One Hundred Names

One Hundred Names

by Cecelia Ahern

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published on: October 11th 2012 by

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 

ISBN: 9780007350483

Blurb: Journalist Kitty Logan's career is being destroyed by scandal - and now she faces losing the woman who guided and taught her everything she knew. At her terminally ill friend's bedside, Kitty asks - what is the one story she always wanted to write? The answer lies in a file buried in Constance's office: a list of one hundred names. There is no synopsis, nothing to explain what the story is or who these people are. The list is simply a mystery. But before Kitty can talk to her friend, it is too late. With everything to prove, Kitty is assigned the most important task of her life: to write the story her mentor never had the opportunity to. Kitty not only has to track down and meet the people on the list, but find out what connects them. And, in the process of hearing ordinary people's stories, she starts to understand her own.

When I read Cecelia Ahern’s PS: I Love You, I was captivated. I still count that book as one of the best ones I have read. It had a wonderful story, many interesting and lively characters, wonderful monologues, and what not. I knew that Ahern was going to be one of my favourite writers.

Her epistolary novel, Love Rosie, also mesmerized me equally superbly.

With her latest release- One Hundred Names in my hand, I was super excited to explore the new story that Cecelia Ahern had to tell us. Coincidentally, this story too is about stories, as Ahern tells us that every person has their own story to tell.

Katherine Logan has been sued by a respectable man, Colin McGuire for the documentary she made on her TV show, Thirty Minutes, about him being a pervert and a pedophile. After having lost her job as one of the trendy TV hosts, she is back to her old friend Constance- the editor of Etcetera. Constance is fighting a battle between life and death at the hospital, sick with cancer. But before dying, Constance tells Kitty that she would take her back at Etcetera, and that she has always wanted to write a story. To know more about it Kitty would have to bring her the list that Constance has written and kept at her home. Before Kitty can get Constance the list, Constance leaves for her heavenly abode. Kitty is left with a list of one hundred names, and nothing else. She has a great challenge to understand what the story that Constance always wanted to write was.

You’d have seen in the image that the cover of the book is extremely attractive. But trust me, once you hold it in hand, I bet you’d say that you’ve never seen a cover as beautiful as that one. And by You I mean the guys and the girls alike. If I say that I’ve lost my heart to the cover, it will be an understatement.

The book has a lousy start to it. Too many facts are given to the reader in very less time. And hospitals are not my favorite places to read about.

The best thing about the book is that you have several plots in between. The different names of the list, although only a few of them are touched, give you insights into their own life. All of them have a specific magic to them.

Kitty must have been a very challenging character to like about. You feel so many things about her at the same time. One moment you are sympathizing with her and just the next moment you say that she deserved all the misery she went through. One moment you feel like hugging the poor girl, the next moment you want to call her a bitch. Kitty Logan has been one of the best characters I have come across.

Apart from Kitty, all the characters are wonderful. Although he was our protagonist’s love, I didn’t like Steve much.

The story is fantastic, really thought provoking and emotional. It keeps you even more gripped with every next page you turn to.

Ahern has been one of the cleverest and most talented writers I have come across, and she gives you yet another beautiful tale of love, striving and winning.

Trust me, you are not going to regret once you read it. I recommend it to every lover of Ahern and romance out there.