If You Could See Me Now - Cecelia Ahern

[goodreads]

Title: If You Could See Me Now
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Genre: Chick-lit
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 410
Date read: May, 2009

Elizabeth Egan's life runs on order: Both her home and her emotions are arranged just so, with little room for spontaneity. It's how she counteracts the chaos of her family -- an alcoholic mother who left when she was young, an emotionally distant father, and a free-spirited sister, who seems to be following in their mother's footsteps, leaving her own six-year-old son, Luke, in Elizabeth's care. When Ivan, Luke's mysterious new grown-up friend, enters the picture, Elizabeth doesn't know quite what to make of him. With his penchant for adventure and colorful take on things large and small, Ivan opens Elizabeth's eyes to a whole new way of living. But is it for real? Is Ivan for real?

What I liked about Cecelia Ahern's debut novel "PS, I Love You" was it's poignancy and it's depth. It wasn't your typical chick-lit, but went below the surface.

"If You Could See Me Now" has a bit of that same depth, but in a very, very different way and I'm not entirely sure it works in this one... or rather, I think the basic premise (a woman falling in love with an imaginary friend) was one that didn't really work for me. It's a sweet book, and a good way to spend a relaxing afternoon, but I didn't really buy how Ivan's laissez faire attitude could help Elizabeth loosen up and have such a major impact on her personality. And because I couldn't buy that, the ending seemed rushed and inconclusive.

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