Where do all things go when they disappear?

Cecelia Ahern has the answer for that through this book. The Irish chick lit author, who previously wrote the internationally successful "PS I Love You", tried to charm her readers again with her fourth book. Interestingly, this book has several different titles in English, such as "There's no place like here" and "A place called here". Anyway, the Danish title that I wrote above translates to "A place nearby".

I must admit that Ms. Ahern has a powerful imagination when she wrote this book. That's probably one thing that would fail me as a book author. My imagination is as thin as the air in the Himalaya mountains. I couldn't just daydream about something and actually write about it and not forget about it. She apparently got the idea about this book when she couldn't find her left sock. Perhaps.

The book tells the story of a misfit young teenager - now a young woman - called Sandy Shortt. Two facts that I know about her character are that she's not short and that she's not sandy-haired. So don't let her name fool you.

When she was 10 years old, her opposite neighbour's daughter Jenny May Butler went missing and nobody could find her. This incident tickled her inner soul and told her unconscious mind that she must find any missing thing from that moment on. It's not so much because she has affection for the missing girl - far from that - it's just because she gets irritated when a thing goes missing.

"It's like you know a lyric for a song by heart and suddenly you forget the words," she said.

Sure enough, she grew up to be an un-whole person. She dropped her job in the police corps and started her own investigative bureau to find missing persons as an attempt to seek peace of mind.

Until one day she went missing and found herself in a place called "here" - along with a lot of other people she'd been trying to locate all these years. Including Jenny May. Including her white-and-orange striped left sock. Including her passport. Including the teddy bear she used to have when she was a kid.

Now, this is what I called a relaxing yet intriguing chick lit book as I found most chick lit books were too dumb to be worth reading. Believe me, I have many times given up a book halfway because I'm too tired to read the swearings of the main characters about their ex-boyfriends, their disaster dating sessions or their extremely sad and boring single lives. Whatever.

So this book is something different from the start and it does offer a good story. Enjoy.

My video opinion: https://youtu.be/j1qE_wdei_Q

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37th book of 2019 (121st book overall)


Quote from the Book I Liked - 'We all get lost once in a while, sometimes by choice, sometimes due to the forces beyond our control. When we learn what it is our soul needs to learn, the path presents itself.' (Page no. 483)


Rating - 3 Stars


Plot Summary - Sometimes it takes losing everything to truly find oneself. Since Sandy Shortt's childhood classmate disappeared twenty years ago, she has been obsessed with missing things. From the lone sock in the washing machine to the misplaced car keys, finding what is lost becomes her sole goal. It's no wonder her life's work is to find people who have vanished from their loved ones. Her family is baffled and concerned by her increasing preoccupation. She pushes them away as she immerses herself in the work of tracking down the missing. She sacrifices her life to offer hope to devastated families and escape her own disappointments. Jack Ruttle enlists Sandy to find his vanished brother Donal. But before she can give him the information he needs, Sandy herself goes missing. Jack now has to search for both his brother and the woman who understood his pain. One minute Sandy is jogging in the park, the next, she's lost. The path is obscured, nothing is familiar. In a clearing, she discovers a campsite and the impossible - the place where all the missing people go. A world away from her loved ones and the home she fled, Sandy resorts to her old habit of searching, this time for a way home.


My Review - What I love most about Cecelia Ahern, the author, is her imagination. It's the very reason to fall in love with reading. In this book, she introduces another concept that's "un-imaginable by common folks like us". She makes us wonder where all our missing stuff goes. She takes us to a place called 'Here' where all the missing items, feelings, and even people end up. The concept is amazing and the narration is great. However, there are a few things I didn't quite like. The story could have been shorter. It felt a bit dragged in the middle and could have been trimmed. A 100 pages less would have been perfect. Also, the initial hint of a love-romance concept didn't make much sense in the end. It either shouldn't have been introduced or should have been better developed in the conclusion. Nevertheless, the book is still amazing and offers a new perspective, just like every other book by Cecelia Ahern.


Conclusion - Out of the box imagination but could've been trimmed a bit.


Full Review on Blog.

Link to Blog - The Tales of Fugitive Biker

This book is truly a challenging one to get into.

However, if you manage to persevere and make it through the entire volume, you'll discover that the ending is quite good. I completed this book with a sense of satisfaction, and in fact, the last 75 - 100 pages were really excellent.

Although this is my least favorite work by Cecelia Ahern, it's undeniable that she has a talent for writing. I'm in love with her writing style and her remarkable ability to bring magic and fairy tales to life for adults.

This book revolves around a place known as Here, where all missing things and people ultimately end up. Sandy Shortt, a 34-year-old woman, has been obsessed with searching for missing items ever since she was 10 and a girl in her class vanished.

Now, Sandy runs a missing persons agency and agrees to assist a man named Jack in finding his brother who has been missing for over a year.

Just before she is about to meet with Jack, Sandy wanders off into the woods and unexpectedly finds herself in Here. There, she meets some wonderful people and discovers many individuals she has been seeking for years.

Despite numerous attempts, no one can escape from Here. Will Sandy succeed in finding Jenny-May Butler, the girl who ignited her searching obsession? Will she locate Jack's brother Donal? And will she manage to get out of Here? Read this book to uncover the answers.

I had forgotten how beautiful it is to read a book by Cecelia n.n.

Reading her works is like embarking on a magical journey. The words seem to dance on the page, captivating my imagination and transporting me to different worlds and emotions.

Her stories are filled with rich characters, vivid descriptions, and engaging plots that keep me hooked from the very first page.

As I delve into her books, I find myself completely immersed, forgetting about the outside world and all its distractions.

It is a truly wonderful experience that I had overlooked for far too long.

Now, I am reminded of the joy and beauty that lies within the pages of a Cecelia n.n. book, and I look forward to many more reading adventures with her.

5 out of 5 stars
This is by far the best Cecelia Ahern book I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It truly reignited my passion and eagerness to explore more of her literary works.

Sandy Shortt was just 10 years old when a girl in her neighbourhood vanished without a trace. This incident sparked within her an intense need to find lost things and people. However, this pursuit eventually led to insecurities and a profound disconnection from those around her, including her own family.

One day, while searching for yet another lost person, Sandy herself goes missing and finds herself in a mysterious place where all lost things reside. Here, one can find people, possessions, and even notices. But all Sandy longs for is to return home.

Meanwhile, there is a man whose brother Sandy was searching for. He realizes that Sandy is also missing and feels an urgent need to find both her and his brother.

I absolutely love how this book seamlessly combines elements of contemporary life, fantasy, and the complex problems that Sandy is facing. These issues are so relatable that they are bound to resonate deeply with the readers. What's more, this book is not just about romance, which is so common in many contemporary novels. It offers so much more depth and substance. I definitely adored this book and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating and thought-provoking read.

The truth is that having read quite a few books by Ahern, I expected a little more from "I'll Find You Again". However, it was a very pleasant read that relaxed me after so many heavy-duty police procedurals that I usually read.

It has a clever story, likable characters, and an ending that you don't expect. The ending of the story perhaps could have been even more powerful, but still, it doesn't disappoint.

Ahern's fans should not miss this. You'll be glad you read it.

From me, it gets a 7.5/10.

Happy reading!

‘It’s really very simple if you remember it like this. Everything in life has a place and when one thing moves, it must go somewhere else. Here is the place that all those things move to.’

Ever lost something and just never been able to find it? I have, not often, but it’s definitely happened. Mostly during times when I’ve moved house, I’ve unpacked, only to discover sometime later that I’ve lost something. Recently, something that I’d lost during a move that had real meaning for me actually turned up, ten years after I’d lost it. This novel is about lost things and lost people. While I’m normally a big fan of Cecelia Ahern, I feel like this story got a bit lost several times itself along the way.

The story is a blend of a missing persons mystery, a retelling of the key theme of The Wizard of Oz, and a strange journey of magical realism within a place called ‘Here’ where all the missing things and people around the world end up. It was entertaining, yes, but also very strange. I enjoyed the parts where Jack was searching for Sandy as well as closing in on the fate of his missing brother. However, as to the parts about Sandy in ‘Here’, they were incredulous, at best. The novel ends with this paragraph, which seems to be the key message:

‘We all get lost once in a while, sometimes by choice, sometimes due to forces beyond our control. When we learn what it is our soul needs to learn, the path presents itself. Sometimes we see the way out but wander further and deeper despite ourselves; the fear, the anger or the sadness preventing us returning. Sometimes we prefer to be lost and wandering, sometimes it’s easier. Sometimes we find our own way out. But regardless, always, we are found.’

A quaint story that will appeal to fans of magical realism and fantasy, but not one that I’d rush to recommend to anyone. The ending was a little too ‘and they lived happily ever after’ for me, given that Sandy had spent the previous thirty odd years dealing with some significant issues that just seemed to magically disappear upon her return home from her magical adventure. I did appreciate the closure for Jack though, despite how sad that ended up being. This one is definitely more magical realism than contemporary fiction and will require quite a bit of suspended belief in order to enjoy.

I randomly picked up this book from a molding pile of books and magazines next to a fireplace in a dilapidated Irish bed and breakfast. I had no clue what to anticipate from it. Just by looking at the cover, it seemed like a cheesy rom-com. However, it turned out to be a magical surprise.

Sandy Shortt has a neurotic urge to find missing things, ranging from the elusive left sock to potential abductees. Just as she is about to embark on her next case involving a Limerick man who has been missing for a year, she herself goes missing, leaving her client alone with only the clues that something is amiss. While he struggles to convince her associates that she might have vanished, she discovers herself in a far more unbelievable situation: she has found the place where all the lost things go.

The book ended up being a combination of mystery, self-help, and fairytale in an interesting manner.

SPOILERS

Although, I was disgusted by the grooming aspect in the book. I'm not sure how a relationship between a 14-year-old girl and her 28-year-old therapist is supposed to develop into a healthy adult romance rather than a form of healthy adult imprisonment.

I began reading this two years ago. After just a few chapters, I abandoned it, which was rather unusual for me as I never typically leave books unfinished in that way. However, I finally picked it up again, this time with the firm intention of finishing it. It is a fantasy novel set in Ireland, where missing people and things mysteriously show up in a place called "Here", thus giving the book its title. As I was reading this, I had rather mixed feelings. It initially started off as somewhat boring, but then, halfway through, it became quite intriguing. Besides the main character, Sandy, who is completely obsessed with finding lost things and people, basically every other character also struggles to let go of the people they have lost. Finally, things start to fall back into place, or at least, they do for the main character.

Strength and Hope are the sole things to hold onto when a dear one goes missing.

Sandy Shortt has dedicated her life to the pursuit of finding missing individuals ever since her classmate Jenny-May Butler vanished. The pain and unanswered questions that arise when someone simply disappears into thin air are overwhelming.

Can Sandy succeed in locating those people? Will she ever be able to move on? Are the missing people somehow connected to her own sense of loss?

After perusing this book, I truly hope that there could be a "A Place Called Here" or a passionate Sandy for every family that endures such a heart-wrenching experience.

The story of Sandy Shortt's determination and the mystery surrounding the missing people keep the reader engaged from start to finish. It makes one reflect on the power of hope and the lengths people will go to in order to find those they love.

Overall, this book is a poignant reminder of the importance of never giving up and the significance of holding onto strength and hope in the face of uncertainty.

After reading "P.S I love you", I must admit that it was somewhat of a disappointment for me.

I am aware that some people really adored this book, but for some reason, it just didn't click with me. Given the author's strong debut novel, my expectations were high, and I was hoping for something that would meet or even exceed that benchmark.

The theme of the story was indeed amazing. The author always has a knack for coming up with interesting and engaging stories to tell. In this case, the theme was really good, but as I was reading, I found myself longing for something more. I was hoping for a sudden twist that would catch me completely off-guard. However, as I turned each page, I was left disappointed as none of the "next-pages" managed to deliver that element of surprise.

Now, let's talk about the writing. It was good and well-structured, with a clear division between the different point-of-views of Sandy and Jack. So, in that regard, I have to give credit to the author.

As for my reaction after reading the first few pages, I have to say that the start was very promising. The way Sandy introduced herself was quite engaging. But then, I found myself questioning some of the character's actions. For instance, I really don't understand why Sandy would care so much for Jenny May Butler. She had no relation to her, and there seemed to be no real reason for her to lose sleep over finding her. And the whole thing about the socks, it just didn't make sense to me. I mean, I've never lost a sock, so maybe I don't understand the feeling, but why did she have to repeat it so many times? It almost felt like Sandy loved socks and was trying to encourage us to buy new pairs for ourselves too. That was just absurd.

I really thought that something significant was going to happen as the story progressed. I had high hopes, especially considering the unique and outstanding theme. The author really has an imaginative mind, but for some reason, something just wasn't quite right.

I did like the small snippets when people from "Here" talked about how people still remembered them. That was a nice touch, and I was especially touched when Cecilia talked about a memory getting lost.

Regarding Jack's and Sandy's story, I felt that the threads didn't quite intertwine as well as they could have. I thought I could sense a connection between Jack and Sandy, rather than between Sandy and Gregory.

Even when the story finally wrapped up, I still felt that something was missing. The promises that were made in the first few pages didn't seem to be kept. I was so confused that I even checked to see if some of the pages were missing. Maybe the publishers made a mistake or something. I didn't even understand the ending with the "kimoba" girl or whatever it was. Maybe my brain just wasn't functioning properly, but I really didn't get it.

I really hoped that I would enjoy this book, but unfortunately, it just didn't happen. Oh well, better luck next time!