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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
I usually love Ahern and her books, but this was just way too slow for me. The characters were interesting enough, but there wasn't much happening.
I really enjoyed this book, and I haven't been able to say that in quite awhile! Tamara's life goes into a tailspin after her father's death, and she and her mom are forced to go live with her Mom's brother in the countryside of Ireland. Tamara realigns her priorities with guidance from a diary that reveals entries that are a day ahead of real life. She also uncovers many family secrets, although I did have to suspend belief that everyone in the village kept these secrets for 16+ years, especially in light of the event that brought Tamara and her mom back to town. All in all, it's a great read, but I still think P.S I Love You is her best book to date.
One note regarding the audiobook. I found the narrator a bit of a distraction, as she did not seem to know what type of accent to use. Normally, I do not notice this type of thing, particularly when I am engaged in the story, but she went from an American accent to slightly Irish to a fairly heavy Irish brogue throughout the story.
One note regarding the audiobook. I found the narrator a bit of a distraction, as she did not seem to know what type of accent to use. Normally, I do not notice this type of thing, particularly when I am engaged in the story, but she went from an American accent to slightly Irish to a fairly heavy Irish brogue throughout the story.
Bad writing. Just bad writing. Favorite quote: "He lifted his top. Ooh, he was ripped."
The story itself kept me interested though, which is the only thing that kept it from getting zero stars.
The story itself kept me interested though, which is the only thing that kept it from getting zero stars.
Intense ending, I must say! Not at all what I was expecting.
Well, it took me a while to get to the book because the story's a bit slow. But I'd been glued to it until the end because I wanted to be swept away into Ahern's magical world. She's a queen of modern fairytale who wrote P.S I Love You. ^^
So this is how the story goes:
Tamara has always got everything she's ever wanted. Born into a family of wealth, she grew up in a mansion with its own private beach, a wardrobe full of designer clothes and all that a girl could ever wish for.
She's always lived in the here and now, never giving a second thought of tomorrow. But then suddenly her dad is gone and life for Tamara and her mother changes forever. Left with a mountain of debt, they have no choice but to sell everything they own and move to the country, to live with Tamara's aunt and uncle, Rosaleen and Arthur.
Nestled next to Kilsaney Castle, their gatehouse is a world away from Tamara's childhood. With her mother shut away with grief, and her aunt busy tending to her, Tamara is lonely and bored and longs to return to Dublin. When a travelling library passes through the neighborhood, Tamara is intrigued. Her eyes rest on a mysterious book locked with a gold clasp and padlock. What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to its core.
The book is telling her what would happen tomorrow. Because of the book, she meets new friends like Weseley and Sister Ignatius. And because of the book too, she discovers many secrets of her family and who she really is.
Nonsense huh? That's what I called fairytale. But I've learned so many things from the novel, like friendship, loyalty, love of parents and the worst thing of being possessive. Besides, it tells me that I shouldn't prejudge people.
I've also learned that I should think about future. I've been concentrating on just now and wanting something in instant. I don't give second thought to how the rest of dominoes would fall. Now I know that I got so many things to be improved. Though future is mystery, but I should think about it from now.
So this is how the story goes:
Tamara has always got everything she's ever wanted. Born into a family of wealth, she grew up in a mansion with its own private beach, a wardrobe full of designer clothes and all that a girl could ever wish for.
She's always lived in the here and now, never giving a second thought of tomorrow. But then suddenly her dad is gone and life for Tamara and her mother changes forever. Left with a mountain of debt, they have no choice but to sell everything they own and move to the country, to live with Tamara's aunt and uncle, Rosaleen and Arthur.
Nestled next to Kilsaney Castle, their gatehouse is a world away from Tamara's childhood. With her mother shut away with grief, and her aunt busy tending to her, Tamara is lonely and bored and longs to return to Dublin. When a travelling library passes through the neighborhood, Tamara is intrigued. Her eyes rest on a mysterious book locked with a gold clasp and padlock. What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to its core.
The book is telling her what would happen tomorrow. Because of the book, she meets new friends like Weseley and Sister Ignatius. And because of the book too, she discovers many secrets of her family and who she really is.
Nonsense huh? That's what I called fairytale. But I've learned so many things from the novel, like friendship, loyalty, love of parents and the worst thing of being possessive. Besides, it tells me that I shouldn't prejudge people.
I've also learned that I should think about future. I've been concentrating on just now and wanting something in instant. I don't give second thought to how the rest of dominoes would fall. Now I know that I got so many things to be improved. Though future is mystery, but I should think about it from now.
While this wasn't exactly what I expected, I liked it. Good story and mysterious circumstances. I felt that there was a little to still be explained in the end; something that was stated, but never followed up on, and this bothered me a little. Overall, it was a nice, quick read.
Das ist mein zweites Buch von Cecelia Ahern, was ich gelesen habe. Leider war es nicht so gut wie: "Für immer vielleicht", was zu meinen absoluten Favoriten gehört. Der Schreibstil war sehr flüssig und die Entwicklung der Charaktere hat mir auch gefallen. Als ich jedoch festgestellt hatte, schon circa 65% des Buches gelesen zu haben, habe ich mich gewundert wie wenig bis dahin passiert ist. Die letzten 80-100 Seiten waren am spannensten, davor ist wirklich nicht viel passiert. Auch die charakterlichen Veränderungen von Tamara, der weiblichen Hauptfigur, kamen etwas plötzlich für mich. Ein verzogener Teenager, der immer alles bekommen hat, was er wollte und sich über andere Leute lustig gemacht hat, paßt sich so schnell der neuen Lebenssituation an? Stellt auch gleichzeitig fest, dass die damaligen besten Freunde keine wirklichen Freunde sind. Ich weiß nicht, nach 16 Jahren in einem bestimmten Lebensstil, ändert man sich nicht so einfach, wenn man plötzlich komplett gegenteilig leben soll. Alles in allem aber ein nettes Buch und für Fans von Celia Ahern auf jeden Fall lesenswert.
This book was really good but I just wasn't sure about the ending, it was all very strange.
This was a difficult book to rate. It felt like Ahern was trying to pack two stories into one book — one, a story of adjusting after a loved one has died, and the other, a fantasy about accepting each day as it comes.
I had flashes of dislike for the heroine but there were times when I liked her (those were fewer and further between than the outright dislike, though). She was selfish, and spoiled, and often the mindset that Ahern shared did not match her actions. However, I also feel like she was fairly realistic — a rich girl, who lost everything she had and the life that she knew, having to adjust to a poorer, less fortunate life... yet with flashes of goodness in between her selfishness.
The bits about Tamara and Marcus just felt thrown in there for... I don’t know, sexual appeal? Something.
And the ending regarding Rosaleen didn’t fit the rest of the book.
Honestly, the latter half of the book felt like a hodge-podge and like Ahern was struggling to wrap up all of the convoluted plotlines within this novel.
It wasn’t a horrible read, but it was convoluted and somewhat disorienting.
I had flashes of dislike for the heroine but there were times when I liked her (those were fewer and further between than the outright dislike, though). She was selfish, and spoiled, and often the mindset that Ahern shared did not match her actions. However, I also feel like she was fairly realistic — a rich girl, who lost everything she had and the life that she knew, having to adjust to a poorer, less fortunate life... yet with flashes of goodness in between her selfishness.
The bits about Tamara and Marcus just felt thrown in there for... I don’t know, sexual appeal? Something.
And the ending regarding Rosaleen didn’t fit the rest of the book.
Honestly, the latter half of the book felt like a hodge-podge and like Ahern was struggling to wrap up all of the convoluted plotlines within this novel.
It wasn’t a horrible read, but it was convoluted and somewhat disorienting.
Weird. It worked but very weird. And predictable. Not my favourite from her!