PS I love you - Cecelia Ahern > Reviews > Everyone needs a guardian angel

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Advantages:	One of the best books I have honestly ever read, plus she is a new author meaning there are many more books to come !
Disadvantages:	Sad in parts

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Everyone needs a guardian angel.

I believe that a good book is truly hard to find. Many books don’t live up to the hype and expectations made by the media, and I’m often left disappointed. With this book however, I did not find it a let down nor did I give up half way through, I thought that it was a wonderful heart warming story about how life moves on after death no matter how tragic the circumstances.

I first heard about this book while watching Richard and Judy (channel 4 television programme). They have a book club and recommend certain books for the viewers to read and write in their opinions. Even Richard and Judy read them. Every week they review a different book. This book caught my eye as part of the ‘Summer Read selection’. I was watching the programme with my Mom, and one of the people reviewing the book mentioned that the book was written in a similar style to Maeve Binchy (another author). My mom decided to buy the book for me as she knows how much I love to read, and we both agreed that the book sounded like something we would enjoy.

The book is about a young woman called Holly Kennedy. Holly lived with her husband Gerry in Ireland; I say ‘lived’ as Gerry tragically died from a brain tumour after only a short time together. Holly and Gerry met at school, they were childhood sweethearts, and no one could imagine them apart, they did everything together. Holly not only lost her husband when Gerry died, she also lost her best friend. PS, I love you, follows Holly through the trials and tribulations of her life without Gerry. One day, Holly gets a call from her mother (Elizabeth), telling her that there is a package waiting for her at Holly’s family home. Elizabeth says that the package has ‘The list’, scrawled across the front. Holly wondered what this could be, although she had her suspicions that it was from Gerry.

Holly’s suspicions are met when she opens the package to reveal a letter from Gerry for every month for her twelve months without him. She opens the first letter as she has already missed that month to find a letter from Gerry. Which reads ‘My darling Holly, I don’t know where you are or where exactly you are reading this. I just hope my letter has found you and healthy. You whispered to me not long ago that you couldn’t go on alone. You can, Holly. You are strong and brave and you can get through this. We shared some beautiful times and you made my life… you made my life. I have no regrets. But I am just a chapter in your life – There will be many more. Remember our wonderful memories, but please don’t be afraid to make some more. Thank you for doing me the honour of being my wife. For everything, I am eternally grateful. Whenever you need me you know I am with you. Love you forever, your husband and best friend, Gerry’. Gerry then goes on to tell her he has left her a list as promised and the first envelope that must be obeyed tells her to go out and buy a bedside lamp. I private joke shared with the reader (you’ll have to buy the book to find out what).

The book follows Holly through her new life without Gerry. It describes in great detail how she copes with life without him. Every month you find Holly praying for the next, just so she can open another envelope from Gerry, as this is all she has left of him. Every month without fail Gerry has a new ‘mission’ for Holly which she feels she must complete in order to feel closer to her ever fading memory of him. As time moves on, Holly begins to get her life back onto track, with the help of her very close family and two best friends (Sharon and Denise), and of course Gerry’s list.

We watch as Holly’s friend’s lives change as they grow older. Sharon (one of her best friends) becomes pregnant, and although Holly at first finds it hard to deal with the fact that it could be her and Gerry expecting a baby, Holly learns to be happy for her friends, and realised as one life is ended another is just beginning. Sharon decides to call her baby Gerry in memory of Holly’s late husband, which I thought was quite a nice touch. Denise is another of Holly’s circle of friend’s. Denise is a well known man-eater type but finds herself settling down with a DJ from a Dublin radio station. Holly is happy for her friend’s new found love, and Denise asks Holly to be her maid of honour at their Christmas wedding.

Holly even makes new friend’s, meeting a man called Daniel at a bar called Hogan’s, who joins the close circle of Holly’s friends. She also starts a new job at the wishes of Gerry, and makes new friends. It seems that Holly manages to turn this horrific situation around for the best. The book is truly one of the best I have ever read and makes you realise how life really can turn around at the drop of a hat, so you must cherish every moment you have. I thought the book was very well written, and was easily read. I would defiantly read this again, and I would defiantly recommend it to anyone who wants a nice easy summer read.

The only disadvantage I would say there is about this book is that it ends, and you want it to carry on. There should definaly be another follow up so that we can find out how their lives carry on. However, I did hear that they may make a film, which is definatly good news, I for one would go and watch it.

Thankyou for reading :o) x