"Flawed" - Cecelia Ahern : A book review

"None of us are Perfect.

Let us not pretend that we are.

Let us not be afraid that we are not.

Let us not label others and pretend we are not the same.

Let us all know that to be human is to be flawed,

and let us learn from every mistake made so that we don't make them again."
-Cecelia Ahern (Flawed)

"Flawed" is the debut book of Cecelia Ahern published in 2016. It is the first part of her heart - stopping young adult story. This book is about Celestine North and how she was branded as the most flawed person in her hometown. Cecelia Ahern describes Celestine's story in a way that would intrigue any soul to immerse into the story. She describes her pain in a heart-wrenching way that one can imagine themselves in Celestine's shoes and feel her anger towards the system of the guild. She feels excluded from the world feeling that no one can understand her pain, no one but Carrick; her cell-mate in the Guild's court.

Celestine North is a 17-year old girl whose life is based on logic. She gets good grades, has quite a bunch of friends and a loving boyfriend. She is portraying the character of a very logical person who tries to think every situation through and find the most logical solution. She regards herself by saying, "I'm a perfectionist too", but it doesn't stretch to physical appearances, merely language and behavior.

She lives in a society where anyone can be branded flawed for any incorrect action, it can be a wrong decision, an act of lying etc. One,  when branded flawed is seared on any of the five parts of their body in the form of the letter 'F'- their temple to signify bad decisions, their tongue to signify lying, their right palm to signify stealing from the society, their chest (over their heart) to signify disloyalty to the guild. A simple act of kindness towards the old man in the bus costed Celestine everything, because an old man who was on the verge of dying, who was helped by a kind, practical 17-year old on to a seat allotted for the non-branded. What was she to do if two ladies just couldn't understand the pain and urgency in the old man cry, after all, he was human too. She was in trouble, she was now considered a victim to the guild for committing a crime of kindness, a crime namely aiding a flawed. It was a crime she didn't regret but didn't cherish either.

The once perfect girl had now become a criminal and was put in a holding-cell, where she met Carrick. A person who aids a flawed usually gets a prison sentence but when was Celestine's life so simple, Judge Crevan/Bosco Crevan the head of the guild, her boyfriend Art's father and her neighbor Carrick had witnessed the sixth and the most painful one-the one Crevan put himself without anesthetic.

had come to meet her. He thought of a plan that Celestine should admit that she just wanted the man out of the bus, it was a lie that would make her innocent but will she truly want this? She agreed to it for the time being. The day after, during her second hearing she was overwhelmed and admitted the truth. This landed her in being the most branded person in town. A person with all five brandings and a special sixth. 
The story continues with her seeking help from various characters like Pia Wang, Enya Sleepwell and Mrs. Berry , but still nobody could really help her. She tried to dodge Crevan the whole time. Her boyfriend Art had gone missing and Juniper, her sister  helped him disappear. She felt betrayed. She soon met Carrick in a riot where he helped her out of there. The same night Crevan was out to seek Celestine, that is when she has no choice but to run. The story ends here is continued in the next book "Perfect".

The book had a good storyline but according to me, the main protagonist could have been a stronger character. I felt that Carrick did not really play a impactful part in this storyline just yet. I felt that Crevan was a good villain, a little too evil. I did not really feel the need for Art to hide. But overall the story was a pretty good experience, the way the emotions were described  helped me indulge into the story and live the characters. I feel that it was a pretty good book and hoping that "Perfect",  the second book might be better.

Thanks for reading.