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    The Book of Tomorrow
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    The Book of Tomorrow
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    The Book of Tomorrow
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Book of Tomorrow

    Written by Cecelia Ahern

    Narrated by Ali Coffey

    3.5/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    The magical and mesmerising story of how tomorrow can change what happens today.

    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. She needs a distraction. Her eyes rest on a mysterious large leather bound tome locked with a gold clasp and padlock. With some help, Tamara finally manages to open the book.  What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to its core.

    Told in Cecelia’s imitable style, The Girl of Tomorrow is a mesmerising and magical story for this autumn.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 1, 2009
    ISBN9780007316403
    Unavailable
    The Book of Tomorrow
    Author

    Cecelia Ahern

    Cecelia Ahern is the author of the international bestsellers PS, I Love You; Love, Rosie; If You Could See Me Now; There's No Place Like Here; Thanks for the Memories; The Gift; The Book of Tomorrow; and The Time of My Life. Her books are published in forty-six countries and have collectively sold more than sixteen million copies. The daughter of the former prime minister of Ireland, she lives in Dublin.

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    Reviews for The Book of Tomorrow

    3.5/5

    88 ratings66 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I like Cecelia Ahern's fairytale-type stories like this one. The Book of Tomorrow is key to the way the plot unfolds. The main characters is, as she confesses, not a very nice person, but she sorts herself out during the course of the book. There are a few mysteries on the way but as you'd expect all is explained by the end.
    • 3/5
      This book is best described as chick lit with a magical twist. Dublin teenager Tamara Goodwin has lost everything. Her father has committed suicide, leaving the family in debt and leading to them losing their home. Tamara's mother is so overwhelmed by grief that she sleeps all day and rarely gets out of bed. She and her mother have been forced to move in with an aunt and uncle who live in the middle of nowhere. If all of this was not bad enough something strange seems to be happening in Tamara's new home. Aunt Rosalind is evasive, and she refuses to let Tamara see her mother. The garage remains mysteriously locked, and Tamara is ordered not pursue any of her curiosity about the surrounding area. Most significantly, she acquires a diary that writes entries for her, foreshadowing the next day's events. The course of the plot of this book is rather predictable, though the magical elements do offer a sort of interesting twist. I don't generally read books with any kind of fantastic elements, but I did think that Ahern offered just enough here to create interest without overdoing. The magic did not necessarily always seem logical. I know, it's magic, but whether Tamara could change the future or not did seem to vary from day to day. Probably the best thing about this book is the setting, on the grounds of a ruined castle and an old convent. The setting was somewhat magical in and of itself, and it definitely added to the atmosphere.
    • 4/5
      I like the theme: foretelling something in the future, with the Irish castle ruins as background.. Makes me imagining things and want to go to Ireland!
    • 4/5
      I am pleasantly surprised by this book. Tamara, a teenager, finds a diary written in her own hand that tells her stories about tomorrow. The premise is potentially a backdrop for a melodramatic teenage life. Not so. Tamara is more like Flavia DeLuce than an average teenager. When her family behaves strangely and the writings in her diary emphasis the secretiveness, Tamara begins an historical expedition into a family secret. My only critique stems from reading far too much. I believe it to be bad story telling to begin a story in a monologue talking about telling the story. Just get to it. The beginning of the book was so unimpressive to me that I forgot it entirely by the end. But hey; the book ends on a good note allowing me to rate it as one that I might read again and would recommend to a friend.
    • 2/5
      For a book with so much potential, this one falls short. It is executed poorly, with lackluster character developments and gaping plot holes. Tamara Goodwin is a spoiled, rich teenager girl, who finds herself in the country because of a poor decision by her father. She, along with her incompetent mother, stays with her aunt and uncle, Rosaleen and Arthur.The story is narrated by Tamara, in her whiny, privileged teenage voice. In the beginning, the pace of the story is incredibly slow. Pages and pages are dedicated to her recount of life before moving to the country, followed by seemingly meaningless and lengthy descriptions of country life. In particular, Tamara pays special attention to the castle in town, which is now more of a ruin, and nothing like its former self. One day, she is visited by a travelling library bus, and discovers a book that foretells the future, or tomorrow to be exact. My problem with this book is that Ahern takes too long to get to the actual story. While it’s nice to discover a character’s backstory, and be presented with vivid scenic descriptions for full immersion in the story, all of that is meaningless if we don’t know why we’re reading the story in the first place. “They say a story loses something with each telling. If that is the case, this story has lost nothing, for it’s the first time it’s been told. This story is one for which some people will have to suspend their disbelief. If this wasn’t happening to me, I would be one of those people.” To begin a story with such an enticing opening, only to tease your reader for a hundred of so pages (yes I counted) before telling them said story is just cruel in my opinion. Once the story ‘officially’ begins, with the book of tomorrow in Tamara’s hands, the pace of the story picks up quickly, and ends climactically. However, gaping plot holes are still left wide open, and several questions are still left unanswered at the end.
    • 4/5
      It starts out a little slow. I had a hard time identifying with Tamara Goodwin in the beginning - not only did she come from a material world that is far, far removed from my personal experience, but as a character she's not exactly likeable. Once she found "her" journal - the Book of Tomorrow - I started getting more engaged with the story. I wanted to find out what this crazy girl would do with her glimpses into the future - would she change history before it had a chance to happen? Would she learn from the lessons found in the book - and in her real-time life? It wasn't one of those totally-engrossing reads, especially since it took some persistence to "get to the good stuff," but it was an enjoyable read once I got in to it. I did find myself wanting to know what all the hiding and unsaid things were about, and trying to figure out where all the various characters would fit into the final equation. I was glad I persevered and kept reading, and it's definitely the best Ahern novel I've read so far. If you're up to the challenge of wrestling with Tamara and working your way to the good part, then I'd definitely say "read it" - if you want a quick, chick lit read, I'd stay away from Book of Tomorrow.
    • 4/5
      After 16 year-old Tamara's father kills himself, Tamara and her mother discovered that he had been hiding their perilous financial situation from them, which had culminated as the bank began foreclosing on their house. With few options left, Tamara and her mother move back to a remote Irish town to live with her aunt and uncle. Soon after moving in, her mother falls into a seemingly deep depression and is unable to get out of bed. Tamara begins to suspect that her aunt Rosaleen is harboring secrets from her as both her and her uncle Arther refuse to answer questions about their family, situation, and various topics. At the same time, Tamara comes upon a blank journal that mysteriously reveals a new entry every day in Tamara's own handwriting, describing in detail the events that would transpire the next day. As Tamara uses the book to help determine the course of her future, she finds that many family secrets have been hidden from her. Book of Tomorrow is part teenage romance and part supernatural mystery. I thought this novel was better than I expected, though it was a little slow to get into, as Tamara was a spoiled brat who tended to make obnoxious, impertinant comments to everyone in the story. After she aquired the journal, I feel the story picked up and became more exciting. I would recommend this book, though the Tamara was not a model teenager as she frequently swore, engaged in sex, drank alcohol, and smoked in the book. Maybe not the best role model if one was looking to pass it on to an impressionable teen.
    • 3/5
      The Book of Tomorrow is about a diary which reveals the entry that is going to be written tomorrow. It ends up in the hands of Tamara after her dad dies and she has to move, with her mom, to her aunt and uncle's house. Although her Aunt Rosaleen has an extremely eerie way about her (Tamara appropriately nicknamed her aunt and uncle the Deliverance Duo) a deeper mystery unfolds and Tamara does what she can to get to the bottom of it.This book left me with mixed feelings. The thing that struck me from the moment I picked it was surprise that it was listed as adult fiction and not YA and I know other people have also commented on the same thing. Tamara was a teenager with some typical smart-ass teen remarks. At times they were entertaining and almost charming but they began to get annoying and overdone. I had the same problem with the repetitive phrases that she was continuously pointing out. They were, at first, funny and added to her personality but I eventually just got sick of reading them.The book had a bit of a slow pace throughout and then everything just exploded at the end but throughout the story I fully enjoyed Sister Ignatius. She had the best personality and I just wanted to be her friend. Sister Ignatius's hilarious personality was a perfect contrast to the eeriness that hung over the rest of the story and both kept me curious to find out how everything would end. I would have to say, overall, it was good, not great.
    • 4/5
      I haven't read any other Cecelia Ahern novel, and I'm not sure I would have picked this up on my own, so I'm very happy I came across it on Goodreads some months ago. It was a great read! I sense that it could take time for some readers to warm up to Tamara. She's selfish, self-centered, and she's rather foul-mouthed. However, I found myself enjoying her character quite early on. She did make me roll my eyes, and some of her antics are ridiculous, but she's full of personality and can be charming when she wants to be. As for the bad language, some may be easily offended, but I can be pretty vulgar myself so it was refreshing for me to find a character that makes use of obscenities. After her father's death, Tamara and her mother move in with her uncle, Arthur, and his wife, Rosaleen. It was easy to step into Tamara's shoes and feel the absolute confinement of living with them. Not only is she leaving behind the home and the routines that she's used to, but Rosaleen practically breathes down her neck at every moment and tries to shut her off from her mom. I felt every frustration that Tamara did, as well as relished in any bit of freedom she had. The supporting cast was very fleshed out and it was interesting to see how Tamara interacted with each of them. Sister Ignatius was especially a pleasant surprise! Having gone to Catholic school for most of my education, I became familiar with a few nuns and I liked the fact that Sister Ignatius was similar to them; she didn't follow any kind of stereotypes. Instead, she was multi-dimensional and shared a very enjoyable rapport with Tamara.The conclusion of the story packs a punch! Somewhere along the way, the story turned its attention to its mystery and it all unfolded in an unexpected way, completely taking me by surprise. It was a very satisfying conclusion, though, and gives Tamara a larger sense of identity. The Book of Tomorrow was a very enchanting read with the right amount of humor, mystery, magic, and a little bit of romance thrown in. It was a nice change of pace from my usual reads!
    • 1/5
      The premise of this book is an interesting one - what would you do if you knew what tomorrow was going to bring? Would you want to know? Would you want to change?Unfortunately, that premise gets lost in a story from the past. The main character is a 16 year old girl. So, the book sounds like it's meant for an audience that age as well. The tale and secret that emerge are somewhat gothic in nature except not told with the depth and passion of a gothic tale.In the dedications, the author states that part of the intent of this book was to explore the magic of books. Unfortunately, the magic of the "Book of Tomorrow" is lost in the story being told from the past.Finally, the book starts by stating that there are people who will believe because they have an open mind and there are people who will disbelieve. I am willing to suspend belief and "believe" through a lot of stories. Unfortunately, this was not one of them.
    • 3/5
      Not as good as her other ones. Not as multi-layered as IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW, THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES or THE GIFT. Nice light read.
    • 3/5
      The Book of Tomorrow By Cecilia Ahern Tamara Goodwin leads the idyllic teenage life in Dublin Ireland. That is until her father dies and she and her mum are left with nothing but debts and regrets. They move in to stay with family in a small village on the grounds of an ancient castle. Tamara is lonely and sad with no prospects for improvement. One day Tamara finds a diary that is filled with magical entries regarding her future. As Tamara learns to trust and love again she grows up quickly and family secrets that have been buried for many years are slowly revealed. All of Ms. Aherns books are filled with magical hope and a dash of surprise. This story is both entertaining and heartwarming, just an easy smile and who couldn't use a dose of that?
    • 3/5
      Surprisingly gripping at the end. Thought it was going to be total bollocks but I actually enjoyed it overall. The writing isn't great but the story was pretty good.
    • 1/5
      Couldn't get into this at all. Different style from her usual thing. Hardly any dialogue. Book reads like a monologue memoir of a boring person.
    • 5/5
      When Tamara’s father commits suicide it renders her mother incapable of much. He also rendered their accounts in the red and the bank took the house in debt payment. They must break down their treasures and move from Dublin to the miniscule house owned by Arthur and Rosaleen, Jennifer’s relations in the country.Things are odd and become odder as the novel reveals that there is much to be learned in the hills of Ireland. Tamara, a spoiled brat who is NOT happy with her current situation sets out to try to find things to do and to especially annoy Rosaleen who couldn’t be nice if she was given a million dollars. Arthur seems well meaning but basically has not clue as to the depths of Rosaleen’s thoughts. Then comes a traveling library and Tamara notices a huge book, locked in fact and she must check it out. After getting it open she is amazed to see blank pages! But she doesn’t really want to write her thoughts down as it’s too depressing. She needn’t worry – in the morning when she opens the book the day’s activities are already accounted for. Before they happen.I didn’t like this story at first, I wanted to pop Tamara and tell her to get a grip but, after putting it aside for a couple of days - Oh my! I fell in love with this book and did not want to put it down (alas, work intervened!). Excellent writing, above excellent plot and a cast of characters to love, hate and like. What could be better?
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this book. It took a bit to get use to the narrator's accent.I knew there was something going on. The only part I figured out ahead of Tamara was the age thing. The sister said she will never lie to Tamara and she would repeatedly state Tamara's age as a year older.I checked the information on beekeeping is accurate:Smoke calms bees; it initiates a feeding response in anticipation of possible hive abandonment due to fire. Smoke also masks alarm pheromones released by guard bees or when bees are squashed in an inspection.
    • 3/5
      The Book of Tomorrow is touted as an Adult fantasy, but to me it read (or rather sounded, as I listened to the audio book) more like a YA Gothic suspense. Unraveling the mystery was pretty good, but I felt cheated that I still don't know the origins of the magic of the "Book of Tomorrow"diary. And in the audio book, the narrator' lovely Irish lilt had me confusing the main character's name, Tamara, with the word "tomorrow", so that caused me further confusion throughout the story at key places.I was hoping for more magic.
    • 2/5
      What would you do if you knew what tomorrow would bring? Would you fix events if you could? Tamara Goodwin has that opportunity. To me this book is Gossip Girl meets Harry Potter without the magic. In the beginning, I was intrigued by the plot and the mysteries surrounding Tamara and her family. The book has a bit of gothic themes, but also tongue-in-cheek look at teenage life and grieving for a loved one. By the end of the book the mysteries & characters wore on me. I'm not sure Tamara learned anything or grew as a character throughout the book. The dialogue was witty and the main plot was an interesting concept. The book was a quick read, but I still felt unsatisfied at the end.
    • 4/5
      Reading Cecelia Ahern is like reading magic. She draws you in with her amazing prose and keeps you intrigued with characters you connect with and care about. I adore her writing.The Book of Tomorrow was very good. I think the descriptions provided by Goodreads and Amazon are a bit misleading. Yes, there is a diary that foretells the events of the next day for Tamara, but I would not say that it is the focus of the novel.This novel is extremely character driven and primarily focused on Tamara Goodwin and the drastic changes to her live after the death of her father. Her entire life is changed and not just because her father has died. In the wake of his death, financial problems plague Tamara and her mother, and they are forced to go live in the countryside with relatives. Tamara has to leave her friends, the home and town she grew up in, and her lifestyle. Tamara’s struggle with these issues and how she learns to navigate her new life are the focus of this book. The magical diary comes into the story rather late and is really more of an interesting side note than the full focus of the novel.Tamara is a great character. She is snarky and amazing and smart and open…she is exceptional. Sometimes, I wasn’t sure if I loved or hated her, but by the end of the novel I totally adored her. I loved her spunk and how she handled herself in situations that would have thrown other 17-year-olds for a major loop.The Book of Tomorrow didn’t read particularly quickly for me, but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of it. The book is dense in detail and character development.I loved this book. I would absolutely recommend it!
    • 3/5
      I love Cecelia Ahern's books, but this novel really fell flat for me. There was a ton of potential but I felt like she had too many ideas, which resulted in underdeveloped characters and disappointment. I wasn't impressed and this may be the one book of Ahern's that I never purchase.
      Like everyone else has said the cover was beautiful and I really did like having my own little built in bookmark. However, I have a feeling the cover was made so beautiful because there really wasn't anything all that worthwhile inside.
    • 3/5
      What would you do if you found a book that, in your own writing, told you what tomorrow held? Would you change it? Would you just muddle on to see if the book was right?Cecelia Ahern explores this idea in a YA novel that combines magic with mystery, and a lot of growing up. Tamara Goodwin goes from riches to rags, and along the way finds some humanity. I picked this up getting Ahern confused with another writer, but ended up being pleasantly not disappointed in reading the tale. I particularly liked the last chapter's title "what we have learned today." Sometimes, a summary like that would be helpful for me, in my life, I think.
    • 5/5
      I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern. Saying she is one of my favorite authors is an understatement. She has the awesome ability to write for the heart and she definitely delivered in this novel. Ms. Ahern captivated my attention from the very beginning. She also completely surprised me. For starters, I wasn’t expecting to like Tamara as much as I did. She starts off as a self-proclaimed spoiled brat and yes, she totally acted like one. But after a tragedy she could never imagined takes place, she is forced to look at her selfish ways and change. Everything. With the help of a fascinating cast of characters and a magic diary, Tamara goes on the adventure of her life without leaving the tiny village with its very own decrepit castle. Right away Tamara finds a kindred soul in this castle, it’s as beat up and broken as she is. I really enjoyed all the characters, especially Arthur, Tamara’s uncle. You can tell how much he loved Tamara, how his silence was there to protect her more than anything else. I loved her creepy Aunt Rosaleen and the way she was like a ghost, always watching. And that’s what started my wheels turning. I can’t remember the last time I was genuinely surprised at an ending in a novel. I didn’t see it coming at all. Ms. Ahern didn’t give anything away, all things were discovered to us along with Tamara. The other character that I wholly loved (pun intended) was Sister Ignatius. I have this odd fascination with nuns. My favorite calendar is my Nuns Having Fun calendar. On my desk at work I have Nun-chucks and Nun Bowling. I have a newspaper clipping of a sneaker wearing nun playing softball hanging in my closet. Yes, I’m odd and I’ll admit, maybe it’s more of an addiction than a fascination. Sister Ignatius is exactly the kind of nun I would be if I ever was a nun. She’s an artistic, funny, smut novel reading awesome creation. She was the perfect friend for Tamara in her new life.I loved this novel so much because it made me think of my own book of tomorrow. I made me wonder what I would do. Actually I wouldn’t have to wonder at all, I know I would open that thing in a heartbeat. I would want to know what was going to happen to me. I’d rather have regrets for things I did than things I didn’t do. Plus, it’s a great way to stay out of trouble. I loved the idea of Tamara knowing what her future held. It’s like receiving a cheat sheet on life. I loved that she had the ability to either keep it that way or change it. I loved that what I thought was going to happen, didn’t, that it was better than I could ever imagine. Most of all, I loved watching Tamara change, watching her mature. Ms. Ahern did a wonderful job of maturing Tamara without changing the core of who she is. Now go. Go on and get your very own copy of The Book of Tomorrow. You can’t borrow mine.
    • 4/5
      Tamara Goodwin's life is turned upside down when she and her mother must move in with her aunt and uncle after her father commits suicide. She is bored in the country with no way to get into town and her aunt constantly looking over her shoulder so when a traveling library stops at the house she jumps at the chance to take a ride. A locked book with no author and blank pages turns out to be her diary but the entries seem to write themselves and they are always dated a day in the future. Tamara hardly believes it is possible until the events recorded in the book start happening and then she reads eagerly wondering if she can change them. Each evening she reads about the next day discovering clues along the way to family secrets long buried which will change what she knows about her life forever.Cecelia Ahern writes interesting but very flawed characters and wonderful description. The book started a bit slowly and unevenly but that felt like it mimicked Tamara's emotions as she struggled to find her footing in the strange and uncertain world after her father's death. So many times Tamara and the reader are given clues that things are not quite what they seem or what she has been led to believe but it takes quite a while to put it all together. Questions arise but are left hanging until almost the end of the book. I think this is in part because Tamara doesn't know enough to know what to ask and in part because she senses that the answers could impact her in a fundamental way and so she brushes things aside not really wanting to know.The Book of Tomorrow was a very fast and interesting read. I enjoyed the story, the writing, and the way the characters changed throughout the book.
    • 5/5
      Instead of rags to riches, Tamara Goodwin and her mother went from riches to rags. After Mr. Goodwin committed suicide they were penniless and went from a huge house to a small cottage that Tamara and her mother had to share with relatives.Enduring her uncle's crude ways, tolerating her aunt's constant cooking and hovering, having no friends around, having nothing to do in this small town, and dealing with her mother's silence was not how Tamara wanted her days to be. Her aunt and uncle were quite bizarre and seemed to be hiding something. What it was Tamara had no idea. Everything was hush hush and Rosaleen seemed to hide behind her huge tables of food and Arthur said nothing about anything. Tamara wasn't a pleasant young lady to begin with, and this situation didn't improve her mood.As mean as she was, Tamara was quite funny....always joking about things. She also kept looking back at her life and wondering if it really had been better when she was rich. There was a lot of introspection, and the characters' lives were paralleled with inanimate objects and thoughts. Tamara actually met interesting people in the town and discovered a history of the castle.The main focus of the book was based on a diary Tamara found in a mobile library that stopped in "Hicksville" once a week. The diary was quite interesting as well as shocking because of the content. The content contained something hard to believe. She would read the diary every day and the next day it would be filled with pages of even more interest.The book was skillfully written....the author has a great style. You can actually see the grimaces on the character's faces simply because of the wonderful description; you can also feel Tamara's frustration, and Rosaleen's fear of something.The book was imaginative, creative, and a book that was difficult to put down.....a marvelous read. It also was magical and a little out of the ordinary. Being out of the ordinary made it unique, enjoyable, and appealing. I liked the characters for the most part, but they were an odd bunch, especially Rosaleen with her odd ideas and her secret ways of dealing with situations and people.I would consider THE BOOK OF TOMORROW a light read but with undercurrents of secrets, revenge, and jealousy along with a web of deceit and all of it being nicely tied up in the surprise ending. 5/5This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher for an honest review.
    • 2/5
      Audio book narrated by Ali Coffey

      Tamara Goodwin is a child of privilege, living with her mother and father in a seaside mansion just outside Dublin, with her own suite of rooms. Nearly seventeen, she’s looking forward to getting a car for her birthday. But all that ends when her father goes bankrupt and takes an overdose of sleeping pills, leaving Tamara and her mother with the ruins of a life they once knew. Selling everything they can to pay off debts, they move to the small Irish village where her mother’s brother and sister-in-law live in the gatehouse of a once elegant but now burned ruin of a castle. There is NOTHING to do here. The nearest village (barely more than a tavern and a couple of houses) is a 15-minute drive away, and Tamara hasn’t a car. Her mother is lost in a fog, spending her days sleeping and virtually never leaving her room, let alone the house. Her aunt and uncle are busy with their own lives and never answer any of Tamara’s questions. Things begin to change when the local bookmobile stops and she finds an odd book with no title. It turns out to be a blank journal/diary with magical properties. Each night the diary writes itself – in Tamara’s handwriting – describing what will happen tomorrow. Following the diary’s lead, Tamara uncovers a major family secret.
      There is a decent plot (or three) hiding in all this mess. How Tamara and her mother recover from the suicide of their father/husband, and return to some sort of normalcy would make a good story in itself. The secrets of the Kilsaney family and how their castle came to burn down provide enough intrigue and plot twists for a good book. Tamara’s change and maturation from a spoiled, tempestuous teen to a young woman who thinks of others and may have found happiness (and a boyfriend) in a small Irish village could also have been developed into a decent book. But all these plot lines and magical elements seem to have been thrown together without thought. Instead of a hearty stew that melds different ingredients into a delicious and substantial dish, we get a slop jar of leftovers.

      I give it two stars because 1) there were parts of the story that I found interesting and engaging and 2) Ali Coffey did a good job of the audio version. I don’t think I’d recommend the book to anyone, and, although I know Ahern is a very popular author with several bestsellers to her credit, I’m not interested in reading anything else by her.
    • 4/5
      Good except for the premise of the diary that previews tomorrow. Yep, the main point. But I enjoyed the characters and character development. Setting and plot too.
    • 4/5
      Tamara is a teenaged brat, pure and simple. Even though you may feel a passing bit of sorrow for her only child status and death of her father, her inability to sympathize with her mom's plight and move to the country makes her seem very spoiled indeed. Tamara's bored, but finds a blank book on the local bookmobile. In it, the next day's events surface for her to read. Tamara's life isn't what it seems and she manages to rise above her moodiness to make changes in her situation. Ahern's books are sort of a win or so-so for me and this, while not my favorite, was worth the read.
    • 4/5
      I won this book in a giveaway. It was amazing! It kept me intrigued from the beginning as there was a mystery surrounding the main character. The story is told by a 16 yr old girl so this one would even be good for a YA fan.
    • 3/5
      Tamara Goodwin, shy of her 17th birthday, has had her life turned upside down. She lived a privileged life living in a contemporary mansion in a seaside resort near Dublin, Ireland. She has never had to want for anything, given everything she ever wanted. However, circumstances quickly change when her father commits suicide, loses his fortune, and their home is repossessed. She and her mother must move to the country and into the simple home of her mother’s brother and wife. Her mother, deeply depressed, has become a recluse in her bedroom. Tamara is lonely, bored and deeply wishes to return to the life she had in Dublin.

      However, her boredom is diminished when a bookmobile appears shortly after their arrival. In it she discovers an attractive book locked with a clasp. With the assistance Sister Ignatius, a local nun that befriends her, she is able to open it but discovers that it contains only blank pages – a diary. Sister Ignatius recommends that she record her thoughts. However, when she opens the book, she discovers her words have already been record but for the next day. She now faces a dilemma: Does she live her tomorrows as written or she change events?

      Although this novel was more a YA and coming-of-age novel, I believe that adults will find Tamara's experiences enjoyable and thought-provoking, which I did. The primary characters were well-developed as well as the plot. Although set in Irish countryside, this story could have been set anywhere and anytime.
    • 5/5
      After Tamara Goodwin's father finds himself unable to pay off all his debts and commits suicide, she and her mother are exiled to the countryside, to Tamara's aunt and uncle.

      Gone is the pool and bath with a built in television. Gone are the posh Dublin friends and fancy foods; the shopping trips to London and weekends in Paris. Now Tamara finds herself living in a tiny village, in the gatehouse to an ancient castle, with her crazy aunt and her uncle who hardly ever speaks a word. And her mother who's still 'grieving'--but in a way that means that she never comes out of her room or speaks to anyone.

      Tamara's going stir crazy when, one day not long after her arrival, Marcus, a local boy, shows up driving the traveling library. Tamara finds one book in the library that she decides and after finally prying open the lock on it, she finds diary entries. Entries written in her own handwriting. Dated the next day.

      Tamara's at first skeptical, but with her life seemingly flying out of control--just what is going on with her mother, and why won't her aunt have her seen by a doctor?--and the journal turning out right that first day, Tamara decides to give listening a shot.

      Maybe the book will give her some answers.


      I've only read two of Cecelia Ahern's other books, PS I Love You and Rosie Dunne/Love, Rosie, and while I really liked those books, this one was loads better. The Book of Tomorrow had a lot more depth than Cecelia Ahern's other books that I've read. It was suspenseful and emotional--but without being Lifetime moviesque--and the characters, their relationships and the different dynamics were really well done and, quite frankly, rather unexpected, too.

      This is all on top of a character that would not have been at all out of place in a Hitchcock or Stephen King tale. She was creepy, I'm telling you. As I've said I haven't read all of Ahern's writing so I don't know if any of them are in the same vein as Book of Tomorrow but I certainly hope that some of her future work is because, if so, readers are certainly in for a treat.

      While Cecelia Ahern can do romance and sweet and cute, she can really do mystery with a hint of creepy & magic.


      The main character in The Book of Tomorrow is a teenager, but Tomorrow is really an ageless book (if that's even a thing--if not, I am now making it one!). Readers of any age--those of Tamara's age up to those of Rosealeen's age and beyond--will easily enjoy this tale. There is mention (and I believe just mention/recollection more so than action) of teens doing things that good teens maybe wouldn't do, so some might not like it for younger teens there. But because nothing's explicit and everything really does have consequences, I really wouldn't even stop them from reading this.


      10/10

      (won a galley from the publisher)