The Book of Tomorrow

by Cecelia Ahern

Paperback, 2012

Status

Available

Call number

823.92

Publication

Harper (2012), 432 pages

Description

Forced into a humbler life with relatives in Ireland after the sudden death of her father, spoiled sixteen-year-old Tamara Goodwin discovers a diary of future entries written in her handwriting that she hopes will reveal the truth about her mother's troubling health.

User reviews

LibraryThing member msjessicamae
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member mountie9
The Good Stuff

* Quirky Irish humour -- reminds me so much of hanging with my Irish neighbor
* Intriguing opening chapters, grabs your attention and never lets go -- trust me I stayed up till 1am to finish the book. Read it on one day!
* Hilariously funny yet touching and sweet
* Loved the Nuns
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(especially Sister Ignatius) I'd become Catholic if they were real
* Tamara is such a wonderful, fun, interesting and all too human. What is so fascinating is that she is really understanding how shallow her earlier life was and she tries very hard to change, but doesn't always do it the right way -- you know typical teenager ; )
* There is a Castle and well I just like things with Castles
* Intriguing mystery that slowly unfolds and keeps you guessing
* Simply just a good story to enjoy while tucked under a nice soft blanket or lying on the beach or at the cottage

The Not so Good Stuff

* I had to stay up till 1am to finish the damn book
* Was a little confusing at times -- than again I have been home with a sick toddler for 3 days so I wouldn't necessarily take my word for this

Favorite Quotes/Passages

"And than I felt sorry for God because I understood how it must be frustrating for him. He offers people a helping hand, but it often gets pushed away. People always want to help themselves first."

"After the Norman psycho, various lords and ladies lived in the castle. They built stables and outhouses around the place. Controversially one lord even converted to Catholicism after marrying a Catholic, and built a chapel there as a treat for the family. Me and Mom got a swimming pool as our treat, but to each his own."

"I used to think that it was better to have too much than too little, but now I think if the too much was never supposed to be yours, you should just take what you need and give the rest back. That way, you never have to give back the things you love."

What I Learned

* Some interesting Irish history
* Nuns are a lot cooler than I have previously thought

Who should/shouldn't read

* This is pretty good for everyone. I would say probably 12 and up due to some sexuality
* Lovers of Irish fiction, obviously will enjoy
* Obviously I am passing this on for Joan to read (She's the Irish neighbor and usually my books go to her daughter, but this one is for both of them) maybe she will make me some of her yummy Irish tea hint hint!

4.5 Dewey's

I received this from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review
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LibraryThing member whitreidtan
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member GRgenius
Tamara Goodwin has it all…or rather had before her life took an unexpected detour to “I-wish-I-wasn’t-here”-ville. Living the life with family and friends, her days were spent in school, but her nights and weekends were for partying, jet setting, and living it up on the town until one day
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all the glitz and the glamour fell away to reveal a frightening truth that would shake her world to its core. It seems that while everything on the surface looked ordinary, trouble was brewing dark and deep, in this case…money trouble. Her father did his best to take care of it all but when things finally got the best of him; he sought the only exit he could see before it all came tumbling down around them.

His rash actions did not leave behind the intended results as his widow and child were now forced from their (non) humble abode and into the waiting arms of Arthur and Rosaleen Byrne…her mother’s brother and his wife. But things are not always what they seem, my dear friends as Tamara is soon to discover. Though the grounds are majestic, the house quaint, and the hospitality welcoming, she can sense an undercurrent of secrets and lies….just what or whom they are about though is anyone’s guess or at least it was until a certain book came into her life. This wasn’t just any book though; this was a journal and it held a special magic all its own. The question is will Tamara discover the secrets it truly holds before it’s too late?

What to say about this one without giving away the story! To put it simply...it was AWESOME. When I saw this title being promoted, I was immediately taken aback by the cover art. It’s not that there is something dramatic going on or a dizzying amount of patterns to contend with; it’s the simple beauty that speaks to the ever curious soul. Toted as Fiction but would be just as at home on the Young Adult shelf (and with readers of the genre) seeing as how our lead character is a young lady of sixteen years.

Aside from the beautiful descriptions of time and place that draw forth images AND emotion in one sweep of the eyes, the characters are completely tangible. Tamara was the snarky little sixteen year old feeling like a duck out of water due to her family’s quick move and change in lifestyle…not to mention the death of her father...always looking for something more. Her mother, though seemingly lost in her own mind, has her moments of lucidity but instead of them being reassuring, they just add to the already heightened sense you have that something is not quite right. Arthur and Rosaleen mean well though their stability is questionable and both of our young male love interests are written as half delinquent, half prince (Marcus and Weseley). Together they make an unusual family portrait to be certain but a family of sorts nonetheless based on their connections to each other through blood and acquaintance.

For as much beauty as there is though, there’s also plenty of mystery, secrets dark and buried deep, and...humor. No really...in the strangest of places you’ll happen upon a passage that you just can’t help but smile, laugh, or downright guffaw at. I could literally quote at least one passage from each chapter and it would never get old…though I won’t to save you the trouble of reading it here and then once again in the actual book.

In the end, I believe it’s clear...I LOVED this book. It was surprising and beautiful in all the right ways and I can’t recommend it enough. There is one warning that I will pass on to you readers, the last chapters are a DOOZY. There is so much to absorb you may find yourself rereading a section or two, but don’t worry...it ties everything together quite nicely. Trust me. Happy reading!
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LibraryThing member jcwlib
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.
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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.
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LibraryThing member Lila_Gustavus
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member CatheOlson
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member lahochstetler
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member Candacemom2two
When I got this book all I knew was that it had a pretty cover and it sounded interesting. I hadn't connected the dots on who the author was (author of P.S. I Love You, an AMAZING movie).
But this book ended up being fantastic. Although it's quite contemporary it had some magic mixed in because of
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the book that told her of tomorrow. It definitely had a contemporary feel though.
The author did a great job with Tamara. I didn't know whether to hate her or love her in the beginning, but I knew she was definitely interesting! She has a super strong personality and is such a teenager that you can't help but roll your eyes because we all know someone like her. She speaks her mind before giving it any thought and talk about crazy stuff that comes out of her mouth! Throughout the story we really watch her grow, starting from page one. She did a great job at explaining herself and her motivations and it really made sense. Anyone with a difficult teenager may pick up some tips from this book!
Now, as for the other characters~ I think it took me just a bit to understand the aunt and uncle that Tamara and her mother went to live with. But soon I found myself picturing them clear as day and it was easy to envision their lives. They were about the strangest people ever! I didn't feel like we really got to know Tamara's mom, but we weren't really suppose to so it worked out great. The other character that was important was a nun who lived nearby and I loved her! Talk about a crazy and quirky character! She had me laughing more then once!
This book had a touch of romance but it was definitely on the back burner. It did have cute boys though and one that I really fell for. I'll leave it up to you to figure that one out because it would certainly be a spoiler! And although the romance is on the back burner it was fine that way. I was too busy trying to unravel the crazy mystery with her aunt and uncle. And really it's the mystery that made this one a real page turner.
The beginning of the book was a little weird how it was done. I felt like it jumped around a bit and I was anxious for her to get on with it. But it wasn't bad and in the end it's not what sticks with me. It's not too far in that the story takes off.
The definite highlight of the book was the mystery. We see little things here and there before Tamara ever connects the dots so that was cool. And then Tamara's personality was over the top and definitely kept everything interesting.
I give this book 4/5 moons! Definitely an interesting read that I recommend to adults and young adults alike.
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LibraryThing member highvoltagegrrl
Well written and hard to put down. After each chapter that I finished, I was left wanting to read more, wanting to figure out what was really going on. Is this family she’s staying with crazy? Is Tamara crazy? And where did this magic come from? There are many aspects to the story that make you
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go ah-hah when the pieces start to fall together and I love moments like that. The little bits of information the author slips in and ties it all in at a later moment – those are the best. Ahern certainly has a way with writing and many pieces of the ending were a surprise, yet made complete sense. The book is funny, it’s sad, and overall it’s charming.
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LibraryThing member ReadingWithMartinis
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,
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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!
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LibraryThing member swivelgal
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
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,
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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.
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LibraryThing member storiesandsweeties
I've read only one Cecilia Ahern book before and really enjoyed it. I really like her writing style, it's very casual and real. She has a knack for slipping back and forth between the dramatic and the hilarious seamlessly. It's what I like about the first book I read of hers (Thanks for the
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Memories) and it's definitely a good point of this book as well.

Tamara is one of those characters that I think people will have a hard time liking, but I really liked reading her and watching her grow as a person. She tends to speak the first thing that comes to her mind, even when that first thing could probably use a little filtering. She is completely spoiled rotten from a life of being the rich girl who got everything and her voice is biting and snarky almost every time she opens her mouth. Her life is flipped upside down when her dad commits suicide and leaves them drowning in his bad business debts. Her mom moves them to the country to stay with some very bizarre relatives, and then seems to check out mentally into a depressive state. This leaves her on her own with her uncle that barely says a word and her aunt that you can tell from the very beginning that there is something extremely amiss with her. They are the caretakers of the castle ruins next door and Tamara finds herself drawn to the castle, but can't help feeling she is being watched whenever she is there.

When she finds a mysterious locked book in the traveling library. I don't want to spoil what it is, but I will say it's a very intriguing concept and perfectly catapults Tamara into the mystery of her and her family's history! As it all unfolds, Tamara has to decide each day whether to let things flow or take it into her own hands to fix things. It all leads to a conclusion that, while not completely unpredictable, was very entertaining and exciting!

I highly recommend this one! This one had me both laughing out loud and in tears at times---always a good sign!
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LibraryThing member marcelrochester
It was a nice concept and the author tried, but she just isn't a good enough writer and she wasn't able to sustain suspense. Especially since the solution to the mystery was kinda anticlimactic. And the central conceit was more a plot device than anything else, and it was what drew me to the book
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in the first place. And the first few chapters should've been excised because they make the narratorial chronology really messed up.
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LibraryThing member ForSix
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member ethel55
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member indygo88
Although it's not labeled as such, this seems more a young adult novel, and I have no problem with that since I read a fair amount of that genre. The language is a bit foul at times, and that may be the justification behind that. At any rate, I had some mixed feelings about this one. Both the cover
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and the title were appealing to me, and I must admit, I raced through this book pretty quick. I liked the storyline -- teenaged girl's father commits suicide, leaving she & her mother desolate & forced to move to the country to live with relatives. While there, secrets begin to emerge, seemingly triggered by a diary which magically writes entries one day ahead of time. Ultimately, I liked the way the story unfolded, but the writing style itself could've been better. I found myself wanting to be an editor & tweak things here & there. As I said, I liked the storyline, but I almost felt like I could've written it better, and it made me want to.
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LibraryThing member reading_crystal
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member missmufferpuff
When I first picked up this book I thought that it would be a little dull, but from the first chapter I really enjoyed it. It has a realness about the aspects of loss that sometimes are overlooked when writers put those feelings on paper. Tamara has lost someone and it takes you through the stages
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and that is something that I love, having lost people in my life myself, it is refreshing to have some of the philosophical things laid out the way they were in this book.
I think that there is something for everyone in this book, a little bit of mystery, magic, loss, love, friendship. If ever their were a book that were to make you sit and look at your life and think maybe it isn't so bad, I think that this book would be it.
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LibraryThing member Indygirl
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member jewelknits
I usually do a bit of a plot synopsis, but the publisher description in this case is pretty good at it.

Tamara admits that she is selfish, spoiled and ungrateful ... she really is. You probably won't like her much at the beginning, but she kind of grows on you. She's terrible to her aunt Rosaleen,
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who seems quietly maternal. After all, Rosaleen and Arthur (her mom's brother), take them into their small gatehouse outside of Kilsaney Castle, where Arthur works as a groundskeeper. With Jennifer, Tamara's mom, pretty much staying in her upstairs room all day, you'd think Tamara would better take to Rosaleen's mothering efforts.

Tamara spends time exploring the grounds where she meets Sister Ignatius, a nun and beekeeper, who is more than a match for Tamara and her wisecracks. Tamara is puzzled when Sister Ignatius, who apparently has been around since Jennifer lived in the area before, believes Tamara to be a year older than she is.

When Tamara finds a book in a traveling library that contains her own handwriting, she is surprised to say the least. The book appears to talk about the happenings of her day, and when everything happens as written the next day, the previous entry disappears and is replaced with the next tomorrow.

There are some deeper and more intertwined mysteries as well, and it makes it interesting as we puzzle out whether Rosaleen is really good or bad and what sort of secrets she may be keeping. Who lives in the mysterious cottage across the lane? Why hasn't her mother snapped out of whatever is keeping her confined to her room? Will anyone believe Tamara as she inches closer to the truth?

Although Tamara does have a bit of a smart mouth, she's still really funny, and you can't help but like her after a time.

Altogether, a very interesting and fun read, with a few mysteries to solve. I liked it. It makes a good older YA read as well as a good adult read.

QUOTES (from an ARC; may be different in final copy):

I loved him, of course, but I know my dad wasn't a good man. He and I rarely spoke and when we did, it was to argue over something, or he was giving me money to get rid of me.

"Not so many people want to be nuns these days. It's not, what you'd say, cool?"
"Well, it's not just that it's not cool, which it totally isn't, no offense to God or anything, it's probably just a sex thing. If you were allowed to have sex I'd say loads of girls would want to be nuns. Though at the rate I'm going, I'll be joining you." I rolled my eyes.

Dad deserved his success, he just needed a master class in humility. I could have done with one too. How special I thought I was in the silver Aston Martin in which he drove me to school some mornings. How special am I now, now that somebody bought it from a depot of repossessed cars for a fraction of the price. How special indeed.

Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Characters: 4 out of 5 stars
Reading Immersion: 4 out 5 stars

BOOK RATING: 4.25 out of 5 stars
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LibraryThing member Rachissy
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member voracious
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member karenlisa
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
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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?
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2009

Physical description

432 p.; 5.08 inches

ISBN

000723371X / 9780007233717

Barcode

1793
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