Cecelia Ahern : WHERE RAINBOWS END

Warning! Brace yourself! A lot of patience is needed when reading this book. Plus stocking up on tissues and chocolates is recommended.

WHERE RAINBOWS END is a romantic novel written by the very talented and very popular author - Cecelia Ahern. Many of you remember Ms Ahern thanks to her "little" story - P.S. I LOVE YOU, which has not only become an international bestseller, but a blockbuster in the world of cinematography.


Many of you will also know this story under a different name - its film adaptation name - LOVE, ROSIE. And yes, I have seen the film before I read the book. If I am completely honest with you my dear readers, I have to say, that the film actually made me want to buy and read the book. I fell in love with the story of Rosie & Alex on the big screen, and I hoped that I will fall in love with their story written on pages of a book.

*****

Rosie and Alex - best friends or soul mates? Since childhood, Rosie and Alex have stuck by each other through thick and thin. But suddenly, they're separated, when Alex and his family move from Dublin to America. Their magical connection remains but can their friendship survive the years and miles? Misunderstandings, circumstances and sheer bad luck have kept them apart - until now. But will they gamble everything - including their friendship - on true love? And what twists and surprise does fate have for them this time?

*****

Let's talk about the edition of the book I own first. I have opted out for one of the newer editions, but refused to buy the edition released and tied to the film. Mine is quite a simple design. Purple colour is dominant and is a coat for the pages stored inside. Bold, metallic blue lettering shines through and gives it that extra little sparkle. Simple, yet elegant and chic. Paperback. 558 pages divided into 55 chapters plus epilogue. It's quite a big book, but you won't be able to put it down.

Now, before I dive into my thoughts about the story, let me express my gratitude and how impressive is that that this whole story is written in the form of emails, letters, instant messages, texts. There isn't the usual story telling which follows the regular rules. Everything what happens in the story, we get to find out the exchanges between main characters. And that is awesome and truly original. One of the best and most uniquely written stories.


As I mentioned previously, I have seen the film adaptation first. So naturally I couldn't help but compare when reading the book itself. But I also tried to be objective and pretend that I haven't seen the film before.

Here are the good points. The story and its subject is so romantic and wonderful. A friendship so strong that it withstands even the biggest challenges of life. A friendship between two people who loves each other so dearly. A love so strong that the two people are ready to make sure that the other is happy. Even when they have to let them go. It has its ups and downs, but they are there for each other in the hardest of times regardless if they have fallen out. And of course, I cannot help but admire the uniqueness of the way the story is written.

But these are the problems I have with the story. Sometimes, the author just carries on and it feels forced. The time in the story just flows by. It's expanded through many, many years. And the main two characters only find their true happiness when they are fifty years old. I am not happy about that. Some of the twists thrown between that two felt forced and unoriginal. It made me so angry that I had to stop reading the book just to breathe through it.

But that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the book, or that I did not route for the characters. I loved Rosie. She is such a troubled girl who's life is a complete mess and she can't seem to find her perfect happily ever after, because she is in love with her best friend, Alex. He loves her too, but the life is full of unexpected surprised and things gets in the way and they keep on missing each other. Alex is just a lovely, absolutely adorable at times. Every girl will have a little crush on him once reading the book. Ruby is a great addition to the story as she is keeping it fresh and down-to-earth. The banter between her and Rosie is hilarious and you will find yourself laughing out loud. Actually the whole interaction between characters is spot on. It leaves you in stitches at times. 


So yes, I did enjoy reading the story. I didn't dismiss it just because it took them forever to get together. But I think I still prefer the film adaptation a little more. Probably because I was crying like a baby when watching it. But thank you Ms Ahern for writing this story. It's romantic and unique and leaves you craving for your own happy ending and analysing your own friendships.

And guess what? The film is coming out on DVD this week so make sure to buy yourself a copy for your DVD collection. Trust me, you won't regret the decision.