It's New Year's Eve and the perfect time to commit suicide. Everyone is busy partying or making resolutions so Martin, who has completely screwed up his life due to his affair with a teenage girl, decides that the best thing for him would be to jump off of Toppers' House. As Martin is preparing for his jump, the space on Toppers House starts to get a bit crowded.
Maureen, a single mother caring for a severely disabled son, can't cope any longer and decides to end her life. Also on the rooftop is JJ, a failed American rock-star, and Jess, a rebellious teen who can't stand the pain of a broken heart any longer.
They argue about who will jump off first or why one should or shouldn't, and finally the four form a pact to put a hold on the suicides. They decide to meet up on Valentine's Day and see how they feel then.
Through alternating viewpoints we see this odd foursome form their own support group. They'll call each other out on their messes, they'll vacation together and they'll even stage an intervention.
There is quite a lot of humor in the story and Hornby always does such a good job with dialogue. Regarding the characters, it's Jess who seems to be the one who is leading the story and she also happens to have some of the best lines. However my favorite passage is when J.J. tells the reader about his love of books and which one he wanted to take with him on the way down. To add a bit of mystique to his death of course.
I think a lot of critics took the book very seriously, after all suicide is a serious matter, and thought Hornby didn't deliver. I was more forgiving and wasn't looking for answers to life's questions or tidy endings. I just wanted a good read. This was not as good as High Fidelity but I did find it enjoyable.
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Added 01/07