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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
The book left me confused a little but thinking about time actually...
What is it that is in front of us and what we are running behind.
What is it that is in front of us and what we are running behind.
DNF. I just could NOT get into this book. It reminds me too much of It’s A Wonderful Life and the movie Family Man, both of which I dislike.
Lou Suffern is a workaholic who doesn't appreciate his family. One day out of the blue he buys a homeless man named Gabe a cup of coffee and his life begins to change in unexpected ways.
I thought this was an overall nice story with a good message about the preciousness of time, but I sometimes found the character of Lou to be a bit insufferable.
I thought this was an overall nice story with a good message about the preciousness of time, but I sometimes found the character of Lou to be a bit insufferable.
Taattua Ahernia. Maagisen ilmestymistä odottaa aina yhtä innokkaasti ja henkilöhahmot toimivat, vaikka Loun parantuminen työnarkomaniastaan olikin ehkä vähän turhan helppoa ja nopeaa, vaikka siihen selvästi oli yritetty tehdä vaiheita. Koskettava loppu.
Like most of Cecelia Ahern's books, The Gift really got through to me. This author has a way of weaving a magical tale which is still intricately interwoven with everyday life, ensuring that we can all relate to the story and the characters.
The Gift is a sweet story about appreciating what we have, and not wasting time and energy on the things that do not really matter at the end of the day. None of us know how long we have to live, so keep your priorities straight, live life with no regrets.
I too found it a little hard to get into this novel, but once I was there, wow, I couldn't put it down, and yes, I did have tears in my eyes by the end of it.
This is a sweet, easy read, but with a valuable and very important lesson that we all need to learn and keep in mind.
The Gift is a sweet story about appreciating what we have, and not wasting time and energy on the things that do not really matter at the end of the day. None of us know how long we have to live, so keep your priorities straight, live life with no regrets.
I too found it a little hard to get into this novel, but once I was there, wow, I couldn't put it down, and yes, I did have tears in my eyes by the end of it.
This is a sweet, easy read, but with a valuable and very important lesson that we all need to learn and keep in mind.
I'm loving this author. This is an interesting story...much like A Christmas Carol, where a man is given the chance to change his life and relationships. It is easy to read, heart warming, and when listening to it you can listen to the beautiful Irish brogue of the reader. :) One thing I loved was her ability to capture how the young children act in the story. It was point on with my experiences and I appreciated the reality of it all.
Read it again 12/17. It's a good seasonal read. :)
Read it again 12/17. It's a good seasonal read. :)
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a quick Christmas read with a good moral. Some people said that it was too "preachy" but I didn't get that at all. It had a message, but it certainly wasn't anything that most of us don't need to be reminded of. Not your typical Christmas "happy" book...the ending was pretty sad.
But if someone who read the book can clear up a few things for me. If the pills were "headache pills" how did Lou get cloned? And who was Gabe? An angel?
But if someone who read the book can clear up a few things for me. If the pills were "headache pills" how did Lou get cloned? And who was Gabe? An angel?
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
THANKS FOR MAKING ME CRY, CECELIA!
Damn. This book was not what I expected at all. It's not a happy-go-lucky, fluffy, romantic Christmas book. It's almost the opposite. It's basically heartbreaking. Throughout the entire book I couldn't stand main character Lou and the choices he made at first, but at the same time I was hoping he would change. For the sake of his wife, his children, his parents and his brother and sister. And when I started liking him near the end of the book, well, that's when everything went wrong.
I was pretty sure this was going to be a story about him realizing how wrong he was, then making a 180 and changing his life drastically. That did happen, sort of, and at the same time it didn't. Honestly, I don't know what to think of the ending. I guess it's making sure the author's message comes across clearly, but at the same time I felt it was kind of unnecessary.
Plus, there's still some unanswered questions. Who's Raphie's daughter? Is it Ruth? But Lou would've surely recognized his own father-in-law if he was. What happened to Jessica's husband? I get it, Turkey Boy and his family weren't important, but it kind of bothered me that his story was left out in the open as well.
I absolutely love Cecilia and her writing, and this was a great book. It made me cry in the middle of the night (when I was finishing it) and it kind of left me contemplating my own choices and the way I treat my family and friends. So, once again: well done miss Ahern.
THANKS FOR MAKING ME CRY, CECELIA!
Damn. This book was not what I expected at all. It's not a happy-go-lucky, fluffy, romantic Christmas book. It's almost the opposite. It's basically heartbreaking. Throughout the entire book I couldn't stand main character Lou and the choices he made at first, but at the same time I was hoping he would change. For the sake of his wife, his children, his parents and his brother and sister. And when I started liking him near the end of the book, well, that's when everything went wrong.
I was pretty sure this was going to be a story about him realizing how wrong he was, then making a 180 and changing his life drastically. That did happen, sort of, and at the same time it didn't. Honestly, I don't know what to think of the ending. I guess it's making sure the author's message comes across clearly, but at the same time I felt it was kind of unnecessary.
Plus, there's still some unanswered questions. Who's Raphie's daughter? Is it Ruth? But Lou would've surely recognized his own father-in-law if he was. What happened to Jessica's husband? I get it, Turkey Boy and his family weren't important, but it kind of bothered me that his story was left out in the open as well.
I absolutely love Cecilia and her writing, and this was a great book. It made me cry in the middle of the night (when I was finishing it) and it kind of left me contemplating my own choices and the way I treat my family and friends. So, once again: well done miss Ahern.
I enjoyed this book for the most part but i didn't find it to be anything special.
The story has a really good message but i did find the author's writing at the end (mainly the last couple of pages) to become very preachy and it started to feel like i was having that good message shoved down my throat which i didn't appreciate.
I also really struggled to connect to the main character Lou... quite frankly he seemed like a real dick. I also found Gabe to be really underdeveloped.
Overall this was just okay to me.
The story has a really good message but i did find the author's writing at the end (mainly the last couple of pages) to become very preachy and it started to feel like i was having that good message shoved down my throat which i didn't appreciate.
I also really struggled to connect to the main character Lou... quite frankly he seemed like a real dick. I also found Gabe to be really underdeveloped.
Overall this was just okay to me.