Dandelions and Imaginary Friends -MC

Well I think my first post of the year (Happy New Year btw) should be a special one so I'm going with the flow and reviewing a book that I actually got free with Cosmo magazine over the summer.

I know, I know... a free book? It's gonna be rubbish.

Totally not true.

I took some persuading to start reading admittedly... my mum actually read it first and threw it at me while we were in the car so I figured it would probably be more interesting than sleeping on the way to Wales.

I think I finished it before we got there, and then when we got there I read it again...

P.S. I Love You wasn't one of my favourite books, but I was definitely attracted to Ahern's writing style, and the absolutely gorgeous way she describes thoughts and feelings so perfectly... and if there's a book that absolutely captivated me and left me in tears (of bittersweet happiness btw) it was "If you could see me now". It's left me a definite fan of Cecilia Ahern.

The storyline is told from two points of view- that of the professional imaginary friend, Ivan, and Elizabeth Egan, a woman who grew up with a distant father, a free spirited mother (who abandoned her) and equally flightly younger sister Saoirse. Her family and childhood has left her overly straight-laced, responsible and friendless. And looking after Saoirse's young son Luke as her own.

Ivan is only ever seen by the children who need him, and he moves from best friend to best friend as his role is fulfilled and eventually the child stops being able to see him, something that we see at the start of the book when his best friend stops seeing him and he realizes he needs to move on to the next child who needs his help.

Then he meets Luke who, distanced from Elizabeth and abandoned by alcoholic Saoirse, is in need of a best friend. Ivan moves in and, unknown to Elizabeth, begins to help Luke.

Not long after this, Elizabeth sees Ivan herself, and suddenly everything changes for the both of them. Ivan teaches Elizabeth that being irresponsible once in a while doesn't have to leave her like her sister, and Elizabeth shows Ivan what it's like to be an adult.

But Ivan can't tell her what he is, and as they fall in love Ivan's job is in peril and Elizabeth's future is uncertain. After all, once Ivan's job is done, she won't be able to see him anymore. There's nothing they can do to change that.

Myself, I have to say that this is one of the few books I've read where I find the ending absolutely perfect. It's brilliantly bittersweet, and although not everything is resolved, Ahern finishes it in a way that leaves you absolutely settled.

This story really left me feeling influenced, and the moral is that although your situation can be awful, if you change your own outlook you can make it a bit better and equip yourself to handle it better.

I really recommend this book (mostly to girls) as a sit-at-home read for a day when everything sucks, as Ahern's writing and her impossible but wistful stories are real day-brighteners.

(And it IS fantasy... the main guy's a mythical creature(ish)!)

MangaCat OUT! (plz check out my own blog :P)