Wicked Review: Where Rainbows End by Cecilia Ahern

Published: November 8, 2004

Publisher: HarperCollins

Acquired: Paperback

Amazon || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Fullybooked

From naughty children to rebellious teenagers, Rosie and Alex have stuck by each other through thick and thin. But just as as they're discovering the joys of teenage nights on the town and dating disasters, they're separated. Alex's family move from Dublin to America - and Alex goes with them. For good.

Rosie's lost without him. But on the eve of her departure to join Alex in Boston, Rosie gets news that will change her life forever - and keep her at home in Ireland.

Their magical connection sees them through the ups and downs of each others lives, but neither of them knows whether their friendship can survive the years and miles - or new relationships. And at the back of Rosie's mind is whether they were meant to be more than just good friends all along. Misunderstandings, circumstances and sheer bad luck have kept them apart, but when presented with the ultimate opportunity, will they gamble everything for true love?

I just want to thank my sister for giving me this book. She's a big Cecilia Ahern fan and when I told her that this is going to be a movie, she was like, "I will give you the book this Christmas. You cannot watch that movie if you didn't read it." And I did. I enjoyed every single minute of it.

Rosie and Alex's relationship is definitely one for the books. One they could tell their grandkids and their grandkids will tell the world eventually. This friendship is so special and I think everyone deserves to have a Rosie and an Alex in their lives.

I had a hard time reading this book because it wasn't the conventional paragraph-dialogue form. It was in email and letters. You definitely have to read this very carefully so you won't get confused. I've heard a lot of people say that this is your typical girl best friend falls in love with guy best friend but guy best friend moves away and they never see each other again.

Well, you're sort of right. But you're wrong,

You see, the things that Rosie and Alex went through was hard. I mean, getting pregnant when you're just 18 is like the hardest thing in the world. You're still a kid. But thankfully, Alex is there for her. When people say that when one of you gets married or is in a relationship, you sort of lose your friendship? It's all about how you hold your friendship together. Especially when one is across the Atlantic Ocean and several hours ahead or behind of your country.

I love how Rosie grew up. She matured after having her daughter Katie. Not only is this book about Rosie and Alex's relationship, it's about family and friends and life in general. Ruby...OMG Ruby is the best ever! I just love how she's just so spunky and their email exchange reminds me of Beth and Jennifer from Attachments. Stephanie, Rosie's older sister, reminds me of my older sister who's in Dubai with her French boyfriend. Stephanie has a French boyfriend too! Cool, huh? Those moments with Stephanie and Rosie definitely made me cry and made me think of my sister.

The frustrating part of the book is when their chances are almost there but not quite. So, Alex gets divorced from his first wife, Sally. You'd think that this is it. They'll be together. But no. Rosie gets married to Greg!

I KNOW RIGHT?! Fate is bipolar. You never know when it'll give you the right time and the right place for that thing or that person you want. This is what Rosie and Alex endured. 585 pages later, they lived happily ever after. This goes to show that no matter what you're age is, you can still find love.

Cecelia Ahern was born on September 30, 1981 in Dublin, Ireland. She is the daughter of the former Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. On 14th December 2009 it was announced that Cecelia had given birth to her first child with partner David Keoghan, a girl named Robin. She was secretly married on 11 June 2010 in County Kildare, Ireland. Her older sister, Georgina Ahern is married to Nicky Byrne of Irish pop group Westlife. Cecelia was a member of the Irish pop group Shimma who finished third in the Irish national for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2000. She attended Griffith College Dublin and obtained a degree in Journalism and Media Communications. 

Cecelia Ahern wrote her first novel, PS. I Love You when she was twenty-one. It was published in 2004, the number 1 bestseller in Ireland for 19 weeks and sold in over forty countries. The book was adapted as a motion picture directed by Richard LaGravenese and starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler and released in 2007 in the United States. 

Her second book, Where Rainbows End (US title: Love, Rosie or Rosie Dunne) won the German CORINE Award in 2005. She contributed with short stories to charity books and is also the co-creator and producer of the ABC comedy Samantha Who?. 

Her other works include If You Could See Me Now (US title: A Silver Lining), A Place Called Here (US title:There's No Place Like Here) Thanks for the Memories (US title: Desire Lines) The Gift The Book of Tomorrow.

Website || Twitter