Although I wasn't very keen on Cecelia Ahern's first novel, I'm glad that I didn't judge her based on that; I've very much enjoyed her more recent works. They're slightly surreal, but the people are believable and the stories well written.
'Thank you for the memories' is a somewhat quirky novel about two people who, at the beginning of the book, have nothing in common at all. Justin is an art history expert who lives in London. He's recently divorced, and has been invited to give guest lectures at a university in Dublin. While he's there, he is persuaded to donate some blood, rather against his wishes.
We meet Joyce as she's getting over the loss of her unborn baby, after a nasty accident. She is naturally grieving, and is not helped by the break-up of her marriage. And she's very confused to find that she suddenly has some memories, some of which appear as dreams, which don't seem to belong to her at all.
The novel follows Justin and Joyce in turn, as they happen to meet or come in contact; I found it very odd at first but it unfolds nicely and realisation came to me before it did to Joyce.
There are some very amusing moments, and some which are poignant; the ending is inevitable (and rather a relief - I did worry that it might be left open, or with Justin none the wiser) but many of the events during the main part of the book are far from predictable.
Cecelia Ahern has a remarkable gift for creating unusual scenarios and making them seem believable, at least while reading the book. Recommended, if you don't mind suspending reality for a while.
Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 15th October 2009
'Thank you for the memories' is a somewhat quirky novel about two people who, at the beginning of the book, have nothing in common at all. Justin is an art history expert who lives in London. He's recently divorced, and has been invited to give guest lectures at a university in Dublin. While he's there, he is persuaded to donate some blood, rather against his wishes.
We meet Joyce as she's getting over the loss of her unborn baby, after a nasty accident. She is naturally grieving, and is not helped by the break-up of her marriage. And she's very confused to find that she suddenly has some memories, some of which appear as dreams, which don't seem to belong to her at all.
The novel follows Justin and Joyce in turn, as they happen to meet or come in contact; I found it very odd at first but it unfolds nicely and realisation came to me before it did to Joyce.
There are some very amusing moments, and some which are poignant; the ending is inevitable (and rather a relief - I did worry that it might be left open, or with Justin none the wiser) but many of the events during the main part of the book are far from predictable.
Cecelia Ahern has a remarkable gift for creating unusual scenarios and making them seem believable, at least while reading the book. Recommended, if you don't mind suspending reality for a while.
Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 15th October 2009
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HarperCollins and Skype have teamed up to produce 'Cecelia Ahern's virtual world tour.' Unable to travel due to the birth of her baby, Cecelia will be embarking on a tour using Skype, to speak to her fans.
Cecelia will join events live from her home in Dublin and will appear on screens at selected retailers in central city locations. Events will range from celebrity-hosted evenings to invite-only retailer events. Fans will be able to speak to Cecelia and buy pre-signed copies of her new books. The tour kicks off with an event at the new Liverpool Waterstones store on Friday 13th November with further events scheduled in Frankfurt, Johannesburg, Sydney and Singapore.
To purchase tickets head to http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayDetailEvent.do?searchType=1&author=Cecelia|Ahern
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