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zepeng's review against another edition
3.0
It is a bit uncanny how it was the right moment for me to pick up this book. A few weeks ago, I would have been too uncomfortable with Tamara's actions, words and thoughts and brand her as immature, unreasonable and very, very spoiled. However, in the present moment, I am grateful that I have picked up this book.
Let's start with the synopsis. Tamara is a sixteen-year-old girl (or is she?) who had just lost her dad to suicide, her mom to agony, and her life being crumpled in front of her as everything that she knew had been ripped away from her. With nothing left, she and her grieving mother moved to the country side to stay with her uncle, Arthur and his wife, Rosaleen. Tamara was convinced that her mother who barely spoke and ate, needed help. However, it seemed that no one was listening. This results in her being suspicious of the person around her and hence set off being a detective to regain control of her life, with the help of a fortune diary.
I feel for Tamara in this book. It is an awful feeling to be suddenly be so out of control. All of a sudden, you do not know what to do. Even if you have a plan, there's nothing to do or you do not know where to start. I must admit that Tamara is indeed spoiled, which is frequently highlighted in this book. But underneath all that angst, here lies a broken girl who just yearns for love and attention from her family. She is rich in material, not but in love. In her view, the only way to get attention is to be mean, throw a tantrum, or break the rules. She struggles to express her inner thoughts and becomes aggressive as a facade. Although there's no major character development in the story, you can feel that Tamara is trying to be more open to others. Before that, she hides her feelings and spits out fiery and nasty words to protect herself. With the help of the diary, she is slowly opening up and becoming a greater person.
This story also deals heavily with the death of a loved one. Even though Tamara claims to hate her dad, you can still see that she loves and cares for her deeply, just in a way she doesn't recognize. This book proves to us that no matter how much you claim to 'hate' or 'dislike' your family member, blood still runs deep, you can never really hate them. Regret is also a major theme in this novel. There are a lot of 'what-ifs' flashing by Tamara's thoughts. This is a good reminder to readers to always be in the present and to never let any chances and regrets slip away.
I feel like this book couldn't have come at a better moment. Just like the diary being a reflection for Tamara, this book is my personal diary as it had given me the chance to ponder, reflect and examine my thoughts, feelings and actions. I discover myself a lot more while reading this book. It had also made me become more accepting towards spoiled, unreasonable, immature characters that I previously despised as it made me feel more empathetic and understanding towards their characteristics and backstory.
Let's start with the synopsis. Tamara is a sixteen-year-old girl (or is she?) who had just lost her dad to suicide, her mom to agony, and her life being crumpled in front of her as everything that she knew had been ripped away from her. With nothing left, she and her grieving mother moved to the country side to stay with her uncle, Arthur and his wife, Rosaleen. Tamara was convinced that her mother who barely spoke and ate, needed help. However, it seemed that no one was listening. This results in her being suspicious of the person around her and hence set off being a detective to regain control of her life, with the help of a fortune diary.
I feel for Tamara in this book. It is an awful feeling to be suddenly be so out of control. All of a sudden, you do not know what to do. Even if you have a plan, there's nothing to do or you do not know where to start. I must admit that Tamara is indeed spoiled, which is frequently highlighted in this book. But underneath all that angst, here lies a broken girl who just yearns for love and attention from her family. She is rich in material, not but in love. In her view, the only way to get attention is to be mean, throw a tantrum, or break the rules. She struggles to express her inner thoughts and becomes aggressive as a facade. Although there's no major character development in the story, you can feel that Tamara is trying to be more open to others. Before that, she hides her feelings and spits out fiery and nasty words to protect herself. With the help of the diary, she is slowly opening up and becoming a greater person.
This story also deals heavily with the death of a loved one. Even though Tamara claims to hate her dad, you can still see that she loves and cares for her deeply, just in a way she doesn't recognize. This book proves to us that no matter how much you claim to 'hate' or 'dislike' your family member, blood still runs deep, you can never really hate them. Regret is also a major theme in this novel. There are a lot of 'what-ifs' flashing by Tamara's thoughts. This is a good reminder to readers to always be in the present and to never let any chances and regrets slip away.
I feel like this book couldn't have come at a better moment. Just like the diary being a reflection for Tamara, this book is my personal diary as it had given me the chance to ponder, reflect and examine my thoughts, feelings and actions. I discover myself a lot more while reading this book. It had also made me become more accepting towards spoiled, unreasonable, immature characters that I previously despised as it made me feel more empathetic and understanding towards their characteristics and backstory.
rnjana's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
milyhope's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book, is full of mystery, secrets and ghosts from the past. It's different that most of Ahern's books, but I think is worth the reading. I had a hard time putting down the book for eating or working, but I managed to survive! Ha ha. If you are looking for another happy-go-lucky with a touch of magic book this is not that, but it does have a touch of magic, give it a try!
kelly_clovers's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Normally I am a huge Ahern fan. This one was not one of her best. I might lean towards her worst. It was hard to like the characters. The journal was never explained. I never knew what that was and if someone wrote it or was magical or not. That was never explained or properly closed.
phoenix2's review against another edition
3.0
Loved this one. The lead character was annoying at first, but you grow to understand her gradually. The mystery part was thrilling and interesting, kept me reading till the very last page. Plus, the cover is beautiful.
haselmaus94's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
owls_cats_books's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
This book was okay. I didn't like most of the characters and that made it a challenge to finish. It starts out really slow. It does pick up. The ending left me with more questions than answers. Like the journal and how did it write? How did that happen? Where did it come? Not one of Ahern's best books.
lmaugzy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
What a little gem. I was gifted a well used copy of this book because the cover was pretty. Strong character development, a multitude of storylines, family secrets and plot twists with a sprinkle of magic throughout. It took my mind away when I needed it the most. I love this without any deep analysis. 💗💖