If You Could See Me Now (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Cecelia Ahern, New York, Elizabeth Egan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her third novel, Ahern (P.S., I Love You and Love, Rosie) employs an imaginary best friend to breathe distinctiveness into an otherwise stereotypical Irish tale. Living in her own house in a small, posh Irish town, 35-year-old Elizabeth Egan is an uptight interior designer and adoptive mother to her six-year-old nephew, Luke, whose mother, Elizabeth's 23-year-old sister, Saoirse, prefers boozing to parenting. Saoirse's behavior reminds Elizabeth of a painful past—the alcoholic mother who abandoned the family, leaving Elizabeth to care for her baby sister and forgo her own childhood, and the emotionally distant, controlling father still waiting for his wife's return. Unlike the other women in her family, Elizabeth adheres to a fastidiously well-ordered existence—no mess, no complications, no love. But all that changes with the arrival of Ivan, a goofy and spontaneous man intent on infusing much-needed fun and tenderness into Elizabeth's frigid persona. The catch is no one can see this ageless man from the land of "Ekam Eveileb" save Elizabeth and her nephew. Through Ivan, Elizabeth becomes the woman she's always been too afraid to be. He helps her reclaim the childhood she never had and, most importantly, to forgive those who have let her down. Ahern tempers heartbreak with hope and playfulness in this uplifting, sentimental tale. (Jan.)
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From Booklist

Ahern's charming third novel takes an imaginative twist, literally, as one of the main characters in her novel is an invisible friend, Ivan. Ivan befriends six-year-old Luke Egan, who is being raised by his aunt Elizabeth. Luke's mother, Saoirse, is 12 years Elizabeth's junior and very much like their flighty mother, who ran off and left Elizabeth and Saoirse with their cold father. Serious, grounded Elizabeth all but raised her sister, and now she's doing the same with her nephew. Elizabeth is distressed when Luke starts talking to his invisible friend Ivan, but it is Ivan who is truly puzzled when it seems as though Elizabeth can sense his presence. And then Elizabeth actually sees him, although she believes he's the father of Luke's friend, Sam. Ivan decides to get to know her, but things become complicated when Elizabeth and Ivan begin to fall in love. An imaginative twist on romantic comedy, Ahern's novel should have appeal among readers looking to move beyond the usual fare. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (December 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401301878
• ISBN-13: 978-1401301873
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #655,298 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Make Believe., January 3, 2006

By	Little D (California) - See all my reviews

I've never read any of Cecelia Ahern's other books but thought I'd give her latest release a try. I'm glad I did. It was a truly phenomenal book. This is so different compared to the chick lit books I always read. It's magical, sad, happy, and heart warming all in one great story about a woman, her nephew, and a not so imaginary man named Ivan.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to Ahern's fans or any book lover.
I know now I'll have to keep on read her other books. She has found a new fan of her writing :) .

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gets better as it goes along, January 16, 2006

By	Bearette24 (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This novel had a slow start. It's about Elizabeth Egan, who at first seems so rigid, inflexible and closed off to life that it's hard to stay interested in her.

But as the story unfolds, Elizabeth meets her nephew's imaginary friend, Ivan, and is forced to confront the question: What if imaginary friends are real? And what if no other adults can see them?

Ivan is part of an organization called "What If" that generally helps children in need of friends. But every once in a while, adults can see the imaginary friends, too. In this book, the friends are not imaginary, just invisible to most adults.

The book reminded me a bit of Roman Holiday, with its sense of a fun-filled, playful life away from the daily grind, and the inevitable ending.

Although this book took a while to draw me in, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Cecilia Ahern's previous novels. At first, also, it struck me as more of a children's story, but as we learn more and more about Elizabeth's past, the story becomes more three-dimensional and interesting. Overall, this is a fairy tale with some adult sadness.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book!!!!, March 2, 2006

By	a reviewer in Seattle (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: If You Could See Me Now (Audio CD)

Initially, I listened to the audio version of this book and it was a fabulous audio read. The accents were wonderful! I fell in love with all of the characters, esp Ivan! Regardless of a few negative reviews... I think you may have missed the point of the book... you have to have a light heart once in a while! I enjoyed the audio so much, but when I realized it was abridged, I bought the book and read the entire version and loved it even more! It gave me greater insight into the characters and the story... I had missed so much in the abridged version.
I have read all of Cecelia Ahern's books, and this is no let down to me. I can't wait for her next book! I give this 5 starz! Such a refreshing and tender read!
JMHO //(*_*)\\