If Tomorrow Never Comes, by author Amal Bissessar, is a novel that tells the classic story of love separated by time and gives the timeless advice: "Don't take life for granted and live today like it's your last." The story as told by one of the main characters, begins with young Michael Connor, who, after facing tragedy at the age of ten, leaves his mansion and all his friends behind in his small home town of Syria. Michael, a billionaire, returns 15 years later and like a whirlwind, attempts to change the fortune of his less fortunate friends with as little as the stroke of a pen.
Their are inconsistencies with the plot, and as the story develops discrepancies regarding the ages of Bissessar's characters arise, proving to be a bit distracting. The setting, like most of the characters, is not detailed, and most of the story passes by leaving the reader to wonder whether it is day or night time. The inclusion of a massive 51-story structure in a small town seems unfathomable, as does an apartment complex with a circular penthouse. The story is mostly told through the dialogue of it's characters, and there are points in the tale where this does not always prove a strength. The reader may mistake children's dialogue as that of adults, as even an eight-year-old character has moments of supreme understanding.
One example is protagonist Michael, who when leaving home at the age of ten, is already aware that Emily his neighbour is the love of his life, when he says to her, "I guess that I'll always find myself waiting for you and as stupid as that might sound, you're more than worth the wait." Also a bit odd is the fact that a ten-year-old could be being best friends with an 18-year-old couple. Such details give the book an unrealistic feel. The characters seem unrealistic, and because of poor development, the reader is left with questions at the end of the tale. It almost seems as id the details came as an afterthought for some of the characters and situations. The theme of not taking life for granted maintains a strong presence throughout the book, and the dramatic suspense is a bit tiring.
Bissessar hails from Malick in Barataria, and pays tribute to his community in the first chapter. Other chapters are used to pay tribute to different people in the author's life. A chapter dedicated to the late pop singers Michael Jackson's daughter Paris, bears a similarity to certain part of the pop icons life. The tale itself is a beautiful one that deals with tough situations and characters who haven't always received the best of life has to offer. Despite the inadequacies of the book, the final chapters, which are the most well-written, reveal an emotionally inspiring story that has the potential to touch the furthest recesses of the reader's heart.