Book Review: The Time of My Life by Cecelia Ahern
January 13, 2013 17 Comments
The previous book I read by Cecelia Ahern, The Book of Tomorrow, I really, really liked. So when I saw this new book in the library, I just had to read it. It was not quite as good, but still a very enjoyable read.
The Time of My Life: What it is about
From the publishers: “Lucy Silchester keeps receiving this appointment card and sweeping the gold embossed envelope under the rug. Literally. Instead, she has busied herself with work (a job she doesn’t love), helping out friends, fixing her car, feeding her cat, seeing her family, and devoting her time to their life dramas. But Lucy is about to find out that this is one appointment she can’t miss.
One day life shows up at her door, in the form of sloppy man who is determined to bring about change. Life follows Lucy everywhere—the office, bars, her bedroom—meets her flabbergasted friends, and won’t let Lucy off the hook. What she learns in the process is that some of the choices she’s made, and stories she’s told, aren’t what they seem either. Now her stubborn half-truths are going to be revealed in all their glory…unless Lucy learns to tell the truth about what really matters to her.”
The Time of My Life: What I thought
Life visiting you? It’s impossible. But not in this book. I loved it how Life (as a person) coming to visit was accepted as normal in the book, but nothing else was different from the world as we know it. No other impossibilities were allowed for. Ahern did a good job of slotting the idea of Life (the person) into the story, and had worked out the consequences to some extend, enough to make the story believable.
Lucy has been lying about the breakup with her boyfriend 3 years ago and her friends don’t dare to ask. Life forces her to speak the truth and when Lucy’s old lies are exposed, it turns out her friends aren’t half as bothered as she’d thought. Bit by bit, Lucy’s life starts to change and Life changes with it.
I loved the snobbish family that Lucy came from and how they changed along with Lucy. Also, when Lucy calls a wrong number, she starts a fun texting conversation with an unknown man, a story line that was good fun and becomes more important as the story develops.
The book was an easy and fun read, and I loved spending some time with Lucy and her Life.
Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)
Number of pages: 376 (my Dutch copy)
First published: 2011 (My Dutch translation, De tijd van mijn leven, 2012)
I got this book: from the library
Genre: chick-lit, contemporary fiction
Have you read this book?
What did you think?
I still need to read some of her books! I actually meant to this timd but got distracted by Meg Cabot instead.
Meg Cabot is fun too, LovesandHates, but I prefer Ahern. Give her a try!
I don’t know how I haven’t read any of her work yet.
I have not read this particular book, but have added it to my wish list! Thanks for a great review.
It’s a fun story, Julie.
I have read a couple of Ahern’s books that I really liked…PS I Love You was GREAT! I’ll have to pick this one up. I would hate to have my life following me around for everyone to see…YIKES! Great review!
June, I think if you enjoyed *PS I Love You*, you’ll enjoy this one too.
I really like Cecelia Ahern, so I think this book will be on my list as well (haven’t got it yet, but will buy it when my shoppingban is lifted!)
kind regards,
Ha ha, Bettina, shopping ban. You *could* check whether the library has it, or is that part of the ban?
I read and liked P.S. I Love You, but I can’t remember reading any of her other books, although I meant to. I haven’t read any chick lit lately, so maybe I’ll look for this one!
Laurie, it’s a fun and light read – really nice for “in between” more heavy books.
Agreed with you, while it can’t top Book of Tomorrow for my favourite Ahern novel, I still bought Time of My Life in hardback (her books are so pretty!) and really enjoyed it. I love her mixture of real life and the fantastical.
Nice review! Really like this author, so glad to hear that this one is also an enjoyable read! The idea of Life showing up at your front door, in the form of an actual person, is certainly original! Looking forward to reading this one!
Alexia, original indeed – what I especially liked was that everyone thought it was normal to meet your Life – well, special (it didn’t happen to many people) but something that might happen.
Sounds great! I also liked the idea of “life” being with her and changing as he changes
I read PS: I love you but I didn’t like it so much actually, so I haven’t read anything else by Cecelia Ahern. Perhaps I will try this book and then, I’ll decide if I finally like this author.
Isi, I liked some of the other books of Ahern better than *PS I Love You* so maybe you’ll like this one. If you do like chick-lit in general, it’s worth a try. It’s chick-lit but not too silly.
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