Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

Mark Watson has succeeded in writing a book about suicide in a humorous yet serious and poignant way. A somewhat left field take on the subject but I can see an imaginative producer making a useful film of television series from this book.

A very difficult subject to read about, however it was done in such a empathetic way and handled so well. I really enjoyed reading this.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

This book is emotional, frank, and well-written with the occasional input of humour.
I was intrigued by this book as the main topic of suicide is often difficult to write about, but I felt it was handled well throughout. It wasn't glamourised, but also felt completely sincere. There are a lot of trigger warnings to go with this book from suicide and mental health to weight and relationship issues, however, I felt that all of the topics were really well dealt with, providing the writing with a tone of compassion and understanding, that was just gorgeous to read.

On the surface, a book about a man's determination to end his life doesn't sound like a very enticing read, but Mark Watson has written a warm, engaging and very human story about the tentative bonds that connect people in the digital age and how it's easy to let people drift in and out of our lives without letting them know how we really feel about them.

James boards the sleeper train from London to Edinburgh with one intention in mind, to throw himself off a bridge when he gets there. He sends a text to everyone in the contacts on his phone to say goodbye, then puts the phone on airplane mode so that he doesn't have to see or respond to his frantic messages.

We follow James' sister, ex-girlfriend, ex-best friend, mother and flatmate as they desperately try to get in touch with him, whilst also reflecting on the way they have treated him and what they could have done to make a difference.

As you'd expect from a stand-up comedian, there's a dark undercurrent of humour running through the book but above all it's witty and heartwarming with some very engaging and sympathetic characters. I really enjoyed it.

This gives a real insight into male mental health and how one intervention can stop a person ending their life. It is about keeping communications open even if things have been rocky and how for some, it is still not enough. Suicide is such an emotive subject but one that most people have been touched by and this tackles it head on. It doesn’t give a fairytale ending but it does give an engrossing, thought-provoking story.

This book highlights how one persons thoughts and actions can affect so many. James decides to end his life. This decision comes from a series of life events. He sends out a message to every contact on his phone explaining what he is about it do then goes radio silent. We follow James on his journey and how his message affects certain people in his life as they all desperately try to reach him.
We meet a wide range of characters and at times I found this quite confusing to keep up with who was who as the story chopped and changed between them all. For me it was just a very slow story I felt it was dragging on a bit and I lost interest in what was going on. I wasn't a great fan of the ending. I found it very sharp and a bit random. It is quite a thought provoking story as it shows you never know what is going on is people's lifes and minds and is a nudge at reminding people it doesn't cost anything to be kind and really listen to people and reach out.

James has chosen to take his own life. He has sent his suicide note as a text message to all of his contacts. If you were one of his contacts, what would you do?

Watson's novel takes us through James' journey to end his own life; we read of James as well as the most significant people and how they have made an impact to lead him to this point.

This novel isn't just about how James got to this point in his mental health, but also about what can be done to change this from happening again. This novel tells us different avenues to take; such as Samaritans, asking for external help, checking in on a friend and being aware of your actions and your words and how they could affect someone.

At times I got confused with past and present tense, as the author reflects on the different characters' journeys, but, this does not take away from the impact and serious theme of the novel.

This is definitely a novel for all readers to reflect on; to make sure you check in on those people who mean something to you, to remember we don't know what is happening in someone's personal life and simply to remember to be kind.

I really enjoyed this book and it is one I would read again.

This book was quirky and I really liked the structure. One I would recommend to my friends! It has some sensitive topics but dealt with in a fabulous way.

What could have been a depressing slog of a read is actually a moving, funny, clever look at mental health... its effect on one man and the impact it has on those in his life.

Only loses one star as the ending felt a little rushed.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review....

My reason for reading this was the premise of a text Send to all, informing the recipients of a suicide. Not a happy send to all. When reading it i could hear Mark Watsons voice clearly coming through the writing. Whilst not the most gripping story, i did on the whole enjoy the book, it does look at the high dependance we now have on our phones and the mental health implications of a lack of human contact. I know it happens to us all and we loose contact with people, and in many ways the book is very true to life. It is on the whole life affirming, heartwarming and makes you reflect on those who perhaps ypou dont hear from very often. Are they really OK? ask that question twice, ARe you really ok? It is emotional and a rewarding read.

Enjoy

If you’re familiar with the gentle, self-deprecating humour of stand-up comedian Mark Watson, you can already anticipate his writing style, a soft flow of commentary that meanders along, yet makes its point quite clearly. This novel is not humorous, but is instead a little thought-provoking. Do we really know what’s going on in the lives of our family and friends? Do we really not notice, or is it easier to pretend that all is well and, well, if it wasn’t they’d say, wouldn’t they? Mark Watson shines a light on the power of technology to affect and improve other people’s lives, how we can use the power of instant communication to reach out, to support, to show love and kindness, if only we take a moment.

A beautiful yet heartbreaking story. At first I thought how could a story set on a train journey keep me interested? I was wrong. This was captivating and I read the whole thing in one night.

It could easily be the tale of someone we know our even ourselves. Noone really knows what goes on behind people's smiles.

A heartbreaking and heartwarming book that makes you try that bit harder with the people around you.

Interesting premise, poignant observations and a story that has it's moments. Mobile phones are a critical part of most of the storylines. Wish it had been a bit more to the point to make it a quick read.

James is a good boring overweightman who has been abandoned/forgotten by most people in his life. He decides to end his life. From a moving train he sends his suicide note as an SMS to all his contacts just before midnight before switching on the flight mode and ponder his life till he reaches his destination.

Soon all of his 153 contacts receive the message. A few from his contacts are given a jolt - like his busy estranged sister, his out of touch mom, his repentent ex and his friend who cheated him. These people whom James has written off (and forgiven) are now frantically trying to locate him while recalling their part in adding to the misery of the good person.

His room mate who is a very resourceful girl soon sets up an online search party. Through this episode, each of them also end up reflecting on their own life and relationships.

You end up feeling sorry for James what with each of these people contributing to breaking him. Death by a thousand cuts it seems for the hero. It is not a happy book though it still manages to keep the tone not too serious.

Note: I would like to thank Harper Collins and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for honest review.

Contacts was not quite what I was expecting, but it was cleverly written. We start off with James who has decided to end his life, but wants to let people know himself, so he sends a group text to all of the 158 contacts in his phone - some are family members, a serious ex, an ex best friend, his flatmate and several ex clients.

James them hops on the sleeper train and puts his phone onto flight mode. The chapters alternate between James, and some of the contacts in his phone - upon receiving his text, his flatmate decides to take action, and the oblivious James continues the journey to his final destination.

I really enjoyed Contacts. It was a very clever concept, and all of the characters were three dimensional and believable. Their memories of James were heartwarming to read about, and it felt like a satisfying read which I devoured in two sittings.

Contacts is a book that left me thinking about it for a good while after finishing it. It’s emotional, thought-provoking and at times humorous, despite its serious subject matter.

We follow James, a 30-something man on a train from Euston to Edinburgh – his last journey, as he’s decided to kill himself in the morning. He sends a mass text to everyone in his phone’s contact list to say goodbye, and then turns it to flight mode.

From then on, we delve into the thoughts and feelings of various people in James’ life – his ex girlfriend, ex best friend, flatmate, mother, sister… various people who once featured so importantly in James’ life but have drifted away or made contact with him less and less over the years.

I found this book a weird mix because it is so readable and very entertaining, but also very sad at times. Despite the sad storyline, I enjoyed reading it, and it never felt overly or unnecessarily gloomy – though there were quite a few heart-wrenching, and poignant, moments. I loved reading about the characters – they felt convincing and interesting, and it really made me think about the power each of us has to reach out to people and make such a difference in another person’s life.

I have to admit, I wasn’t completely satisfied with one particular part of the ending – it seemed a bit sudden and the person in question’s character seemed devastatingly brief, considering their part in it all. I wanted that character to be developed more so we know why they made those particular choices. However, I raced through Contacts and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

While I enjoyed the storyline to this book I felt it lacked in ‘something’. It took a while to actually get anywhere but once it did then it picked up pace a little. It just felt like a train chugging along, which ironically is the basis of the story.

This book was a little slow to get into for me. I eventually got into it and I found it an OK rear.
It was well written but just a slow start
The story was very interesting too

I found this one hard to read as I feel
It’s touched a lot of people and it’s quite current. I liked the fact it had humour as well as emotion too.

A novel about a man's struggle with mental health and suicide. This is a brave subject for a novelist but I lost interest in the characters and failed to finish it. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.