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Title: The Gift
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2/5
# pages: 309
Date read: December, 2010

Lou Suffern is practised in the art of concealment. He is, also, always overstretched, trying to do too many things at once. His overburdened schedule gives him few moments of peace, even in his sleep. And when he spends time at home with his wife and family, he is always distracted, and, mentally, somewhere else.

On a cold winter morning, Lou is on his way to work when he encounters Gabe, a homeless street dweller, sitting outside an office building. Lou is intrigued by him, and contrives to get him a job in the post room. But this act of charity rebounds on him, and Gabe's presence begins to grate on Lou -- particularly when he discovers that the latter seems capable of being in two places at the same time. Christmas is drawing near, and before the season is over, Lou's life will be irrevocably change by the casual act of kindness he has performed

I think I've just about given up on Cecelia Ahern by now. I loved "PS. I Love You", but though I keep being fascinated by the premises of her books, every book since then has been not bad, but a bit of a disappointment. Unfortunately, this was no exception.

A bit of an alternative "It's A Wonderful Life", the book was interesting enough to keep me reading - and it's a quick read, so I pretty much finished it in one sitting - but the ending fell flat, and left me thinking I had wasted my time. I'm glad I just got it out of the library, and didn't actually spend any money on it.
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Title: The Book of Tomorrow
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Genre: Chick-lit
Rating: 2.5/5
# pages: 320
Date read: December, 2010

Tamara Goodwin has always got everything she's ever wanted. Born into a family of wealth, she grew up in a mansion with its own private beach, a wardrobe full of designer clothes and all that a girl could ever wish for. She's always lived in the here and now, never giving a second thought to tomorrow. But then suddenly her dad is gone and life for Tamara and her mother changes forever. Left with a mountain of debt, they have no choice but to sell everything they own and move to the country. Nestled next to Kilsaney Castle, their gatehouse is a world away from Tamara's childhood. With her mother shut away with grief, and her aunt busy tending to her, Tamara is lonely and bored and longs to return to Dublin. When a travelling library passes through Kilsaney Demesne, Tamara is intrigued. Her eyes rest on a mysterious large leather bound tome locked with a gold clasp and padlock. What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to its core.

The premise sounded really interesting, but the book was extremely slow-moving - it wasn't until page 100 that Tamara even found the mysterious book! Also, I didn't think the writing style really meshed with the genre. I think Cecelia Ahern tried for 'suspense' rather than 'chick-lit', which made for a really weird mix, that didn't really work for me. It did improve after the first 100 pages, but there were still too many things left unexplained or plot-devices that were just a tad too convenient. It had its moment, but in general I didn't care much for it at all.
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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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Title: Where Rainbows End
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Genre: Chick-lit
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 483
Date read: August, 2008

Summary: Where Rainbows End is the amusing story of Alex and Rosie, best friends who grow up together in Ireland and stay close throughout cross-continental moves, marriages, parenthood, family dramas. and professional triumphs. Friends for close to 50 years, the potential for romance between the pair is always under the surface, yet never seems to find the right time or place to become a reality.

Review: A novel written entirely through e-mails, letters and chat logs. It's fairly good, but suffers from two drawbacks. First of all, it's the second book I've read by an author where I LOVED the first, and therefore didn't quite live up to my expectations. Secondly it's one of those books where you get SO frustrated with the two main characters, because they just down settle down and TALK already!

Still, Cecelia is a good writer, and despite the second item being one of my biggest pet peeves in books, she actually managed to make it acceptable to me, because there was so much in the rest of the book, that you didn't just sit around, waiting for the ending to make "everything right". Probably not a book that will end up as one of my favourites, but it was a good way to spend a lazy vacation day.

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Title: PS, I Love You
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Genre: Chick-lit
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: 502
Date read: September 2007, October 2010


Summary: "PS, I Love You" is a sweet, sentimental tale of a young widow's trials and triumphs in the year after her husband's death. Soul mates Holly and Gerry married in their early 20s; when Gerry dies of brain cancer at 30, Holly is utterly bereft. But Gerry has a final gift: a series of letters, which Holly is to open on the first of each month from March to New Year's, and which will guide her on her journey from grief. Gerry correctly predicts that Holly will not have gone through his belongings by June, found a new job by September or considered falling in love again by December, but with his posthumous epistolary encouragement she does all those things. She also enters a karaoke contest, takes a beach vacation and dances at a holiday ball she'd always attended with Gerry. The months pass as close friends help prop Holly up; around her, a marriage falls apart, a couple gets engaged and a friend announces her pregnancy. Within her tight-knit family, Holly's youngest brother makes a revealing film of her birthday party, her elder brothers change places in her allegiance and her parents take in one stray grown child after another for stays short and long.

Review: Do not be scared away by the cover of this one. Despite classifying it as 'chick-lit', it's definitely not your usual chick-lit, as there's a lot more depth to it than one would usually expect from chick-lit. It's beautiful and devastating. I'd recommend it to everybody, but make sure you have tissues nearby, because even though the book is generally optimistic, there are scenes that will break your heart.

The author was 22 when she wrote this book! That's just incredible!

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