Not being a fan of chick lit, I hadn’t read Cecilia Ahern until her publisher sent me a review copy of Flawed.
It arrived just days after I had watched Love, Rosie — the movie based on Ahern’s Where Rainbows End. I’d also heard about Ahern on an Irish radio programme that suggested her books were worth reading. So, I was sufficiently interested to give Flawed a go. Then, I discovered that my mother and my niece (85 and 25) are Ahern fans!
Young Adult
Flawed is a Young Adult novel. It’s about a teenager growing up in a judgmental society where people are expected to be perfect. Breaking the rules incurs punishments like branding and being shunned by society.
Celestine North, the teenager and heroine of this novel, is perfect until she breaks the rules and takes a stand against the judgemental wing of society.
The idea behind Flawed is interesting in light of the various public interest investigations that have taken place in Ireland. However, the characters lack depth — particularly in the earlier part of the novel — making it a somewhat frustrating read. Later, the pace picks up and there are hints of a love triangle that may add interest to the story.
Flawed comes to a somewhat abrupt end with the story to be continued in a sequel called Perfect, due to be published in 2017.
Flawed by Cecilia Ahern is published by Harper Collins. [Disclosure: An advance review copy was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review].