Ginder focuses his gaze on friends, not family, and offsets his trademark humor with pathos. The bittersweet mood of the proceedings renders his main characters and their actions more believable ... Ginder rotates his characters’ perspectives, which results in a richly variegated narrative. However, some episodes are too fragmentary and end just as they are getting started ... But Ginder hits far more often than he misses, routinely impressing with sharp dialogue, bold set-pieces, and compelling portrayals of enduring or foundering friendships. The book’s final section, comprising a reunion at a funeral, could have been mawkish but instead is moving ... A riveting tale.
The worst that can be said about this novel is that it seems, at times, Netflix-ready. It is a bit pat, a bit digestible ... But these are small issues with a novel that is mostly a very good time.
Funny and poignant ... Throughout, Ginder effectively portrays the recurring joy of lasting friendships along with the pain of growing apart. It’s a triumph.
