Flat out Celeste by Jessica Park, Audio review
For high-school senior Celeste Watkins, every day is a brutal test of bravery. And Celeste is scared. Alienated because she’s too smart, her speech too affected, her social skills too far outside the norm, she seems to have no choice but to retreat into isolation. But college could set her free, right? If she can make it through this grueling senior year, then maybe. If she can just find that one person to throw her a lifeline, then maybe, just maybe. Justin Milano, a college sophomore with his own set of quirks, could be that person to pull her from a world of solitude. To rescue her – that is, if she’ll let him. Together, they may work. Together, they may save each other. And together they may also save another couple – two people Celeste knows are absolutely, positively flat-out in love. Whether you were charmed by Celeste in Flat-Out Love or are meeting her for the first time, this book is a joyous celebration of differences, about battling private wars that rage in our heads and in our hearts, and – very much so – this is a story about first love.
Abby 4.5 stars
I am jealous of Jessica Parks brain. She writes such a smart tale of young love it made me fall in love with YA all over again. I laughed out loud at Jessica’s writing so many times that the people around me were like, “Wait why are you snort giggling. I don’t get it, what’s so funny?” Umm hello, you had to read it, you are not in the know, that is the cool known as Jessica Park.
This is a tale of young love with the quirky, slightly emotional character that is Celeste. I read Flat Out Love but did not read Flat Out Matt. I feel like to really understand this you at least have to read the first, which is a total 5 star read. I felt like I got through it just fine missing the second book, but I would like to go back and read it now.
The narration:
EXCELLENT PERFECTION BROUGHT THE CHARACTERS TO LIFE, THE BEST I’VE HEARD YET
The only reason that this book wasn’t a complete 5 for me is sometimes the youth dialogue started to annoy me, the way that listening to two young adults with idiosyncrasies would in real life. I did think that perhaps if I was reading and not listening that I might not feel the same way. It made me think about how different the experience can be when you listen rather than read.
If you are new to audio, or old, this is the perfect book to start listening to or to just get your listening on to! It’s really, really good.
About the Author:
Jessica is the author of LEFT DROWNING, the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (and the companion piece FLAT-OUT MATT), and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.
Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicapark and Twitter @JessicaPark24
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