Book review: The Bridge
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TRIGGER WARNING: suicide, depression
Author: Bill Konigsberg
Finished reading: March 2021
Overall rating: 2.5/5
Synopsis: Aaron and Tillie don’t know each other, but they are both feeling suicidal, and arrive at the George Washington Bridge at the same time, intending to jump. Aaron is a gay misfit struggling with depression and loneliness. Tillie isn’t sure what her problem is — only that she will never be good enough. On the bridge, there are four things that could happen: Aaron jumps and Tillie doesn’t. Tillie jumps and Aaron doesn’t. They both jump. Neither of them jumps.” from GoodReads.
Thoughts
The Bridge discusses the topic of mental health, depression, suicidal thoughts, and sexuality. This story is told in the third-person perspective, detailing the stories of both protagonists, but also those around them. It unravelled slowly so that not all of the backstory was discovered until about halfway through. This book is divided into four parts — each describing the outcome of each possibility mentioned in the synopsis. Through the telling of these stories, I learned more about each character, their background, and what eventually led both of them to the bridge. However, I thought that the four sections were a little repetitive and the ending was predictable. On another note, the author’s writing style isn’t my favourite, so it took me a while to get through this book. I really enjoyed the message and the support resources provided at the end. It does have a 4.17/5 rating on GoodReads though, so many other people really enjoyed it! I would recommend this book if you are looking for a casual read maybe in between your daily tasks.
With love,
Ariana
