"Hey Man" celebrates the depth of male friendship through Ian and Tommy's bond over three decades. Witty, heartfelt, and beautifully written—a touching ode to connection and loyalty.

Hey Man by Andrew Meehan is a poignant and uplifting novel that is a coming of age tale that explores friendship, faith, loss.

This was an intimate tale of friendship over the years. Meehan has a unique way with words. I found myself yearning for more of Ian and Tommy’s friendship. In the end, I was satisfied with how the story developed. The book is written in three lengthy parts with interwoven timelines which may confuse the reader at times; however, Meehan’s finds a way to bring the reader back to the overall plot line.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.75 rounded up)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of Hey Man by Andrew Meehan in exchange for an honest review.

Hey Man is a quiet, introspective novel that explores friendship, identity, and the passage of time through the evolving relationship between its two central characters. Spanning decades, it’s very much a character-driven story that leans into reflection rather than plot which I enjoyed a lot. Meehan’s writing is thoughtful and often quite lyrical, with moments that feel genuinely moving. I particularly appreciated how the novel captures distance, memory, and the lingering impact of relationships that never fully resolve. There’s a subtle emotional depth that builds over time.

That said, the pacing did feel slow in places, and I occasionally found it difficult to stay fully engaged. The understated nature of the characters and their relationship, while intentional, sometimes made it harder to feel completely invested. Overall, this is a reflective and well-written novel that I appreciated, even if it didn’t fully resonate with me at every point. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy quieter, character-focused literary fiction.

Hey Man really surprised me in a quiet, sneaky way.

This is very much a character-driven story about male friendship, memory, and the kind of connection that lingers for decades. The writing is genuinely beautiful at times—there are lines that just hit and make you pause. I loved the idea of Ian and Tommy’s relationship and how it evolves (and doesn’t fully resolve). There’s something very real about the ambiguity and emotional undercurrent running through the whole book. That said, it’s definitely slow and leans heavily on reflection over plot. I found myself drifting a bit in parts, even though I appreciated what the author was doing.

Overall, not a loud or dramatic read, but one that quietly builds and stays with you.

Hey Man at it's core, is a ponderous journey through thirty years of male friendship. Opening in 1989, Ian travels from Dublin to London to attend medical school. Staying with the enigmatic Tommy, an actor, their friendship develops. Through the thirty years, split into three distinct time bands, their lives diverge and rejoin repeatedly. This story looks into brotherhood, friendship and how two entirely different people can find an enduring bond.

As a story, Hey Man definitely gave me pause for thought and reflection on the events described. Meehan uses metaphor and careful descriptive writing proficiently to paint a detailed and emotional image of the scenes portrayed. The descriptions surrounding Tommy are elegant and evolving as the novel progresses, with the image of this larger than life character gaining more clarity and detail with the passage of time. This corresponds to Ian, the point of view, and his increasing knowledge combined with his changing views on the world around him.

Stylistically however, I truly struggled. At times, the author seems to take a deliberately ethereal style of language, dusting around the fringes of what he wants to say, without ever truly conveying the message. Unfortunately, the adage of "show, don't tell" does not really help here as the dialogue, particularly early in the novel, is staccato and fragmented, making it incredibly difficult to follow. This necessitates multiple reads of the same sections, losing the immersion really required to appreciate this novel fully.

I was dragged out of the story very early on with a clumsy reference to Britney Spears. The time band for this reference was 1989, a good few years before Britney made her first professional appearance.

Hey Man tries it's hardest to straddle a few genres. While this effort is not entirely successful, Meehan delivers a perfectly functional and reflective coming of age heroes journey. The friendship between the characters is realistic and believable, taking the rough and the smooth well and conveying the characters emotions to the reader. Overall, I enjoyed my time with this book, especially once the author found their stride and the voices became a little more refined.

Thank You NetGallery for the ARC read.

Hey Man is a quiet and soft story that takes you on a journey through a lives friendship between Ian and Tommy. Two unlikely friends who span decades of a complicated and often intense friendship that doesn't quite explain itself so easily. But oh man does their story make you feel for their journeys and unique story.

One if a famous actor (Tommy) while the other is a monk (Ian). A peculiar duo if I might say but one that works when you understand Ian and his deep feelings and thinking that at times he can't quite understand himself.

I loved the character of Tommy because in his chaotic and loud nature he truly had many moments of quiet contemplation, of pure love for Ian. There's a scene where he goes to the monastery which is my favorite. Endearing I would say, their bond and friendship, is endearing. In a wild but also reserved way.

I truly enjoyed Andrew Meehans' writing, it is lush, lyrical and quite profound at moments. I leave you with two of my favorite quotes:

"It is normal to become attached to friends, it's normal to miss them when they go. Even when they're there, sometimes you fall behind, or they forget about you for a while, but you catch up with them or they come back to you." - Ian

"I am comfortable with feelings I can't name, but there is one I can't let go of, and it was attached to her smell: a person's skin, lovely and clean, and that was as far as I went, cause that is as far as I ever go. And I thought, if I'm ever to be with someone, will they see how inadequate I am? If I am ever to be with someone, will they see how scared I am? - Ian