Together by Julie Cohen
THE BLURB
Robbie and Emily have been together for years, but their love is still fresh and fierce. They have shared a bed, a home, a bond so deep it can’t be broken. But there are things they don’t share, things best left unsaid.
On a morning like any other, Robbie wakes, dresses, writes Emily a letter – and leaves their home for good. There is a secret they’ve been keeping since the day they met. The sacrifices and choices that have sealed their fates could be exposed, and this is the only way to keep it all hidden…
Is this a great love story or a story about great love?
Whatever you decide, theirs is a story that will never leave you
TOGETHER – MY THOUGHTS
Mmm. What to say about this one. First of all, Together was beautifully written. I thought the book has an amazing start and both Robbie’s actions and the first few chapters really draw you in.
I love that the narrative moves backwards and think this works really well as a technique. Though as Together moves forward – and the timeline moves back – deep dark secrets and alluded to more and more. I’ll be honest and say that this starts to get rather repetitive and dull as the place starts to really slow.
Unfortunately as time moves back I disliked Robbie and Emily more and more. That cute old married couple dissapears and Together was left me with two immoral and selfish individuals. Any sympathy I had for them quickly evaporated the closer I got to the beginning of their story. In this way Cohen is very clever. Had the story had moved in a more traditional beginning to end manner, their actions would have completely switched me off as a reader. This way, by starting at the end, you are moved by their devotion and love. As a reader I wanted to find out what had driven them to this point and why they held such sadness over their past.
However, their remorse in no way makes up for the selfish choices in their life. Choices that hurts every single person that ever loved them. Even their decision to continue to keep their secrets after all these years to ‘protect’ their sons, screams of nothing more than protecting their own dirty secrets. Something they show no remorse for.
What’s more, this is all despite Robbie’s diagnosis. A decision that forces him to take the action he did in the beginning of the book. (Sorry to be ambiguous but I don’t want to give away any spoilers in case you want to give this a go yourself!)
Love may be the ultimate quest and adventure, but when it comes at the expense others then that is simply selfish. Unfortunately I found that Together tried to romanticise the actions of two people who no doubt loved each, but who were fundamentally selfish and immoral.
In that way, Robbie and Emily no doubt deserved one another.
If you wanted to give Together a go then it’s no doubt an interesting read. It will challenge your belief as to what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ in love. Other reviews have referred to it as bold and groundbreaking but maybe I’m just too much of a prude to see it and others would get much more from Together than I did. If so, you can find it on Amazon at the moment for a bargain price of £2. So, at that price it may be worth a go…..
If you enjoyed this review, then why not check out the Book Club section of the blog for more recommendations.
hmm this one sounds pretty good, I may have to give it a go.