Everything Changes: A Novel

I couldn't put this book down. Tropper writes with unbridled conviction which leaves you no choice but to become emotionally involved with each character. Tragic and refreshing - a combination rarely successful.

So far the book is funny and introspective, but the binding is falling apart. As soon as I opened the book, pages came loose. Quickly pages were falling out every time I set it down or picked it up. I'm only on page 100 or so. I bought two other books of Tropper's bundled together, which I haven't opened yet. Guess we'll see if this is an anomaly or not.

Zack King seems to have his life in order. He's got a steady job, he's engaged to marry a beautiful woman who loves him, and he lives rent-free in his rich friend's impressive home. But beneath the outer appearances, he's got issues. He's in love with his best friend's widow. A health scare is making him question the direction his life is taking. And his father, who abandoned Zack and his brothers when they were young, makes a surprise reappearance that throws Zack into emotional turmoil.

Everything Changes is both funny and sad, whimsical and profound. As a reader, I found myself appalled by Zack's behavior at the same time that I was rooting for him to get his act together.

So many times, humorous stories are written at the expense of the characters' depth. Jonathan Tropper does an excellent job of maintaining his characters' three-dimensional humanity while throwing them into situations that are both hilarious and absurd.

Two other authors come to mind who do the same thing with finesse: Michael Chabon and Nick Hornby. While Tropper's work lacks the literary depth of Chabon and the hipness of Hornby, he shares with them the ability to present fully fleshed-out characters that are both tragic and laugh-out-loud funny.

If I have one frustration with the book, it's with Zack's lack of action. He practically gives Hamlet a run for his money in his frozen, impotent contemplation of his father problems. But we know he's eventually going to get off his rear and take charge of his life, and we're ready to cheer for him when he does.

Everything Changes is a smart, funny ride that kept me turning pages, and that left me sorry when the journey was over.

Life is going well for Zack King. He's marrying beautiful, leggy, and blue-blood blonde Hope, a girl he has trouble believing has fallen for him. His job as a middleman between clients and suppliers may not be a life's calling, but is okay. At age thirty-two, he's trying to be everything his louse of a father was not when he essentially dropped out of the lives of his mother and two brothers many years ago. Apparently, the equanimity in his life is too good to be true.

This book is a well-paced, insightful, amusing, and sympathetic look at how a man's life can rather quickly unravel. It's hard to say what is more disconcerting to Zack: the unexpected presence of his father Norm at his apartment door or the sudden appearance of blood in his urine. He doesn't want to alarm Hope with his medical problem, so he seeks the consolation of Tamara, the widow of his former best friend Rael, who sadly did not survive a car wreck in which Zack was the passenger, after a night of partying in Atlantic City. Zack has been a pillar of strength for Tamara over the last two years, but his deeper feelings for her, which he has harbored for the longest time, are, much to his chagrin, starting to surface more and more.

The book is not a deep psychological study of life and relationships. It has zany moments usually involving his father who pops Viagra like it is aspirin, simply to maintain constant, though unemployed, feelings of potency. But there is enough introspection and regrouping for all the parties to begin to move beyond feelings of hurt, loss, abandonment, and, more importantly for Zack, violating trusts. The author shows a very deft touch in this well-constructed, easy-flowing book.

Zack, the first person narrator, hates his job, is doubtful about which girl in his life to marry, has a mentally retarded brother, and an absent father, has blood in his urine, and thinks he might have cancer. The action takes place in Manhattan and the Riverdale Section of the Bronx, over a few weeks, with a few flashbacks for back story.

Zack's long-absent delinquent father turns up and tries, with some success, to reinsert himself into the family and solve Zack's problems.

I noticed other reviewers describing it as a romantic comedy, and comparing it with Tom Perotta and Nick Hornby, both of which I was inclined to do. In many ways it's a perfectly constructed novel. On the negative side, it is perhaps a shade too sentimental. I thought it lacked a sharp satirical edge and the attempts to be funny are not quite as successful as those of masters like Elmore Leonard or Evelyn Waugh. A running gag is that Zack's father is hooked on Viagra and walks around with an erection. Tropper tends to nudge us to see his humorous points. He often tells us what characters are like before showing them in action. He explains at length that his boss, Bill, is an "ardent user of buzz words" and loves to "dispense the myriad inspirational truisms he's accumulated" and then gives us examples of Bill's speech.

You know it's a good book when you do what I did this morning, which was to roll over upon awakening and begin reading instantly to find out how it was going to end. For the life of me I cannot figure out why this author isn't more widely read? He is an amazing story teller, probably one of the best fiction writers today IMO. This was the third of his books for me and although the main character is similar in all of them the stories couldn't be more different. His ability to find just the right word, phrase, figurative language to succinctly summarize a characters self assessment or a situation is unparalleled. He probably doesn't even need an editor. His ability to write from both men's and women's perspectives with such sensitivity and insight is remarkable. One moment I'm laughing out loud, and then the mood changes and I'm concerned, then crying. I wish I were a better writer myself so I could write a better review! Now I have to figure out which one of his books to read next...

This is the 3rd Jonathan Tropper novel I read in the past 2 months. I really enjoy his style of writing and the quirky characters he develops. Everything Changes had many funny moments, but also so very serious, heart felt moments as well. The parts were we read about Zach and Tamara's grief over the lose if Rael is so real and raw. Yet, the book is not a depressing book at all. Yes, the father character is over the top-more like a caricature than a real person-but he's funny and crazy and added to the enjoyment of the book. The entire time I was reading the book I felt like I was listening to one of those people who embellish the truth, yet their story is so engaging you want to hear more. On to my next Tropper book!

I met Jonathan Tropper at a literary presentation in April, 2011 at Eastern Michigan University. He is a droll man with a singular, but not overpowering, wit. I was duly impressed.

I have liked all of his books. I loved "There is Where I Leave You" and I almost love "Everything Changes." His total talent was apparent in "This is Where....." which, I understand, is in the works for a movie. Tropper writes for both men and women, which makes him extraordinary in plot and character development.

In this book, Zach King, a 32 year old, is engaged to a beautiful, rich woman. He has a middle management job as a middleman in a medium-large corporation. But Zach is anything but middle-of-the-road. In addition to his general angst about marriage and his job, he is in the throes of life-changing consequences. He is the eldest of three boys, his father, Norm, cheated on his mother, Lela and then he abandoned his family. Norm makes an appearance in Zach's life as he is undergoing significant changes. Norm is more than a character. He is a 100% neglectful father, who believes that he may have a chance to ingratiate himself with his three sons by delivering his philosophy and acting super pushy on behalf of his sons' perils. This doesn't really work but it makes an impression.

Norm's entrance coincides with Zach's conflicts about his upcoming marriage and a frightening health scare. I don't know how Tropper can make a bladder biopsy humorous but he does and tops it off with a hilarious chase at the doctor's country club for biopsy results.

The strongest part of this novel is friendship. Tropper makes friendship shine upon Zach. His group of friends, whether dead or alive, is loyal. Of course, there is a love entanglement but more that, there are brilliant scenes of Zach's capability to give unconditional love to children. He can absorb their fears and impart security in the most frightful situations. Tropper can convey love and fear in comedic and tragic circumstances.

Like millions of other Americans, Zack King has the worst job in the world. The hero of Jonathan Tropper's sparkling new romantic comedy EVERYTHING CHANGES, Zack is a corporate middleman in the big city, a cubicle prisoner, a man upon whom everyone can assess blame. And, like millions of Americans in call centers, financial giants, supply chain corporations, and "Office Space" cube farms, Zack hates his job.

He explains: "...we spend our days making three kinds of phone calls. We call our vendors to hound them about schedules and late deliveries; we call our clients to reassure them that everything is on schedule or to get blamed because it isn't; we call potential clients and kiss the asses of the people who will one day blame us for everything." And if that isn't enough drudgery to occupy a workday in hell, there is Zack's everyman, middleman boss. "The trick with Bill is to say as little as possible. He is notorious for his long-winded lectures on salesmanship, and you never know when a simple pleasantry might trigger a mini Dale Carnegie seminar. ... he believes that there is no problem that can't be solved with a ten-minute PowerPoint presentation."

But the job is the least of Zack's problems. He's falling in love with his late friend's wife, Tamara, and out of love with his own fiancé, Hope; his struggling rock star brother is beginning a downward spiral; his roommate, Jed, the dot.com millionaire, has decided to drop out of life and just watch television; and Zack's estranged father is loose on the streets of New York with a fistful of Viagra. And there may be an even bigger problem. Enter the mysterious stranger: a Nike swoosh-shaped shadow on one of Zack's kidneys that just might be cancer.

Tropper, who wowed readers with THE BOOK OF JOE, treads hysterically familiar territory in EVERYTHING CHANGES with his theme of the neurotic, successful thirty-something leaving the city to return home to try to settle his problems. The author's musical narrative is vastly improved from his previously respectable efforts, his fresh, authoritative voice smoothly and seamlessly taking Zack on his wild journey. It is Tropper's vivid descriptions of office life, in-love-with-the-other-woman imagery, the looming loss of a good friend, Zack's Woody Allen internal dialogue, and his flamboyant vignettes that never fail to delight, keeping EVERYTHING CHANGES at a rapid-fire pace.

Zack, his engagement, his brother, friend, father, and mother, are all at stagnant points in their lives, points that only have the illusion of moving forward. It takes Norm King, the father everyone has learned not to tolerate, to skip into town with his trail of affairs and debts not far behind, to motivate those in Zack's world to face the truth, get up off the couch, evolve, and --- most importantly --- to forgive.

Tropper's latest effort is quite simply wonderful, wacky and big-hearted, Elton John wig and all.

--- Reviewed by Brandon M. Stickney

Jonathan Tropper was recommended to me by chance out of my following of other humorous authors. Tropper's ultra fast paced story telling reveals a new quirk and a new laugh seemingly at every page. Though I can not yet judge his collective works, Tropper's talents cause me to eagerly anticipate his other novels.

Zachary King has a gorgeous fiancee, a luxurious rent-free apartment, and a well paying job. Problems begin to arise when other women are more interesting to him than they should be and his job that would seem to be out of Kafka's imagination wears all too thin on him. In addition, traces of blood show up in his urine and his absentee Viagra-addicted father reenters is life. His father Norm actually seems to take Viagra as a maintenance drug which creates some interesting situations. Zach's brother Matt's peculiar choice of a hairpiece is also a highlight. I was only a little repulsed by the retarded brother jokes used when Zach's brother Pete makes an appearance. Tropper is too talented to attempt such cheap humor.

The portions of the story in which Zach's medical problems are being addressed are amusing enough to make this book worth purchasing. But as readers cringe their way through awkward situations, it is difficult not to be amused. While the book is humorous, one can empathize with Zach as he is torn between his fiancee with her seemingly disapproving family and the widow of his best friend. The humor complements a great story in "Everything Changes". As the runaway train of a story winds to its conclusion, not every twist can be anticipated.

This is the third novel published by Jonathan Tropper, and while it's not as good as his second ("The Book of Joe"), there is a great deal to like here. The protagonist, Zack, is a character many men can relate to--someone who wants the things in life society tells us we should want. But when his life is threatened with a cancer scare, he realizes that what he truly values is quite different from what he thought he should value. What I like most about Zack is that he has a lot of frustration and anger towared his AWOL father who suddenly shows up in his life looking for forgiveness yet beneath that exterior lies a great capacity for love, compassion, and a desire to heal the emotional wounds that ultimately will remain open. The emotional insights are balanced well with comedic moments--especially when Zack suddenly loses his appetite for breakfast when his father wanders into the kitchen (...). Overall, this is a good read. I highly recommend it. And I highly recommend Tropper's other two novels. A sublime way to pass a few lazy afternoons.

I was initially turned off by a crude description early in the book, but then I found myself increasingly drawn into the story and characters. The protagonist works as a middleman for a supply consultancy, arranging for Nike supplies to be shipped from China to the US, and deals with vendors' complaints and worries. He's engaged to a fiancee who's perfect on paper, but he finds his late buddy's widow more compelling...and the bond between them is growing. When he gets a cancer scare, he's forced to reassess his work and love life.

This was a very interesting read, well-written with believable characters and funny moments. The cancer scare doesn't drag the story down, but instead calls the main character to action. There's a good blend of introspection and storytelling. I liked this much more than "The Book of Joe."

I thought I'd read all of Mr. Tropper's books so was delighted when I found this one. Zack King lives with his wealthy roommate who does nothing but lie around and watch TV. Zack has a stressful job, two brothers - one of whom is learning disabled and the other a rocker - and is in love with the woman who was married to his deceased best friend. Zack is engaged to the engaging Hope and I kind of wanted him to stay with her. Does he? His father shows up unexpectedly and plays a major and funny role in Zack's life. The story wraps up nicely and all in all a highly recommended read.

Excellent book. My third Tropper book and favorite so far. Laugh out loud funny at times, and I even liked the ending. Very well written and generally tight plot. Characters were all likable and real. My wife described this as a chick book, as she's started reading it at my suggestion. I guess there's a lot here for the guys and the ladies. Nice job, Mr. Tropper. Can't wait for the movie.

This author has a style that is as genuine as it gets. His characters are carefully and yet effortlessly developed so that you are drawn in without realizing it. His choice of words is perfect, allowing his audience to form complete images without the distraction that a misused word or poorly chosen phrase would bring. Absolutely amazing.

I have read most of Trooper's published books and this is a pretty good read. Entertaining and fairly light, this is an interesting look at love, guilt, family, and the usual fare of Tropper's books-the 27-34 year old male looking for the right path. He has done it better in How to Talk to a Widower and with better descriptive phrases in the Book of Joe but this is still a solid book. Those who are fans of the Man/Boy books of Trooper will enjoy them. Those who have worked in corporate jobs, ala Office Space, will enjoy the send up of mid corporate level work. Honestly, I would liek to give the book 3 and a half stars rather than three. My only dislike was not looking deeper into the psychological depths of the main characters infatuation to see the healthiness of the relationship. Read it, though, and make up your own mind.

(I'd give this 3 and a half stars, if that were an option.) Jonathan Tropper faces the difficult challenge of following in the footsteps of his funny and poignant "Book of Joe." Tropper's natural sense of humor is present in "Everything Changes" and there are some truly hilarious scenes involving Zach's father. A couple places where the novel falls short: The character of Hope is poorly developed, little more than an outline of a person. It's possible this is meant to parallel Zach's feelings about her, but that seems like a lazy way out for a writer as talented as Tropper (he does a fantastic job of creating Tamara). The ending also feels thrown on, a last minute attempt to create a satisfying resolution. Not rushing the publication of Everything Changes (maybe to coincide with the paperback run of Book of Joe?) might have allowed Tropper to work out some of these issues. But even still, Tropper is a writer worth reading, often engaging and always funny.

After seeing so many positive reviews, I thought I should give it a try. I am glad I did. This novel captivated my interest from the beginning. I didn't want to put it down. The best part is that there is not one moment/scene in this book that is unnecessary or irrelevant to the story. At the beginning of the story, Zachary King has a good job, a beautiful fiance, living with his best friend rent-free and is confused with his growing feelings for his other best friend's widow, Tamara. When he discovers potential cancer and his father returns after fifteen years looking to make amends, he starts thinking about various aspects of his life and making some serious decisions which lead to a lot of changes in his life. Very intelligently written, funny, touching story. This is my first novel from this author and I am definitely looking forward to read his other books.

Everything changes is the third novel by Jonathan Tropper and although it is a worthwhile read it is not in the same high league as his masterpieces Plan B and The Book of Joe. Zachary King in this book is a similar character to Ben in Plan B and Joe from the Book of Joe. Everything Changes is also written in the same narrative, talking to the reader style as those novels.

What it lacks though is a clear plot. You knew what was going on in the other novels ie Ben and the others trying to force their celebrity friend off drugs in Plan B and Joe returning to a town he had slammed in his novel to visit his dying father in The Book of Joe. Everything Changes is just a fly on the wall view into a few weeks of a Zachary King's life and his mid life crisis, fear of bladder cancer and reunion with his father Norm who walked out on his life years before. The book is also rather predictable, you know what Zach is going to choose to do after a few chapters.

It is however entertaining and Zach's medical experiences are something every guy hopes to never go through. A good read but read the sensational novels Plan B and The Book of Joe first.

I really enjoyed this book! A sort of male-perspective on the common chick lit themes of love, relationships and family, Tropper created three dimensional, sympathetic characters. Zack, the main character, is only outshined by the skill in which Tropper created Peter. And the situations he put them in - hilarious! I laughed out loud more than a few times! I was also surprisingly moved at times. He is a talented writer and I am looking forward to reading some of his other books - in fact, I have two others waiting for me at home!

Finding humor and gratification within tragedy may be hard for some to relate but this author magically makes it happen. The book captured my attention from the beginning and kept me captive and entertained to the end.

This is the novel I've been waiting for Jonathan Tropper to write. I admired his previous novels -- PLAN B and the BOOK OF JOE, which certainly displayed his considerable talents. He sets up great premises for his characters to work through issues. He establishes a breezy pace, writes sharp, funny dialogue and spices it all with witty observations. But there were certain things about those earlier novels that drove me crazy. The narrators and other characters sometimes made cliched observations in the tone of thinking they had stated something original. The writing sometimes belabored the obvious -- making points well after the reader had already gotten it. And the character's cynicism didn't seem earned because it wasn't hard won. While I liked PLAN B nonetheless, I couldn't help but cringe everytime one of the characters whined about how difficult it was to -- YIKES!! - turn 30. I didn't have any of those frustrations reading EVERYTHING CHANGES. In fact, I felt glee on almost every page, while witnessing such a beautifully wrought and masterfully told story. Here Mr. Troppers' prodigious talents are all on full display again. The dialogue is funny and sharp and the pacing is perfect. There are some Hollywood moments -- e.g. a couple of fistfights, but still the observations his narrator, Zack, makes about life and love are profound, insightful -- and original. It's a wonderful story about a man dealing with a no-account father and his torn feelings toward his beautiful fiancee and another woman -- the widow of his late best friend -- who has become the real love of his life. The ending pages, which I won't give away, moved me almost to the point of tears. This novel will enter my own personal pantheon of great books I keep re-reading at various stages of my life. (The HERE AND NOW by Robert Cohen; Tom Perrotta's THE WISHBONES, and Glenn Savan's WHITE PALACE to name a few). Anyone who enjoyed this and would like to read a similar story should consider Marshall Boswell's, ALTERNATIVE ATLANTA, another funny and moving tale of a man struggling over his awkward relationship with his father and battling with his feelings for a forbidden woman.

Figured I should read a "adult" novel (meaning not young adult), and this was a great choice. Not sure where I got the recommendation to read this, but I am glad I did.

The characters are realistic, but go through quite the roller-coaster of life changing events. Like true life they make good and bad decisions, with consequences. Liked this enough, I may need to check out other books by this author.

This book is a quick, easy read with a lot to like. I believe it is being adapted to a movie, and I'm not surprised- it certainly feels like a movie when you're reading it. Zach (the protagonist narrator) has a fiancee (Hope) but is in love with his dead best friend's widow (Tamara). He hates his job and discovers he might have cancer. His father, absent from most of his childhood, suddenly shows up and wants to be a part of his life. The story follows Zach through a weeklong adventure through which he tries to reshape his life and redefine who he is.

I think the best of the part of the book are Zach's internal descriptions of his thoughts and emotions. The author uses some great metaphors, and the evolution of Zach's persona is really interesting and well-depicted. I highlighted a bunch of passages in the book that I thought were examples of great writing. There are other reasons to like it, too, but other reviews summarize these; I'm going to focus on my criticisms.

Three main criticisms:
1) The book seems as though it was written to be a movie, and that has its pros and cons. The cons are - the characters are all stereotypes. You have the the straight-laced, careful, prudent protagonist; the pretty, blond, wealthy, totally-in-control fiancee; the sexy dark-haired "other girl" the protagonist falls in love with; the handsome, wealthy, totally carefree best friend/roomate; the charming deadbeat father; the punk rock, pothead younger brother; the stiff boss who only speaks in cliches. Outside of Zach (the main character), none of the characters have any depth at all, and you know everything you need to know about each of them after a 1-sentence description. The "pro" is that this is partly why this book is such a quick, easy read - every character fits into a 1-sentence description.

2) The dialogue is weak. The rest of the book is very well-written, as I mentioned above, but so much of the dialogue is forced and lacking emotion. This takes away so much power from the climactic scenes towards the end of the book. One example from earlier in the book: there is a scene where Zach and Jed (his roomate) get in a heated argument at a diner. They exchange about 3 angry lines, and then Jed says, "you know the saddest part is? We're both right, but that doesn't make you any less wrong." Not such a powerful punch line in my opinion.

3) The ending is way too easy. It's almost like the 2-hour movie had 10 minutes left, so the author just had to wrap things up in a nice little bow, and that was that. I won't spoil it...

(Also- this is a minor qualm, but the entire plot line with Zach trying to tracks down his biopsy results is totally ridiculous. Coming from someone who has had numerous biopsies done in New York city, they absolutely would have found a way to get him the results.)

I didn't like this novel as much as Tropper's "This is Where I Leave You", but it was still a great read.

It was very interesting to see the main character go through so many changes in his life all at once. It was, in a strange way, inspiring!

One aspect I liked about the book - the main character was gutsy... he did things we all wish we could do. There are certainly aspects I could definitely relate to!

Zach King (no relation to Mark) is involved in a car accident with his best friend Rael who is killed and Zach relatively unscathed, except for a bit of blood in his urine. He's engaged to gorgeous Hope, a socialite way out of his league, and thinks perhaps he should be devoted to Tamara, the widow of Rael.

The front cover is a bit erotic showing a well-formed unclothed female form with a tight high wire on which a man holding a red umbrella is trying to walk across not very successfully. Zach, age 32, has decided that his life is changing much too fast and quickly getting out of his control. He thinks that the devastating health problem will put him out of commission in the field of love, but it turns out to be arthritis which aggravates his love life and contentment with his job, but no big deal.

At his wits' end, he decides he needs a major life change (Oh, to be so young!) and must face the perils of a well-planned mundane life with some complications. His dad with whom he has a history of bad blood for the past twenty years appears on his doorstep and expects to move right in and continue in his sordid oversexed playing around games. He doesn't seem to have changed, but tricks Zach into believing that he wants to transform his life. Norm's hijinks leaves Zach's love triangle in shatters. That's what wayward fathers are for, to mess up one's love life.

Everything appears to be simply changing but is seriously out of control for Zach. Actually, things are changing for the better to a more normal way of life. Zach will survive, but will his love life? Who will he choose to spend his life with forever and a day?

Jonathan Tropper does tend to put a little too much involved sexual situations in his books. BOOK OF JOB (2004) is a coming-of-age at 34 which is currently in the process of becoming a sit- com movie. EVERYTHING CHANGES will soon be a Sony motion picture. Plan B (2000) may be picked up if these two are boxoffice hits. This guy seems to have it all going for him, but I fear it is all happening too close together and may backfire. My son Zach is a writer but, thank goodness, he sticks with science fiction as a rule -- not all this sex stuff.

Loved the seamless mix of tones that these characters go through, sometimes shifting in thoughts and behavior sometimes even contrary to their better judgments had they not be so conflicted about how they feel or how they should behave. So much like real people living real lives, n'est pas?

Jonathan Tropper keeps growing as a novelist and it's wonderful to watch his steady progression. This book is amazing -- snappy dialogue, marvelous three-dimensional characters, and a plot that twists and turns. Tropper and Tom Perrotta seem to dominate this genre -- cleverly-written comic novels with depth and suspense. I won't go into long plot detail, since most of the other reviewers have done a fine job of it, but if you're looking for an entertaing read, buy this book!

Jonathan Tropper has written a book that will captivate a reader. From the very first page of this book I was hooked. I couldn't put it down. Tropper writes about common things that people experience in life, but he writes about them in an almost surreal way. The interactions between characters and the deep family ties are what makes this an awesome book. A hard read to put down...beware you may read the whole book in one sitting.

"Everything Changes" by Jonathan Tropper is an amusing book. I read it while I was on a plane to Paris and it certainly made my 9 hour-American Airlines'-`room-less'-sleepless- coach ride bearable (but now that I think about it, it must've been my warm and fuzzy anticipation of my wife and I's romantic gateway to the Love capital instead)...it left me with a `more to be desired than fully satisfied' feeling...you know the one I'm talking about.

I have to admit- I find certain repulsion to the Topper's comic-foreseeable resolution to the story. Why is that? Could it be due to my own acceptance of the uncertainly life has to offer, of the knowledge that beyond the happy Hollywood ending life does not necessarily proceed as planned? Perhaps that's why I crave the attractiveness of Franzen's melancholic finality, to the inherited page-soaked realism always with a touch of sadness and despair (life doesn't hide its secrets in Franzen's works; life is naked, exposed, real).

Topper's character, a young professional who's about to get married, finds out not only that he is in love with his best friend's wife, that the blood in his urine is not caused by cancer (I never really found out what caused it), but that his estranged father is a lot more messed up than previously anticipated (fathering and then again dumping a 4th son for someone else to raise). In the end, like all who write in anticipation of capturing Hollywood producers' attention, Topper sticks to the plan and never ventures to surprise the reader. The story ends with a bitter-sweet `everyone gets what they wanted in the first place' account which was `what I didn't want to read but was stuck in the plane' reading.

- by Simon Cleveland

From the first time I picked up a Jonathan Tropper book, I was hooked on this writer. I fell in love with his writing style which is eloquent, humorous, even edgy at times. I love it! I bought the "Book of Joe" when I ran out of books to read. Honestly, I grabbed it because that's my husbands name and I was in a huge hurry. I read a brief review and thought I'd give it a try. I couldn't wait for "Everything Changes" to come out! Again, I was not disappointed. I love Tropper's stylist approach to writing and his sense of humor. Although at times his stories have a few moments that are somewhat "over the top", I think many of us can relate to a lot of the more real moments in his books. Keep writing, but please, don't let fame and fortune ruin your style or send you into "mass production mode" that makes so many writers become less creative and more repetative.

Let me first start out by saying that I am not a huge novel fan. I picked up this book and could hardly put it down. It is a profound story about a man and his father who had dissappeared for many years. It some way in reminded me of a modern day version of "Catcher in the Rye". Tropper does a fantastic job with the voice used throughout the book, and look forward to reading his other books and future books to come!

When I read The Book of Joe, also by this author, I thought it was one of the most entertaining and heartfelt novels I'd ever read. Since then I've read all but one of Tropper's books (just ordered Plan B) and each time I find myself not only engaged but also laughing and at times tearful. Tropper is a bit like one of my other favorite authors Elin Hildebrand in that he pushes his characters to their very limit, drives them right into the ground until they have to fight for their life to pull themselves out. This book's characters do just that. It is a fabulous read.

I feel like I could spend entire days reading JT's writing. It's vivid but simple, uncomplicated but complex, entertaining, engrossing, relatable, and just plain wonderful. I find myself being grateful for his existence as his writing carries me away to a place I really love visiting. No wonder they makes movies out of his books!

Because I enjoyed The Book of Joe so much, I wasn't sure I would like Everything Changes, but I was pleasantly surprised and would even say I like it better... Jonathan Tropper's sense of humor is amazing when writing about what goes on in a man's mind, and I loved Zach's outlook on life and love. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a fast, funny (and fun) read!

All of Trooper's books are brillant, well written, humorous, and poignant. Just order all of them, you will want them after reading your first. This one is about a man who allows himself to find true love even though it means making difficult and messy decisions. This is an easy read, hard to put down, and delicious!

Because I enjoyed The Book of Joe so much, I wasn't sure I would like Everything Changes, but I was pleasantly surprised and would even say I like it better... Jonathan Tropper's sense of humor is amazing when writing about what goes on in a man's mind, and I loved Zach's outlook on life and love. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a fast, funny (and fun) read!

All of Trooper's books are brillant, well written, humorous, and poignant. Just order all of them, you will want them after reading your first. This one is about a man who allows himself to find true love even though it means making difficult and messy decisions. This is an easy read, hard to put down, and delicious!

I seem to be the only reviewer who liked this book better than "The Book Of Joe". I guess that's because I cared about the charactors much more than the ones in "Joe", as well as feeling they were more "real" (a "middleman" vs a famous author).

This book was given to me as a gift and I had no idea what to expect when I started to read it. It is a great book - with just enough to keep you guessing about what could happen next. The development of the main character is phenomenal and truely gives you a sense of how he is feeling inside at every step of the way.

Highly recommend!

Set in New York, this is a fast moving,easy to read, contemporary novel.

you can imagine it as an episode of "only fools and horses" with its very wry humour,or indeed as a motion picture starring Hugh Grant (as Zack).

Look out for mayhem in the doctors surgery,and madness on the golf course.

This is the first time i have read this author and i will be on the lookout for his other works!

Highly recommended!

Fun, heartfelt and fast paced. Flawed but loveable characters are the norm for Tropper and for some reason I cannot put his books down. Of the three books of his that I have read, this has the most likeable characters. If you are looking for a quick, uplifting read, start with Everything Changes.

Jonathan Tropper really knows how to tell a good story. It's the type of book where you feel like you're reading about people you know. And they stay with you, all through the day and long after you've finished the book. Don't you love books like that?

I loved this book. It is well written, witty and rather philosophical... Jonathan Tropper has great insight, humor and intelligence. A man's point of view that appeals to women, I think fans of the "chic lit" genre would appreciate this book!

I loved this book and am so glad I read it before hearing the cd. The reading on the disc is so monotonous that I fall asleep before the first cd is completed. This has happened three times. Works better than most recordings for insomnia. Read the book yourself.

I loved this book. It is well written, witty and rather philosophical... Jonathan Tropper has great insight, humor and intelligence. A man's point of view that appeals to women, I think fans of the "chic lit" genre would appreciate this book!