The Gift - Cecelia Ahern

Title: The Gift
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Pages: 305
Published: 2009 (first published 2008)
Challenges: 2012 Support Your Library
Genre: Christmas fiction
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library
Rating: 3/5


Description: Lou Suffern is practised in the art of concealment. He is, also, always overstretched, trying to do too many things at once. His overburdened schedule gives him few moments of peace, even in his sleep. And when he spends time at home with his wife and family, he is always distracted, and, mentally, somewhere else. 

On a cold winter morning, Lou is on his way to work when he encounters Gabe, a homeless street dweller, sitting outside an office building. Lou is intrigued by him, and contrives to get him a job in the post room. But this act of charity rebounds on him, and Gabe’s presence begins to grate on Lou -- particularly when he discovers that the latter seems capable of being in two places at the same time. Christmas is drawing near, and before the season is over, Lou’s life will be irrevocably change by the casual act of kindness he has performed. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: It was cute and for the most part the story went over my head and wasn't really engaged with it.  Felt it was a little mundane and by the point I finished it this evening, I just wanted to finish the book.  It wasn't badly written, its just it was something that wasn't really that memorable nor was I that engaged with the book.   The story seemed to be ho-hum through out the book and I suppose it didn't help that it took me about 2 months to complete the book.  Maybe if I had just sat down one afternoon during Christmas, this would have been done sooner.

Bottom line:  This book is meant to be read quickly and not over the course of two months.    Its also clearly a book that isn't hard-hitting, but has a decent storyline and if you want a decent Christmas story that ends a little differently than you expect, this would be a story for you.  A decent read, but nothing to write home about.

Pages read for 2012: 3592