All Together Now: A funny, tender and deeply heartfelt literary novel about love, loss and the different versions of ourselves across a lifetime. New for 2027

by Julie Buxbaum

'Told with equal helpings of hilarity and wisdom' Bonnie Garmus, multi-million-copy-bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry

‘All Together Now is a love story in the broadest, fizziest, most heartbreaking sense, exploding with romance, family and friendship’ Catherine Newman

***

Every ten years or so, Hazel Stein finds herself face to face with every version of herself she ever has been, and ever will be. There's Hazel Stein aged 8, making paper airplanes out of napkins; 18, with a catastrophic fringe and the insecurities to match; 28, undeniably a knockout; 39, flush with the responsibility of new motherhood; 49, terrifyingly bald (the other Hazels can't quite look her in the eye); 57, whose ring finger is suddenly, strangely bare; 68, who's had one too many Botox shots; and 77, with wiry white hair, a gash on her forehead, and a threadbare t-shirt.

Together, they tell the story of one woman's from an unforgettable one-night stand at the turn of the millennium to friendships that span decades and continents, from the fierce, primal instincts of motherhood to moments of seismic, reality-warping grief. Together, they recount how a single life can add up to an unimaginable what we owe to the people we used to be, and those we will become.

Funny, tender and devastating in turn, All Together Now is a joyous epic that crosses selves and decades to tell the story of one ordinary, extraordinary life, and a celebration of the endlessly surprising process of becoming ourselves.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Adult Fiction, Adult, Contemporary

Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 30, 2027

About the author

Julie Buxbaum is the New York Times best selling author of Tell Me Three Things, her young adult debut, What to Say Next, Hope and Other Punchlines, and Admission (pubs 5/5/20). She’s also the author of two critically acclaimed novels for adults: The Opposite of Love and After You. Her work has been translated into twenty-five languages. Julie’s writing has appeared in various publications, including The New York Times. She is a former lawyer and graduate of Harvard Law School and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two children, and more books than is reasonable. Visit Julie online at www.juliebuxbaum.com and follow @juliebux on Twitter.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a couple of YA novels by this author before, so I was excited to give one of her adult novels a try. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect going in, but this ended up being such a fantastic read, filled with so much love and emotion!

I really loved the way the story unfolded and how the magical realism was threaded throughout. The character development was especially well done, and I found myself really relating to the main character. I was tearing up one minute and smiling the next, completely caught up in the story.

What made this one work so well for me was how relatable the characters and storylines felt. There were plenty of happy and sad moments, and that balance made everything feel incredibly real—even with the magical realism woven in. The way everything ultimately came together was beautiful.

Overall, this was such a wonderful and heartfelt read, and I have a feeling it’s one that will stick with me for a long time. If you typically like books in this space, I’d definitely recommend this one!

** I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book! **

[Casey Reads 🌸]

I heard good things about this, so I couldn’t wait to read it. From the first few chapters, I immediately knew this book was not for me. It had way too chaotic of a writing style for me that felt confusing and hard to follow at first. It did get a bit better, but I still couldn’t stand the writing style.

DNF. Not going to rate as I only got a little ways in and skimmed the rest. Not for me personally.

Thank you to netgalley for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Lex.ᐟ · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

4.50 ⭐️ | Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!

I laughed, I cringed, I cried.
Oh my goodness this was beautiful.
I was definitely not expecting this book to be so enjoyable and raw and even in a way relatable. I often think about what would other versions of me think of me now? And I think if they were all together some would be so much different than the person I am now. I can’t really even fathom what that would go like or if I would be able to recognize myself?

This book really put things in perspective and wow I will now go overthink all of that.

[Sarah (thehireader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wrecked me (complimentary).

It’s warm and funny and reads like you’re in conversation with a dear friend. Julie Buxbaum’s writing is so accessible, clever, and real at the same time. And I appreciated reading this now, in my early 30s, with so much more life left to live and love left to experience. It’s a gentle prompt to reflect on your own journey through time and space, all the Mes that were and will be. Hazel's hindsight, her perspective, felt like a gift.

I had a feeling this one would feel like a gut-punch in the end. I was right, but it was so worth it. I woke up early because I couldn’t wait to keep reading, which in hindsight was a terrible idea as it meant i had to muffle my crying so I didn’t wake my husband. But I’m glad I didn't let my fear of feeling too much (I’m a baby, okay) keep me from reading this because yes, there’s sadness, but there’s also so much joy and tenderness and love. Hazel’s bounty really was endless.

It was truly a pleasure to ride along with the Hazel Steins on the party hurtling through space and time, or space-time, or whatever.

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[zil · Rating 4 out of 5]

unlocked a brand-new anxiety: waking up on a purple-carpeted party bus with a stripper pole to stare at eight versions of myself across time 🫡

if i met my future selves, I’d be completely unbearable. i wouldn't get useful answers; i'd just be yelling: bald hazel? why? like hello? eight year old hazel, stop making paper airplanes, we have follow-up questions! 

watching hazel stein navigate this wild concept is basically watching one woman discover that she finds herself incredibly annoying at multiple ages.

eighteen thinks she knows everything, seventy seven looks like she’s been through a warzone, and every single one of them leaves current hazel to obsess over missing rings and sketchy haircuts without any context. 

i went from laughing at the stripper-pole bus premise to being way too emotionally invested in one woman’s lifespan, loves, and losses.

it’s hilarious, deeply moving, and left me wondering which version of myself would annoy me the most…

this one was an absolute treasure about the messy, surprising process of becoming ourselves 😝

a lot of thanks to avid read press’s team and netgalley for sending me the earc of this book in exchange of my honest thoughts!

[Angie Miale · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Every once in a while, when you read as many books as I do, a book comes along that completely blows you away. All Together Now by Julie Buxbaum was that book for me.

I’m writing this in September 2026, when there are still only a handful of reviews out there, and I’m already calling it: this is going to be one of my favorite books of 2027.

Hazel Stein was born in 1975, and every decade or so, something impossible happens. She spends one night aboard a party bus with different versions of herself—from eight-year-old Hazel all the way through Hazel at 77. They’re all there together, at different stages of the same life, knowing different things about what has happened and what is still to come.

Eight-year-old Hazel keeps making paper airplanes. Eighteen-year-old Hazel is perpetually embarrassed. Forty-nine-year-old Hazel is bald. Sixty-eight-year-old Hazel may have had a little too much plastic surgery. 😂 Some versions of Hazel immediately understand one another; others absolutely do not.

And yes, there’s a magical-realism element here. But if you’re hearing “mysterious party bus filled with versions of the same woman” and thinking, Nope, I hate magical realism when nobody explains it, let me put your mind at ease: the bus is the device, not the point.

The point is Hazel’s life.

This is a story about joy and grief. Friendship and love. Tragedies, disappointments, triumphs, and all the ordinary moments in between. It’s about the different people we become over the course of a lifetime—and the strange realization that every one of those people is still somehow us.

I’m only a couple of years younger than Hazel, and I think that made this book hit me particularly hard. How could you not wonder what it would be like to sit across from your eight-year-old self? Your eighteen-year-old self? Which version of you would become your ally? Which one would look at your life and think, THIS is what we became?!

And what would you want to ask the woman you’ll be at 77?

There’s something profound about that idea. Think about going to someone’s funeral and meeting a person who knew her when she was sixteen, while you knew her when she was seventy. You both loved the same woman—and yet, in some ways, you knew entirely different people. All Together Now captures that beautifully.

It’s also genuinely funny. I laughed out loud several times, particularly when the various Hazels are interacting with one another. Hazel also has wonderful people in her life, including two incredibly supportive friends, and I loved the way the people closest to her simply accept this bizarre thing that happens to her every decade.

But this book also made me cry. A lot.

I’ve seen comparisons to The Wedding People, and that always makes me nervous because that is an awfully high bar for me. But I’m here to tell you: I really did love this as much as The Wedding People. I’d also put it alongside One & Only by Maurene Goo, Into the Blue by Emma Brodie, and Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves. They’re very different books, but each explores some version of the same enormous questions: Who are we at different stages of our lives? How do our relationships shape us? And how do we keep choosing joy when grief and loss are inevitable?

One of the questions in this book that stopped me cold was: “How are we all able to live knowing that we and everyone we love will die?”

And somehow, for a book so interested in mortality, All Together Now never feels hopeless. Quite the opposite. It made me think about how astonishing it is that we get to be so many people during one lifetime.

I suspect this will hit especially hard for women around Hazel’s age—those of us in that sandwich-generation stage of life, looking backward at who we’ve been while becoming increasingly aware of our own mortality. We’re watching our children grow up, watching our parents age, and starting to look at time a little differently ourselves. But I certainly don’t think you have to be a middle-aged woman to find something meaningful here.

This is deeply emotional, unexpectedly funny, and ultimately a beautiful meditation on what it means to get a life—and then actually live it.

I cried. I laughed. I sobbed. And when it was over, I knew I would read it again.

One of my favorite books of 2027. Calling it now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for providing me with an advance reading copy.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It's got a killer setup, great sense of humor, and a massive heart. I flew through the pages and cried at the end. I think it will be one of THE book club books of 2027. Read it!

[Jessica Strawser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved everything about this book. The premise, the characters, the writing itself -- oh, the writing! Heartfelt, wise, relatable. What a gift Julie Buxbaum has for understanding the beautiful flaws of the human condition. This is the kind of story that makes you reflect on where you've been, where you want to go, and whether we're still the same person even when the world inevitably tumbles us around over the years, changing the shape of us. This was one of my favorite reads of 2026, even though it doesn't officially release until 2027, and I'm so grateful to Netgalley for the chance to read it early!

[cyd · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book exceeded all of my expectations and was such a pleasant comfort read. The beginning took me a bit to get into to because the time travel bus part of it was a bit confusing at first. Once the story starts going it gets easier to understand and i was able to get sucked into the story. This was such a great book about aging and appreciating all of the parts of life even when it’s hard. The last 30% of this was such a bittersweet experience and the final revelation literally had my jaw drop. This book was a great reminder to slow down and enjoy every single moment.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an ARC

I was thrilled to have been asked to read and review this story. It was beautiful, painful, reflective, funny, written in such an interesting way. I sobbed and I loved it.

[Sharen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this story of Hazel, and the core people in her life, as they navigate life - all the good things and the sad things. The characters are full and their relationships are relatable. The addition of the time travel piece and seeing the Hazels of the future and past and reading as their stories unfurled took the book to the next level.

I love stories that are presented out of order and we have guesses as to what is happening. Hazel is able to talk and see multiple versions of herself on a 'party bus' she visits every ten years. She sees what is to come but without the context of how things come to pass. We live with Hazel as she meets the future versions of herself and as she ages we see Hazel loving all the parts of herself.

This is a heartfelt book for fans of magical realism and time travel. I loved how the story unraveled. This story is full of humour and heart. Parts of the story take place in the future and while things are mentioned like: climate changes or tech changes, the future of Hazel and those she loves is the story - not what is happening around her.

'She looks like the kind of kid whose mother buys her Flintstone vitamins.'

'We are not meant to stare down the versions of ourselves we've outgrown.'

'I hadn't yet felt the full undertow of adult disappointments, the subtle way it shows on your face.'

'Hiking?' Iris asks. 'Nah, to close to running. It's the same thing, but you're out of breath in a prettier place,' I say.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Amanda Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advanced reader copy received via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When I finished this book, I was NOT okay. (In the way I love to be at the end of a story, all teary and snotty and, as Emily would say, "human-y.")

Hazel Stein is like everyone else and yet unlike anyone else in one absurd way: Over and over through the years of her life, she meets with a handful of other versions of herself—aged 8, 18, 28, 39, 49, 57, 68, 77—on a party bus. With a stripper pole.

She leaves this strange amalgamation of selves with fragments of images but not whole memories, so the unfolding of her life is still hers to uncover. As they gather, the versions of Hazel share their happiest moments and the three great love stories of her life.

This book—its premise, its sense of humor, its profundity and idiosyncratic observations—has every characteristic of my absolute favorite kind of book. The blurb likens it to Alison Espach, which I see, but I would also compare it to Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, a book I read multiple years in a row; I imagine I will do the same with All Together Now.

It starts out unassumingly, with chapters about one-night stands and limp breakups, but make no mistake: this is a book about an entire life. Its losses, diagnoses, devastations, confusions, connections, second-guesses, searches for identity, and, of course, great love stories.

I highlighted incessantly in the NetGalley app because I had to ferret away these beautiful truths and metaphors I'm jealous I didn't write. I loved these characters and felt like I knew them personally. The portrayal of marriage is romantic and real all at once.

I SOBBED multiple times.

When this book comes out in March 2027, I will be aggressively recommending it to all the deep feelers in my life with a caution to keep the tissues nearby. Buxbaum has found an enthusiastic new fan in me.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an incredibly unique and thought provoking story! I was completely intrigued by the premise. Eight different versions of Hazel, ranging from childhood to old age, coming together on a mysterious party bus to revisit the moments that shaped her life. I loved how the story unfolded through the different stages of Hazel’s life, exploring love, friendship, heartbreak, motherhood, loss, and aging. I found myself relating most to Hazel during the early and middle years of her life but what I loved most was watching all the different versions of her come together. Each had her own experiences. Each had her own perspectives. And, each had her own regrets yet they were all part of the same person.

What stayed with me most was the beautiful message woven throughout the story. Life isn’t about avoiding mistakes or making perfect choices. It’s about embracing change, appreciating the people we love, and finding meaning in every stage of life.
Such an original, utterly intriguing, and meaningful story that reminded me how every version of ourselves plays a part in who we ultimately become.

A heartfelt thank you to Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to read Julie Buxbaum’s work. This was truly a memorable reading experience.

[Laura Johnson · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

4.5🌟 When I saw the premise of All Together Now, I immediately knew I had to read it. Every ten years or so, Hazel finds herself on a party bus with versions of herself from every decade of her life. I became so introspective as I envisioned different ages of myself meeting up and having a whole life perspective. I love that her lifelong friends always show up, just like mine do. There is a lot of life lived in this book. I can honestly say I did not expect the ending and I wasn’t quite prepared for it. Many thanks to NetGalley, Avid Reader Press, and Simon & Schuster for early access. This unique book is coming out March 30th and I highly recommend it. I think it would make an excellent book club selection that would generate heartfelt and opinionated discussion.

[Jodi Schulz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Remember a few years ago when seemingly everything was a time travel story, well it seems like that might be back, but this is wonderful. It reminded me of Ooona Out of Order but it also about family, found family, love, hope, and forgiveness. I couldn’t put this down and read it in a few hours.

[Lydia Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy.

The structure didn't work for me. It kept pulling me out of the story, and I never settled into a rhythm. Just when I was getting invested, the format shifted and I had to start over with the story's momentum.

There's a lot here that works. The writing is readable, and some moments landed. But the structure undercut the pacing and made it hard to connect with the characters, so the emotional payoff felt thinner than it should have.

A decent read with real potential, just not a book that came together for me.

Recommended for readers who like experimental formats and don't mind a bumpier ride.

[Mainlinebooker · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

All Together Now by Julie Buxbaum

A Celebration of the Many Selves We Become

What an absolute delight! Julie Buxbaum’s All Together Now is a wonderfully inventive, deeply perceptive novel that seamlessly blends humor, pathos, and wit with an unexpectedly profound meditation on the passage of time, the complexities of identity, and the importance of extending compassion to every version of ourselves. Throughout the novel, I kept hearing the voice of Joanne, played by Kristen Bell in the Netflix series Nobody Wants This, whose sharp humor, irreverence, and emotional vulnerability seem perfectly suited to Buxbaum’s wonderfully engaging narrative.

At the heart of this imaginative novel is Harriet Stein, affectionately known as Hettie, whose various incarnations, ranging in age from eight to seventy-seven, find themselves together aboard a party bus. Every decade or so, another version of Hettie joins this extraordinary gathering, bringing with her the emotional baggage, aspirations, insecurities, triumphs, and disappointments particular to that stage of her life. Each woman is unmistakably Hettie, yet each is also profoundly different, shaped by experiences that her younger selves cannot possibly anticipate and her older selves can never entirely forget.

What might easily have descended into a contrived literary gimmick becomes, in Buxbaum’s capable hands, a remarkably ingenious narrative device. The party bus serves as far more than a whimsical vehicle transporting its passengers through time. It becomes a moving theater of memory, a gathering place where the competing voices of a single life can finally be heard, challenged, understood, and perhaps forgiven. Through the interactions among these different versions of Hettie, Buxbaum invites us to consider a fascinating question: If we could sit across from our younger selves, armed with the wisdom of hindsight, would we judge them for their mistakes, or embrace them for having navigated life with the limited understanding they possessed at the time?

The brilliance of this conceit lies in its universality. Through Hettie’s many incarnations, Buxbaum explores the anguish of adolescence, the sustaining power of female friendships, the bewildering responsibilities of motherhood, the exhilaration and heartbreak of romantic love, and the inevitable encounters with insecurity, illness, grief, and aging. Each stage carries its own particular burdens and revelations. The certainties of youth eventually give way to the ambiguities of adulthood, while the accumulated wisdom of later years often comes at the considerable price of loss and disappointment. Yet Buxbaum never allows these reflections to become ponderous or sentimental. Her sparkling dialogue and deft comedic sensibility provide a delightful counterbalance to the novel’s more poignant observations.

Perhaps the most affecting aspect of the novel is its insistence that we cannot fully appreciate the people we have become without acknowledging, and even loving, the people we once were. How readily we dismiss our younger selves as foolish, insecure, impulsive, or naïve, forgetting that those very qualities were often inseparable from the courage it took to navigate unfamiliar territory. We tend to measure our earlier lives against the knowledge we possess today, an inherently unfair comparison that denies those younger versions of ourselves the compassion they deserve. Buxbaum gently challenges that instinct, reminding us that personal growth is not necessarily a repudiation of who we once were, but an accumulation of all that we have experienced.

At seventy-five, I found this aspect of the novel particularly resonant. Standing near the far end of Hettie’s chronological spectrum, I could not help reflecting on the many versions of myself who have inhabited my own life. The young woman I once was bears remarkably little resemblance to the woman I am today, yet she remains an essential part of me. I found myself extending a tenderness and understanding toward that younger self that I might not have been capable of offering her at the time. There is something profoundly liberating in recognizing that our earlier mistakes, disappointments, and vulnerabilities need not be sources of regret. They are part of the intricate tapestry of experience that has brought us to the present.

And therein lies the novel’s greatest achievement. Beneath its breezy humor and seemingly effortless readability is a deeply humane exploration of self-acceptance. Buxbaum reminds us that every decade of life deserves its own measure of gratitude, that wisdom does not invalidate youthful innocence, and that aging need not diminish our capacity for wonder, love, or reinvention. Perhaps most importantly, she suggests that we owe ourselves the same generosity of spirit we so readily extend to those we love.

Despite the philosophical richness of its themes, All Together Now is an immensely accessible and entertaining read. Buxbaum’s lively dialogue, impeccable comedic timing, and emotionally recognizable characters make it entirely possible to devour the novel in a day or two. Yet its underlying questions are likely to linger long after the final page.

I suspect women of every generation will find something of themselves aboard Hettie’s extraordinary party bus. Younger readers may discover reassurance that their present uncertainties are neither permanent nor defining, while older readers may find an unexpected invitation to revisit their past with greater tenderness. Ultimately, this is not simply a novel about growing older; it is about learning to inhabit every chapter of our lives with greater compassion, gratitude, and grace.

What a marvelous reminder that we need not love every decision we have made to love the person who made it. Hettie has much to teach us about the art of living, the necessity of forgiveness, and the extraordinary privilege of becoming ourselves.

Run to this book. And when you finish, I suspect you, too, will want to climb aboard that party bus and embrace every version of the person you have been.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Lyon.Brit.andthebookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ Thank you to the publisher for the early copy! ✨

I’m completely speechless. And if you know me…you know that doesn’t happen often when it comes to books🥹💛

All Together Now by Julie Buxbaum didn’t just make me feel things. It sent me calling my mom…texting my oldest daughter at her first year of college (because apparently texting is the best communication I can get these days 😂) and even asking if she’d get a matching tattoo with me. Yes… this book got me like that.

The premise is so clever but what Julie does with it? Absolutely unforgettable. A woman reunited with versions of herself at different ages becomes a story about the people we’ve been…the people we’re becoming…the loves that shape us and the moments we wish we could go back and hold a little longer.

I wish I could share every single line I highlighted because Julie put words to feelings I’ve carried deep in my bones. There were passages that made me choke up…others that had me openly weeping and so many that made me immediately reach out to my people. I’m planning to buy a finished copy just so I can revisit my favorite passages and see which ones made it into the final edition. I NEED to share some of these words with you😭📖

No review I write will fully capture how much this book moved me. I think about my past selves a little differently now…with more tenderness for the girl I was and the woman I’m still becoming. And the reminder to reach for the people we love while we can? Oof. Right in the heart.

Julie…thank you for this book. I’m off to read everything else you’ve written💛

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
“All Together Now” by Julie Buxbaum is a moving, thought provoking novel with one of the most unique and original premises I’ve encountered in a long time. In my opinion, this book will be a serious contender for Best Book of 2027.

The story follows Hazel Stein, who finds herself aboard a mysterious party bus alongside seven other versions of herself, ranging in age from 8 to 77. As these eight Hazels revisit the defining moments of their lives, each brings a different perspective on love, friendship, family, heartbreak, regret, and the passage of a well lived life.

What makes this novel stand out is the author’s creative and engaging way of telling the story. Seeing one woman’s life unfold through the eyes of her younger and older selves is both fascinating and poignant. The premise is quirky and imaginative, yet the emotions and life lessons feel remarkably authentic.

At its heart, this is a touching reminder that a meaningful life isn’t necessarily a perfect one. It’s about the people we love, the choices we make, and the ordinary moments that ultimately become our most treasured memories. I laughed, I teared up a lot, and found myself reflecting on my own life. I know this book and the lesson of accepting oneself will stay with me a long time! I highly recommend it to everyone, 5 well deserved stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

All Together Now was quite a slow start for me, and I found it hard to get into. For much of the book, I wasn’t really sure where it was going or what the point of the story was, which made it difficult for me to connect with.

Around three quarters of the way through, though, something clicked. I began to understand the themes and what the story was trying to say, and I actually really enjoyed the final part of the book.

I do wish that connection had come earlier, as I think I would have enjoyed the book much more overall. It wasn’t quite my usual type of read, but I’m glad I stuck with it.

[Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a rom com from the early 2000s

[Melissa DeLong-Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars doesn't accurately describe how I felt about this book. I'm actually wrecked and emotionally exhausted. The photo I sent my friends after crying through the last quarter of the book is one I won't be sharing with the internet, but rest assured that it accurately portrays the husk of a person I was left at the conclusion of this story. I agree with the comps – if you love Emma Straub and Rebecca Serle, you MUST add All Together Now to your TBR.

Hiding the remainder of my comments behind a spoiler tag so I can speak freely, stop here if you haven't picked it up yet!

Spoilers beginning now!

I was enjoying this story just fine throughout the first eras of Hazel's life. I loved the relationship she had with her two best friends (Iris and Emily), and I was deeply enjoying the way her selves were interacting on the bus (because don't we all know everything at 18?). There were so many distinct moments where I felt the ground being ripped out from under me as a reader, and the moments told back-to-back makes you really feel how short life can be. Emily dying and Juni's cancer were both terrible moments in time that felt like okay, put the book down and return later.

Where I really lost my mind though came later, first when Juni is pregnant and Hazel is reminiscing on her own pregnancy and feeling such overwhelming love for her child. My own kids are only 9 and 11, but that hit me in the most sensitive places of my heart. I am overwhelmed daily with my love for them now, and I can't imagine the many ways it will continue to transform as they age. I often find myself thinking of the things that I'll miss one day, too soon, like their bickering, their laundry, and the never-ending noise, and to have that so precisely described on page was just too much for me to handle.

The second thing was age 77. While it eventually became clear that all was not as it seemed and Hazel probably wasn't left alone and unwell at 77, I was not emotionally prepared for why she appeared the way she did at 77. To know that it was the same Nirvana shirt from so many years ago and that she was choosing to end her own life – there simply aren't words for how it made me feel. Throughout the story, I was thinking about all the ways that we fail our current selves and then look back later and realize what we took for granted in those moments, and to see such a full circle moment at 77 broke my heart (in the best way!). The fact that she was in Charlie's shirt, with her child and best friend at her side, and got to make the choice of how and when she would finish her marathon – I can't describe it, truly.

Other things this book made me think of: the last scene of One Tree Hill ("It’s the oldest story in the world. One day you’re 17 and planning for someday. And then quietly and without you ever really noticing, someday is today. And then someday is yesterday. And this is your life.") and the very end of the movie version of The Time Traveler's Wife (when she's out in the field and Henry appears). Also, In Five Years.

Truly 100/5 star read – absolutely heartbreaking, the best cry I've had in so long, and I wasn't able to recap it to a friend today because I was still on the verge of losing my mind. Will absolutely be purchasing a copy for my shelf, using for book club, and highly recommending!

*Thanks to Avid Reader Press - Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC!*

[Danna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh, I loved All Together Now. Hazel Stein is an easy character to adore, as are those around her. The concept is fun. Decenially, Hazel finds herself on what she describes as a “party bus hurtling through space and time, or space-time, or whatever,” with versions of herself from throughout her entire life span. Mainly, she references Hazel at 8, 18, 28, 34, 49, 57, 68 and 77. And each version of Hazel gets opportunities through All Together Now to share snippets of Hazel’s “fucking amazing” life.

Hazel’s friends and family are great. Her brother Ollie is an absolute delight. Hazel’s love story with Charlie is one for the ages. Hazel’s love for her friends, Emily and Iris, as well as her daughter Juniper, is heartwarming. I just loved it all. Except the end, which is terribly bittersweet. And, through every chapter and high and low, Julie Buxbaum’s writing includes hilarious bits. It’s so funny.

Highly recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So many good quotes:

My brother has a stand-up routine about how his ADHD is so terrible that he got distracted mid–suicide attempt and landed himself in a mental hospital.

My dad used to say he was a late bloomer, but it turns out he didn’t need to bloom. The rest of the world did.

“Mommy says that when you feel mad at everyone you probably need to eat, and when you feel like everyone is mad at you, you probably need to sleep,”

I buy a Moleskine, because I need the placebo effect of a new notebook and a list of goals, that erotic illusion of momentum and control.

Maybe being annoyed with my mother is how I express love—it means I trust that she’ll love me even when I’m the worst version of myself.

I still do not understand how to weigh time. Whether nine months now is altogether a different thing than nine months used to be when I was younger—if months, themselves, are an inconsistent metric. We need more ways to measure the passing of our lives.

Then again, whether they know the details or not, every person on Earth lives with the knowledge that they and all the people they love will one day die. Amazing, really, that anyone gets out of bed.

I literally shat the bed when Juniper came out and she tore my perineum like the Kool-Aid man breaking through a brick wall.

Just unfairly tall and gorgeous and has that magic gene where you don’t get cellulite.” “Damn, I want that gene. No, that’s not true—really what I want is a gene that makes me not care about that gene.”

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we have a book about multiple versions of the same person riding a party bus through space, time, space-time, or whatever. Which is a very fun premise for a book; imagine randomly being on a party bus with a you from every decade of your life! Now imagine randomly being on a party bus of all places, with a you from every decade of your life and all that entails and implies... heavy huh? Now I admit, I was slow on figuring out that second part. I can for a nice refreshing, brighter read, and that's how it all started. An enjoyably weird rom-com with a dash of sci-fi I guess? Hazel starts to tells us, and herself, of her three great loves in her life. Anyway, all good fun, light breezy reading.

But the story expands and Hazel ages, each version telling a couple of points from the intervening years, with all the highs and lows that life throws at us. It's interesting, the younger Hazels see themselves in the future and make some assumptions. As the book goes on the older Hazels fill in the gaps and it's a big reminder we know a fraction of the lives we see. Sometimes we guess correctly, other times we miss by a mile. Lives seen in snapshots are far from the full picture. So yeah, the story has some heavy moments. I think there's a chance this will be a book where different parts stand out depending on your own life. You'll see things that hit hard, but hopefully also some highlights you may have been letting slip or not focusing enough on. That's the weird thing. The theme of the book is supposed to be bounty. A life well lived, or as well as anyone could hope for considering life can be pretty hard at times. And those hard parts aren't fun. They're powerful, but they're not fun. And that's why when I finished the book I questioned the whole joy or a bountiful life thing. But it's there. I needed to sit with it a little and think back, but it is there, even in the darker moments.

It's an impressive book, even if you're foolish enough to just see a time travelling party bus and dive in for a little light relief. It may not be what I expected, but it was good. Kinda like most of our lives I guess.

[Kylie Klodzinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know those pictures people post after finishing a book where they’re holding it up while quite literally SOBBING?

Yeah. That was me.

Did I take a picture? Absolutely not. It was not pretty. 😂

But wow. This book.

All Together Now has one of the most unique premises I’ve read in a long time. Once a year, different versions of Hazel Stein—from different ages and stages of her life—come together on a party bus. Eight-year-old Hazel. Eighteen-year-old Hazel. Twenty-eight. Thirty-nine. Forty-nine. Fifty-seven. Sixty-eight. Seventy-seven. Each carrying a different piece of the same life.

And what starts out funny and quirky and completely charming slowly becomes something so much bigger.

I giggled my way through so much of this book. I loved Jenny Buxbaum’s writing, the music references, the little details, and the way we moved back and forth between the party bus and Hazel’s life at different ages. But somewhere along the way, I became completely invested in this woman and every version of her. I wanted to hug 49-year-old Hazel. And by the time I reached 65-year-old Hazel, I was in tears.

Because underneath this wonderfully strange premise is such a beautiful story about friendship, love, motherhood, and figuring out what actually matters when you look at the whole of a life.

But more than anything, I think this book is about living. Living while you have the chance. Loving people while they’re here. Cherishing the ordinary moments that don’t necessarily feel important until you realize they were the important ones all along.

This was funny. It was quirky. It was cute. It was heartbreaking. And it was absolutely beautiful.

If you’re an emotional reader, consider yourself warned. 😂😭

This is genuinely one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and I have a feeling All Together Now is going to be a rock star of a book when it makes its way into the world. Publish date is March 30, 2027. Preorder through your bookshop.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC. ❤️ Thank you to @juliebuxbaum for writing this story!

[Kait · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up.
I was absolutely hooked on this book. I devoured it in just over 24 hours and have sat with my thoughts for a couple of days before writing this review. I loved the way this story unfolded through the perspectives of each version of Hazel. I found Hazel to be a very compelling and relatable character. The storytelling style was quite unique and I believe is a selling point of the story as it prepares to go to market for readers. I am drawn to character-driven stories, like this one, that analyze the impact of being a woman, contemplating and/or entering motherhood, and grappling with life's big questions. This novel checked all of those boxes for me, while balancing a great level of humor and brightness amidst some heavier topics. I mean, we're talking about an existential party bus - if that appeals to you, you're my kind of people!

This loses half of a star for me, again after sitting with my thoughts for a few days, because of the conclusion and "reveal" of the origin of the party bus. I wasn't sure how I felt about the final perspective and the discovery of what the party bus is and what it means. I was able to suspend my disbelief throughout the novel, assuming an element of magical realism that I was willing to accept. Where the story ultimately led was something slightly different, and I still can't fully reconcile how I feel about it.

As it's written, this story is a character study. The reader spends the entirety of the novel with Hazel over the course of her entire life. As we are learning about her and analyzing her decisions, Hazel is simultaneously meeting and conversing with herself and coming face=to-face with her own journey. Where the story leads us, and ultimately concludes, felt like a sudden jerk to the left. I found myself questioning 'would Hazel really do this? Make this choice?" That question still remains for me, but having spent time reflecting on it, this does not take away my overall enjoyment and positive review of this book.

[Corinne Soares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books that emotionally destroy you in the best possible way are something special. And this one? I have been sitting here crying for the last five minutes after finishing it.

All Together Now is such a beautiful story about life and what it truly means to live a good one.

Every decade or so, Hazel Stein finds herself on a party bus with seven other versions of herself, ranging in age from eight to seventy-seven. Each Hazel brings her own experiences, worries, heartbreaks, and wisdom as they piece together the story of one woman's life.

So many things about this book resonated with me. Hazel losing her father at a young age, as I did, and how that kind of loss can fundamentally change who you become. The beautiful friendships she builds throughout her life and how those relationships grow, evolve, and sometimes change as she does.

But perhaps what struck me most was the reminder that life isn't meant to be easy or free from grief and sadness. Those experiences are part of what makes life so rich and meaningful. They shape us, challenge us, and help us grow, even when we're scared of what comes next.

The reflections from each age of Hazel were so incredibly spot on. The things we worry about at different stages of life, the things we think matter so much in the moment, and the perspective we gain as we grow older. I found myself relating to so many of these versions of Hazel, sometimes in ways I wasn't expecting.

This is such a beautiful, thoughtful, and deeply meaningful story. One that reminds us that a good life isn't necessarily a perfect or easy one, but one filled with love, connection, heartbreak, growth, and all the messy moments in between.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Five stars, a whole lot of tears, and a story that will stay with me for a very long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Kelli Williams · Rating 1.5 out of 5]

I loved two of the author's YA novels (Tell Me Three Things and Hope and Other Punch Lines), so I was so thrilled to receive an ARC of this title! The premise was so interesting as well! A party bus every decade or so with yourself at those ages? SO clever! Unfortunately, the execution left something to be desired.

The time on the bus was uncomfortable and unpleasant. All of the Hazels seemed to be judgey and unkind to one another. I would have expected camaraderie and laughter, not sarcastic remarks every third comment.

The pacing was very chaotic for the first half. The party bus scenes were inserted in places I would have preferred to see the story continue to flow. It seemed to get better in the second half, but it was a bit of a slog to get there.

In addition, and this is certainly an issue not all readers will have, the information about her sex-life and that of her friends', while not spicy, was also not G. I don't think those specifics/topics are necessary to differentiate an adult book from YA, and if a lot of that had been left out, it would not have detracted from the plot or the message, and would have made the book more accessible for younger readers.

Also, the author is politically and socially liberal, and she wrote the book with that agenda. Again, many readers won't have a problem with that, but I didn't appreciate it. The ending in particular celebrated a politically divisive topic, and I wish I'd known going in.

Had I not felt obligated to write a review, I most likely would have DNF'd about halfway through. But I also wanted to find out what all the teasers of the future Hazels on the bus were about. Sadly, the answers weren't worth finishing.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this book.

[Stephanie Peterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

this one is definitely for fans of magical realism books like Oona Out of Order, This Time Tomorrow, and Cassandra in Reverse, where a female main character has her own a unique time travel mechanism that allows her brief glimpses into the past, present, and future of her life that are ultimately revealed as a full picture by the end.

in All Together Now, a 30-year-old Hazel is with her past and future selves, which are convened on a "party bus" every decade or so, where she's able to glean some facts about her life here and there, but is still largely confused about what it all means until she's lived through it.

it's beautiful and heartbreaking as she ages, which slowly reveals the reason why the Hazels look a certain way on the bus. personally, i felt like the crux of the story that was presented in the very beginning – the party bus of Hazels each telling the story of the three loves of her life – doesn't really pay off or make sense until the end. even then, it's a bit dubious, but the overall sentiment is there and i appreciated the way it all came together in the end.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Topo Chicas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Julie Buxbaum’s YA books, so I couldn’t wait to jump into her newest adult contemporary! Like with many of her other books - you’ll feel all the emotions, fall for each of her characters, and likely finish it all in one setting.

Every decade, Hazel Stein wakes up on a party bus to find 7 versions of herself, past and present. Together, the Hazels try to piece together the story of their life, through her 3 greatest loves.

I loved the concept of this book; it was such a fun and creative way of telling the story of Hazel’s life, especially through the banter between the Hazels. Throughout most of the book, there is an underlying mystery of why the Hazels are together and what they have to teach each other, which made for the book to be unputdownable. I appreciated getting to see Hazel grow and become herself with each new version of her life and with each story a Hazel shared. I loved the ebbs and flows of figuring out oneself and how that is impacted by life circumstances and the people around you. Each of the side characters were also interesting, dynamic, and easy to love (flaws and all). My personal favorites were Emily and Iris. My biggest complaint is that I couldn’t have more time with them, especially with 18 and 28 year old Hazel. Just be prepared: the ending will wreck you (in all the best and worst ways).

Overall, this was such a lovely read that I cannot wait to revisit for years to come!Thank you Avid Press/Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC!