An unexpected little piece of magic! (A Place Called Here - Cecelia Ahern)

Member Name: chocaholic110

Product:	A Place Called Here - Cecelia Ahern
Date:	07/02/09 (99 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A page turner!

Disadvantages: None

A Place Called Here, published in 2006, is the fourth novel by Cecilia Ahern, daughter of Ireland's former Prime Minister Bertie Ahern.

**What is it about?**

Sandy Shortt has always been obsessed with finding lost things, ever since her ten year old neighbour Jenny-May disappeared, never to be seen again, twenty four years ago. She drives her family, and others, insane with her need to know where lost things go and can't just accept that they could be misplaced. Years later, her quest for finding lost things and people lead to her running a missing persons agency and devoting all of her time to helping to find people who have disappeared.

One such person is Donal Ruttle who has seemingly vanished into thin air after a night out. His brother Jack is desperate to find him and engages Sandy to attempt to do just that. But before they can meet up, Sandy herself goes missing and discovers that the place she has been searching for all her life does exist after all.

**What did I think of the book?**

I got this book from the library last weekend along with three or four other books. I obviously visited at a time when the most popular books were unavailable as I found it very difficult to find any books I really wanted to read and I probably wouldn't have chosen any of the books I did if I could have found something better. I left this particular book until last as it didn't appeal very much at all; I had previously read PS I Love You and thought it was "just OK" and I presumed this one would be very much in the same vein.

How wrong I was! I have to admit I found the book utterly enchanting. It was very readable from the very first page and I found it incredibly difficult to put down to the extent that I read the entire book in one day. Even when I was forced to stop reading for a little while, the plot line was still going around in my head and I was wondering what would happen next.

The characters in the story were mostly very likable, although there were some aspects of Sandy's character that I didn't like so much and I thought it was unnecessary to mention her one night stands (not that it goes into any detail). I didn't think this added anything to the plot at all and could have been omitted altogether.

The first half of the book is interesting but it was the second half that really intrigued me. There are many unanswered questions throughout the book and it really takes until the very end of the book to discover the answer to any of them. The book does make you think and even though you know it couldn't be true, a little part of you wants to believe that it could be! Also, I found it impossible to second guess how the book would end, even though there are small hints during the story, and I wasn't disappointed with the ending as I sometimes can be.

Although the book is never going to be great literary fiction, it is very readable and not your usual boy-meets-girl chick lit type novel. Don't read this if you like something deep and meaningful but it would be lovely light reading for a holiday, or just snuggling up in the warm when it's cold and snowy outside. I was torn between wanting to know how the story would end and wanting to be able to keep reading. I only wish I'd read it sooner, but I think it might encourage me to go back and try some of Cecilia Ahern's other offerings!

Summary: Totally magical!