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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
I went into this book thinking it would be a typical coming of age novel with a bratty teenager who learns a lesson and becomes stronger because of it. I was so completely wrong. I read this novel in about 3 hours and it is no quick read. I loved it.
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Unfortunately this book was not for me. I was hoping I would really like it, but the execution was not to my taste.
Of course it wasn’t all bad. I did like some of the characters (Sister Ignatius is the best character), and I really enjoyed parts of the intrigue of what Rosaleen was hiding. That is the 0.5 of the 1.5 rating I ended up on.
My main flaw, was how slow this book was. Maybe it was to create the feeling of being somewhere where nothing is happening, which in that case it did it’s job very well. However, personally I didn’t think it needed to be that slow to capture the feeling. It takes two chapters for the story to actually begin. At the end of chapter two it says: “I’m choosing to start the story from when I arrived here.” So the last two chapters were just a waste of time?? (They weren’t but it sure felt like it.)
Also the description. I like descriptions, but this book had a bunch in unnecessary places. There were paragraphs of description that could’ve been easily cut out. There were paragraphs of Tamara describing a pantry. Half the time the prose is pretty basic too, just telling you what was there. Granted there were times when the description was needed and was written quite well, and I also want to stress that I don’t actually have a problem with the prose. It’s just we didn’t need five paragraphs of what was in that pantry.
Another flaw was the execution of the concept. The main reason I picked up this book was because the concept of finding a strange possibly magical book at a traveling library sounded amazing, but I ended up being very underwhelmed by its execution. It wasn’t badly done at all, however I just wished the author did a little more. All the book did was tell Tamara’s future as if she herself wrote it in the form of a diary entry. Honestly I feel like this isn’t a very creative use of the book. I mean I guess there is only so much you can do with magical books, but it just felt underwhelming. Also the traveling library only appeared like twice in this entire book, and I was expecting that to be more present.
Tamara’s character arc felt very translucent to me. What I mean by that is that I don’t doubt that Tamara has grown throughout the book. It’s just that I feel like I was told that more that shown that. I think this could’ve been improved if we actually saw Tamara when her father were still around. An actual scene in the book where she acted the way she did. Because we were only told how she was spoiled and ungrateful throughout her privileged life. Any scene with her in her old life was summed up and glossed over. So I don’t have a strong foundation on who she used to be, to compare it with who she became. It isn’t a huge flaw, but it bothered me nonetheless.
The rest of my review will contain spoilers, I’ll cover it but just letting you know.
While reading through the book, I was planning to give this two stars. But then I got to the end…and I knew it wasn’t getting two stars. The plot twist for this book…is awful. It isn’t because it’s badly written, or that there was no foreshadowing or anything like that. But it contributed nothing to the story or themes and has created one of my least favourite characters ever.
That essentially sums up my thoughts on this book. If you enjoyed this book, I’m glad you did. Unfortunately I simply could not enjoy it to that extent.
I did not expected the ending. Although the first hundred pages were a tad boring, it got better and better.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a cute little modern fairy tale! I have a soft spot for magical realism and it is rendered beautifully in this novel. Tamara is a fully fleshed-out character...however, most of the other characters seem either a bit contrived (Rosaleen is pretty unrealistic) or two-dimensional. I was delighted with the slowly unfolding mystery and Tamara's use of the diary to try and discover clues. I also loved the underlying theme that one book can change your life :)
Even though this was in the adult fiction section of my library...I'm pretty sure this is a young adult novel. It definitely had the feel of a book geared towards high school readers as it is a story of Tamara's self-discovery (FYI: there's a bit of teen drinking and sex).
Overall, I thought this was an entertaining read...an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.
Even though this was in the adult fiction section of my library...I'm pretty sure this is a young adult novel. It definitely had the feel of a book geared towards high school readers as it is a story of Tamara's self-discovery (FYI: there's a bit of teen drinking and sex).
Overall, I thought this was an entertaining read...an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
É muito cativante e eu não consegui largar o livro por um segundo enquanto eu o lia. Não tem nada tão incrivelmente diferente na história mas o fato dos amanhãs estarem sempre definidos prende a gente. Da metade pro final o livro é cheio de reviravoltas e eu fiz essa cara
The story itself is good. The plot twists, the tension, story flow, everything was good and it get my interest reading. But it didn't give me any big excitement reading it. Regardless its a good read.
A unique and interesting YA story, with a protagonist that grows and changes through the book.
Tamara is a rich, selfish, totally spoiled young girl in Dublin. Her rich parents are oblivious to her, and caught up in their own shallow lives, so she spends her time and plenty of money on stuff with her friends, who are equally as spoiled as Tamara is.
Then, her father commits suicide in the wake of discovering he has lost everything, including the palatial family home. He hasn't told his wife and daughter anything about the money problems, so as they are dealing with the grief and shock of losing their husband and father, they also learn they have nothing, and must sell everything to try to pay what's owed.
After everything is gone, and with nowhere else to go, Tamara and her mother go to the country to live with the mother's brother and his wife in a tiny cottage. Tamara is angry, lonely, and bitter about losing everything she thought she loved, including her mother, who becomes practically catatonic and barely even speaks, let alone provide any support to Tamara.
Tamara also quickly discovers that her uncle and aunt are odd, and that the atmosphere in the house is off, although she can't put her finger on exactly what the issue is or why they behave the way they do.
When a travelling library comes by in a bus, Tamara is interested - not because she has any interest in reading, but because the driver/librarian is a cute young boy! When she peruses the books, she pulls one that fascinates her, even though she can't read it, because it has a lock on it but no key. Still Tamara takes the book and can't seem to put it down. Eventually she picks the lock and discovers an amazing secret - the book is a diary that writes Tamara's own entries - a day before they happen!
As she continues to try to figure out what is going on in her new home, Tamara uses the information the diary gives her, as well as trying to build relationships with the new people around her, and finding out who she herself is as she does so.
The story is surprisingly exciting and there are some unexpected plot twists, especially at the end, and the key thing that makes this a great YA book, is how Tamara changes, learns and grows as a result of the things that happen to her. She starts out as a very unlikeable person, but as life happens to her, she grows and changes.
This would be a good book for young girls struggling with their own lives, but I actually did enjoy it, even though it's been a LONG TIME since I was a teenager!
Tamara is a rich, selfish, totally spoiled young girl in Dublin. Her rich parents are oblivious to her, and caught up in their own shallow lives, so she spends her time and plenty of money on stuff with her friends, who are equally as spoiled as Tamara is.
Then, her father commits suicide in the wake of discovering he has lost everything, including the palatial family home. He hasn't told his wife and daughter anything about the money problems, so as they are dealing with the grief and shock of losing their husband and father, they also learn they have nothing, and must sell everything to try to pay what's owed.
After everything is gone, and with nowhere else to go, Tamara and her mother go to the country to live with the mother's brother and his wife in a tiny cottage. Tamara is angry, lonely, and bitter about losing everything she thought she loved, including her mother, who becomes practically catatonic and barely even speaks, let alone provide any support to Tamara.
Tamara also quickly discovers that her uncle and aunt are odd, and that the atmosphere in the house is off, although she can't put her finger on exactly what the issue is or why they behave the way they do.
When a travelling library comes by in a bus, Tamara is interested - not because she has any interest in reading, but because the driver/librarian is a cute young boy! When she peruses the books, she pulls one that fascinates her, even though she can't read it, because it has a lock on it but no key. Still Tamara takes the book and can't seem to put it down. Eventually she picks the lock and discovers an amazing secret - the book is a diary that writes Tamara's own entries - a day before they happen!
As she continues to try to figure out what is going on in her new home, Tamara uses the information the diary gives her, as well as trying to build relationships with the new people around her, and finding out who she herself is as she does so.
The story is surprisingly exciting and there are some unexpected plot twists, especially at the end, and the key thing that makes this a great YA book, is how Tamara changes, learns and grows as a result of the things that happen to her. She starts out as a very unlikeable person, but as life happens to her, she grows and changes.
This would be a good book for young girls struggling with their own lives, but I actually did enjoy it, even though it's been a LONG TIME since I was a teenager!
I got this book as an ARC from NetGalley but then I realized I had actually already purchased this at the bookstore. I guess this book was released in Canada the same time as it was released overseas and it is now being released in America in January. To be honest I have mixed feelings about Ahern. I first started reading her books because I saw P.S. I Love You in the theatre and loved it. I didn't read that book because I have a thing about reading books after you've seen the movie. I know that the majority of the time the book is better than the film but I just feel like after you've seen the movie that you already know the main plot points and it's difficult to stay interested in the book. Anyhow, that's a different thing altogether and what I'm really getting at is that I enjoy some Ahern books while I really dislike others. I wasn't a huge fan of Where Rainbows end but I did really like Thanks for the Memories so when I saw The Book of Tomorrow I thought I'd try another Ahern novel. I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed this book. The novel is told in the point of view of a teenage girl, Tamara, who lived a privileged life but when her father commits suicide due to financial stress things begin to fall apart. Tamara is forced to move to the country with her aunt and uncle and her mother seems almost catatonic in a depressive state. Tamara meets many people along the way and she also comes across a diary that writes entries about her life a few days before they happen. Through the diary Tamara begins to change from a spoiled, rude teen to a more understanding, compassionate young woman. I have to admit that Ahern's writing style really drew me into the book and that has not always been the case when I have read her novels. During the first few chapters of the book I came across a few lines that made me laugh out loud. They are as follows:
"I think there should be the Real Life Oscars. And Best Actress goes to Alison Flanaghan! For walking down the main aisle of the supermarket just last Monday, face in full make-up, hair freshly blow-dried, despite feeling like wanting to die, smiling brightly to Sarah and Deirdre from the Parents' Association and behaving as if her husband hadn't just left her and her three children. Come up and get your award, Alison!"
This continues for a bit but you get point. The character has a lot of spunk and while she can be downright rude and at times I found myself wanting to yell at her,I also found that I couldn't help but feel bad for her. She had no outlet to display or talk about her grief and mourning. She has also been completely uprooted and placed in a place so unlike home. I have to say that I was really shocked with the ending of this novel. While you know that Tamara's aunt Rosalie is acting suspiciously I would never have guessed the ending of this book. I finished reading this book this evening and I couldn't put it down. I love reading in the bath and by the time I got out tonight, the water was freezing cold but the book was finished. Overall, I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5. I usually don't publish these reviews this far in advance of the publishing date but as I stated earlier this book is already out in Canada and so I am publishing this post tonight.
"I think there should be the Real Life Oscars. And Best Actress goes to Alison Flanaghan! For walking down the main aisle of the supermarket just last Monday, face in full make-up, hair freshly blow-dried, despite feeling like wanting to die, smiling brightly to Sarah and Deirdre from the Parents' Association and behaving as if her husband hadn't just left her and her three children. Come up and get your award, Alison!"
This continues for a bit but you get point. The character has a lot of spunk and while she can be downright rude and at times I found myself wanting to yell at her,I also found that I couldn't help but feel bad for her. She had no outlet to display or talk about her grief and mourning. She has also been completely uprooted and placed in a place so unlike home. I have to say that I was really shocked with the ending of this novel. While you know that Tamara's aunt Rosalie is acting suspiciously I would never have guessed the ending of this book. I finished reading this book this evening and I couldn't put it down. I love reading in the bath and by the time I got out tonight, the water was freezing cold but the book was finished. Overall, I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5. I usually don't publish these reviews this far in advance of the publishing date but as I stated earlier this book is already out in Canada and so I am publishing this post tonight.