One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Trooper

One Last Thing Before I Go
Jonathan Trooper

"We don't stop loving people because we hate them, but we don't stop hating them either."

"There are some people out there who don't wait for what comes next. They decide what should come next and they go and make it happen."

First of all, all of Jonathan Trooper's novels seem life-like. It seems like he lived through all of the experiences that his fictional characters have to deal with. I am not sure though if he has or not. I haven't researched his on his own before. I have enjoyed all of his other books, including this one, because I love how he gives his main characters a poignantly funny voice as they try to get a handle on their past, present, and future. Trooper is comfortable at throwing humor into his books as he deals with some emotional, hard issues but this never feels forced. His novels flow nicely and have a nice balance to them.

This book especially, the main character (a middle-aged man) has some difficult struggles to overcome with his entire life and somehow he figures out to live his life at the end. Drew Silver is the main characters name. He used to be an almost famous drummer (had a couple one hit wonders before his band decided to go their own separate ways) and he was never all that good at being a husband or a father to his one daughter. He finds it much easier to do nothing than risk disappointing others or himself. He finds out that his ex-wife is getting remarried and that his daughter is pregnant with some random boys' baby and he doesn't know how to take all that. One day, he finds himself laying in a hospital bed after having a mini aneurysm. The doctors tell him that he needs to have an operation to save his life or else he was die, but he refuses the entire operation. Instead, Silver wants to take the short time that he has left to live to become a better man, be a better father, and to fall in love. He is caught in the middle of everyone in his life on what he should do with his life now. Some questions that will come up in the novel and to get you thinking are:

• Does he end up getting the surgery?
• Does he have a random hookup with his ex wife?
• Does his daughter end up keeping the baby?
• What is life actually all about?

Trooper takes you on an enjoyable and engrossing ride, one that makes you laugh, makes you smile, and maybe even tears you up just a little bit. I know that I did all of those things while I was reading this particular novel. I am sure all readers will love this one!