Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
There is waaaaay too much going on in this story. Is is a city girl/country girl story? A romance with a librarian on wheels? A mystery about a burned castle? It goes on and on, but where it does not go is anyway interesting. The big reveal is a letdown, and with the magical element of the diary that predicts what will happen the next day, I expected so much more. The clues are so obvious they smack you in the face and then all of the parts are quickly explained in a chapter at the end.
As disappointed as I was, the voice is still familiar. I predict fans of Ahern will read it anyway and like it just because she stays true to her style. I just wish this story had had more meat and less filling.
BTW this is one of the PRETTIEST books I have seen in a long time. I loved the design. Why can't more books come with built in bookmarks?
As disappointed as I was, the voice is still familiar. I predict fans of Ahern will read it anyway and like it just because she stays true to her style. I just wish this story had had more meat and less filling.
BTW this is one of the PRETTIEST books I have seen in a long time. I loved the design. Why can't more books come with built in bookmarks?
A few years ago, I read P.S. I love you and cried pretty much all the way through it. It didn't change my literary world but it was a nice little read. That was pretty much what I expected from The Book of Tomorrow and I wasn't disappointed. Actually, this reminded me a lot of the amateur detective-type books I read as a teen, like the Nancy Drew series, for example.
To give her credit where its due, Ahern does broach emotional subject matter in a style that still manages to be reasonably light. Tamara's father kills himself in his study and it is Tamara who finds him. To make it more gut-wrenching, the last words she yelled at him were that she hated him and never wanted to see him again.
The characters are a tad one-dimensional but they're an eclectic bunch that still manage to create a brilliant backdrop to Tamara's tale. The dialogue is snappy in a teenage way with hefty doses of sarcasm, occasionally to the extent that I felt old but always to the creation of a perfect narrator in Tamara.
While trying to get used to her new life amongst these locals, after finding a mysterious book on board the local travelling library, Tamara finds she has a window to the future. What's lovely about the novel is that it doesn't spend time rationalising the 'magic' - the book can write the future, move on with the story! It's a curious thing - the well-worn questions: would you want to know your future? If you knew your future, would you change it? Could you if you tried?
Alongside Tamara's realisation of her own faults and glimmers of the future is a mystery surrounding the 'creepy aunt'. This is where it reminded me of my childhood favourites - a quiet and secluded house, an aunt who appears to be going to great lengths to hide her past, a somewhat reclusive uncle and a catatonic mother - but what are they hiding...? There's the obligatory teen attempt at stealth and over-dramatisation and, in the end, it's all innocently enjoyable!
Overall: This is a quick little read with some great comic moments and a cosy-style mystery. Like I said, it's not going to break your literary world apart but it will keep you entertained for a few hours! Guiltless fun and perfect for a sunny afternoon in the garden!
To give her credit where its due, Ahern does broach emotional subject matter in a style that still manages to be reasonably light. Tamara's father kills himself in his study and it is Tamara who finds him. To make it more gut-wrenching, the last words she yelled at him were that she hated him and never wanted to see him again.
The characters are a tad one-dimensional but they're an eclectic bunch that still manage to create a brilliant backdrop to Tamara's tale. The dialogue is snappy in a teenage way with hefty doses of sarcasm, occasionally to the extent that I felt old but always to the creation of a perfect narrator in Tamara.
While trying to get used to her new life amongst these locals, after finding a mysterious book on board the local travelling library, Tamara finds she has a window to the future. What's lovely about the novel is that it doesn't spend time rationalising the 'magic' - the book can write the future, move on with the story! It's a curious thing - the well-worn questions: would you want to know your future? If you knew your future, would you change it? Could you if you tried?
Alongside Tamara's realisation of her own faults and glimmers of the future is a mystery surrounding the 'creepy aunt'. This is where it reminded me of my childhood favourites - a quiet and secluded house, an aunt who appears to be going to great lengths to hide her past, a somewhat reclusive uncle and a catatonic mother - but what are they hiding...? There's the obligatory teen attempt at stealth and over-dramatisation and, in the end, it's all innocently enjoyable!
Overall: This is a quick little read with some great comic moments and a cosy-style mystery. Like I said, it's not going to break your literary world apart but it will keep you entertained for a few hours! Guiltless fun and perfect for a sunny afternoon in the garden!
The Book of Tomorrow follows Tamara Goodwin after her father committed suicide. Tamara was a snobby, spoiled brat who thought she deserved everything. And she did get everything, thanks to her fathers money. But when her father died, the truth on their current money situation is revealed, showing the great debt that her father owed. So now her and her mother are living with Tamara's Uncle in the country near some burnt down castle. There, some weird things start happening. She finds a diary that tells her what is going to happen tomorrow, in her own handwriting. With Tamara's mom is in some weird catatonic state, Tamara has nothing to do other than roam the grounds and try to figure out some family secrets which seem to be hidden all over the place. Tamara's Aunt, Rosaleen, is the one who seems to be hiding the most. Always jumpy and never wanting to leave Tamara in a room alone with anybody. There's only one person Tamara knows she can trust, the old nun living near the castle, Sister Ignatius, who hints to Tamara that she has information that Tamara is looking for.
I won this book through one of Goodreads giveaways. When I saw the email saying that I won, I didn't even remember that I signed up for it. And to be honest, I didn't know if I really wanted to read it. So it sat on my shelf for a few months before I decided to finally give it a go, and I'm glad I did. And I'm extremely happy that I got lucky enough to win a finished copy.
The book is set in Ireland, which I love any book set in a different country, near a ruined castle that had gone through a couple fires in it's past. Ireland? Castles? I'm already hooked.
It took me a few pages before I got used to the writing. Tamara doesn't hold anything back, she cusses, talks about sex, and blurts out rude comments without hesitating. She doesn't have a filter at all; and she doesn't care if it makes some one uncomfortable or embarrassed. It is what it is.
I loved that Tamara was starting to realized how horrible she had been to her parents and the people around her. She truly grows up and tries to better herself. The move to her aunt and uncle's house was probably the best thing that happened to her. Regardless of why they moved there, she definitely needed it.
The mystery behind the castle and why Rosaleen was always nervous and overbearing was what really keeps the book moving. And about Rosaleen, she was a little creepy, but at some points she would make you feel sorry for her. I could understand why she acted the way she did, but then at some points I thought that she really had some problem and needed to get checked out.
I loved the diary that told Tamara what was going to happen tomorrow. She would use it to her advantage and try to change something, but then it seemed that there would be consequences for trying to change the future. And I loved Sister Ignatius. She was just awesome.
Overall, I really loved this book. If you want to read a mystery about family secrets, with a little magical realism thrown in, this is for you.
I won this book through one of Goodreads giveaways. When I saw the email saying that I won, I didn't even remember that I signed up for it. And to be honest, I didn't know if I really wanted to read it. So it sat on my shelf for a few months before I decided to finally give it a go, and I'm glad I did. And I'm extremely happy that I got lucky enough to win a finished copy.
The book is set in Ireland, which I love any book set in a different country, near a ruined castle that had gone through a couple fires in it's past. Ireland? Castles? I'm already hooked.
It took me a few pages before I got used to the writing. Tamara doesn't hold anything back, she cusses, talks about sex, and blurts out rude comments without hesitating. She doesn't have a filter at all; and she doesn't care if it makes some one uncomfortable or embarrassed. It is what it is.
I loved that Tamara was starting to realized how horrible she had been to her parents and the people around her. She truly grows up and tries to better herself. The move to her aunt and uncle's house was probably the best thing that happened to her. Regardless of why they moved there, she definitely needed it.
The mystery behind the castle and why Rosaleen was always nervous and overbearing was what really keeps the book moving. And about Rosaleen, she was a little creepy, but at some points she would make you feel sorry for her. I could understand why she acted the way she did, but then at some points I thought that she really had some problem and needed to get checked out.
I loved the diary that told Tamara what was going to happen tomorrow. She would use it to her advantage and try to change something, but then it seemed that there would be consequences for trying to change the future. And I loved Sister Ignatius. She was just awesome.
Overall, I really loved this book. If you want to read a mystery about family secrets, with a little magical realism thrown in, this is for you.
It was beautiful in a different way. there's magic, suspense, grief, excitement, all intricately woven together to make a beautiful piece of story for us read and learn to deal with life
Don't judge a book by its cover.
This book is one example to substantiate the above saying. Thought it is a metaphorical phrase which aims to convey that one should not be judged by his looks, but must be judged by his ability, the phrase applies literally to this book. However, I've got to admit that this book isn't really that bad. The cover definitely is magnificent. Boy, imagine my surprise when I thought that I had folded the cover page even before I read it, only to know that it is like that. Nevertheless, that doesn't exclude one from thinking that the cover is wonderful, but it looks more "princessy."
Tamara Goodman is a 16 year old girl; well, at least, believes to be a 16 year old girl who is under depression due to her father's death. As a result of this, her mother has gone insane, and they lost their house, forcing them to move to a place with eccentric people. But things get interesting when she meets a new person. Taking her advice, Tamara keeps a journal, but fell into a pit of shock on seeing that someone wrote in the diary before her, and the events were all true: it said the events that would take place the next day. The concept is simply marvelous.
But, I daresay, this isn't really the type I expect. With less mentioning of romance and everything, but holding the same concept, it will be good. Secondly, grammatical mistakes.
'We're staying with them for...a little'
'We?'
'Me and my mum'
Unless my grammar textbook and teachers lie, the correct way to write the underlined sentence is 'My mum and me'. To confirm this, I checked a couple of forums, though I was 100% percent sure since I'm learning English as first language, and that is how it was been throughout my school life. The forums further substantiate my statement, and I'm surprised that it was left unnoticed.
Although the concept is good, thanks to a couple of things, I'd never recommend this book to anyone.
This book is one example to substantiate the above saying. Thought it is a metaphorical phrase which aims to convey that one should not be judged by his looks, but must be judged by his ability, the phrase applies literally to this book. However, I've got to admit that this book isn't really that bad. The cover definitely is magnificent. Boy, imagine my surprise when I thought that I had folded the cover page even before I read it, only to know that it is like that. Nevertheless, that doesn't exclude one from thinking that the cover is wonderful, but it looks more "princessy."
Tamara Goodman is a 16 year old girl; well, at least, believes to be a 16 year old girl who is under depression due to her father's death. As a result of this, her mother has gone insane, and they lost their house, forcing them to move to a place with eccentric people. But things get interesting when she meets a new person. Taking her advice, Tamara keeps a journal, but fell into a pit of shock on seeing that someone wrote in the diary before her, and the events were all true: it said the events that would take place the next day. The concept is simply marvelous.
But, I daresay, this isn't really the type I expect. With less mentioning of romance and everything, but holding the same concept, it will be good. Secondly, grammatical mistakes.
'We're staying with them for...a little'
'We?'
'Me and my mum'
Unless my grammar textbook and teachers lie, the correct way to write the underlined sentence is 'My mum and me'. To confirm this, I checked a couple of forums, though I was 100% percent sure since I'm learning English as first language, and that is how it was been throughout my school life. The forums further substantiate my statement, and I'm surprised that it was left unnoticed.
Although the concept is good, thanks to a couple of things, I'd never recommend this book to anyone.
Η πλοκή σαν ιδέα ήταν ενδιαφέρουσα και η γραφή της Cecelia Ahern είναι αρκετά καλή (όχι τέλεια, αλλά καλή), αλλά η ιστορία κυλούσε βασανιστικά αργά.
I've had this book on my shelf for years and now I've finally read it! I didn't have very high hopes going into this and I was surprised by the quality of the beginning tbh. I was fairly entertained actually. Then came the tropes...
I am so so so sick of YA books that pitch themselves as a coming of age story (and I was convinced that was what this book was) revolving around a teenager/young adult and then deliver a piece of family history as if that is what now defines this young person. KIDS ARE NOT THEIR PARENTS!Most of the time parents can be used to reflect ourselves in but Tamara's identity does not lie in who her parents are! It's probably a big part of her, but this book treats it as if what her family got up to before she was born is what changes her through this book. Urgh.
I am so so so sick of YA books that pitch themselves as a coming of age story (and I was convinced that was what this book was) revolving around a teenager/young adult and then deliver a piece of family history as if that is what now defines this young person. KIDS ARE NOT THEIR PARENTS!
The voice of the main character drove me crazy in the first few chapters. But once the story got going I was completely drawn in and ended up loving the book.
I was bought this book for my thirteenth birthday by a very good friend. My initial comment was something along the lines of: "I like the cover." I took it home and left it on my shelf and it gathered dust. I picked it up for the first time last year and I did not like the start of it. There were no dragons, and I think that worried me slightly as, last year, I loved dragons. So it went back on the shelf and I pretty much forgot all about it. Until I started revising for my GCSEs. I did not want to be bogged down by a book which distracted me from my work so I scooped this book up for a second time.
I realised that I had not read enough of it the first time to get a true picture of what the story was about. This book was completely my bag and the story reminded me of so many others which I love.
Sadly I have to drop a star because of the shaky start and the slightly rushed ending, but this book surprised me.
And I still love the cover.
I realised that I had not read enough of it the first time to get a true picture of what the story was about. This book was completely my bag and the story reminded me of so many others which I love.
Sadly I have to drop a star because of the shaky start and the slightly rushed ending, but this book surprised me.
And I still love the cover.
Basically a gothic mystery set in modern-day Ireland with an incredibly bratty and mean teenager as its heroine. It all felt a little jarring and in the end wrapped up far too quickly and nicely.