The Year I Met You

3.5

As always, great story and amazing characters. I loved Dr J <3

The Year We Meet Again. Cecelia Ahern’s The Year I Met you follows Jasmine, who, in her thirties, finds herself at a time in her life that sets into motion unsought transitions when the job that she has had and loved and depended on for years is abruptly lost. This was the first book I bought on my first year of university; its coming into my life symbolic of what was familiar and welcomed (being that it was written by an author who I’ve read from before) at a time when everything else was uncertain and yet settled. Four years later, this is the book I choose as part of a 24-hour July readathon I join in on and I realised as I was reading that it is far more symbolic a read for me at this time in my life (wrought with uncertainties in employment and self-esteem) than I could have ever imagined. Jasmine as a character, I found, is incredibly relatable. We are privy to her thoughts in a way that I feel is very intimate and (this was what made me initially think that her self-awareness was overly done but) while jarring at first, I came to really appreciate being brought along with her in this very personal way through a rocky time in her life; the insight into her life holding light to what I feel had shed some in mines, in the year that we - book and I - meet again. The Parallels We Draw. And this insight to the goings on her mind, I found the most intriguing to follow through when it came to how she relates to the primary characters in the story: notably, the neighbour she befriends and the older sister whom she fiercely loves. I loved the intricacies in their relationships - flawed and fleshed out and real. The parallels drawn between the characters was my favourite thing about this read. I only wished some of the relationships I thought were particularly important to the story were expanded on more. The Heart of the Story. I felt that the characters’ relationships played a big part in what makes this read so symbolic to me - with the story even explicitly drawing upon what it means to discover how things can be / are symbolic in our lives, too (“I think most people who say that they believe in signs actually mean that they believe in symbols,” Cecelia writes). From the way Jasmine draws so much meaning in her life’s events, to the experiences that readers are alluded to, but most especially in the way the characters are linked, The Year I Met You draws upon the idea of symbolism greatly. I would have liked to see the subtlety of it more but how it is sown into the relationships and interactions between the characters is so well done and it is where I believe the true heart of the story is.

I've been wanting to read another one of Cecelia Ahern's books for ages after the mastery that was Flawed. But this book was a big disappointment. I didn't like the characters, the plotline or the writing. I expected more from this author. It's just another badly written contemporary novel.

4 ✨ “You are a circus act all of your own and I cannot help but be your audience.” I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this one up…and now ive finished it, I have that lost feeling you get after being too emotional. After losing her job and being put on gardening leave, Jasmine has to learn who she is without her professional identity. She connects with the people around her, embracing a community she had previously ignored, meeting new friends, and building relationships. Jasmine goes through an emotional rollercoaster over the course of this book, experiencing the highs and lows of her new situation, Cecelia Ahern makes the reader feels every moment of this. I loved the diverse characters in this book, weirdly Jasmine wasn’t my favourite, I loved Matt, Dr J and Heather, really felt they brought a lot to the story. I was as eager for them to get their happy endings, as I was for Jasmine. This wasn’t a speedy read, that’s for sure, I did find the level of emotion a little heavy going at times, and it really slowed down how I read the book. But this is probably a good thing, it really made me appreciate Jasmine’s situation, and really take in the story. What Jasmine goes through is something a lot of people face; Cecelia does an incredible job of creating something which is very relatable. Overall, I really enjoyed this, if you are looking for a real and relatable book, then definitely give this one a go. Plot – 4/5 Character Development – 4/5 Pacing – 3/5 Escapism Factor – 4/5 Emotional Connection – 4/5