The Book of Tomorrow - Cecelia Ahern

The magical new novel from number one bestseller Cecelia Ahern. Tamara Goodwin has always got everything she's ever wanted. Born into a family of wealth, she grew up in a mansion with its own private beach, a wardrobe full of designer clothes and all that a girl could ever wish for. She's always lived in the here and now, never giving a second thought to tomorrow. But then suddenly her dad is gone and life for Tamara and her mother changes forever. Left with a mountain of debt, they have no choice but to sell everything they own and move to the country. Nestled next to Kilsaney Castle, their gatehouse is a world away from Tamara's childhood. With her mother shut away with grief, and her aunt busy tending to her, Tamara is lonely and bored and longs to return to Dublin.When a travelling library passes through Kilsaney Demesne, Tamara is intrigued. Her eyes rest on a mysterious large leather bound tome locked with a gold clasp and padlock. What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to its core.

(Synopsis taken from goodreads.)

Title: The Book of Tomorrow

Author: Cecelia Ahern

Genre: Adult Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: January 25, 2011

Format: Softcover

Source: Received from publicist. Many thanks goes to Mark from HarperCollins for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. 

Look for it: Amazon, Book Depository.

My rating: 4/5

Tamara Goodwin has everything she could ever ask for, until one day her world caves in around her. With her father gone, leaving his family to deal with the massive amount of debt that he had incurred before his death, Tamara and her mother have no choice but to move in with Tamara's Aunt Rosaleen and Uncle Arthur. To say that Tamara's world has turned upside down is an understatement. Removed from everything and everyone that matters to her, Tamara has to get used to her new living arrangements, and living in the middle of nowhere is not her idea of fun especially with the erratic behaviour of her Aunt. When she finds a book that journals her future, she is left with more questions than answers, and resolves to find out just what is going on in her new home. 

Tamara is a spoiled brat at the start of the book, and she states that she is going to change. Whether she does or not is up to the reader's interpretation. I honestly didn't find her that bad. Yes, she made some bad choices, but overall I found that from the start of the book to the end her character had marked improvement and she learned a lot from her mistakes. She is very much a product of her upbringing and once she sees the world from a different perspective, she realizes just how spoiled she is and vows to change. I could empathize with her character, and found her questioning everything around her quite realistic. Her relationship with her mother is also a work in progress, but ultimately we see that Tamara cares about her and will do anything for her. 

Though this is very much a contemporary read, there is a sense of mysticism as well. With a journal that predicts the events of tomorrow, Tamara feels scared and confused, until the events written in the journal start coming true. Now she'll use the book to see if she can change the future and find the truth. 

Tamara's relations are an interesting pair to say the least. Arthur is very much a man of few words, however I think he truly cares for his wife, as well as his sister and niece. Rosaleen on the other hand is a character that garners both compassion and mistrust. She is a character that will make the reader feel conflicting emotions as they try to figure out what she is up to, and she will keep them guessing until the very end. Though the book revolves around Tamara and her extended family, the secondary characters add to the story as well. Sister Ignatius is one such character, and every scene with her adds light and humour to the read. 

With an intricate and interwoven plot, this is a haunting coming of age story. Both beautiful in the telling and appropriately mystifying, the reader will be engaged from the first glimpse of the underlying mystery. Memorable characters, and a devious undercurrent will bring this family full circle. With a storyline that is geared towards both the young adult and adult market, The Book of Tomorrow is sure to have massive crossover genre appeal.