Customer Reviews

A Place Called Here

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

There's No Place Like Here - and Here's exactly where Sandy Shortt finds herself when she takes a side path while jogging. Sandy's an interesting individual - obsessive about finding lost things, whether they be socks, toys, pens, or people. She has turned her obsession into a career, running an agency for finding missing persons. And find some of them she does, in some most unusual ways and places. This novel is strongly reminiscent, of course, of The Wizard of Oz, but also of a newer book, The Five People You Meet in Heaven. A blend of reality and, well, unreality (not exactly fantasy), it's a modern, intriguing treatment of the timeless themes of loss, love, guilt, recovery, and fidelity. Fresh and thought provoking, and IMO, not chick lit.

I got "P.S. I Love You" and "Where The Rainbows End" for Christmas, and they were really good books, and I really enjoyed them. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into "If You Could See Me Now", and am disappointed that it's going to be made into a film. "P.S. I Love You" is currently filmed, but it won't be out until late 2007, or early 2008, so that's not good.

Despite the disappointment of "If You Could See Me Now", as soon as "A Place Called Here" came out, I grabbed it. And it was really, really good. It's about a girl called Sandy, who starts a missing persons agency, after the mysterious disappearance of her childhood enemy, Jenna May. She also is obsessive compulsive, and labels all her items incase they go missing. Much of her stuff does go missing, and she does tear the house apart trying to find them. So she turns it into a job. She hunts down many missing people - that is, until she goes missing herself.

She finds herself in a place called "Here", and promptly finds that people live her. People that she knows, people that have been there for years since they disappeared from the 'real' world. Many of them have moved on, got married, had kids, but still long to find their way back to their old lives. When Sandy finds herself here, with no way out, she immediately becomes the missing. And she also finds all her stuff that she thought was missing.

But then the twist appears - her stuff starts to go missing. Her watch, which she wears even though it is broken, because it has sentimental value, her diary. What's happening? Everyone around her is confused, cos surely in a place full of missing items and people, something cannot go missing.

The book is very fast paced, the chapters are short, and with every new chapter, something surprising is revealed. The ending is quite abrupt, and I don't think I quite wanted it to end, but end it did. It's not a patch on her first two books, but I still did enjoy it and would definitely read it again.

"A Place Called Here" was difficult to get into at first. I found the main character, Sandy, hard to identify with, and the story line a bit too abstract to latch on to. But after a few chapters, the story turned into one of delight and wonder, with a dash of romance, and more than a bit of mystery. I even began to like Sandy. I felt that while this was certainly not Ahern's best novel, it was still very unique and enjoyable, and one that I will pass on to friends.

Please excuse the following tangent: While "A Place Called Here" is slightly more rooted in reality than her previous novel, "If You Could See Me Now", it is still not as realistic as her previous novels were, nor as realistic as I think her readers have been asking her for, based on a lot of feedback that I've read. My theory is that Ahern has gone this "mystical" route to try and differentiate herself from the other successful Irish chick-lit authors out there, but I truly don't think she needs to - her talent and charm can skillfully pull off a novel that would, in other hands, be blasé. However, if this is truly the type of writing she'd prefer to do, then kudos to her, and I'm a little saddened that she has lost readers by switching her style & following her heart. She's a young writer, still growing into the business, so giver her a little bit of a break :).

EDIT 1/15/07: Obviously, since I wrote this review, they have now come out with the US title for this book, "There's No Place Like Here". I personally think that's a much better title, considering the "Wizard of Oz" theme in the novel!

Grade: B+

I love Ahern's books and was so eager for this one but let me tell you - it's a doozy. I couldn't even finish it. I tried! The plot about being missing without anyone missing you and being somewhere where all the missing people hang out - well, see, what I mean? Come on, Cecelia - write another winner like PS, I LOVE YOU. I'll be waiting.

This is the third book I have read by Cecilia Ahern and I am in awe that such depth, creativity, and mature insight can come from someone so young. It appears to me that several of the previous reviewers have missed much of the point of this book.

This book was not just a fantasy about a magical land where lost things and people reside. It is about the very deep and complex emotions of grief, love and guilt. It is about choosing either to survive or fade away in despair. It is about following your heart when the rest of the world says you're wrong, a fool, or just plain crazy. It is about murder, betrayal and healing.

Just like in P.S. I Love You, this book deals with the grief of losing a loved one but it goes deeper. It's not just the loss that causes the characters to suffer, it's the not-knowing what happened or where they are. Previous reviewers seem to have missed the whole story lines about Donal, Bobby, and Jenny-May and the effects their disappearances had on their loved ones. The never-ending grief of those who could not move on with their lives without knowing if their loved ones were dead or alive; of being afraid to move from a house, take a vacation, or even turn off a porch light for fear they would miss their return. It was about the feelings of isolation and abandonment those grieving people feel when they see the rest of their families picking up the pieces, giving up the search, and going on with their lives while they are left to suffer alone. It was about how such tragic events can sometimes bring a family closer together and other times totally rip it apart, no matter how loving and supportive everyone tries to be.

That someone as young as Ahern could recognize, analyze and describe those deep dark emotions and make them come alive in an uplifting story is amazing to me. Ahern made it work in P.S. I Love You and she made it work here.

For the emotion of love, Ahern shows how suffering through such a tragedy can destroy even the most stable and loving relationship. In regard to Jack's personal life, he loves Gloria, doesn't he? They've dreamed of a house and children. Gloria's been supportive and understanding through it all, made no demands, never questioned his actions, never rushed him. Why doesn't Jack feel anything toward her anymore? Is he trying to drive her away? Jack doesn't know himself . . . but apparently Ahern does, and again, for someone so young, I find that amazing.

The story also shows the adverse effects a hostile environment and the emotion of guilt can have on a developing child because, after all, this is the life story of Sandy Shortt.

Sandy had psychological problems (obsessive/compulsive and insomnia) and had been seeing a counselor from the time she was 14 years old. Her problems started when she was 10 years old and her classmate, Jenny-May Butler (who did everything she could to make Sandy's life miserable) disappeared just a few hours after Sandy had wished for just that very thing. After Jenny-May's disappearance, Sandy began questioning everything, no matter how minor and would repeatedly tear her parents' house apart looking for missing things as insignificant as one sock or a roll of Scotch tape.

I find it interesting that some reviewers say the premise of a place where missing people and things reside is too far-fetched or ridiculous and then say they were disappointed in the ending because they expected Sandy to bring everyone back. Just how far-fetched would that have been?

Another reviewer comments that "being missing without anyone missing you" is "just plain weird" as she states in her title line. I guess that reader never heard the story about the boy who cried wolf because that is exactly what Sandy Shortt was. As stated before, Sandy was in therapy since childhood. As an adult, she had very serious commitment issues, so bad that she always left her purse or luggage by the door anywhere she was visiting so she could make a quick get-away. Every time she began to feel trapped in a place or in a relationship she would take off, often being gone for several days. That's why those who were closest to her didn't sound any alarms. They missed her but just expected her to return.

Also, I disagree with the reviewers who say the ending was too abrupt. The clues were to be found in the land of Here if those reviewers had read carefully rather than just skimming through as they admitted. Sandy was not the first person to arrive at Here and then disappear again later . . . alone. The governing body gives conflicting stories to explain those disappearances and it is demonstrated that they are willing to lie to cover up any evidence that might lead to false hope or hysteria by those people who feel trapped in Here.

I loved a particular passage in the book where Sandy was questioning the existence of this amazing society she had stumbled upon. It was the question they say all people and all religions attempt to answer. Why are we here? In the book, Sandy asks:

"Was it an accident that we were all here? Did we stumble upon a blip in the earth's creation, a black hole on the surface, or was this just a part of life that remained unspoken throughout the centuries? Were we lost and unaccounted for, or was this where we truly belonged and our normal lives the original error? Was this a place for those who felt like outsiders in life to belong, to finally feel relief?"

To me, for a young person Ahern's age to ask those questions, that is pretty deep.

And finally . . . the book was also about murder and betrayal. All previous reviewers seemed to miss that point!

When Sandy Shortt, a finder of lost persons and obsessed with lost items, goes missing herself, the reader doesn't know if one is reading a fantasy book or a dream of the lost Sandy. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I felt like I happened upon a jewel. The weaving of the psychology of people who are consumed with anything that is lost and the stories of people who are lost and want to be found but make a good life for themselves in the land of the lost is fascinating. The moral that real relationships are more valuable than keeping all in order rings true. Many characters are well developed and come alive during the telling of the story. Highly recommended.

Pretty different, never read one like this before. I really like how the author ties everything together along the way so you don't get bored. I have read everything she has written and I appreciate that she never writes the same theme over and over as many authors do. I always look forward to her books coming out because I know I am in for a treat. I really recommend all of her books to my friends and they are hooked as well.

I think this book was very unique. It wasn't typical chick lit. I felt like it was a cross between Alice in Wonderland and the Wizard of Oz. I thought it was very cute and alot lighter than PS I love You. I highly recommend this book.

I loved Ahern's previous 3 titles...the third one took some time to get into but I liked it. This novel had an interesting idea so I bought it but its taken me a long time to get into. And the book is a bit too far fetched for real life. Chick lit should be a little more realistic. The book wasnt awful but it wasnt great either. Hopefully her next novel will be a bit more realistic and easier to relate to!

Sandy Shortt's life was immeasurably altered when a young girl from her town went missing when they were both ten. Ever since she has been a seeker of lost things, socks, teddy bears, and as she becomes an adult....lost people. She seeks to set the world right, to return lost people and things to their rightful place. On her way to meet Jack Ruttle, to consult about his missing brother Donal, Sandy stops to jog and finds herself in a place she never knew existed...and now she is among the missing. As Sandy tries to find a way back to her old life she is able to find pieces of the puzzle, and piece her life back together. A fanciful mix of mystery and fantasy, a delightful read.