My book review of 'The Truth about Celia Frost' by Paula Rawsthorne

by Paula Rawsthorne
Recommended age: 12+
The Truth about Celia Frost
by Paula Rawsthorne

We are introduced to Celia as she comes to realise that her life has been built on a lie.

Celia lives with her mother. She has no friends, no father or siblings, and life is sterile and full of fear. Her mother says it has to be this way because Celia has a rare condition where her blood won't clot and any injury could prove fatal.

When Celia is the victim of a stabbing, she realises that her mother has been lying. They move away from the prying questions of the hospital and school, and Celia tries to puzzle out the truth. In her push for independence and to start experiencing life, she makes her first ever friend, a boy called Sol. Meanwhile a private investigator is trying to track down Celia and mother - who has engaged him and why?

Just what is it that Celia's mother has been hiding from her daughter? Can there possibly be a happy ending to this story?

This is a wholly compelling read. You long for Celia to find out the answers, but you know that this could very well destroy her relationship with her mother. You keep guessing at the possibilities, but just as you seem to be getting close to the truth, there is another twist. And you can't put the book down until you learn the resolution. The outcome may be a little far-fetched, but it doesn't make the book any less satisfying. The characterisation is good, the plot is gripping, the pace is perfectly pitched. It's a fantastic book!

Date of this review: May 2011
Book publication date: 1st August 2011