A review by asourceoffiction
The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

2.0

I was looking forward to reading something light (despite the unseasonable timing). I sometimes love a Christmas book, but this fell a little flat for me. I enjoyed the concept and what it was trying to achieve, but never felt enough empathy for the characters. Lou's family seem to have been well thought out, but it wasn't often I felt that translated to the reader. Given the extent to which they were the wronged parties I would have enjoyed spending more time with them as a group. There were some lovely touches - we don't get a physical description of Lou's daughter until it seems like he is looking at her properly for the first time - but also some poor editing in sections which caused repetitive phrases and pulled me out of the plot a little. But it was a sweet, distracting book overall.