Book Review: P. S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

“Finding someone you love and who loves you back is a wonderful, wonderful feeling. But finding a true soul mate is an even better feeling. A soul mate is someone who understands you like no other, loves you like no other, will be there for you forever, no matter what. They say that nothing lasts forever, but I am a firm believer in the fact that for some, love lives on even after we're gone.”

― Cecilia Ahern, P.S. I Love You

Irish author Cecelia Ahern's first book, PS, I Love You, was released in 2004. It was the best-selling book in Ireland for nineteen weeks and also held the top place in Britain, the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Synopsis from Wikipedia...

Holly and Gerry are a married couple who live in Dublin. They are deeply in love, but they fight occasionally. By winter that year, Gerry suddenly dies of a brain tumor and Holly realizes how much he means to her as well as how insignificant their arguments were.

Deeply distraught, Holly withdraws from her family and friends out of grief until her mother calls her informing her of a package addressed to her. Within the package are ten envelopes, one for each month after Gerry died, containing messages from him, all ending with “P.S. I Love You”. As the months pass, each new message fills her with encouragement and sends her on a new adventure. With Gerry’s words as her guide, Holly slowly embarks on a journey of rediscovery.

My reaction to this novel...

It is a really captivating book that also inspires a lot of enthusiasm. The book’s main subject, love, is introduced in a very noteworthy way. Even though dealing with the death of a loved one can be extremely painful, life moves on. You must maintain your optimism in order to get better for your loved ones, especially for your lost love, who may not have needed to witness your suffering.

A sense of emotional harmony could be felt throughout the entire book, which had an overall exquisite composition. It appeared to be yet another variation of the chick lit concept that had been used more frequently. I imagine that the author put a lot of effort into crafting the narrative and the exuberant thrill trip that Holly (or another woman in like circumstances) went through after losing her better half at a very young age. According to how I view it, “P.S. I Love You” was a well composed story about true love that last forever. The book serves as an example of the value of sincere connections that arise despite adversity. I think it’s important for all of us to be reminded from time to time who our closest companions are, regardless of whether we’re experiencing happiness or hardship or even just going through the motions.

This novel will make you cry while also making you appreciate your friends and family. Cecilia Ahern has created some believable characters. Her writing style is straightforward, but the quality of the plot compensates for any flaws. The novel perfectly captures the force of adversity, giving up, and rediscovering. It’s a moving and impassioned narrative about the lengthy journey of healing and re-observing oneself after losing a friend or family member.

This book shed me a tear or two. I highly recommend this book to every book readers out there.

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨(4.5/5)

“Don't be afraid to fall in love again. Open your heart and follow where it leads you...and remember, shoot for the moon. Shoot for the moon, even if you fail, you'll land among the stars.”

It's natural to fall in love with someone who will never love us back, but that's acceptable. Because it is not the essence of love. The core of it is to experience our love and share it with someone, even if their love is not for us. We should not be frightened to fall in love again after a heartbreak because heartbreak is natural for both you and me.

“Nobody's life is filled with perfect little moments. And if it were, they wouldn't be perfect little moments. They would just be normal. How would you ever know happiness if you never experience downs?”

Not every day is perfect. Actually, some people struggle the majority of the time, but we don't notice since that's how people are. We all have our own sorrow, but concentrating on it is too much for most of us, so we don't show it or even divert ourselves with something that might make our days easier. But the fact is that we can't truly appreciate the good things that happen to us until we confront all of the difficulties that come before them. So having a less-than-perfect day is okay since it will provide beautiful moments to that day.

Where to buy this book...