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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Not a fan of romance as a genre.
But I cried for a while and it felt good. And then I saw the movie, fell in love with Hilary Swank, and cried even more.
Maybe that's why I avoid books like this. It's embarrassing LOL.
But I cried for a while and it felt good. And then I saw the movie, fell in love with Hilary Swank, and cried even more.
Maybe that's why I avoid books like this. It's embarrassing LOL.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I first read this book not long after it was released when I was about 13 years old. Let's just say that it hasn't aged well. I'm not going to comment on the quality of writing because for me I don't really care how well a book is written if I enjoy it and it was Cecelia Ahern's debut novel which she wrote when she was 24. The book has a very basic premise - Holly is grieving for her Husband who has recently died from a brain tumour and she has letters from him to open with love notes giving her instructions on what to do each month such as entering a karaoke competition and getting a job she actually loves, so far so cheesy. My main issue with this book was that it was far far too long and Holly herself, she is so completely unlikeable it seriously limited my enjoyment of the book. There is almost zero character development and Holly is such a vapid 2 dimensional character. Her and her friends fit every stereotype of women ever (obsessed with shopping, all they ever talk about is men etc) She literally says at one point in the book that she thinks her purpose in life was to meet Gerry and fall in love which I think is probably meant to be a romantic sentiment but actually is such a terrible message to send out. I'm sure when I first read it at 13 I found the book very romantic but now at the age of 28 I found it ridiculous and infuriating. Holly mentions a few times how 'old' she is (she turns 30 near the beginning of the book) the idea that 30 is old is just beyond ridiculous and I actually often felt that Holly and her friends (especially Denise) always seemed a lot older than they were meant to be. There are also many instances of fatphobia in the book which definitely haven't aged well, Holly loses weight because understandably she's not eating because she's grieving her dead husband however she talks about dressing for her new slimmer figure as though this weight loss is a good thing, Holly is clearly a slim woman yet talks about herself as though she isn't, there's also a few descriptions of a 'plump' woman who serves her in a cafe, this is the only thing we find out about this woman, that and the fact that she doesn't walk she 'waddles'. Another extremely unrealistic event is when Holly gets a new job (only because Gerry's letters tells her to) it sounds like Holly has very limited qualifications and has a had a series of jobs that she hated and as she put it 'collected her payslip as soon as it was available and spent it all within 2 weeks' but she applies for a job at a magazine because Gerry tells her to 'shoot for the moon'. She goes to the interview and thinks that she has been left out in being given a folder but the receptionist tells her that no - the other candidates have just brought in their portfolios of work that they have done previously. She then goes into the interview and tells them that she's been out of work because she was looking after her dying husband, the owner/editor of the magazine then talks to her about him losing his own wife. And then somehow she is given the job even though she has zero qualifications, zero education and the other candidates have all got relevant experience. It blows my mind that we're actually meant to believe this, as though it is that easy to get a job. I could understand if they had hired her as a secretary as that is what she has experience with and the editor clearly liked her but no, she gets the job she has zero idea how to do. At times things like this make it feel like this book was written by a teenage girl as she seemingly has no idea what being an adult is actually like and that getting an amazing job is really as easy as that and that when your husband dies your weight is actually something you care about. I gave this book 2 stars because I like the idea of it and there were some nice moments but mostly it's over long, boring nonsense.
Okay wow Cecelia Ahern writes the longest books. It took me over a year to finish this. I started listening to the audiobook then ended up reading it through my Kindle because I couldn't find the second part of the audiobook.
It was a great book, despite it being slow. Some tears were shed (hence the 4 stars). I can't wait to finally watch the movie!
It was a great book, despite it being slow. Some tears were shed (hence the 4 stars). I can't wait to finally watch the movie!
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
After just watching the movie and being a big sap for chick-flicks, I had to read the book. I enjoyed it. Of course the story was quite different then the book but both equally as good. Holly Kennedy just lost her husband Gerry. She is in a deep state of grief when she finds out he has sent her letters to help her through it. One for each month for 10 months. He has her get a bedside lamp so she doesn't trip going to bed, sets a trip up for her and so on. The book explores how she processes her loss with his help. This book did contain tears but I laughed out loud many times too.
i loved the book. it's written in such a beautiful way. i found myself crying and laughing with holly...and i could feel the pain she was going through as well as all her inner turmoil. i especially loved her family, friends and the life depicted in the book. im in love with ireland, i have to admit!! even though gerry may not be physically present in holly's life, his presence fills the pages of the book in this amazing way that you cant help loving him! in short, it was a wonderful read. LOVED IT !