One Hundred Names

Cecelia Ahern writes people who act like b*****s and a**holes and makes you like them. Somehow, she manages to show their humanity and the insecurities that led to the mistakes they made. She describes their vulnerabilities and their struggle to change and then leaves you with a few questions unanswered so the ending can be whatever you imagine it to be.

For me, her works are the discovery of the year. Here's to trying books from authors you haven't read before :)

Things are not going well for Kitty Logan. The story that was supposed to make her career has turned into a scandal and her beloved mentor is dying. When her friend passes away, she leaves Kitty with a mission: to write the story she always wanted to write. Unfortunately, all Kitty has to go on is a list of one hundred names. She’s on a tight deadline and isn’t sure she’ll even be able to find the right people, much less meet all of them and find out what connects them. Solving this puzzle for her mentor is a challenge, but one which might just help Kitty solve some problems of her own.

Before reading One Hundred Names, I already knew I loved Cecelia Ahern, having had wonderful experiences with both The Book of Tomorrow and The show more Time of My Life. This book lived up to all the expectations those books had created. What gets me started reading each book by Ahern is the fascinating premise. It’s hard not to get excited about a book with a great hook! Although in this case the big reveal hinted at by the description was a bit predictable, I didn’t feel like that took away from the novelty and beauty of the idea. It was a great way to start a fun, madcap adventure I was swept away by. More importantly, it introduced the reason I keep reading each book by Ahern – the brilliant characters.

In each book I’ve read, the main character grows as a person. This is something I really enjoy in a book. In fact, I think this is the reason a slightly predictable plot can be completely wonderful. Although I can relax, knowing the Ahern is going to leave me with warm fuzzy feelings, the main character still has to work for it. I also fell in love with the many secondary characters, learning just enough about their inner workings to be invested in their stories too. Aside from the starting point of each of Ahern’s books, much of what is portrayed within is simply ordinary life. This could be boring, but Ahern uses her exciting premises and touching writing to highlight the beauty and wonder that lurk in ordinary events. Her books could also easily be too predictable, too cliched, too orchestrated. However, the unique premise of each book saves them from cliche and the character growth allows the predictability to turn her books into comfort reads, without taking away from the plot. All of this makes Ahern’s books some of my favorite examples of a happy story done right.

This review first published on Doing Dewey. show less

The truly special element of One Hundred Names is not the story or the characters but its message. It is a simple message but oh-so powerful. In fact, its power lies directly alongside its simplicity, as it also serves as a proverbial slap in the face because of its humbleness. It is the type of message that is so obvious that we forget about it in the general hustle and bustle of everyday life, but Kitty’s discovery is the necessary reminder.

That is not to say the story itself or the characters are not enjoyable. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Kitty is not only dealing with the scandal of her life but also with the loss of her friend and mentor. While her metamorphosis is impressive to watch, it is the people on her list that show more add spice to the story. Similarly, the story gets its punch from Kitty’s detective work into this last story. Figuring out the connections between all one hundred and attempting to write this last article in honor of her friend’s death captures a reader’s interest. Some readers may figure out the connections early on but doing so ruins the surprise and its impact.

Ms. Ahern always writes well, focusing on her characters rather than using elaborate figurative language to paint the setting. She keeps her stories basic to let the characters shine. One Hundred Names is no different except for the added bonus that there are 100 characters to make things even more exciting for Kitty.

One Hundred Names is the type of story that deceives with its simple plot and eclectic cast. One does not expect the lasting impression and stunning message it contains. Kitty’s journey from scandal to redemption is fun and heartfelt, but it is her self-discoveries and her understanding of her mentor’s final lessons that move this beautiful novel from good to outstanding. show less

When Katie Couric anchored The CBS Evening News, one of my favorite segments was Steve Hartman's Everybody Has A Story. He would shoot a dart at a map of the United States, and wherever that dart landed, he would get a telephone book from that city and randomly choose a name. He would call that person and then ask to interview them.

Each person he interviewed was astonished that someone who want to do a story about them, but inevitably there would be a fascinating something about them. Irish author Cecelia Ahern's newest novel, One Hundred Names, has an intriguing spin on that same thing- that everyone has an interesting story.

Kitty Logan is a TV journalist whose last story was about a teacher accused of sexual misconduct. It is show more discovered that Kitty had been the unwitting collaborator of two high school girls who had a vendetta against the teacher. Kitty did not do her job properly, and ruined a man's entire career and life by broadcasting false accusations.

Her career in shambles, Kitty goes to visit her mentor Constance, the editor of a serious magazine where Kitty got her start. Constance is dying in a hospital and she convinces Kitty to finish a story she had been working on. She believes that Kitty is a good journalist if she just gets back to her roots.

After Constance dies, Kitty goes to Constance's home office and finds the file; it's just a list of one hundred names and nothing else. Kitty is devastated by Constance's death, but she wants to make Constance proud of her and so she sets out to find the connection among these names and what the story is.

Kitty manages to find six of the people on the list to interview, but none of them seem to have a connection to anyone else on the list. There is Archie, a lonely man whose daughter was murdered sixteen years ago. Archie killed the man he suspected of the crime and went to prison. Now he claims to hear other people's prayers.

She meets Ambrose, a woman who has a disfigured face and lives her life secluded from society next to a butterfly museum. Eva Wu is a woman who built a successful business as a personal gift shopper. She meets with a person, finds out whom the gift is for, and does extensive research to choose the perfect gift. There are the two immigrants who are trying to set a Guinness Book of World Records feat, and a young woman whose best friend 'fake proposes' to her in bars to get free drinks and good wishes from strangers.

The most interesting person on the list is a woman who lives in a nursing home. Birdie was a sickly child, and when she was a teen, she placed a bet with her hometown bookie that she would live to be 85 years old. The bookie took the bet, sure Birdie wouldn't live long.

Birdie is turning 85, and wants to collect her money. Somehow Kitty manages to collect all six of the people on the list, as well as assorted friends and family, for the trip to collect on Birdie's bet, hoping to discover what they all have in common and why they are on Constance's list.

Ahern takes what could have been a trite story and creates something beautiful. We don't like Kitty very much at first, she did a horrible thing to the teacher. But her project is sincere and whereas she initially takes it on to rebuilt her career, she eventually becomes the person Constance knew her to be.

The people on the list all have fascinating stories, and one thing this book will reinforce is that everyone truly has a unique, interesting story. After reading it, you won't look at people on the street in the same way, wondering what their interesting story is.

rating 4 of 5 show less

In the wake of a devastating professional mistake, Kitty Logan finds herself facing the harsh, vindictive public and struggles to cope with the consequences it has on her home, love life, and career. In attempts to salvage what is left of her reputation, she needs to pen a tribute story for Et Cetera magazine: the story her mentor, Constance, claimed she wanted Kitty to write.

The only lead Kitty has is a list of one hundred names she doesn't recognize, with no summary, synopsis, or anything to explain who the people are or what the story is about. The names are intriguing, but wildly unrelated to each other, and as the stresses of a two-week deadline mount, Kitty tries to connect the names, only to discover the futile connection is the show more least important aspect of all.

Fully illogical, deceiving, and fiercely interesting—just as Constance would have liked it—Kitty's uncertain story puts her in the paths of strangers she'd never take the chance to speak with otherwise. As her search for the perfect tribute continues, she learns a valuable lesson on the roots and heart of journalism, and meets the most diverse cast of everyday, unsung heroes along the way. It's not about uncovering secrets or lies or finding something earth-shattering that one hundred people are keeping from her; it's simply about listening to each of their truths because, as she discovers, everyone has a story.

I'm a huge fan of Cecelia Ahern (author of P.S. I Love You) and was delighted by One Hundred Names. It's fresh, quirky, and has a charming Irish undertone; this is the kind of book that will not only amuse you, but also stick with you for a long time to come. The plot is original—I expected nothing less!—and the weight of the loss, scrambling investigation, and finally, victorious redemption that Kitty goes through makes you think long and hard. At the same time, Ahern's style is breezy and hilarious, yet still tender—wholly inspirational. She'll make you reflect on the indications of the bravery and belief of everyday men and women in this hope-filled world, as well as sympathize with one desperate woman as she battles to find her own voice as an act of redemption—but ends of finding others' in the process.

To me, One Hundred Names is the ultimate rom com; it's a feel-good novel with refreshing, lovable secondary characters and satisfying, triumphant, fairy tale-like endings, but it puts the protagonist, Kitty, through hell before we get there. Oddly enough, Kitty was the one character I disliked. I felt bad for her often because of the pathetic situations she gets herself into, but she's quite annoying, and a huge ditz. I would not get along with, or remotely like, her in real life, and couldn't get myself to warm up to her in the book either.

Overall, One Hundred Names is a glorious chick lit novel—a must-read that recognizes the power of company, prayer, and hope, as well as sheds light on the complicated, glittering humanness of every single person, no matter how "normal" we label them to be.

Pros: Gorgeous, eclectic cast of unlikely characters // Entertainingly written // Meaningful // Quirkily Irish // Hard to put down—the story is full of literary action and drama // Amazing portrayal of how people are not what they seem on the surface

Cons: Didn't like Kitty

Verdict: Humans of New York meets Bridget Jones in this lively, but thoroughly moving Irish novel about the allure and wonder of not just the rich, famous, and world-renowned—but of the everyday individual. With Cecelia Ahern's signature warmth and humorous girly touch, One Hundred Names brings you a heart-warming, magical story that will immerse you completely; reading it was a complete transformative experience. I loved the adorable, entertaining style and the poignant wakeup call the book sends: that every single ordinary person has an extraordinary story.

Rating: 8 out of 10 hearts (4 stars): An engaging read that will be worth your while; highly recommended.

Source: Complimentary copy provided by tour publicist via publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, TLC and Harper Collins!). show less

This is a beautiful story, though it has a lot of ugly along the way. Kitty is a disgraced reporter, having made a huge error on a story that is threatening to cost her her career and most of the few friendships she has left. In the midst of this personal crisis, her editor and mentor dies from cancer and Kitty is left with a list of one hundred names as her chance to memorialize her friend and redeem her own name as a reporter. The problem is, no one knows how the names are related.

The journey the book takes has its moments of predictability, but there were also some wonderful surprises. The characters take on flesh and feeling. There is growth and redemption and not always for whom you think. Tending toward a more female audience, show more this book is one I would recommend to anyone looking for a heartwarming story that doesn't take long to read. show less

This light and predictable story is not without merit.

Kitty Logan, 32, is a Dublin area journalist who produced a televised report falsely accusing a teacher of sexual misconduct. The teacher’s life was ruined, but Kitty is only wallowing in her own misery about the hit her career has taken.

When Kitty’s old mentor Constance dies, Kitty begs to write a piece for Constance’s magazine in her memory that would finish a story Constance was intending to write (and help revive Kitty’s own career). Unfortunately, the only notes on the story consist of a list of one hundred names. Kitty has only a short time in which to find out who these people are, why they are related to one another, and to write a compelling story about it.

By the end show more of the book, she has only managed to contact six of the people on the list, but she learned what Constance was trying to say, and it changes her life.

Evaluation: This is an ultimately sweet story with a good message - what one might call a “beach book.” show less