Bill Konigsberg

Two teenagers, strangers to each other, have decided to jump from the same bridge at the same time. But what results is far from straightforward in this absorbing, honest lifesaver from acclaimed author Bill Konigsberg. 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. Or maybe all four things happen, in this astonishing and insightful novel from Bill Konigsberg.

The Bridge

Two teenagers, strangers to each other, have decided to jump from the same bridge at the same time. But what results is far from straightforward in this absorbing, honest lifesaver from acclaimed author Bill Konigsberg.

Rachel Evans

(3.5/5) Audiobook - 6 hours 39 minutes - This is a very interesting book. I have never seen anything quite like this so definitely points for originality. So often people go about their daily lives and never stop to think about all the other paths they could have taken. This book did not only speculate, but contained four different stories of four different outcomes. And this book was heart-breaking, and you really did feel for the characters. However, the format of having four stories rolled into one led to feelings of repetition, and sometimes confusion. Did this event happen in this story or a previous one? for example. At times the characters did seem slightly exaggerated and bordering on annoying, but in a way I can see that being an intentional choice; its more realistic for characters portraying serious mental illness to not come across to the reader's in a perfectly likeable manner. I really didn't like the way the third story was told. I found it confusing and convoluted, and most of it seemed like the author info dumping ideas he had but couldn't quite work into the main plot. It would have been a more reflective choice to keep that section as short as possible. However, overall, a very good story.

Belle Ellrich

*I WAS PROVIDED A PHYSICAL GALLEY BY THE PUBLISHER IN RETURN FOR MY HONEST REVIEW. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION*

I requested this book from Scholastic as a sensitivity reader. Before sending my request through, I really had to think it over if I was ready or not for something like this. Was I willing to put myself through that experience of feelings and emotions again? As I am an empath, I oftentimes take people's emotions as my own and understand just too much what they're feeling. But I worked up the nerve and the courage and sent my request through. Imagine my surprise when I was approved. I took it as a sign.

Bill Konigsberg started this book off with an author's note, explaining why this book was significant and his own experience with suicide and depression. To some, this might be a page they skip over, but to me, I sat there. I read it once, twice, thrice... I'm still reading it as I'm writing this. Because you don't often see notes like these included in books, and you don't often find books with an author who's been in the same boat as you before. That meant something to me, and it still means something to me. That meant that this book is coming from somewhere, from someone who understands and knows that it's something we need to speak more about.

So, I continued reading.

This book is not an easy read by any means. It's heavy, it's sad, it's real, it's chest-pain-inducing, and more. If you were to take a look at the note on my notes app, you'll see that half of them are me relating to each of the main characters in some way or form.

I'll admit, I had to really pace myself and stop reading every few sections because it got to be so much for me that I would sob. Because I understood the characters, and I knew what they were going through and why they felt the way they did. I don't personally think I've ever had an experience like this one with another book, and at the time, it really did scare me a bit.

One thing that really stood out to me was that, in the beginning of each section of this book, one of the characters was telling themselves that the other person was probably going through something worse than they were, and what right did they have to take their life when the other person was probably having it worse off?  That hit me. This is something that I'm sure any person who's ever been depressed or suicidal has felt or thought. I've thought it, I've seen characters in other books or tv shows feel that way too, I've had people say that to my face. It's something no one really thinks about until it's staring at them and forcing them to pay attention. It's a stigma that is so ingrained in people who struggle with their mental health because it's been forced on us for so long by people who aren't suffering the same ways. Part of this is also the factor that, no one wants anyone to feel the same pain they feel. Majority of the time, someone who is literally breaking on the inside will be the person to go out of their way to make sure someone else isn't in the same boat as them. I know I've done it before, and that was also another added detail in this book that I really took to heart.

There was a scene in this book were Aaron was feeling himself in a type of grounding technique to prove that he was still there, still alive, still a human being. I recognized it almost immediately and I connected with it. That was really important for me to see, and what would you know, I'd be performing it days into my pause on the book because I had another episode. Having that small but mighty detail added into this book could prove to be so helpful for someone else, and I'm really glad Konigsberg added that in here.

Throughout the first part (part A) of this book, the writing appeared to be in an anxious-panic, frenzied type of style. For some people, this may annoy them. But for people like me who look into every small detail, every added mixture into a story, this was important. This displayed just the right tone and setup for Aaron's chapters--in all of the chapters involving him, not just part A--and it was a welcomed addition to the story. Along with that, it really hit me when Aaron disassociated in class. This is something that happens twice in the book, and for both times, I connected and related to it. I've never had to be wheeled out on a gurney like the first time it happened to him, but I did have to be shaken and "woken up" almost like the second time. It's frightening, and it's almost like your body is screaming at you to pay attention to and focus on your mind in that moment.

For Tillie, I wasn't able to connect to as much but I understood everything about her situation. I've been bullied before, not for the same reasons as her, but it shouldn't matter what type of bullying or the instance in which the bullying stemmed from. Bullying is still bullying, and it hurts more than people realize. You can have a hundred anti-bullying classes or assemblies in a school, but kids will still find ways and methods to harm others. And they never realize the reason why it's horrible until it's too late for their victim or severe consequences befall on them. That's what happened in all of Tillie's situations.

There were some minor problems I had with this book, but they weren't in any way connected to the important parts or messages the pages held. The Bridge is an absolutely necessary and important read, and I'm so glad Scholastic has published it. This book helped me in more ways than one, and I know for sure it'll help many others as well. For that, I rate it 4.25 stars.

Bill Konigsberg promised me on an Instagram post I made about this book that he'd leave me in a good and safe place with this book, and he did follow through with that. For that, I am extremely thankful, and I look forward to any and all other books he releases in the future.

The Bridge

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