Irish author Cecelia Ahern’s Into The Storm (2024) is a tale of a doctor’s stopping to provide first aid, and the impact such a moment has on her life. One stormy night, Dr Enya Cruagh is driving in a heavy downpour, when she is flagged down to assist a young man injured on the roadside. This one action sets off a chain of events, with Enya separating from her husband and moving to a small village as its medical practitioner. Intially, she upsets the locals when she begins to cut down a rag tree, a culturally significant landmark. Whilst beginning as a gentle crime mystery, the narrative had a clunky feel, with a compositry of story elements that never quite jelled, making it a somewhat listless read, with a three star rating. With thanks to Harper Collins and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.

This is a book that grabbed my attention from the start and kept me on edge throughout. There is so much going on in the book and story, a lot of drama, emotion, tension and of course family dynamics. There are twists and turns and the characters are all have there own personalities which come through on the pages of this book.

Intriguing, interesting and a book you can't stop reading. A great read.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

My rating:

Plot: 3 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Character development: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

General Fiction



Review:

This is the story of Enya Pickering, doctor, wife and mother whose live starts to spirals out of control after she saves an injured person’s life after a hit and run on a stormy night. When her relationship with her son and husband is on the verge of falling apart she decides to move to a small Irish town to get away from it all in order to try and find herself again.

The main character Enya is very complex, deeply damaged by the unprocessed grief of her mother’s death when she was a young girl. The book deals with subjects such as mental health, ageing, life’s changes and grief. Her actions were described in great detail this made her very realist albeit sometimes a bit annoying. The plot flows well but because of the subject of mental health it feels a bit heavy and gloomy at times. The end of book felt a little rushed and I would have liked it more if Enya’s process of healing was described with a bit more detail.

Overall:

This is a well written book, with an interesting plot and realistic characters.

I love Cecelia Ahern's writing style so as soon as I say she had a new book I was thrilled!
And this sure doesn't disappoint.

I was hooked from the start, right there with Enya in the storm, tending an injured boy in the middle of the road.
Then her move to Abbeydooley to try and sort herself out with all the wonderful characters she meets.

The twists and turns of this story certainly keep you guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for this book. It was a very easy read but at times the story got lost on things that didn’t overly impact on the storyline. The main character Dr Enya was frustrating at times and confusing at times, but then there were times you really felt for her. The story focuses on her and the aftermath of driving home on a wet and miserable night and coming across a teenage boy who was hit by a car and left to die. At times I really enjoyed the book, but other times it confused me.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for my Advance Reader Copy of 'Into The Storm', by Cecelia Ahern. 

Dr Enya Pickering is a GP in Ireland, second on the scene of a serious accident. Rocked by the event and consumed with the grief of losing her mother as a young girl, which has become the backdrop of her entire existence, she leaves her unhappy marriage and her teenage son, Finn, and moves to a rural town several hours away called Abbeydooley. Here, she is viewed as the respected town saviour but her life is crumbling down around her.

The story is told in parts - each one a different observance in the pagan calendar: Beginning with Winter Solstice and wrapping up with Samhain. Throughout, related passages penned by her mother offer words of wisdom. There is a lot of metaphor, which I always love, and I learned a thing or two about old Celtic practices, such as rag trees. 

The book is easy reading, as per the author's style. At times I found myself questioning whether I cared enough about Enya, and also questioned her IQ after making some very questionable choices. I thought she was quite selfish at times. Quite naive. Quite regressed in her trauma responses. But in the end I realised I was invested in her, and her flaws just added to her humanity. Along the way we meet a cast of problematic men and loyal women and develop a soft spot for Enya's snarky property manager Margaret. 

There are twists in this tale that are so cleverly handled I genuinely didn't see them coming. At times it seemed to be dragging a little and the ending, while giving the sought after closure, could possibly have made more sense as an epilogue, because 'Samhain' only clearly pertains to the first chapter in that part, while the remaining chapters are moving through time. 

Over-all 'Into the Storm' is another great read from the novel-producing machine that is Cecelia Ahern.

Thankyou to NetGalley + HarperCollins Australia. For the ARC!!!!
Sooooo, mixed thoughts on this one. It was really boring to start off with and I only bumped up to 3 stars towards the end.
I think this was a case of good book, wrong reader.
It had a good story but I just felt like it took a long time to go nowhere 🤷‍♀️
All in all, it wasn’t terrible, it just wasn’t for me. This book would suit a reader who loves to jump deep down into the turmoil and emotions this book gives you.

In one night, in a wild storm, everything changes for GP Enya. Driving in the (driving) rain she comes across a young boy who has been hit by a car, and saves him.

Her marriage, already rickety, falls apart and she leaves the city to work in a country GP practice. There she deals with her new life, new neighbours and new expectations. And we gradually learn what happened on the stormy night.

I liked reading this book, though I found it somewhat stressful (I probably was meant to - after all, she is not having a great time in her mind). The ending was surprising, and satisfying.

I struggled with this book, I found the story to be a little lacking. It was just something that I found I could not get into.

Cecelia Ahern’s Into the Storm is a raw and emotional exploration of trauma, resilience, and the transformative power of nature. Enya, a GP, finds herself at the epicentre of a life-altering event when she saves the life of a teenage boy on a stormy night. This harrowing experience becomes a catalyst for her to break free from her unhappy marriage, seeking solace in the remote Irish countryside as a rural GP.

Cecelia Ahern masterfully weaves a tapestry of grief, guilt, and the search for meaning. From the beginning, it is apparent that Enya is hiding something, perhaps even more than one thing. She’s emotionally fraught, her reactions to the accident and the injured young man, whilst understandable, were also extreme. Her distress over what has happened and the subsequent move away from her family lead her to a prickly start in her new home, a tiny rural Irish village. I enjoyed this aspect of the story though, everything to do with the village and its inhabitants was so quaintly and wryly Irish, it was good reading and very entertaining.

The exploration of Irish folklore and mythology through the rag tree added and element of depth and intrigue, Enya’s initial rage at the tree giving way to an understanding of its deeper meaning, and in turn, an inner discovery of self and getting down to the bones of the grief she was carrying for her mother and its intertwining with her fears for her own mortality. I felt that Enya was an incredibly complex character and the unhinged and extreme volatility of her emotions and actions all slid into place as the novel progressed and I was left feeling an immense sense of compassion and understanding for her.

While the novel delves into profound themes, it never loses sight of its characters’ humanity. Enya’s vulnerability is both relatable and inspiring, making her a compelling protagonist. The supporting cast, though limited, is well-developed and contributes to the overall richness of the story.

Into the Storm is a poignant exploration of healing and rebirth. Cecelia Ahern’s evocative storytelling and richly drawn characters create a compelling narrative that lingers long after the final page.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

A little slow in places that didn't have me sitting on the edge of my chair but it came together for the ending. There were a few unknowns I didn't see coming like the character Mark and fundraising page. It made me think about how amazing our subconscious is and how it can block things. I would have liked to Finn to play a part earlier as I enjoyed his character towards the end. I liked the rawness of Enya and Margaret especially when dealing with tough subjects including separation, addiction, grief, anxiety and panic attacks.

Gripping from the start.  Thank you to the author and netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy.

Following Enya a doctor on a journey to find herself by moving to a remote village where she hopes no one knows her., to her dismay at finding a large tree covered in rags outside the window of her rental and upsetting the locals who initially welcomed her by having branches cut off. 

Enya is strong willed but in someways also weak, putting up with a cold unfeeling husband who tries to isolate her from her son. 
Her son is difficult to reach, a 15yr old who isn't interested in his mum's thoughts or love and embarrassed by affection. 

Just when Enya is starting to find her feet her past comes back to play havoc on her life.  The outcome and conclusion I didn't see coming. I did feel a bit like Alexander was a bolt on, a husband because Enya's character needed one. He worked well at the start but seemed to fade away halfway through.  Marks character was unlikeable from the start and he really was just a distraction to create the right timeline for the accident.  
Margaret was hard to visualise,  the body build still puzzles me, she obviously looked quite an odd character.  And Finn, the link to everything,  an awkward 15yr old who is easy to visualise and understand as he struggles to navigate between two high achieving parents.   

It was nice to read a book that the main character didn't get a cosy outcome. I so wanted Enya to have the life she'd created but the author had other plans and gave Enya the life she deserved.

‘Even with her knowledge of the roads, she knows she should stop, pull in and wait for the rainstorm to subside.’

Dr Enya Pickering is heading home in a violent storm when she is flagged down by a taxi driver at the scene of an accident near her home in Enniskerry, Ireland. A teenaged boy is lying on the road: the victim of a hit and run accident. Dr Pickering performs CPR, and the boy is still alive when the ambulance arrives and takes him to hospital. Dr Pickering, who thought for a moment that the boy was her son Finn, continues home.
Before the accident, Enya’s marriage to fellow GP Alexander (Xander) was struggling. After the accident, with her life in turmoil, Enya chooses to relocate to the small village of Abbeydooley. The village needs a GP and Enya needs a break to deal with a growing number of issues.

The story that unfolds involves a diversity of characters, has many twists (some more believable than others) and touches on the Irish folklore surrounding rag trees. But the accident in which the teenager was critically injured is key to this story and the tension builds as the truth is slowly (and finally) revealed.

While I’d rate aspects of this story highly, my sympathy for Enya shrivelled as the drama increased. I found other characters more engaging. And, yes, I went looking for more information about rag trees and read that they are often ‘… hawthorns that have been decorated with rags or cloths as part of a custom in Ireland and Scotland. The practice involves tying a rag to a branch of the tree while making a wish, usually for healing, good luck, or protection. The belief is that as the rag disintegrates, so too will the ailment or worry that it represents. Rag trees are seen as a way of connecting with the land and with the spirits of the natural world. ‘(copied from The Brehon Academy)

Although Ms Ahern is a prolific author this is the first of her novels I have read. Will I read others? To be honest, I am not sure.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This is my first Celia Ahern novel, and I was quite impressed - in that I found the book hard to put down. GP Enya is driving through a storm after a late night call out when she comes across a hit and run. She saves the boy, who reminds her of her difficult teenage son. This novel deals with topics such as family relationships, mental health, folklore, and mystery. I have to say I didn’t really like Enya. She was a bit annoying. However I loved Margaret, thought she was a strong likeable, real character, with wit and strength.

A good read, with a twist. Thanks to netgalley for a chance to review this book.

A emotional mystery that will grip you so tight that you can't breathe. She is a GP and she fights to keep a young boy alive in the pouring rain. I love how intense the plot is and becomes as the characters developed. It's a emotional ride with twists that tear at you.

To be honest I'm not sure how I feel about this one. When I began it I was wow wow wow I don't want to stop reading this but then I reached the middle and I was a bit meh. I loved the parts where the "old" seasons were tracked using her mother's articles, and I loved the Irish folklore peppered throughout. Also, there were images that stayed with me long after I was done - and kept me awake - so I must have enjoyed it more than I thought. For that reason I'm giving it 3.5 stars.

I received this one from the publishers via Net Galley in return for an honest review.

Into The Storm is a slow burn that is mor drama than thriller. I thought because of this I would struggle to finish it. However, at some point I realised I was hooked, and I had to see it through.

The story was not predictable in how the plot would go. The first half, besides the hit and run, has no action, rather it focuses on Enya's character development. Or rather the unraveling of her character. You see her become paranoid, and anxious and keeping Irish folklore at arms length. The second half of the book sees Enya come to peace and accepting of her situation . This is also where the investigation into the hit and run picks up. I did not expect the reveal in the final few chapters and thought it was a clever suprise!
I loved the colourful characters, the Irish folklore and superstitions and the emotional journey with a twist at the end.

This might not be a book for everyone but I certainly loved it!

My 6P review: Publication, Plot, People, Place, Prose/Pace, Praise

I was excited to receive this ARC as I love Cecilia Ahern‘s books although I haven’t read any in quite some time.

I could relate to Enya and the milestones of her mother’s death as I also lost my mother at a young age. I didn’t really like Enya though, she came across as a bit of a wet mop.

I did like Margaret though, and it was her that kept me reading.

I also like the town of Abbey Dooley, the Irish folklore and Enya’s mother’s notes.

I’m not too sure about the main topic of this story though. Was it the grieving of lost family, family relationships or mental health?

The prose was nice, but the pace was a little bit too slow for my liking and at times I skim read, hoping to finish the book quicker.

I also DO NOT like mental health as an excuse.

I’m not sure how many stars to give this one. I’ll settle on three.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review .

“Into the Storm” served as my introduction to Cecelia Ahern and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Dr. Enya Pickering is a woman with issues that are creating problems in her professional and personal life….in a marriage that has lost its lustre and feeling disconnected from husband and son, she is about to turn the age her mother was when she drowned after suffering a heart attack. This weighs on her mind and when she is flagged down by a taxi driver at the scene of a probable hit and run in the middle of a raging storm, she renders first aid and is instrumental in saving the young boy’s life. However the police investigation threatens to unravel aspects of her life and she makes a move to a country practice to try and regain some perspective and control.
I found Enya a not particularly likeable character who perhaps because of her depression and anxiety made some dodgy decisions and treated friends and family if not harshly, then lacking in warmth and empathy.
The setting and exploration of local culture was interesting
The “rag tree” at Enya’s new abode comes wrapped in history and legend (literally) and until Enya can feel a part of the community and understand the healing power of the tree, it seems she will continue to suffer.
I did become invested in her journey and the twist was not one I saw coming. I kept reading to find out if she could weather the storm and create a new start and wasn’t disappointed with the ending. I would have liked however to have explored the perspectives of other characters in the book more, particularly her husband and sister.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and I leave this review voluntarily.

I appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback on "Into The Storm" by Cecilia Ahern. The novel offers a compelling premise, centering on Dr. Enya Pickering, a GP in Ireland, whose life unravels after she encounters a hit-and-run accident on a stormy night. Here are my detailed thoughts:

Strengths:

Depiction of Rural Ireland: The book authentically captures the essence of small-town rural Ireland. As someone from a small village in Ireland, I found the portrayal of a close-knit community, where everyone knows each other and the GP is a respected pillar of the community, to be a good reflection of village life.

Character Development - Margaret Rochford was my favourite! The friendship that develops between Enya and Margaret is one of the book's highlights. Margaret’s character, with her sarcasm, strength, and personal struggles, added depth and a refreshing dynamic to the story.

Areas for Improvement:

Enya as an Unreliable Narrator: While Enya is intended to be an unreliable narrator, her obvious withholding of parts of the story felt more overt than subtle. I have read books with unreliable narrators before, and they typically maintain a delicate balance, revealing their unreliability in a more nuanced manner. In contrast, Enya's mental ruminations and fragmented storytelling were more transparent and sometimes hindered my engagement with her character.

Characterisation of Enya's Mother: The integration of Enya’s mother, Brigid, through interspersed articles, did not significantly enhance her character. in my own personal opinion Brigid is depicted as a free-spirited, hippy type, interested in druids and being a free spirit. This felt somewhat one-dimensional, and the articles did not add much that couldn't have been summarised more concisely.

Rag Tree Symbolism: The rag tree in Enya’s rented accommodation, intended to symbolise healing and forgiveness, felt forced into the narrative. Despite its constant presence in the story from about the one third mark, the symbolism did not resonate with me and seemed more of an imposed element rather than an organic part of the plot.

Pacing and Structure: The book's pacing felt slow initially, only picking up once Enya moved to Abbeydooley. While the novel did gain momentum, the initial sluggishness and fragmented storytelling affected the reading experience.

Despite these criticisms, I am grateful for the opportunity to read and review "Into The Storm." Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing me with this opportunity.