The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

From Goodreads:

The magical new novel from number one bestseller Cecelia Ahern. Tamara Goodwin has always got everything she's ever wanted. Born into a family of wealth, she grew up in a mansion with its own private beach, a wardrobe full of designer clothes and all that a girl could ever wish for. She's always lived in the here and now, never giving a second thought to tomorrow. But then suddenly her dad is gone and life for Tamara and her mother changes forever. Left with a mountain of debt, they have no choice but to sell everything they own and move to the country. Nestled next to Kilsaney Castle, their gatehouse is a world away from Tamara's childhood. With her mother shut away with grief, and her aunt busy tending to her, Tamara is lonely and bored and longs to return to Dublin.When a travelling library passes through Kilsaney Demesne, Tamara is intrigued. Her eyes rest on a mysterious large leather bound tome locked with a gold clasp and padlock. What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to its core.

Tamara is a spoiled rich girl who could get on your nerves at times, but it makes sense in the story. In fact she doesn't even like her own behavior. She is grieving for her father and her life has tuned itself in a completely new direction. This enables Tamara to take her blinders off and see what is really around her. Unfortunately, what is around her baffles her and a mystery forms. However, she is not even sure if it is complete boredom with an over active imagination or something more sinister. She does find a few good friends, one being a nun who seems to know more than she tells. She also finds a mysterious journal which writes predictions in her own hand. When she catches her aunt Rose in lies about her mother, she decides that she must do something about it and get her mother the help she needs. Even though she has an odd guide in the journal that predicts the time ahead, she must rely on herself to solve the mystery and become more mature. She also finds that the future is not set in stone, but is reliant on our actions in the present.

This is actually one of those reads that comes across and totally strange. The mystery within begs to be solved but you aren't even sure at times exactly what that mystery entails. It is deliciously odd and I throughly enjoyed the ride. Tamara is a rude, obnoxious person who has gotten her way with very little parental involvement. However, her growth in this book makes it tolerable and essential to the story. So, I give this book 4 1/2 stars. It's especially good if you want something a bit different than the usual contemporary to read.

I received this ARC from the publisher, HarperCollins/HarperTeen, and no compensation for my review was given.