entries and/or recordings, and each is heartbreaking. Through their own words the reader is able to see inside the struggles that have led them to their breaking point. The author has written their stories and interactions with each other in ways that are sad, enlightening and light-hearted. I found myself hoping that they each learned so much about themselves and others on their journey that they would decide life was worth living. While the subjects of suicide, assisted-suicide, drug use, sexual assault and human struggles are difficult to read at any time, this author does it in such a way that makes the reader feel their mental pain and anguish as you come to care for each one of them. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. #NetGalley #TogetherWeWillGo

Innovative in both style and subject matter, this novel surprised me with its humor and insight into why some choose suicide. Though dark and painful at times, the characters seemed so real that I became attached and went along for the ride. My only wish was wanting more background on each character but that was probably impossible given the format of the story. Oh so close to 5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for the ARC to read and review.

Thank you to Gallery Books for providing me with a copy of J. Michael Straczynski’s novel, Together We Will Go, in exchange for an honest review.

A little over a dozen strangers reply to a cryptic newspaper ad aimed at attracting people who wish to commit group suicide by plunging over a cliff in San Francisco. The author of the ad, Mark, is an unpublished writer who has lost hope and he promises the others in the group a fantastic bus ride across America, filled with excitement, as they head to their final destination.

A motley bunch joins this quest, including Karen, a young woman with a devastating medical condition, Vaughn, a senior grieving for his deceased wife, and Zeke, a drug addict who is traveling with his dying cat. The travelers agree to sign a waiver and to upload their stories and thoughts on their journey, both in verbal and written form, to a cloud-server, which they will leave behind as a type of art project from the beyond.

Together We Will Go is emotional and affecting, yet often hilarious and unexpected. I have to confess that I am usually triggered by stories of suicide. My father killed himself when I was four and I still carry deep anger and resentment towards both him and the situation. I find it difficult to find compassion or reason in suicide, yet Straczynski’s story allowed me to connect with his characters and their very individual reasons for making this choice. It’s hard to see their suffering and decisions as a simple, black and white issue. This gave me perspective.

I’ve never read a novel quite like Together We Will Go. I could not have anticipated the twists or the ending, all of which were satisfying. I cried and even had to stop reading over Zeke and his beloved cat. (I’m a cat person and it hit close to the heart.) Straczynski’s biggest strength is in the way he developed the relationships between the characters, some are very unexpected, yet all feel real. This was an especially big feat, as Together We Will Go has a large ensemble cast. Early in the story, I did get the characters a bit muddled, but I quickly was able to keep everything straight in my mind. Each character and their individual story is necessary and important. I felt connected to all of them and a bit crushed when the story ended.

Together We Will Go is simply a beautiful story. I finished it a week ago and it is still at the forefront of my mind. Straczynski handles a very complicated and difficult subject with grace and care. I highly recommend adding Together We Will Go to your TBR list.

Also, on a personal note, I was very happy that “Karen” is a likable and empathetic character, not like the “Karen” memes that have been going around the last few years. As a fellow Karen, this was nice to see!

When 12 strangers decipher an invitation hidden in the Personals section of HomepageAds.com, they are accepting an invitation to embark on a cross-country journey. This is not just any cross-country journey, however, for at the end of this journey is The End. The price of admission? Each person must write their story. It is through these journal entries, emails, texts, voicemails, and transcripts that the reader gets to tag along for the ride, thereby getting to know each character as if they were sitting right next to them. Together We Will Go is a work of fiction that deals with a difficult topic. Yet J. Michael Straczynski has written it in such a way as to draw the reader in so that one can understand what drives each character to make the decisions they do. Not everyone on the journey remains with the group to the end of the journey but the reader certainly does.

Well worth your time! Travel vicariously with a group of people who individually answer a want ad for riders on a tour bus that will be their last ride. Reading first person journal entries of the riders about why they are on the bus, as well as their interactions with each other was enlightening. Gave me a better sense of what people with particular medical conditions may experience. Beautiful writing with thought provoking concepts.