Book Review- J. Michael Straczynski's Together We Will Go

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 The author of the ad, Mark, is an unpublished writer who has lost hope and he promises the others in the group a fantastic bus ride across America, filled with excitement, as they head to their final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!

Book Review- Rachel Elliott's Whispers Through a Megaphone

Thank you to Steerforth Press for providing me with an advance copy of Rachel Elliott's novel, Whispers Through a Megaphone, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT - Miriam was raised by a mentally-ill and abusive mother, who told Miriam that her father was dead. Using intimidation, Miriam's mother drilled into her the need to be quiet and as a result Miriam does not speak above a whisper. Now in her mid-thirties, Miriam's mother has died and Miriam has not left her home in three years. Miriam does not have any family left, but she is not alone. She has a childhood best friend who visits and urges Miriam to rejoin the world. She also has a next door neighbor who has been gathering his courage to ask her out on a date. In addition, Miriam has been receiving mysterious postcards from a stranger. 

When Miriam finally decides to leave her home, she walks in the woods and meets Ralph. Ralph's marriage is imploding and he has run away from his wife, Sadie, who has revealed that she no longer loves him. Can Ralph and Miriam help each other face their fears and change their lives?

LIKE- Miriam is a complex and intriguing character. She is truly a wonderful protagonist and it was effortless to root for her as she worked through her obstacles. Her backstory and terrible neglect are heartbreaking. Whispers Through a Megaphone has a lovely twist when we find out  who is responsible for the mysterious postcards and it makes for an emotional read. 

Ralph's story is given nearly as much weight as Miriam's, making him a dual protagonist. Like Miriam, it's easy to root for Ralph, especially as he has been dealt a rough hand. His storyline features themes of love, nostalgia, and regret. When their marriage is falling apart, Ralph and Sadie both seek out long-lost loves from their youth. Time does not stand-still and they are both shocked by what they find when they try to recapture what has been lost. As a cat lover, I was endeared to Ralph by his adopting the stray cat. It made his time in the woods seem a little less pitiful. 

DISLIKE- Whispers Through a Megaphone has too many storylines. The onslaught of characters and stories has the negative effect of overshadowing Miriam and Ralph. It's not that the other characters are less interesting, I just felt overwhelmed and unable to keep focus, like I kept getting yanked from one story and pulled into another. I would have liked a deeper focus on Miriam and on her backstory. I was left wanting to know more about her mother and her childhood. Miriam and Ralph are both rich characters to whom an entire story could have been dedicated and although their friendship is lovely, I wondered if it was necessary. 

RECOMMEND- Maybe. Elliott has created complex characters and a surprising story. There are many aspects of Whispers Through a Megaphone that I enjoyed, but the lack of focus and too many characters made the pacing sluggish. I'd definitely read Elliott's next novel, but I didn't absolutely love Whispers Through a Megaphone.