Interesting idea, but didn't really come together

10:30 am 10 February 2014
A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby

I really liked the idea of this book - four very different people meet on a roof top where they've all gone to commit suicide, end up talking to each other, and forming a group.  The book follows what happens next - do they all make it or do one or more of them return to the roof to finish what they started?

The problem, for me, was that it never really went anywhere. 

Everyone lives, though they witness someone else jumping to his death when they meet up for a mini reunion on the roof on Valentine's Day.  The problem was that, even though the characters developed a weird bond, most of them didn't really grow at all.  Jess was just ridiculous and I kind of wish the author had killed her off.  Maureen was the only one who really seemed to get out of her head and make some progress with her life, despite having the hardest situation as a single mom to a pretty significantly disabled adult son.

(show spoiler)

 

I felt like the book did a lot of aimless wandering.  I did like that there was no neat ending tied up with a bow.  Overall, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either.