It's been a while since I've done a book review on my website, but I enjoyed Matthew Norman's novel All Together Now so much that I hopped up after reading the last page to write this. I wasn't familiar with Mr. Norman's work. I just happened to pick it up, liked the premise, read the first page, and thought I'd give the story a shot. The premise: 35-year-old billionaire Robbie Malcolm has just been told by his doctor that he's dying; in fact, he doesn't have much time left. Robbie wants to visit with his old school friends, Blair, Cat, and Wade, for one last weekend. They haven't seen much of each other over the years, and Robbie discovers that his friends aren't doing so well. Being a genius mathematician and a very successful businessman and philanthropist, he makes plans to fix their lives. But as they get together for that final weekend, Robbie discovers that his friends won't play by his rules.
The first thing that jumps out about this book is how likable the characters are. They're kind and funny and lovely, even though they have their flaws and have made some dumb, and in one case, even despicable, moves. They have a lot of history together and great chemistry, and I enjoyed spending time with them.
I like Mr. Norman's writing style. It's a fast read, and accessible without being trite. His content is good. He deals with contemporary relationship, career, and life issues that everyone can relate to. While the story has emotional depth, it's also an enjoyable romp with plenty of humour. Plus, Mr. Norman plots well. He knows how to build suspense to keep those pages turning, moves smoothly from one character's point of view to another's without interrupting the flow, and adds twists that I didn't see coming.
With the holidays approaching and time to indulge in a book, I recommend All Together Now, either as a present for a friend or to enjoy for yourself. I see that Mr. Norman has written other books, and I'll definitely be checking those out.
