One Minute to Midnight

This is an emotional read about likeable people and I raced through it. Silver tracks the lives of best friends Nicole, Julian and Alex through childhood crushes, university, first holidays together and the birth of serious romances. Since she was 13, Nicole and Julian have always spent New Year’s Eve together, going through their resolutions and sharing hopes and dreams for the future. We flash from past celebrations to current ones via a moving series of stories about the linked lives and loves of the three friends, increasingly aware that no amount of making lists or planning can guarantee a happy ending. When a series of shocking situations occur, Nicole is forced to deal with the previously unthinkable and get her life back on track. This is a fascinating meditation on change and the importance of taking responsibility for one’s own happiness.