Book Review: The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

Publisher: Harper

Publish Date: January 25, 2011

Hardcover, 320 pages
Fiction

My Review:
Why I read this:The premise sounded good and I have never read Cecelia Ahern despite hearing wonderful things about her books.

How is the novel driven: Primarily character, this is about Tamara learning about herself and her family.  But there is a great suspense plot as well.  Both move the book along smoothly.


My thoughts: So this is my first Cecelia Ahern book and it definitely won't be my last.  There is something about her writing in this book that just grabbed me and wouldn't let me go and if her other books are anything like The Book of Tomorrow I have a new author to add to my list of auto-reads.

The Book of Tomorrow starts us off meeting Tamara, a teenager who seems rather self-absorbed and unlikable.  She and her mother have had to move in with relatives in the countryside because her father killed himself and left them with a lot of debt.  Tamara hopes that this situation is just for the summer because she misses her friends and her old life and she's not too crazy about her aunt or the fact that there is not much to do where she is.

One day she meets a boy who runs a book-mobile and she finds a book with a lock and takes it after spending the afternoon with this boy.  Then she meets a nun who opens the book and Tamara finds that the pages are blank.  She plans to use it as a diary of sorts, but when she wakes up the next day she finds her writing in it and it's what will happen that day.

At first she is confused and then she battles with whether to change the future (avoid mistakes she writes about) or just let things happen.  I found this part of the plot to be fascinating and while all of this is going on, Tamara begins to grow and become a more likable girl.  None of this happens overnight.  She still acts like her spoiled self through the book.  But all she really wants is her mother to become like she use to be instead of the somewhat comatose grief-stricken woman she is right now.

Mistakes ensue and a mystery opens up.  Just what is Tamara's aunt up to and what is she hiding.  The novel has a nice gothic feel to it and I loved the mystery as much as I loved watching Tamara grow and change.

The Book of Tomorrow is captivating both through the characters, the scenery and the plot.  I found it to be a fascinating book which is wonderfully written and held my attention very well.  This was one of those I could read while my children wrestled and played on the floor in the same room with me and that says a lot for holding my attention.

The Book of Tomorrow is a must-read in my opinion if you already enjoy Ms. Ahern's books or have not tried them yet.  I found it to be an entertaining read and one I would consider reading again and again.


My Rating: 4.75/5.0


About the Book:

Born into the lap of luxury and comfortable in the here and now, spoiled, tempestuous Tamara Goodwin has never had to look to the future—until the abrupt death of her father leaves her and her mother a mountain of debt and forces them to move in with Tamara's peculiar aunt and uncle in a tiny countryside village.

Tamara is lonely and bored, with a traveling library as her only diversion. There she finds a large leather-bound book with a gold clasp and padlock, but no author name or title. Intrigued, she pries open the lock, and what she finds inside takes her breath away.

Tamara sees entries written in her own handwriting, and dated for the following day. When the next day unfolds exactly as recorded, Tamara realizes she may have found a solution to her problems. But in her quest to find answers, Tamara soon learns that some pages are better left unturned and that, try as she may, she mustn't interfere with fate.

About the Author: 

Cecelia Ahern is the author of the international bestsellers P.S. I Love You, which was adapted into a major motion picture starring Hilary Swank; Love, Rosie; If You Could See Me Now; There's No Place Like Here; Thanks for the Memories; and The Gift. Her books are published in forty-six countries and have collectively sold more than 11 million copies. The daughter of Ireland's former prime minister, she lives in Dublin, Ireland.

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***I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  I do not receive money for my amazon links since I live in NC (something about some law), so they are up purely for my readers to have a place to check out the book.***