This isn’t some Kurasawa-style Rashoman “find the truth from all the perspectives,” but a narrative where each of the four major characters handles a bit of the narrative in turn. Nick Hornby’s writing abilities really show themselves off in this book, because each voice is really distinct and consistent.

The story itself is great. It’s both a big and a small story. Small because it is very narrowly focussed on our heroes – not wandering off to find out what minor character “x” is doing or why minor character “y” said what they did. It’s very close and personal, to the point where you feel like you are reading a shared diary.

It’s also a big story, because it is examining why people want to die, why they want to live, and what they do when they don’t know either one. My version sounds a little cheesy, but you really should give it a try.