There is nothing worse than feeling like you are suffocating, going nowhere, or like all hope is lost. We have to be honest with ourselves. At some point, we have all been there. When life didn't take the course we wanted or maybe there was never a course, we have felt that sense of sadness. Maybe a loved one was lost from death or simply left. Our job security wasn't as secure as we thought. The debt seemed never ending and there was no way to recover. Whatever the reason for our saddness, it was real. For most of us, we were able to get out of our"funks." Sometimes all it takes is faith or loved ones to get us out of it. For others, it may be making a plan of action. What happens to those that never recover? More specifically, what happens to those who are depressed in such a manner that death seems like the only option?
Maureen- Maureen is a devout Catholic who has a son whom is basically a vegetable. She must clean him, change him, feed him, and everything you would need to do for an infant. He can't communicate to her, so she spends her days talking to him as if he could. She even makes up stories to tell him just to break up the monotony. One day she realized he was a teenager with a bedroom of a baby. The walls and decor hadn't been changed since he was little. What was the point? It wasn't like he noticed. She did however. So Maureen bought items teenage boys would want to see on the walls such as famous athletes and pretty girls. He had Walkmans still in the packaging. It was really more for her than for him. Day in and day out, this was all her life had consisted of. She felt guilty for being so sad, but couldn't do it anymore. She knew he would be taken care of by excellent nurses in her absence. The idea of leaving him made her sad and she would have felt worse abandoning him to live a more exciting life. She felt this life was her punishment for having premarital relations and she just couldn't bare it any longer. So on New Year's Eve, Maureen went to Topper's on the roof to end her life.
JJ- JJ was destined for great things. A musician at heart with a rocking band that would make it big someday and a girl friend that worshipped him was all he needed. Unfortunately both ended up not lasting forever like he thought. His band broke up as did his friendship with Eddie, his best friend and long time band mate. His girlfriend left him shortly after, leaving him in a state of despair. He dropped out of high school for music and that didn't last, so his options were flipping burgers or delivering pizzas for the remainder of his life. But this brilliant young mind who was well versed in Virginia Wolf and other such literary geniuses couldn't bare the path that seemed to be his only option. So JJ created another option. On New Year's Eve, he delivered what would be his last pizza to a party at Topper's, and walked to the roof with one mission, to kill himself.
Jess- Being the daughter of a somewhat political leader is hard enough, but throw in a sister who left one day and never came back, and life can be just unbearable. Jess also happens to be an expert on pushing people away. Needless to say, with never being able to fill the void of her sister and friends never sticking around, Jess is alone. With her less than desirable, pushy, and bold personality, this isn't entirely shocking even to her. Jess can't seem to get anything right, except for maybe one thing......ending her life, going out with a bang. What would be the perfect night to do this? New Year's Eve of course. So she makes her way to the roof of Toppers with one mission, to not come back.
Martin- Martin used to have it all. A thriving TV career, beautiful wife, lovely daughters, and all the money you could want. The only problem was that having it all was never enough. Then the drugs were never enough, the drinking, and the youthful women willing to show him a good time. He was living life in the fast lane and crashed into a brick wall, head first, when a 15 year old who happened to look 18 changed the course of his path. After her father pressed charges, Martin was thrown in jail which lead to him loosing his wife, daughters, TV career, and money. He still had his fame, but it wasn't the desirable kind. There was nothing left to live for, so he thought the only way was to get out. This all lingered in his mind as he sat, drunk, on the roof top of Topper's on New Year's Eve. All he had to do was jump.
Little did this foursome know that their plans had quite a few detours before making their final leaps into eternity. After interfering on one another's plans, and one crazy night, they decided to wait until Valentine's Day (apparently the other big night to end it all) to make their final fairwells. What they did not account for was just how long of a journey they were in for and what self realizations they had to make. Then on Valentine's night, unfortunately someone would jump, and it changed them forever.
This story has such a morbid concept when you read the back, but don't let that fool you. There is so much wit, charm, and relatable themes that will resonate with most readers. It truly captures just how sensitive the human heart is, our need for companionship, and how loving life can be painful. A wonderful novel.
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