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    The Book of Tomorrow: A Novel
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    The Book of Tomorrow: A Novel
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    The Book of Tomorrow: A Novel
    Ebook338 pages5 hours

    The Book of Tomorrow: A Novel

    By Cecelia Ahern

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    “A sweet, life-affirming tale . . . with a liberal sprinkling of magic.”
    —Marie Claire (UK)

    “Filled with family secrets, intrigue, and magic aplenty.”
    —Booklist

    Bestselling author Cecelia Ahern follows The Gift and P.S. I Love You with the mesmerizing story of a teenaged girl coming face-to-face with grief, growth, and magic in the Irish countryside, after a mysterious book begins to reveal her own memories from one day in the future. Perfect for long-time fans of Ahern, as well as for younger readers coming to her for the first time, The Book of Tomorrow’s strong voice and sophisticated storytelling mark an instant new classic from this already beloved author.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJan 25, 2011
    ISBN9780062042446
    Author

    Cecelia Ahern

    Cecelia Ahern was born and grew up in Dublin. Her novels have been translated into thirty-five languages and have sold more than twenty-five million copies in over fifty countries. Two of her books have been adapted as films and she has created several TV series. She and her books have won numerous awards, including the Irish Book Award for Popular Fiction for The Year I Met You. She lives in Dublin with her family.

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    Reviews for The Book of Tomorrow

    3.5/5

    135 ratings66 reviews

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    • 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.
    • 4/5
      A sweet story of a young girl coming to terms with the death of her father.
    • 4/5
      Here’s the plot as I knew it going into the story: Tamara’s dad dies, her mother withdraws deeply into her grief, and the previously wealthy mother and daughter most go live with poor relations to get by. While struggling to fit into her new life, Tamara finds a book, which every night reveals the events which will happen the next day.Based on the description, I was nervous that this book would be very emotional, bordering on too angsty or too sad for me to enjoy. I’m not sure what drew me to read it any way, perhaps the intriguing premise and cover picture, but whatever it was, my instincts were good. Although there were certainly emotional and thought-provoking elements to the story, the story felt most like a really good mystery to me.This wasn’t the Agatha-Christie-style mystery I usually go for, with a clear crime, defined suspect list, and deductions based on human nature. Instead it was something fresh and new and wonderful. At the beginning, Tamara simply has a suspicion that something is not right. Perhaps her aunt isn’t doing as much as she should to help her mother. Perhaps her aunt’s and uncle’s eccentricities hide something more sinister. But the may also just be a quiet, slightly odd couple doing what they think is best for Tamara and her mom. Initially, it’s hard to say and events move slowly.After Tamara finds the book, the pace picks up a lot and the story comes into it’s own. I particularly liked the unique way in which parts of the mystery were revealed. Sometimes answers were spelled out in the book Tamara found. Other times, she has to do her best to improve on the day she read about. The back and forth between the book and the real events could have become confusing. Fortunately, the author helpfully references the appropriate book entry as a day goes by which clearly made the distinction between the book and what really happened.Finally, I liked that the initially spoiled Tamara grows as a person through her experiences. Having the book forces her to realize that her actions have an impact on the future, causing her to approach her life more deliberately. This was a very well-written, creative approach to telling a story and I would highly recommend it. Now I just need to catch up to the rest of the world and read Cecelia Ahern’s PS I Love You .
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this! What started off as a fish-out-of-water story, I was slowly drawn in to Tamara's life and her confusion about what was happening around her. I loved the characters and the growing sense of fear and claustrophobia that Rosaleen causes. The ending was great, and while some of the plot elements seemed a bit too convenient, I didn’t want to put this down. A genuine surprise.
    • 3/5
      Tamara's life is uprooted when her father kills himself. She and her mother have to move away to live with "family". Her mother becomes more distant, never talking or leaving her bed. Tamara starts to suspect her Aunt is up to something. Then Tamara stumbles upon an empty journal that begins to forcast the next day's events. The book helps her unlock all the mystries of her family, where she is at and her past. Very fast paced...I couldn't put the book down.
    • 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.
    • 5/5
      Inhaltsangabe:Tamara Goodwin hat ihren Vater tot aufgefunden, nachdem er sich das Leben genommen hat. Die 16jährige, stets vom Erfolg ihres Vaters verwöhnt und zugeschüttet mit allen materiellen Dingen des Lebens, muss sich mit der Tatsache auseinandersetzen, das sie alles verloren haben, denn der Vater stand kurz vor dem finanziellen Ruin.Zusammen mit ihrer traumatisierten Mutter muss sie zu Verwandten aufs Land ziehen. Tante Rosaleen und Onkel Arthur nehmen sie herzlich gern auf und versuchen ihnen das Leben so angenehm wie möglich zu machen. Die Mutter zieht sich innerlich zurück und spricht nicht mehr groß. Und Tamara langweilt sich.Eines Tages findet sie in einem Bücherbus ein sonderbares Buch. Sie nimmt es mit und schlägt es auf: Leere Seiten. Die Nonne Schwester Ignatius schlägt ihr vor, es als Tagebuch zu benutzen. Und gerade will sie beginnen zu schreiben, als sie einen Eintrag entdeckt: Mit ihrer Handschrift und vom nächsten Tag.Und es passiert immer wieder. Und während sie einem großen Geheimnis auf die Spur kommt, lernt sie von sich selbst und dem Leben.Mein Fazit:Die ersten 100 Seiten waren etwas mühselig. Tamara erzählt die Geschichte aus ihrer eigenen Sicht und macht manchmal einige verwirrende Sprünge. Und sie gibt selbst von sich zu, ein richtiges Ekel gewesen zu sein. Sie ist anfangs zynisch, zickig und launisch gewesen zu sein. Das kam daher, weil der Vater sie mit allem überhäufte, was man mit Geld kaufen konnte.Aber der Verlust des Vaters, mit dem sie vor dem Tod auch noch einen bösen Streit hatte, macht ihr schwer zu schaffen. Und der Einzug bei Tante Rosaleen und Onkel Arthur machen ihr die Sache nicht einfacher. Denn Rosaleen benimmt sich merkwürdig und sofort wird nicht nur dem Leser, sondern auch Tamara klar, das sie etwas verbirgt. Und die Spannung steigert sich mit jeder Seite, denn Tamara ist vor allen Dingen auch neugierig. Sie sorgt sich auch um ihre Mutter und auch da hat Rosaleen scheinbar die Hände mit im Spiel.Die letzten 100 Seiten habe ich in einem Rutsch gelesen, denn ich wollte wissen, was es für ein großes Geheimnis gab. Und auch die Entwicklung von Tamara interessierte mich. Sie wird einem Ende dann doch sehr sympathisch. Ein paar Fragen sind allerdings offen geblieben, aber ansonsten empfand ich die Geschichte als sehr ergreifend.Von mir bekommt es 4,5 von 5 Sternchen.Anmerkung: Die Rezension stammt vom Juli 2010.Veröffentlicht am 22.11.16!
    • 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.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      This was an interesting mix of current teen angst and good old-fashioned gothic mystery. I enjoyed the voice of the sixteen-year-old protagonist and her stereotypical gothic-type characters like the evil aunt, browbeaten uncle, lame victim mother, and the hip meddlesome nun/neighbor. The only thing off for me was the Marcus/Wesley thing . . . I didn't get the point of Marcus and his traveling library and what that had to do with the story. In any case, I found this an enjoyable read and I think teen girls would like it as well.**As a side note, the ARC I received was printed upside-down and backwards making it very annoying to read (in fact, I almost passed on reviewing it but luckily the story caught me enough that I put up with the bizarre format). I assume the final book was not bound that way . . . at least I hope not.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 1/5
      I initially jumped at the idea of reading this book, based on this synopsis from the back cover, " Lonely and bored, Tamara's sole diversion is a traveling library. 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 takes her breath away - for what is written inside is not only impossible and magical...it's her future." Sounds like a perfect book to me. What I discovered however lacked the motivation to get me through reading one boring page after another.So many times, I set this one aside trying to find a reason to pick it up and finish it, much like a meal I know I should eat, but because it lacks in flavor, I find it difficult to attempt a second time. However, pushing through each chapter was lacking in what drives a reader to continue reading. I found it lacked in virtually every area.The book begins with the suicide of Tamara Goodwin's father who left the father piled in debt and now is being forced out of their home when it's foreclosed on. Rather than face his responsibilities, he took his own life, leaving Tamara and her mother, who lived in an opulent and luxurious lifestyle now forced to living with her aunt and uncle who don't seem to care much other than it's their duty to take family in. Her Uncle speaks in mucus snorts, nods and grunts and her Aunt is so completely consumed in her OCD world, that Tamara is forced to find something to do outside of the home. She is snobby, spoiled and is very vocal on her displeasure with how her life turned out. Your typical spoiled rich girl losses everything and now has to deal with life, type of story.Her mother is consumed with despair at losing her husband, unbelief that he left them destitute and is now residing with her family to make ends meet. She doesn't seem to care that she still has a daughter who needs her care other than finding them a place to live. Tamara's reckless lifestyle before all this happened with promiscuous sexual encounters, drinking and party's with her rich and wealth friends, made me want to leave this book sitting on the nearest counter and hope never to pick it up again. The only good thing about this particular book was it did end. However that being said, there are some readers that would probably enjoy this book, but for me, this one did not appeal to the book lover in me. I was hoping for more, considering I did enjoy this author's novel, P.S. I Love You but it wasn't something I enjoyed at all.I received The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review and I'd have to rate this one a 1 out of 5 stars based on my own personal standards listed on my book review criteria. Readers may be warned that this book does contains strong language and sexual content. I would also caution you that you might want to check out other reviews before making a decision to read this book. Remember that not all books appeal to all types of readers and it's hard when I have to make a tough decision like this to write an honest review based solely on my own personal opinion of what I thought of the novel.
    • 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)
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 3/5
      I found this a bit slow to start with but once I got into the story I wanted to finish it, however I found the plot a bit dated and predictable. If it had been set about 30 or 40 years ago (or even more) it would have been more believable. I did not enjoy this as much as 'Thanks for the memories' mainly because the characters did not seem as rich and it had a lot less humour. If the character of Sister Ignatius had been built up more it would have added more interest and fun to the novel. Disappointing but readable.
    • 2/5
      Readable but entirely unbelievable and not very interesting.
    • 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.
    • 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?
    • 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.
    • 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
      This book was a bit different than I had anticipated. Instead of a sweet love story, I got a little mystery and suspense but that's ok. Tamara is a bit of a spoiled snot in the beginning and I had a hard time connecting to her but she does learn and grow through the book and she becomes a much more sympathetic character.As the story progressed I knew something was up with Tamara's relatives. Aunt Rosaleen was too creepy to not be hiding anything. I actually suspected it was going to go all Flowers in the Attic on me so I was quite pleased when it didn't go down that route. However, the closer we got to the end the more apparent the big secret was and I was not terribly surprised when all was revealed. Of course, the story was told from Tamara's point of view and she herself was a little slow on the uptake. So it could be that we, as readers, were supposed to know at that point and wait for Tamara to catch up. I found myself several times wanting to shake her and scream 'why is this so difficult to understand!' But, I suppose that denial is a powerful thing. Powerful enough to make you deny what is so plainly clear.All in all, I really enjoyed the book. It was a fun, pleasant read. I stayed up pretty late last night to finish it and that says a lot. Sleep is a big deal for me, so I don't sacrifice it unless I just can't stop reading. I recommend it for anyone looking for a good, light read with a little mystery to it.
    • 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.
    • 4/5
      I really loved this book! When I started reading I figured it would just be chick lit (which is not necessarily a bad thing), but it was so much more. It turned into a fantasy of sorts, with a diary that tells Tamara today what is going to happen tomorrow. I would not normally pick up a book with that slant, so I am glad this was just sprung on me (I guess I didn't read the summary of the book terrible well before reading it). Sufficed to say, if you would like a book with a very honest, well written voice and a little bit of mystery, give The Book of Tomorrow a go.
    • 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
      Twenty-nine year old Irish novelist Cecelia Ahern comes from a distinguished tradition of literature that is infused with mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. Indeed, reading her books, I almost get the sense that the fanciful parts just seem “natural” to her.In writing The Book of Tomorrow, Ahern says she was inspired by her love of books and her respect for their magic: “sometimes they choose you rather than the other way round.” She notes: "Books can come into your life at a time when you’re going through a rough patch, with the power to rescue you, and this is what happens in this one.”Tamara Goodwin, a materialistic and bratty teenager, is definitely going through a rough patch. Her father has just committed suicide, and her mother seems catatonic from grief. Their very upscale house has been repossessed, and they have had to go live out in the middle of nowhere with her mother’s brother and his wife, Arthur and Rosaleen (a couple Tamara had always called “The Deliverance Duo").In their new situation, no one talks of what happened, and Tamara’s mother only sleeps. Something is definitely odd about Arthur and Rosaleen, but Tamara can’t find out what it is. Her questions are ignored by Rosaleen, who tends to counter any attempt at real conversation by proffering food:"And that is how the Goodwin problems were always fixed. Fix them on the surface but don’t go to the root, always ignoring the elephant in the room. …I’d grown up with an elephant in every room. It was practically our family pet.”Tamara does finally meet some local people, one of whom is Marcus, a handsome boy who runs a bookmobile. On her initial foray into the collection, she encounters a large leather-bound book in the non-fiction section without a title or name. Moreover, it is locked with a small gold padlock. Tamara feels strangely drawn to the book, and Marcus lets her take it. Later, when she gets it open, she discovers that it’s a diary, and furthermore, that it is filled in every day with her handwriting describing the events of the following day! She tries to tell some people about the diary (including the wonderful character of Sister Ignatius), but no one believes her except Weseley, a handsome boy who works nearby.With Weseley’s help, Tamara uses the lessons she learns in the diary to try and change what is coming. The entries in the diary also help her find out about the family secrets, and most importantly, even to change herself.Discussion: I’ve read several books now by Ahern, and it is clear she delights in creating modern fables. I thought she did so well with capturing the weltanschauung of modern teens though, I would like to see her try a “regular” book (i.e., without magic) for young adults. (The Book of Tomorrow seems to me to be a quintessential young adult novel, and yet it’s not labeled as such. But who am I to understand marketing decisions?)Evaluation: Some of the characters are drawn very well (Tamara and Sister Ignatius), but others seem a bit inconsistent (such as Marcus) and Rosaleen is a caricature. I love the idea of “for every book a reader” [which, incidentally, is one of the “five laws” of library science, first articulated by S. R. Ranganathan in 1928] and that the right book can alter your life. [A compendium of examples of books that have affected historical figures so much they are believed to have altered the course of history is Every Book Its Reader: The Power of the Printed Word to Stir the World by Nicholas A.Basbanes.] But using a girl’s own diary to express this idea doesn’t seem to me to demonstrate that principle.Nevertheless, I enjoy Ahern’s books; in each one I have read, she has at least one character delightfully drawn to perfection.
    • 3/5
      Tamara Goodwin is a spoiled rotten, selfish, boy and clothing obsessed brat of a teenager. She's also just had her world rocked off its axis. Her father committed suicide and left a mountain of debts that mean she and her mother have to go live in the back of beyond with her Uncle Arthur and Aunt Rosaleen, whom Tamara has dubbed the Deliverance Duo. Cut off from her friends, shopping, her enormous house, and elaborate expectations, Tamara is determined not to make the best of things. Even worse, her mother is retreating into grief and sleep, leaving Tamara at the overbearing and obsessive mercy of Aunt Rosaleen.In an effort to escape the claustrophobic feel of the house and her ever-watchful aunt, Tamara starts to explore the local castle's ruins (of much more recent vintage than she thinks), befriends a nun who lives nearby, meets some local teenagers, and flirts with the mobile library driver, on whose bus she discovers a blank book that starts to reveal to her, in her own handwriting no less, her own near future. The book is a diary and each entry is dated the day she is reading it but it is written as if it has already happened. What she does with this knowledge and the ways in which she is able (or not) to change the outcome drives the plot for the most part.I found it incredibly hard to care about Tamara. She was such a snotty, whiny, mopey character and was fairly stagnant throughout the book, only gaining a little clarity about others at the extreme end of the book. Unfortunately, for me, that was too little too late. My good opinion once lost... The rising tension and slight gothic air made the book more interesting but many of the secrets Tamara discovered were so heavily foreshadowed (sign-posted?) that they were not a surprise when they were revealed taking away the impact they should have had. The actual book of tomorrow as a plot device sort of petered out only to reappear later and that felt more sloppy than intentional. Ultimately I was disappointed in the book, having expected something much different from the jacket copy but I suspect that Ahern's many fans will overlook the weaknesses here and thoroughly enjoy this slightly fantastical bit of chick lit.
    • 4/5
      The Book of Tomorrow truly is an enjoyable read, even though the heroine is a spoiled rotten teenager. Tamara is, at least to my surprise, very likable and I couldn't help but root for her. I suppose that it might have something to do with the charm with which Cecelia Ahern writes :) Her characters play their roles effortlessly and despite the book being fairly short, in the end you will quite possibly feel that you know them all very well.I think what I liked the most about the book is its modernized gothic atmosphere. Despite the plot taking place in the 21st century, it feels that the readers are all of a sudden transported to an undiscovered, unknown and shrouded in secrecy place to try and help Tamara solve a mystery of a lifetime. The novel even has its own Mrs. Danvers (Tamara's aunt, Rosaleen) which makes this whole mysterious quest for answers even more delicious. The only two things that I might complain a little bit about is that it did take a little bit of patience to get into the story and that Tamara's language is quite crude at times when it comes to sexual nature, especially considering she is only sixteen.The Book of Tomorrow is the second book of Ahern's that I had the pleasure to read, and even though it's geared more toward the Young Adult audience than her previous novels, it can easily be enjoyed by both young and adult readers. If anything, this book fills a little bit of a void in the YA market which nowadays is flooded with paranormal romances. I'd even venture as far as saying that The Book of Tomorrow is a breath of fresh air with a heroine that's just a normal girl that has to deal with an awful tragedy and deals with it she does. Pretty remarkably, in my opinion. Tamara is inquisitive, unafraid to face difficult truths about herself and also mature enough to try and do the right thing, even if she stumbles along the way. Cecelia Ahern wrote a really fun and intelligent book and if you're looking for a change of scenery in your YA stories, give The Book of Tomorrow a try.
    • 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.