Issue 14 - One World

The Book of Tomorrow

by Cecilia Ahern

Review by Kerry O’Malley Cerra
Chatted by Michelle Delisle, Jill Mackenzie, and and Kerry O’Malley Cerra

The Book of Tomorrow, by Cecelia Ahearn, is the first crossover book we’ve featured on WRN? Yep, it’s marketed toward the adult crowd, but is the story of a teen girl whose life upends when her father commits suicide. Suddenly deprived of money and taken from her posh house in Dublin to the countryside of Ireland, Tamara and her mom must make a new start. But, Tamara’s mom’s so depressed she can’t function. That leaves Tamara alone with her Aunt Rosaleen (who’s creepy and manipulative) and Uncle Arhtur (who talks only in grunts and snorts). Tamara finds escape in a traveling library bus where she comes across a mysterious book. Her world is about to change…if she wants it to. The book has the power to show Tamara her thoughts from the next day. And gives her the ability to change the course of events. A powerful tool, for sure, especially given the mystery surrounding the castle and the history of everyone connected to it.

 

michelle: so...i know I talked you guys into this book. lol. did you like it?
Jill: totally! This book captivated me!
kerry: i really, really liked it. It's set in Ireland so that was a huge bonus. lol
kerry: plus the storyline was not at all what I expected. I couldn't stop reading
Jill: me too. I didn't expect this kind of story at all!
Jill: yeah, Kerry. Did it make you want to go there even more?
kerry: i've been to Ireland so it was great to feel like I was back there again. so beautiful. i totally pictured the old castle.
michelle: i could totally see rosaleen and arthur's house
kerry: yeah, a quaint little place
Jill: me too...I loved picturing the castle and the grounds surrounding
michelle: and it's weird. i didn't ever feel like she spent a lot of time describing the scenery
kerry: right, which allowed us to create our own visions. wonder if we all see the same thing in our heads. lol
Jill: that's so true michelle. very artfully done
kerry: another vivid picture was the lawn with the glass blowings hanging above.
michelle: yes! definitely kerry
michelle: so what did you all think of tamara at the beginning?
Jill: lol, I DID NOT LIKE HER
kerry: SNOT!
Jill:
michelle: i liked her, i just thought she was in pain
michelle: she kept saying how mean she was being
michelle: so she felt guilty
Jill: that's true Michelle. But she WAS being mean. And it's like, sometimes people say that, "I'm being so mean right now," just so you'll jump in and say "oh, don't worry, no you're not."
Jill: but I know the exact point I started liking her
michelle: when, jill?
Jill: you know what I'm saying? anyway, I liked her when I saw her humor come out that time in the window? With the...um...hair?
michelle: hahahahaha!!!!!!
kerry: the hair/worker guy thing was HILARIOUS!
Jill: YES!
michelle: THAT was laugh out loud funny!
Jill: that's when I knew I'd want to be her friend. I still want to be her friend.
kerry: in the beginning she talks about the Blue Bottle Fly. I loved her from that moment on
Jill: kerry, I liked that moment too
kerry: I liked her even more by the end
michelle: definitely
Jill: me too. and when that whole thing happened with marcus, that's when I knew she was in a LOT of pain.
michelle: in the beginning, i felt like she was confessing
michelle: maybe for the whole book, but especially at the beginning when her emotions were so raw
kerry: confessing=for being a snot to her dad
michelle: for everything
michelle: the way she treated rosaleen and arthur
michelle: she was in A LOT of pain. father. lost home and everything.
michelle: mom zoned out
kerry: you're right, m
kerry: now she's narrating as an adult talking about her teen self. she gets it NOW but did she at the time? not sure.
Jill: is she an adult talking about her teen self?
Jill: i didn't know.
kerry: maybe not adult but def a flashback, no?
Jill: yeah, that's what I thought. a flashback, but not THAT far back.
michelle: def a flashback...hard to say how long
michelle: it's hard to see that pain because she sounds snotty
kerry: that's what the great internals were for. brilliant job on those
michelle: but it's almost like she was at the "anger" stage of grieving
Jill: yeah, but snotty people, offish people, they're all protecting some other side of themselves
Jill: yeah, michelle. i get that
kerry: i thought her pain was clear, just not in her spoken words
michelle: and everyone kept saying to her -- your mom is grieving
kerry: people say kids are resilient so they often don't get thought about in these situations. the adults get cared for.
michelle: so true, kerry
Jill: speaking of grieving, crazy twist at the end though. about mom.
michelle: kee=razy!
Jill: ha!
kerry: i figured some of it out before that though
michelle: you did?
Jill: no! did you really?
Jill: i didn't!
kerry: i did! whoa, i feel smart!!!!
michelle: me either, jill
michelle: totally blind-sided
kerry: i messed up on who XXXXX was related to though
Jill: me too! I thought XXXXX and XXXXX must have been bro and sis
kerry: XXXXXX gave a lot of it away
michelle: you know...i usually get the plants
kerry: reread it. you'll be surprised…I think
michelle: and because i read it twice
kerry: you did?
michelle: she did a really good job with them
michelle: first time like in feb. and then just recently
kerry: did you see it the 2nd time in advance?
michelle: oh...the second time i knew, but I saw what i breezed by the first time
kerry: XXXXX didn't let tamara get the mail.
kerry: no one in town talked to them
Jill: oh! The mail! I just got that NOW!!!!!!!!!! Lol!
kerry: i started to figure it out when she saw the carvings on the tree and XXXXX kept confusing tamara's age. she told tamara there’s a book with listings of all baptisms and who attended if she ever wanted to look it up
Jill: i did pick up on the whole age thing though, anyone else?
kerry: yes, I did. man i'm feeling super-smart. that's rare for me. hahahaha
michelle: i knew there was weird stuff going on
kerry: something was def fishy!
michelle: but i couldn't figure out what was behind it
Jill: yeah, hella weird stuff everywhere
Jill: i kind of felt like I was in Scooby Doo land for a bit
michelle: scooby doo- ha
michelle: how about when XXXXX would stand over her while she was sleeping?
michelle: creepy!
kerry: Ca-reeee-ppppyyyy
Jill: yeah, I would have been out of there. that's like my worst fear
kerry: jill, I can see you running.
michelle: lol
Jill: yeah, me no like weird ladies in bad dresses standing over me while I'm (not) sleeping. very cathy bates
kerry: she did play the cathy bates card well
michelle: could you guys ever live in Meath?
Jill: um, no.
kerry: no, never. no matter how pretty
Jill: ha ha!
michelle: right...i like quiet for a "little" while
kerry: though weseley sounded like a catch, so maybe for a while
michelle: weseley...smooth
michelle: did you like weseley or marcus?
Jill: I like them both!
michelle: me too, jill, but I really liked weseley
michelle: marcus bus guy was cute, but not a heart throb
Jill: they're both hot!  
michelle: lol
michelle: i loved when Marcus would take her on imaginary travels, but when it came down to it, he didn't really care about her
Jill: I think he did. marcus, I mean.
kerry: no, but he gave her what she needed most at the time she needed it most...escape
michelle: right, kerry
kerry: but yeah, kind of a dirtbag in the end
Jill: really? I thought he did what any guy would do
kerry: maybe not a dirtbag but not into her for her
Jill: right. i was happy about her choice all in all
michelle: i agree kerry and he knew "the secret" about her and just let her go on in ignorance
Jill: i don't know if I agree. i think he just realized she had too much "stuff" and didn't want to get involved
michelle: agreement: not the dirtbag thing...the not into her thing
Jill: i think guys are like that. lol, baggage isn't attractive, you know?
michelle: some jill
kerry: then he should've walked away before they broke into the house. not after. he knew her situation before they went in
Jill: that's true
michelle: some of her situation, but definitely not all
Jill: that's true too
michelle: she kept certain parts secret
Jill: so did he!
kerry: so, Arthur...
Jill: yeah, and easy way to kill that thread is to talk about arthur
michelle: ha
michelle: poor arthur
kerry: poor arthur?
Jill: why, kerry?
michelle: you're mad at arthur?
kerry: he should have done something… many, many times
kerry: tamara was a kid and she had to force him to see things
kerry: head up his butt for sure
Jill: like, um, tried to see LAURIE?
michelle: this might be a spoiler, but L didn't want him to
michelle: while i agree it was the wrong thing, he thought he was being loyal to L and rosaleen
kerry: don’t care too much about him seeing L or not. Only that he should have helped tamara with her mom
michelle: he had the right motivation
Jill: he did, in the end
kerry: he should have done more than snort and ignore the situation
Jill: yeah, the snorting was pretty rad
kerry: tamara needed him. tamara's mom needed him
michelle: *snort*
michelle: oh well...i like arthur
kerry: he could have saved them a lot sooner
michelle: but my fave was sister ignatius
kerry: FOR SURE!
Jill: me too!
kerry: so hip. so fun
michelle: i want to hang out with her
kerry: but she never overstepped. loved that about her.
Jill: i'll hang with her. but without the bees.
kerry: and thank goodness for her or tamara would still be living in hell
michelle: she was totally awesome in every way
kerry: did I miss something? They mentioned a bed in the garden.
Jill: ?
kerry: when tamara fist discovers the garden, there's a bed. no?
Jill: I missed that
michelle: bee hives. sister makes honey. i don't remember the bed
kerry: she says "I can see large formal beds set against the backdrop of climbing roses." Oh maybe flower beds? or real beds?
Jill: lol, flower!
michelle: flower, i think
kerry: see...me=not so smart
Jill: not true! you=brilliant!
kerry: awww, <3 u!
michelle: you figured out the mystery!
kerry: true, and I need a medal or a cookie or something
michelle: a trophy!
kerry: or a brownie!
michelle: So...if you had a book like that....(the book of tomorrow)
Jill: if I had a book like that I'd put it back in that weird travelling library bus and back away very slowwwwwllllllyyyyyy....​
kerry: LMBO Jill
kerry: i’m not sure if I'd like it or not, but of course, curiosity would get the best of me
michelle: jill, you wouldn't be even a little bit curious?
michelle: i don't think I'd like it, but I think I'd be drawn to it
Jill: yeah, I'm not so good with that kind of stuff. I really believe in letting the chips fall where they may
Jill: then again, I'm also a big believer in "signs"
kerry: i'd be addicted...like I am with sudoku!
michelle: hysterical, Kerry
Jill: ha Kerry! you just compared TBOT with sudoku
michelle: i love Sudoku, too
Jill: crazy people
kerry: really though, i'd try the book for sure
Jill: like I said....back. Away. Slowly.
michelle: i'm pretty sure I'd read the book, but i'm not sure I'd try to change it
michelle: and...even tho i'm curious, i've never done a fortune teller or anything
Jill: i think you'd change it if you read it
kerry: I'd change it for sure
michelle: unavoidable to try and change it
Jill: yup
kerry: i loved how tamara parted and why she parted with TBOT at the end
kerry: I thought the writing of this was amazing. very hard to switch back and forth like that
michelle: i agree…i love the way she writes
Jill: me too
kerry: i'm always in awe of people who can write that magical realism, time travel stuff
michelle: jill you kinda write like her
kerry: jill, i totally thought the voice of tamara in the beginning was just like your writing!
kerry: almost poetic
michelle: for me, her narrative voice is just so strong and unique
Jill: NO, you guys are insane. But thanks.
michelle: yes, k
kerry: remember when I gave you the book. i even said I thought you'd love it because of the voice
kerry: had no clue at the time what a mystery it would also be, but the voice is all you
Jill: yeah, and the voice is definitely why I loved it
Jill: thanks girls. that's just so nice.
kerry: tis’ all true!
michelle: great characters too! very, very, very, very real
Jill: yeah, the writing is genius...did you see how many other books she's written?
michelle: that's a lot of very’s
kerry: yeah, never read any but I will now
michelle: yes, i want to read her other books
Jill: me too!
michelle: i saw the movie…
kerry: saw the movie of P.S. I Love You
michelle: p.s. i love you
Jill: did you? I never even heard of it!
michelle: yep
kerry: jinx, m
michelle: def jinx
michelle: it was a while back, but wasn't it a tear-jerker?
kerry: great story about love, but it wasn't as sappy as I expected. i'm sure the book is better.
Jill: it always is!
michelle: probably...but that had a great plot too with the "notes"
kerry: that’s true, m!
michelle: so we recommend the book?
kerry: yes, loved it
Jill: def!
michelle: me too!
kerry: yay! till next time, girls...
michelle: c'ya
Jill: see ya! great chat!