Four strangers come together on the roof of a building on New Year’s Eve, all intent on jumping off. They end up talking each other out of the suicide, and becoming lifelines to each other over the next few months.

This was my second Hornby (after Juliet, Naked), and two things really struck me about it. First, Hornby works really well on audio. Both of the books I’ve read by him were on audio, and they both engaged me from the very beginning. I think I will continue to try to experience him this way.

Second, I much prefer the way he deals with older characters. I loved the two older people in this book, and really disliked the two younger. The younger ones seemed too, I don’t know, stereotypical? They didn’t feel as real, or perhaps they were just too melodramatic for me. The readers were all wonderful, and included two of my favorites (and one who might become a favorite in the future). The story itself was just okay for me, though.

Note: Audiobook narrators were Scott Brick, Kate Reading, and Simon Vance.