The Year I Met You

Title: The Year I Met You

Author: Cecelia Ahern

HarperCollinsPublishers 

Paperback Edition 2015

432 pages

Jakarta lately seems getting hotter, dustier, crowded and more stressful. In this condition I guess I need a simple and enjoyable book to read. Tell you what, this Cecelia Ahern's story is just the right one. It turns out that a great author can develop a simple story (without too many tragedies and twisted) into an awesome one.  Readers just go with the flow, enjoy every ordinary thing and feel happy at the ending. 

The main character here, Jasmine, is a young and successful businesswoman. She only cares about her work. When she's suddenly fired and forced to take a one-year gardening leave --meaning she's still on the payroll but not allowed to work elsewhere-- she's at a lost. The gardening leave is a term used in a company, no it's definitely not dealing with gardening issue but it's about the company effort to stop their employees working in the rival company. 

Having a one-year off is a total disaster for Jasmine. She starts to question everything in her life including her neighborhood. Out of the blue she notices the people around her and the lives they live.  

This life changing is actually a self discovery for Jasmine. She is used to be a cold, lonely and stubborn woman but now she declares herself as a new Jasmine that is more human. Particularly when she really deal with the gardening things. The update of her garden story is engaging. She starts to see the world around her and admires the beauty of everything. 

This is the 2nd book of Cecelia Ahern after One Hundred Names that I finished. I just love her writing. She has a unique writing style with the warm characters, the perfect plot and simplicity of her stories. Perfect companion for your weekend. Read it with some cookies and hot tea, You will find  peace.