Rosie Dunne: A NOVEL [Abridged][Audiobook] (Audio CD)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Cecelia Ahearn's Rosie Dunne is the amusing story of Alex and Rosie, best friends who grow up together in Ireland and stay close throughout cross-continental moves, marriages, parenthood, family dramas. and professional triumphs. Friends for close to 50 years, the potential for romance between the pair is always under the surface, yet never seems to find the right time or place to become a reality.

Twenty-three year old Ahern, whose debut novel, PS, I Love You, was a modest hit with critics and readers alike, does not deviate much from the witty yet sentimental style she seems to naturally posses. Rosie Dunne is written through a series of notes, letters, IMs, e-mails, and text messages between the two protagonists and their various friends and family members. While this style is engaging at first, readers may eventually long for more substantial dialogue and fewer choppy exchanges. In fact, about halfway into the story, some may even feel the urge to skip ahead to what is almost an inevitable conclusion. However, the addition of entertaining secondary characters (such as Rosie's best friend Ruby and her overweight, yet oddly talented, salsa-dancing son) help keep the momentum going through one-to-many near misses between Rosie and Alex.

Overall, Rosie Dunne is a touching look at what happens when "the one" always seems to be just a tad bit out of reach. Still, one can't help wondering if this novel may have been better suited to a short but sweet episode of a half-hour sitcom. --Gisele Toueg --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Ahern (PS, I Love You) uses letters, notes, e-mails and instant messages to narrate her poignant second novel about thwarted love and missed opportunities. Plucky Rosie Dunne is infatuated with her best friend since childhood, Alex Stewart, but Alex has always been oblivious. After he moves from Ireland to the U.S. with his family, the two keep in touch, planning to reunite—first at Rosie's prom and, later, at college. But Rosie has the kind of bad luck you see in the movies: Alex's plane is delayed, and so Rosie attends the prom with "Brian the Whine," who promptly knocks her up. Rosie decides to have the baby, thereby missing her opportunity to study hotel management at Boston College and hang out with Harvard-bound Alex. At this point—which isn't very far in—the novel begins to suffer from an overfull mailbox. It seems that everyone in Rosie's life sends her (and each other) missives, and this flood of mail weighs the novel down as the years pass. Rosie Dunne is a worthy protagonist, complex enough to be compelling and ordinary enough to be believable. But Rosie and Alex's early, futile get-together attempts are summarized too quickly to be satisfying, and the letters between Rosie's now adolescent daughter, Katie, and her best friend, a boy named Toby, are too obviously reminiscent of Rosie's childhood correspondence with Alex. Implausibility rears its head again when characters sum up their lives in overly serious, long-winded paragraphs foreign to the chatty, impromptu format of e-mail. But the novel endears despite its flaws, thanks to Rosie and our endless appetite for stories of love finally requited. (Feb. 9)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Hyperion; Abridged edition (February 9, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401382258
• ISBN-13: 978-1401382254
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (103 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,996,394 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Best,--Should be 10 Stars!, March 15, 2005

By	Alphia D. Larkins "mimi3plus3" (Acworth, Georgia United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Rosie Dunne (Hardcover)

Oh my, I cannot say enough good things about this book! I just finished reading it and though I was so anxious to see how it ended, I am so sorry now that I can no longer peep into the lives of these down-to-earth but fascinating people, nor receive e-mails and IM's from them! For you get so caught up in their story and their lives, you are there! Alex and Rosie and their friends and relatives and the events that shape their lives are the same as yours and mine, some good and loyal and some not so good nor loyal. I don't agree with any of the negative reviews left by a few other reviewers of this book, and I don't agree with a few that went into details about the story. You should be able to read this book unbiased by other's telling you what will happen to Rosie and Alex. Try to skim over the details of the story in the reviews that tells the whole story. Who wants to read a book if they already know everything about it, all that happens to the characters? That is so unfair of anyone to write a review and do that. I am only going to say that Rosie and Alex's friendship that begins in childhood, and is so intense that it endures way past their teenage years, is the crux of this story. It (and they) suffer through many trials and tribulations and is strained through different and adverse events in the lives of both. Some things are very funny and you will laugh and other things are terribly sad and you will cry, but that is what life is really like for all of us, some good, some bad and some sadness to balance the good times. No one really has a "Pollyanna" life nor would want to and it would make a boring book if it was. This book definitely isn't boring. It keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering if the friendship will ever go beyond "mere friendship." They are sort of like star-crossed lovers, except they aren't really lovers, only very good friends. And it isn't all about just Rosie and Alex, their families and friends contribute drama and comedic moments to the story also.

I can only say that it is a wonderful, warm story and an enjoyable read and I hope that Cecilia Ahern writes another book with these same characters, for Rosie and Alex's story is not complete yet, and Katie and Toby are waiting in the wings! Cecilia Ahern, take note. This review by Alphia D. Larkins, Acworth, Georgia

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!!, March 8, 2006

By	Tonya Speelman "Hoarder of books" (Goldendale WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rosie Dunne (Hardcover)

I gave this book as many stars as Amazon would let! I wish I could give more. This book just grabbed me and wouldn't let go!

It is about a girl and boy starting out as friends when they are 5. The book is all about people exchanging emails and letters and the like. It goes from them growing up, different relationships, but all along they secretly love each other. The characters are witty and real. I love when they instant message. Our herione has a female friend, Ruby who is to die for. Hilarious!

I will be getting other books by this author! Just outstanding!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Witty and touching., January 30, 2005

By	"Brit Lit Chick" (Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rosie Dunne (Hardcover)

I loved this book as much as I loved Ahern's first novel. Although it took a few pages to get into the story (I was expecting more about Rosie and Alex's childhood) it didn't take long before I was hooked. The entire story is told through emails, instant messages, letters, and text messages which sometimes could get a little tedious but it didn't detract from the story that much. Although the inevitable ending is predictable, the means that Rosie and Alex employ to reach their end constantly provided surprises. Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable, light read.