All Together Now: A Novel

by Julie Buxbaum

For readers of Alison Espach and Emma Straub, brimming with joy, honesty, humor, and heart, All Together Now charts the extraordinary life of the relatively ordinary Hazel Stein—as told by every version of herself she ever has been and ever will be.

Every decade, give or take a few years, Hazel Stein wakes up on a party bus, complete with neon lighting, purple argyle carpet, and a stripper pole, to find seven of her past and future There's Hazel, age eight, making paper airplanes out of napkins; eighteen, with catastrophic bangs and the insecurities to match; twenty-eight, an undeniable knockout who’s still learning to be independent; thirty-nine, flush with the exhilaration and anxiety of new motherhood; forty-nine, gaunt and bald (she’s so terrifying, the other Hazels can barely look her in the eye); fifty-seven, whose ring finger is suddenly, disturbingly bare; sixty-eight, the happy victim of overzealous injectables; and seventy-seven, with wiry white hair, a gash on her forehead, and threadbare clothes.

Together, they must unravel the mysteries of Hazel’s life and tell the story of her three great loves—from an unforgettable one-night stand at the turn of the millennium, to friendships that span decades and continents, from the chaos of the “sandwich” years, to the seismic, reality-warping grief of unexpected loss. Together, they what do we owe to the people we used to be, and those we’ve yet to become—especially when time makes them feel like strangers to us? Is this recurring reunion a blessing or a curse, a cautionary tale to avoid at all costs or proof that Hazel’s fate is already sealed?

Hilarious, exuberant, and wise in turn, All Together Now is a dazzling journey through the moments that make up life’s unimaginable, spectacular bounty and a celebration of the endlessly surprising process of becoming ourselves.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

304 pages, Hardcover

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]

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! **

[Sharen]

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.

[Angie Miale]

I cannot wait for you guys to read this.

[Avery]

Like a rom com from the early 2000s

[Stephanie Peterman]

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.

[Jennifer Wurges byrnes]

Thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the eARC for review.

I'm a big fan of Julie Buxbaum and so when I saw when she had a new book coming out I requested it quickly. All Together Now is about one woman, Hazel Stein, and her various-aged selves who tell the story of her life while riding a party bus that sits outside of time. Every ten years or so Hazel finds herself on the bus with herselves at ages eight, 18, 28, 39, 49, 57, 68, and 77. She tries to read clues as to what's coming in her life based on the appearance of her selves and carries that anxiety forward until she reaches the age she was worried about and can see what really happens.

Great character development and I enjoyed the plot with one caveat. The description of the book says the women will tell the story of Hazel's three great loves, but I have to admit that when I was reading it I didn't make the connection - I thought it was only focusing on her relationship with her significant other, and when he became sort of a background character I was confused as I was totally engaged in that part of the story. I was about 3/4 of the way through when I realized what Buxbaum was doing and then it all made sense to me.

An interesting take on time travel and looking forward and back on the way we experience life.

4 stars

[Sarah (thehireader)]

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.

[Erin]

What a lovely, inventive, and warmly emotional book. Hazel is living a fairly normal life in New York, but every decade or so she gets swept away to a cosmic party bus, where she spends time with her past and future selves. This gives her some insight into how her life will go, but she’s not always right in her interpretations. We see her make best friends, fall in love, get and change jobs, and all the things that make up a life. I cried for the last 15% of the book, but not because it was upsetting. It just packs a lot of feelings into a satisfying ending.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

[Anna Murphy]

4.5 stars rounded up.
I had no idea what I was getting into here and the premise sounded kinda nuts. But I was hooked. Younger Hazel didn’t interest me that much but as we got to later in life and pieces started to come together I got very invested. I was a little confused at times with this premise but it made sense at the end. Be warned, there is a lot of sadness here but also a lot of joy and it will make you really think about your own life and your own trip through time. I definitely stopped a few times to think about mine. I think this one will stay with me for some time.

[Kelly]

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.

[Frances]

Thank you to netGalley, the author and publisher for an early read of 'All Together Now'. The premise of time travel and regularly meeting your future and past selves is so intriguing and interesting. I became thoroughly invested in the 'Hazel Steins' and the unfolding of their stories aboard the party bus. It's well written, it's clever, it's reflective and at times it's very emotional . I enjoyed every minute of every journey through space and time, or space-time or 'whatever'. I highly recommend that you join the party bus and enjoy this 5star book.

[Jayne Evangelista]

I really enjoyed All Together Now. The idea of waking up on a party bus with different versions of yourself is definitely a little out there, but it works. I loved all the different versions of Hazel and seeing how her life, loves, and heartbreaks over the years shaped who she became. Funny, heartbreaking, and a really unique love story about looking back at the person you were and the person you’ve become.

[Tess]

This book absolutely devastated me completely unexpectedly. Hit wayyy to close to home and dug into all of my current anxieties. 🥴 But it’s a great book too! She writes really amazingly about motherhood, especially raising an only child daughter.

[Jane]

I was asked to review by NetGalley oh my goodness this was close to home and maybe for me suffering anxieties this was a difficult read.

I was impressed by the writing and there was happiness too but this essentially made me look at mt life


Due for publication March 30 2027

[Kristen]

oh, this sounds devastating, lets do it