“Tillie stares up at the tree and thinks of branches. The interconnectedness of them all, and the base, the tree, as their source. How one decision, one branch, may seem disconnected from the others but they’re all banded together. And one seemingly simple decision leads to another, and on […]”
When a person decides to end their life, there are only two possibilities: to go through with it or not. But that is not the case for the protagonists of The Bridge, Aaron and Tillie: they can both jump from the George Washington bridge, one of them can decide to jump while the other doesn’t, or both can decide to not jump…
Published on September 1st, The Bridge is Bill Konigsberg’s latest novel. His new work revolves around how suicide affects every aspect of not only one’s existence, but also that of others. Talking about suicide usually involves people wondering what could have been done different and how would a person’s death affect the people around them. Bill Konigsberg does exactly that, but taking it a step further. He offers the reader all the possible outcomes of Aaron’s and Tillie’s decision to jump (or not) by making use of alternative timelines. But fear not, despite the apparent repetitiveness of the premise, never does the novel read as monotonous. On the contrary, it becomes increasingly gripping as one version of reality closes and the next one starts.
Divided into four main sections and making use of an omniscient narrator, The Bridge explores every single unanswered possibility when facing such a desperate turning point in someone’s life. The Bridge has a raw, hard start, as the novel begins with the three harshest outcomes: Part A follows Aaron and Tillie’s family and acquaintances after she jumps; part B is the opposite as it is Aaron who jumps. Finally, part C shows how life goes on (with difficulty) after they both jump, showing how the what-ifs and the should-haves remain in time years after their death, to the point where even the people who were meant to meet Aaron and Tillie feel their absence. However, part D is a complete turn in the opposite direction. It is an ode to life, where neither of them jump and Aaron and Tillie find solace on each other.
With immensely significant moments of self-reflection on the part of the two main characters, the heart-wrenching grief their families have to go through, the moving interactions between Aaron and Tillie and their parents, and the incredibly unrelenting, witty, sarcastic humour of the protagonists, The Bridge is definitely a rollercoaster of emotions. Despite the seriousness of the topic and the heartbreaking reality of it, Bill Konigsberg is able to create the perfect balance of light and darkness. All of these nuanced interactions, give an outstanding liveliness to the characters, to whom the reader has no option but to get irremediably attached. Also, showing how every person is interconnected and surrounded by love, even if their brain mistakenly makes them believe they are lonely, Konigsberg also pays especial attention to the importance of paternal support. Parents tend to be overlooked in YA; they are absent and careless, but Aaron and his dad’s relationship is the most beautiful portrayal of unconditional and endless love. Aaron’s dad is always there, ready to support his son and help him get through his depression. Such is also the case of Tillie’s mother, but while their bond solidifies throughout the novel as Tillie learns to trust her, Aaron and his dad’s is strong from the very beginning.
Linked to these relationships, Konigsberg focuses too in the need of speaking out and letting people around us help. Their parents’ support is key to their recovery, but so are the connections outside their families. This is especially poignant when comparing the sections that follow Aaron’s and Tillie’s recovery on their own, and the section where they both decide not to jump and become friends. When they have each other, someone who understands and is willing to stand by their side no matter what, their journey eases. At the same time, that contrast highlights how every single person counts: by saving your own life, you might also be saving others.
It is imperative to finish this review by applauding the utmost care with which Konigsberg offers support to people who might be going through depression and having suicidal thoughts. At no given point does The Bridge romanticise the two, and he is always gentle, never relying on guilt to urge people to seek for help. It offers a realistic and unadulterated view of these mental health issues, as well as of the process of getting better, which is no bed of roses. What is more, Aaron and Tillie represent two approaches to therapy. Aaron is blindly hopeful, to the point where—aided by his medication—he believes he can be cured in a day or two. While Tillie is blindly hopeless and thinks therapy is pointless. Neither Aaron nor Tillie get better immediately nor do they find their perfect form of therapy in the first try, and that is the hardest pill to swallow, but also the most comforting truth for those who might be going through recovery themselves when reading the novel.
To conclude, The Bridge has no apparent real closure, but four open endings. The real outcome of the story is left for the reader to decide. However, the clever organisation of the novel, which leaves the only completely positive outcome for last, effectively transmits a message of utter, blinding hope. The Bridge is a wake-up call, a sign not to jump, and an open letter to every single person who might have thought about committing suicide to let them know that they are not alone. Being a survivor of suicide and depression himself, Konigsberg words are a balm to the soul. The Bridge is an attempt to show the world that things do get better, that you and the people around you lose more than your life if you decide to jump, and also that even if recovery is one heck of a steep path, it is a journey worth taking.
The Bridge is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Two teenagers, strangers to each other, have decided to jump from the same bridge at the same time. But what results is far from straightforward in this absorbing, honest lifesaver from acclaimed author Bill Konigsberg.
Aaron and Tillie don’t know each other, but they are both feeling suicidal, and arrive at the George Washington Bridge at the same time, intending to jump. Aaron is a gay misfit struggling with depression and loneliness. Tillie isn’t sure what her problem is — only that she will never be good enough.
On the bridge, there are four things that could happen:
Aaron jumps and Tillie doesn’t.
Tillie jumps and Aaron doesn’t.
They both jump.
Neither of them jumps.
Or maybe all four things happen, in this astonishing and insightful novel from Bill Konigsberg.
