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Closer to Fine
In this luminous debut novel about a young woman putting her life back together after the death of her brother, Meri Weiss explores hope after heartbreak, and the myriad ways that those we love can make us whole again. . .Growing up, Alexandra and her older brother Ashley were never close. Her decision to move in to Ashley's Upper West Side apartment to care for him during his final months surprises herself as much as anyone, but it can't erase the guilt Alex feels at the years they wasted. Now, four years after his death, with a bout of depression and a suicide attempt behind her, Alex feels fragile but no longer broken. As for normal--only with her roommate and best friend Jordy and their gay friend Jax can she feel anything close to that.
Then Alex's therapist, Sam, bequeaths her a cryptic message that changes everything. The note reads simply, "You're missing a piece of yourself." At Sam's funeral, Alex meets Tucker--the charming, cute son of one of New York's wealthiest businessmen. As their romance deepens, Tucker tries to draw Alex out of her safety zone. But is Tucker the key to Sam's riddle, or is the real answer still waiting to be found?
At once humorous and heartbreaking, and peopled with deftly rendered characters, Closer to Fine is an exquisite first novel about love, loss, and self discovery, written with uncommon verve and grace.
Then Alex's therapist, Sam, bequeaths her a cryptic message that changes everything. The note reads simply, "You're missing a piece of yourself." At Sam's funeral, Alex meets Tucker--the charming, cute son of one of New York's wealthiest businessmen. As their romance deepens, Tucker tries to draw Alex out of her safety zone. But is Tucker the key to Sam's riddle, or is the real answer still waiting to be found?
At once humorous and heartbreaking, and peopled with deftly rendered characters, Closer to Fine is an exquisite first novel about love, loss, and self discovery, written with uncommon verve and grace.
310 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2008
6 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Meri Weiss
1 book6 followersMeri Weiss was born and raised in New York. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s degree in English. In 2002, she was awarded a MFA in Creative Writing from Southampton College/Long Island University; in 2006, she earned the President’s Award and a MA in Literature from SUNY New Paltz. Meri has been the recipient of Southampton College’s John Steinbeck Award as well as the Sarah Tucker Award for Fiction. In 2004, one of her stories was nominated by the Dog Writers Association of America for Best Short Fiction. Her fiction has appeared in Proteus, Confrontation, Hampton Shorts, Shawangunk Review and AKC Gazette. Meri has been a college English instructor and freelance writer for the past 11 years. She is currently living and teaching in New York City while working on her second novel.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 21, 2008
Words are not strong enough to describe how I feel about this book. No matter how many times I read it, I am thoroughly moved, especially by the first chapter. It's always a pleasure to revisit these characters, who have become strangely like family to me. You'll laugh and commiserate alongside Alex, Jax, Jordy, and Tucker. And don't be surprised if you find yourself saving a seat at your favorite East Village bar hoping for them to show up.
May 17, 2017
"All I know is that normal people-people who don't feel passionate about anything, people who don't read books, people who exist for years without crying-are boring, one dimensional and usually of mediocre intelligence. I hate normal people."
This quote summed up this whole book for me. I loved it.
This quote summed up this whole book for me. I loved it.
September 11, 2008
This books dumps you right in the middle of a young woman's life. She's taking a bold and unusual step--she's come to take care of her estranged brother who is dying of AIDS. At first she finds herself ill-prepared for the task, but as they get to know each other she comes to better know herself, and then lose herself in her grief for the years she lost with this man. His death sends her spiraling downward and her loyal troupe of flamboyant friends drag her back to life--and new discoveries about old feelings. This book is all about the value of friendship, family, and knowing yourself. There are hilarious moments, tender moments, tear jerking moments, and loads of memorable characters. What really drew me in is the novel's extensive use of music to set the mood, tempo and themes of the moment--there is a clear and strong soundtrack to this book that had me jumping on ITunes and/or digging through old CDs to enhance my reading. T his is Weiss's first novel--but I am VERY sure it will not be her last--she has a strong and talented voice that will resonate for people and make them come back again and again.
June 17, 2008
My dear NY publisher friend Peter sent Closer to Fine to me in the mail with a note that said, "I'm publishing this book, and I think you will love it as much as I did." Evidently he knows my literary taste well, because I loved this book and read it very quickly. It was fantastic! A superb convergence of "real literature" and can't-put-it-down modern interest.
The characters in this book are intensely real, and the relationships are compelling and original. The ending is both surprising and believable. I am definitely eager to read anything that Meri Weiss writes from here on out. Thank you Peter!
The characters in this book are intensely real, and the relationships are compelling and original. The ending is both surprising and believable. I am definitely eager to read anything that Meri Weiss writes from here on out. Thank you Peter!
April 21, 2009
It's hard for me to read a book where a person suffers from depression and yet is able to freely imbibe booze and weed at her leisure with no real repercussions. I don't personally buy it. Apart from that, this book kind of reminds me of early Anne Lamott . . . which I don't love, Anne Lamott's novels, but I *do* think Anne Lamott is a brilliant genius, so . . . yeah.
May 8, 2008
This book deals with some pretty heavy topics but was written in a nice east-to -read way.
I could have done with out " the missing piece" portion of the story because i think it did the main character a disservice.
I could have done with out " the missing piece" portion of the story because i think it did the main character a disservice.
September 25, 2009
Closer to Fine is one of those books that you can just pick up again and again and it just doesn't get boring. I learned to be yourself from this book and that its okay to figure things out later in life.
July 7, 2008
Excellent story, makes you feel connected to all of the characters. Is a positive portryal of how death can bring people together.
January 25, 2013
The fifth book I read for my independent reading is, ‘Closer to Fine’ by Meri Weiss. This book was the very first this particular author wrote and she explained how death can tear family’s apart but hope can actually make us whole again. The reason for choosing this book was because I noticed the cover and I was curious as to why it portrayed a woman’s legs. I was also confused about the title of this book which made me want to read the back cover for more information and once I read the short summary, I was hooked. I’ve never experienced a relative’s death. This story focused on a girl in her late twenties named Alexandra who lost her older brother four years back and is trying to confide in herself. In the beginning of the book, Alex was lost. She had no idea who she was anymore. Then by the end of the book, Alex realizes what she has been missing in her life and how to move along with her life instead of grieving over her brothers’ death. The major themes in this book are coming of age, character destruction and building up, and escape from family. Alex comes of age when she realized that she can no longer grieve over her brothers’ death or anyone else’s death within the story. Alex tries to ruin her own life by committing suicide then attends treatment to rebuild her self-esteem. Both Alex and her friend, Jax ignore their own family. Jax’s father disagrees with his son’s ‘choice’ to be gay but what he does not realize is that being gay is not a choice. Throughout the story, Jax resents his own father and even his mother for not standing up for him. Jax felt unloved by his own family when he came out. Alex also pushes her family away after her brothers’ death. Alex was no longer speaking to her sister, Teddy anymore and she no longer spoke to her mother or father often because Alex’s parents were friends with Jax’s parents and Alex hated her parents for it since Jax’s family disowned him.
This book revolves around a twenty eight year old woman named Alexandra Justice who lives in the New York City suburbs. People call her Alex though. Throughout her life, she had never been close with her older brother, Ashley because he was ten years older than her. The first chapter begins with Ashley getting very ill. He was gay and sadly, got aids which eventually killed him. The first chapter explains in Alex’s perspective on how she was the caretaker of her older brother for four months before he died. Alex explained how she regretted not spending enough time with Ashley when they were younger. Alexandra said,
When I saw him last, it was because my mother instituted mandatory attendance at Thanksgiving dinner – whoever didn’t go would be cut out of the will. None of us thought she’d follow through with her threat, but we realized if she was going to such lengths to get her kids around a table, we might as well show up. (Weiss 2)
After Ashley’s death, their whole family fell apart. Ashley and Alex had a sister in between their ages named Teddy. Teddy was close with Ashley and she was close with Alex but that changed once their older brother passed away. Alex resented Teddy because while Ashley was sick and couldn’t get out of bed; Teddy got married to a man named Max. Alex could not understand why she would not postpone her wedding date. Alex though Teddy was being selfish and inconsiderate. Teddy and Alex used to be the best of friends but when their brother passed away, their friendship collapsed. Ashley does though leave Alex an inheritance of a million dollars. Before Ashley was ill, he was a successful New York cinematographer with a lot of money. Two years after Ashley’s death, Alex attempts suicide but failed. Her best friend, Jordy found her and brought her to the hospital to get her stomach pumped. She then spent forty five days in a mental institution and returns to reality and meets a therapist named Sam who tries to resolve her guilt over her brother’s death. The book then transfers to four years after Ashley’s death. This is a time in Alex’s life where she can not move forward about Ashley’s death. Alex’s therapist dies four years after Ashley died. After Sam’s death, Alex refuses to get a new therapist. She insists that she needs to take the summer off from therapy. Alex attended Sam’s funeral and met a nice guy named Tucker who was the son of one of New York’s wealthiest businessmen. Tucker and she began dating shortly afterward. Alex also received a note from Sam before he died saying, ‘You’re missing a piece of yourself” (Weiss 63). Alex does not focus on what that note meant but she does figure it out eventually. Throughout the novel, Alex’s best friend, Jax had to deal with his father’s rejection to his homosexuality. Alex said,
Jim’s only son tells him he’s gay and suddenly Jax is banished to the other end of the table at Thanksgiving dinner and the two of them have barely exchanged a paragraph’s worth of words since Jax came out. Jax’s mother sides with Jim. I’m not sure if it’s out of love or fear. There’s enough passive aggressive dysfunction in the two houses to fill the quota for the entire neighborhood. (Weiss 37)
Jax and Alex have been best friends since they were little kids because they lived right next door to one another. Jax was close with his parents until he told them that he was gay. At the end of the book, Alex found the missing piece of herself. Her friends, Jordy and Jax knew all along but they wanted her to figure it out on her own. She found out that she was in love with the person closest to her. She was in love with Jordy, who is a girl. Alexandra said,
This will change everything. The snapshot of my future has been irrevocably altered – I no longer see a blurry, faceless man and two children. I see Jordy. And rather than frightening me, it’s reassuring. A sudden rush of respect and love for Jax overcomes me. He chose this freedom over his father’s conditional love. I feel a safety I haven’t felt before. I feel OK – my skin fits. It’s like I’ve made a decision without having made a decision at all. Images of my parents and Teddy blink in and out off my mind, but for the first time in my life, I am able to shut these thoughts off – to push my family’s opinions of my life away, at least for now. (Weiss 258)
This book then focus’s on Alex’s love life, her friends and her family. The story flashes back to her childhood, her college years and recovery from her brother’s death. Alex goes on trips with her friends and her new boyfriend, Tucker. Alex also took a trip to her uncle’s house that was diagnosed with cancer.
The book, ‘Closer to Fine’ was a great social issues book. The issues demonstrated through this book were sexuality, suicide, death of a loved one and family connections, friendship and betrayal. I really enjoyed this book because the author was bold enough to touch upon sensitive subjects most authors are unwilling to write about. I have never read a book about sexuality issues between families and this book opened my eyes to really see how wrong discrimination is. Many people can relate to these issues discussed in this book. The reader ends up falling in love with the characters and this book was very difficult to put down because the author tricked the reader in thinking that the main character would commit suicide successfully by the end of the book. I would recommend this to every teenager or adult. This book was heart-rending.
This book revolves around a twenty eight year old woman named Alexandra Justice who lives in the New York City suburbs. People call her Alex though. Throughout her life, she had never been close with her older brother, Ashley because he was ten years older than her. The first chapter begins with Ashley getting very ill. He was gay and sadly, got aids which eventually killed him. The first chapter explains in Alex’s perspective on how she was the caretaker of her older brother for four months before he died. Alex explained how she regretted not spending enough time with Ashley when they were younger. Alexandra said,
When I saw him last, it was because my mother instituted mandatory attendance at Thanksgiving dinner – whoever didn’t go would be cut out of the will. None of us thought she’d follow through with her threat, but we realized if she was going to such lengths to get her kids around a table, we might as well show up. (Weiss 2)
After Ashley’s death, their whole family fell apart. Ashley and Alex had a sister in between their ages named Teddy. Teddy was close with Ashley and she was close with Alex but that changed once their older brother passed away. Alex resented Teddy because while Ashley was sick and couldn’t get out of bed; Teddy got married to a man named Max. Alex could not understand why she would not postpone her wedding date. Alex though Teddy was being selfish and inconsiderate. Teddy and Alex used to be the best of friends but when their brother passed away, their friendship collapsed. Ashley does though leave Alex an inheritance of a million dollars. Before Ashley was ill, he was a successful New York cinematographer with a lot of money. Two years after Ashley’s death, Alex attempts suicide but failed. Her best friend, Jordy found her and brought her to the hospital to get her stomach pumped. She then spent forty five days in a mental institution and returns to reality and meets a therapist named Sam who tries to resolve her guilt over her brother’s death. The book then transfers to four years after Ashley’s death. This is a time in Alex’s life where she can not move forward about Ashley’s death. Alex’s therapist dies four years after Ashley died. After Sam’s death, Alex refuses to get a new therapist. She insists that she needs to take the summer off from therapy. Alex attended Sam’s funeral and met a nice guy named Tucker who was the son of one of New York’s wealthiest businessmen. Tucker and she began dating shortly afterward. Alex also received a note from Sam before he died saying, ‘You’re missing a piece of yourself” (Weiss 63). Alex does not focus on what that note meant but she does figure it out eventually. Throughout the novel, Alex’s best friend, Jax had to deal with his father’s rejection to his homosexuality. Alex said,
Jim’s only son tells him he’s gay and suddenly Jax is banished to the other end of the table at Thanksgiving dinner and the two of them have barely exchanged a paragraph’s worth of words since Jax came out. Jax’s mother sides with Jim. I’m not sure if it’s out of love or fear. There’s enough passive aggressive dysfunction in the two houses to fill the quota for the entire neighborhood. (Weiss 37)
Jax and Alex have been best friends since they were little kids because they lived right next door to one another. Jax was close with his parents until he told them that he was gay. At the end of the book, Alex found the missing piece of herself. Her friends, Jordy and Jax knew all along but they wanted her to figure it out on her own. She found out that she was in love with the person closest to her. She was in love with Jordy, who is a girl. Alexandra said,
This will change everything. The snapshot of my future has been irrevocably altered – I no longer see a blurry, faceless man and two children. I see Jordy. And rather than frightening me, it’s reassuring. A sudden rush of respect and love for Jax overcomes me. He chose this freedom over his father’s conditional love. I feel a safety I haven’t felt before. I feel OK – my skin fits. It’s like I’ve made a decision without having made a decision at all. Images of my parents and Teddy blink in and out off my mind, but for the first time in my life, I am able to shut these thoughts off – to push my family’s opinions of my life away, at least for now. (Weiss 258)
This book then focus’s on Alex’s love life, her friends and her family. The story flashes back to her childhood, her college years and recovery from her brother’s death. Alex goes on trips with her friends and her new boyfriend, Tucker. Alex also took a trip to her uncle’s house that was diagnosed with cancer.
The book, ‘Closer to Fine’ was a great social issues book. The issues demonstrated through this book were sexuality, suicide, death of a loved one and family connections, friendship and betrayal. I really enjoyed this book because the author was bold enough to touch upon sensitive subjects most authors are unwilling to write about. I have never read a book about sexuality issues between families and this book opened my eyes to really see how wrong discrimination is. Many people can relate to these issues discussed in this book. The reader ends up falling in love with the characters and this book was very difficult to put down because the author tricked the reader in thinking that the main character would commit suicide successfully by the end of the book. I would recommend this to every teenager or adult. This book was heart-rending.
July 26, 2012
Closer to Fine by Weiss
Rate 3.5
Alex finds out her brother, Ashley, is dying of AIDS. When she visits him, she realizes that they have wasted so much time. After his death, she has a suicide attempt; Jody, her friend, finds her. Alex checks herself into rehab and meets Sam -- a therapist.
When Sam dies, she attends his funeral and meets Tucker -- another of Sam's patients. Alex begins seeing him and they talk and realizes that Sam didn't leave a note for anyone else. Just her. The note says "You're missing a piece of yourself."
Alex's friend, Jax, has to deal with his father's rejection because of his homosexuality. As Alex continues seeing Tucker, she slowly realizes what she's missing.
I enjoyed the way Weiss was able to flawlessly make her characters flawed. It allowed realism and credibility. The characters had a positive ending where they admitted that change wasn't going to happen overnight and they came to terms with that. I liked Tucker, he wasn't pushy, clingy, or stalk-y.
The book is very well written. Kudos!
Rate 3.5
Alex finds out her brother, Ashley, is dying of AIDS. When she visits him, she realizes that they have wasted so much time. After his death, she has a suicide attempt; Jody, her friend, finds her. Alex checks herself into rehab and meets Sam -- a therapist.
When Sam dies, she attends his funeral and meets Tucker -- another of Sam's patients. Alex begins seeing him and they talk and realizes that Sam didn't leave a note for anyone else. Just her. The note says "You're missing a piece of yourself."
Alex's friend, Jax, has to deal with his father's rejection because of his homosexuality. As Alex continues seeing Tucker, she slowly realizes what she's missing.
I enjoyed the way Weiss was able to flawlessly make her characters flawed. It allowed realism and credibility. The characters had a positive ending where they admitted that change wasn't going to happen overnight and they came to terms with that. I liked Tucker, he wasn't pushy, clingy, or stalk-y.
The book is very well written. Kudos!
[Alex asks]"Do you think there's such a thing as perfectly normal?"
Jordy takes a long drag, her eyes penetrating mine. "I'm not sure," she answers. "All I know is that normal people--people who don't feel passionate about anything, people who don't read books, people who exist for years without crying--are boring, one-dimensional and usually of mediocre intelligence. I hate normal people," Jordy concludes, grinning (93).
February 25, 2009
I didn't know this was a debut book when I picked up this novel, nor did I know this after I was finished. This book is better put together than most rookie efforts, and while it doesn't have lofty goals for literature, it is satisfying and leaves me feeling that I got something from it.
While I enjoy intense navel gazing as much as the next gal--Sittenfeld's Prep comes to mind for drama, and David Sedaris along the comedy vein--there was something charming yet realistic about Alex's struggles with her own neurosis as she attempts to think about how to fix her problems without thinking too hard, an action that leads to, as many of those who have been depressed know, the downward spiral of self-recrimination.
I originally picked this book because:
A) It was on the sale rack. I have a budget!
B) The title is a cute song.
C) In the acknowledgements, Weiss mentions that she listened to Jeff Buckley's Grace album, among others, ceaselessly while writing this book. Any mention of Jeff Buckley is immediately gobbled up.
And I am not disappointed in my purchase. Like I said earlier, this isn't high literature, but it is tight all around, and Alex's thoughts and relationships are very realistic. The felt that the answer to the riddle was a bit too obvious (unless you think a mental elbow to the ribs is subtle) but otherwise, I don't have any reservations about recommending this book.
While I enjoy intense navel gazing as much as the next gal--Sittenfeld's Prep comes to mind for drama, and David Sedaris along the comedy vein--there was something charming yet realistic about Alex's struggles with her own neurosis as she attempts to think about how to fix her problems without thinking too hard, an action that leads to, as many of those who have been depressed know, the downward spiral of self-recrimination.
I originally picked this book because:
A) It was on the sale rack. I have a budget!
B) The title is a cute song.
C) In the acknowledgements, Weiss mentions that she listened to Jeff Buckley's Grace album, among others, ceaselessly while writing this book. Any mention of Jeff Buckley is immediately gobbled up.
And I am not disappointed in my purchase. Like I said earlier, this isn't high literature, but it is tight all around, and Alex's thoughts and relationships are very realistic. The felt that the answer to the riddle was a bit too obvious (unless you think a mental elbow to the ribs is subtle) but otherwise, I don't have any reservations about recommending this book.
September 6, 2008
Wow, this was just a powerful, emotional, funny and poignant book about healing (my favorite author theme) and redemption and just the love and loyalty of friends and family and the ties that bind us all. I went through several tissues during the last 50 pages and had to pause and put the book aside a few times for the tears swimming in my eyes and fear of getting the pages wet and ruining them.
Alex is a character I could really relate to. Her Neuroses were my neuroses and though I've never experienced half of her life experiences even remotely as dramatically (which is what makes her a larger than life character), I still sympathized with what she was going through and loved her, flaws and all.
Weiss's descriptions of New York life are bull's eye on target, the setting adding to the color of the book, the city becoming a secondary character in its own right.
The subplot characters in Jax, Jordy, Tucker and their parents are all so three-dimensional and universal as were the familial relationships that I couldn't help but relate to all of them too.
I loved this book and highly recommend it for anyone with a pulse, but more importantly for anyone whose loved, lost and found love again! Excellent debut!
Alex is a character I could really relate to. Her Neuroses were my neuroses and though I've never experienced half of her life experiences even remotely as dramatically (which is what makes her a larger than life character), I still sympathized with what she was going through and loved her, flaws and all.
Weiss's descriptions of New York life are bull's eye on target, the setting adding to the color of the book, the city becoming a secondary character in its own right.
The subplot characters in Jax, Jordy, Tucker and their parents are all so three-dimensional and universal as were the familial relationships that I couldn't help but relate to all of them too.
I loved this book and highly recommend it for anyone with a pulse, but more importantly for anyone whose loved, lost and found love again! Excellent debut!
September 25, 2010
I admit: I bought this book because I thought the title was just like the Indigo Girls' song, was DELIGHTED when a character mentions the band (spoiler??), and loved the book regardless.
If you enjoy music and movie quotes and references, this is a good book for you.
If you enjoy sibling/friend/family dynamics/dysfunction explored in truly honest ways, this is a good book for you.
I was legitimately upset when I finished the book this morning and realized it was my last experience with these characters, who I was thinking of as real people who were letting me sit-in on them living their lives. Ms. Weiss did an excellent job with their creation and delivery, and though I kind-of expected the ending, it didn't make me love it any less.
If you enjoy music and movie quotes and references, this is a good book for you.
If you enjoy sibling/friend/family dynamics/dysfunction explored in truly honest ways, this is a good book for you.
I was legitimately upset when I finished the book this morning and realized it was my last experience with these characters, who I was thinking of as real people who were letting me sit-in on them living their lives. Ms. Weiss did an excellent job with their creation and delivery, and though I kind-of expected the ending, it didn't make me love it any less.
December 17, 2009
Totally forgettable. Though Alex's brother's death and deaths period seem to be a main theme here, I can't help but feel like Alex was just talking non-chalantly throughout the entire novel about her feelings as if it weren't a big deal, even while she keeps trying to express that it was. Then when she finally finds her true love it still seemed totally downplayed. And I don't even understand why some characters were even mentioned in the novel. I fell asleep a million times trying to read this, but I can't leave a book unfinished. It wasn't TOO bad, but I've read way better.
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September 7, 2010I actually REALLY loved this book. I loved how it just places you in Alex's life in a very difficult time when her brother is suffering of AIDS and her life is just a horrible mess. She also has to deal with her best friends problem of not being accepted by his dad because he's gay. I just don't like how there's more then one death inthe book adding to Alex's depressing life and drug problems. But overall this book was a very good read and I'll recommend it to anybody who likes a good dramatic and very REAL book.
May 12, 2011
The writing is beautiful in this story. Meri Weiss is very talented as a writer. The ending was a surprise and I didn't quite believe it which is why I gave it less stars. For me, it just didn't add up to what was going on before this in the story. The heroine is a little self destructive and we want her to work it out. And, she does, but not in a way I would have expected. That's my only caution about this book.
January 21, 2009
This is an interesting journey into the lives of those living an alternative lifestyle. It is well written, and the characters are believable and likable. It's a quick read and leaves the reader with a sense of understanding.
August 18, 2008
Fantastic novel! Terrific characters! Engrossing plot!
September 9, 2008
Great read. I loved the conversations between the friends in this book. Thanks for the recommendation Claire!
September 29, 2008
Was great to read this book while I myself was going through a bit of a restructuring in my life, albeit of a different sort.
November 2, 2008
I'd give this more stars but wasn't crazy about the last 30 pages. Gripping tale about family, depression, and finding yourself.
October 31, 2008
Absolutely loved this one!
November 30, 2010
Therapeutic!! In so many ways...
April 28, 2011
Just ok. Melodramatic.
June 23, 2009
Just Exquisite!! Beautifully Written!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews