The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

Author: Cecelia Ahern

Pages: 320

Publisher: Harper Collins

Series or Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Adult Realistic with Crossover appeal

Reading Level: 15+

Dominant Themes: Loss, Depression, Teenage Angst

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 Book of Tomorrow was one of those novels that made me think about my life and evaluate everything I’ve done. Do I take everything I have for granted, even my parents? What would happen in one day I lost everything? This is exactly what happens to Tamar godwin. Her dad kills himself, leaving massive amounts of debt. She and her mother are forced to move in with Tamara’s aunt and uncle, Rosaleen and Arthur, and Tamara has trouble adjusting to her new life.

Cecelia Ahern is the author of P.S. I Love You, and while I’ve only seen the movie and not read the book, I still blubbered like a baby. So when I started reading this book, I was prepared for intense emotions and possible tears. Thankfully, there were no tears, but there were quite a few overwhelming feelings that really made me sympathize with Tamara. She felt guilt over her dad’s death, because right before he took his life, they had a terrible fight and she said many things to him she wished she hadn’t.

Tamara was a spoiled brat and a total bitch, and she knew it. She made a point of saying nasty things to people, because she figured she could keep herself from getting hurt. Throughout the entire story, as she deals with everything that’s happening, she stops being so snotty and I really started empathizing with her, and relating to her. She had lost her dad, everything she ever owned, her friends, and now her mother was a zombie who slept all the time and barely said two words.

Unfortunately, this book took FOREVER to go anywhere. The first 100 pages or so were very uneventful, with small little doses of suspicious behavior and a little intrigue. I thought about putting this book down a few times, but stuck it out. Eventually, the plot started picking up steam. I really didn’t see the ending coming at all. It was a big surprise for me that made the sluggish beginning worth it.

I feel like this book’s  description is a little misleading. You go in thinking it’s going to have a magical aspect with the diary , but I would actually classify this as realistic fiction. The diary is a very small factor in the overall novel. It comes in pretty late in the story, and then it’s not stressed as much as one would think. Even with the magic of the journal, it was actually very believable. I could almost believe as I was reading this book that I could find my own journal and it would tell me what would happen tomorrow.

I liked a lot of the characters, although there was one that I hated, and actually creeped me out a lot: Rosaleen. She was just a weirdo. She would watch Tamara sleep, restrict her from seeing her own mother and just act suspicious most of the time. I knew she was hiding something big the entire time, so when it was finally revealed that Rosaleen was just a crazy, jealous bitch, I wasn’t surprised. I think she’s the only unlikeable character in this entire novel.

Overall, this was a good book. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever read, and I won’t be rereading it anytime soon.

Do I Recommend This Novel: Sure, but it’s not a strong recommendation.

Plot: 3/5

Characters: 4/5

Creativity\Uniqueness: 4/5

Writing: 4/5

Cover: 3.5/5

Overall: 

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