Flat-Out Celeste: Flat-Out Love, Book 3

Because I already used my 2 on hand boxes up from flat out 1&2. Flat out Celeste (3) had me using 2 more boxes. If you continue to write, I will need to buy stock in a tissue company. Thank you for such a special series.

****“You are who you are. Don't be ashamed of yourself. At all. Surround yourself with people who cheer you on.”****I think your enjoyment of this book will depend almost solely on how much you connect with Celeste. She was my favorite character in Flat Out Love because she had so many quirks and emotional connection issues. I like how naïve and sincere her character is and I was so excited to see her a few years later swimming through the waters of trying to discover who she is in that year right before college.Celeste struggles with being exceptionally smart but really naive to the world around her. She still has trouble connecting with peers and feels acutely how different she is from the other kids she is in school with. She has come a long way from the girl that carried around a life-size replica of her brother Finn but she still has a long way to go to become comfortable with who she is.I have issues centered around loss. Perceived abandonment. Solitude, which I both crave and detest. It’s too much to explain.”Pretty much Celeste is a hot mess, but she is a ridiculously smart hot mess who has decided to try new things in an attempt to become more socially acceptable and find a place that she does fit in.There are some extremely funny situations as Celeste goes on this journey. My favorite being the attempt to join a skater puck band while wearing a black skin tight cat suit with firetruck red hair and singing a Joan Baez song. Even funnier was accidentally meeting Justin a college recruiter in said outfit. But most of all I loved the burgeoning relationship that develops between Celeste and Justin as they email and text each other over the year.“Justin: I know where you live.Justin: Wait, I didn't mean that in a creepy way...Justin: Hello? Oh gawd... Did I freak you out?Justin: I just meant that I would know where to pick you up. And it's not like I'd show up in a van with the windows all blacked out. That'd be super creepy.Justin: I drive a Prius.Justin: Nobody gets abducted in a Prius, right?”They are both such strong personalities in their own right but somehow the hot mess that is Celeste with her uber intelligence and lack of social skills fits and compliments Justin’s exuberant all over the place random A.D.H.D. type personality. They were adorable like two puppies frolicking in a meadow.I enjoyed the journey that Celeste went on and there were moments that I was heartbreakingly sad for her and her struggles with her perceived inadequacies. She wasn’t pouting and woe is me, they seemed pretty genuine and I really struggled with her through them. There is a scene with Flat Finn that ripped out my heart and I was so happy that at least Matt was still around to help her through it.Celeste’s brother sister relationship with Matt is still so great. He is the one that really gets most of who she is and it is adorable how he tries to take care of her almost like a parent would. It is amazing the bond between them and how close they are. I especially loved the time they experimented with alcohol, incredibly funny.My only dislikes of this story were that part of this story focused on Matt and Julie. I assumed they already got their HEA only to learn that after a few years Julie went to the West Coast for a job and she and Matt had somehow ended. Even though it is quite clear that they are not over one another it took until the very end of the book for that to get sorted out as well. I’m happy for them but it was a bit distracting from some of the story I really loved.Had I read this book my mind wouldn’t have done as good a job with the story and the emotions of Celeste. Therefore I think I would have given this story a 3.5 star rating but it gets a 0.5 star bump up to 4 for audio awesomeness.Flat out Celeste is a super cute coming of age story. You don’t have to have read Flat out Love to read this but I think you would enjoy it more if you had.Audio Note: I rarely give a recommendation to just listen to a book, but sometimes it is warranted and necessary. Tavia Gilbert did such a fantastic job embodying the voices of the characters in this story and performing the narration that I enjoyed the story more by listening to the narration than I think I would have just reading. Her interpretation of Celeste and Justin was perfect for the story and she did a great job with the rest of the cast as well. There are a few portions of the story that I believe had I been just reading it they would have moved me a little but I don’t think they would have gutted me quite as much. Tavia Gilbert had my heart ripped out and on the floor while Celeste dealt with a few of her issues and had a scene with Flat Finn. I cried in my car on the way to work as she performed that scene in particular. This book was at least 0.5 - 1 stars better for my because of the audio narration.

If you've read my review of Flat-Out Love you know I wasn't entirely pleased with the book. But I did fall in love with Celeste so the minute I finished Flat-Out Love I knew I had to download Flat-Out Celeste and see where the wacky, awkward, loveable Celeste ended up as a teenager.Flat-Out Celeste is a lot like Celeste herself, it's a little strange and weird, but it's also completely adorable and I literally couldn't put it down (I went from reading at home, to reading at work, to reading at home). When the story picks up Celeste is in her senior year of high school and although she's no longer dependent on Flat Finn, she's still an outcast struggling to find her way. But Celeste is smart and keenly observant and reading the story through her eyes, even when she was being awkward and weird and lonely, was such a joy. At the beginning of the story she's planning to apply to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and the like, but then she receives an email from a student liaison at Barton College in California. Justin Milano is, believe it or not, pretty much just as awkward as Celeste, but, pretty much from the moment he emailed her, completely endearing.Let me stop here and say that if I had known that Celeste and Justin meet and correspond over email I might not have picked up Flat-Out Celeste. One of my main gripes with Flat-Out Love was that the emails and messages that Julie and Finn exchange broke up the story and I was so much more interested in what was happening in real life, particularly Celeste, that Julie's online life just took away from what I liked about the story. So when Justin first emailed Celeste and she emailed him back I groaned internally (what a waste of $3.99!), but said I'd give it some time to see how it played out.My fears were unfounded because how it played out was wonderful. Even though Celeste and Justin email, they meet pretty early on in the story in such a hilarious, awkward, Celeste and Justin way. After their meeting they go back to emailing, but they also text, talk on the phone, and since Justin comes home for Thanksgiving and for a while over Christmas, they also get to see each other fairly frequently. Plus, unlike Julie and Finn's relationship I was really into Celeste and Justin's relationship and that made all the difference.Over the course of the story Celeste begins to come into her own by being Celeste. At the beginning of the story she tries to create an identity by being someone else and trying hot yoga or auditioning to be a singer in a skate punk band (which were both hilarious experiences), but eventually Celeste realizes she just needs to be Celeste and that was so amazing to see. And while Justin had something to do with it, he didn't have everything to do with it. Celeste and Justin actually talk a lot about guys saving girls and vice versa and reading about both of their transformations was more about watching them grow as people rather than change in order to be with someone else.Flat-Out Celeste is a sweet, touching story, even though she's grown up in many ways Celeste is still dealing with the trauma in Flat-Out Love and her continued social isolation. The book could have been a sad story about a lonely girl, and maybe some people will read it like that, but I always felt like Celeste had a really good head on her shoulders and would be ok. It's also, despite the difficult situations, a completely hilarious book that I literally couldn't stop laughing at while reading. I've read a bunch of funny books lately and this one is up there with some of the funniest books I've read of all time.This is going to be a first for me, but I want to talk about the swoons. I've written many book reviews and I don't think I've ever discussed swoons before so trust me, this is rare. As an adult, who's been through real life love and not love and heartbreak, etc. I'm not really into the swoony moments in books. As a somewhat cynic they seem contrived and not realistic, but I definitely had some swoony moments while reading Flat-Out Celeste. I talked about how much I liked Celeste and Justin's relationship for the humor and what they give to each other, but there were also some great, not cheesy, sweet, swoony moments and even this cynic ate them up.Bottom Line: After being somewhat disappointed by Flat-Out Love I'm so happy I gave Flat-Out Celeste a shot (and how could I not, Celeste is clearly amazing). The heart, the humor, the awkwardness, and the intelligence of Celeste just shines through and makes this such an enjoyable read. And the romance, oh the romance, it has its ups and downs and oddities, because Celeste and Justin are odd (like all of us), but it's so adorable. I can't recommend this book enough, even if you haven't read Flat-Out Love.

Flat-Out Celeste (Flat-Out Love, #2) by Jessica Park5 stars!!!“You’re a lifesaver, Celeste.”“No, you are my lifesaver, Justin.”My love affair with this series began way back when Flat-Out Love was first released and was the start to my addiction to all books Jessica Park. Jessica has proven she can write the wit and the serious (see Left Drowning) and this book is a perfect balance of both. My affinity to Celeste has always been strong, like her I was the nerdy school girl, the loner and I never fitted in. While I like to think in the long run it never did me any harm, I couldn’t help but relate to Celeste’s plight both in Flat-Out Love and now Flat-Out Celeste. Throughout Flat-Out Love I was her biggest cheerleader so when Jessica revealed that Celeste was getting her own book I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. I knew I would love it, if ever a character deserved their own book it was her and I was rooting for a HEA for our troubled school girl.In Flat-Out Love, Celeste was at junior school, in Flat-Out Celeste we start with her completing her final year of high school and yes she is facing her biggest challenge yet… what university to go to. Yes the little girl has grown up, still super intelligent, super nerdy but trying her hardest to try and change and to make friends, she wants to begin her University life as the “new and improved” Celeste. Although in my opinion, she needn’t have changed, she was perfect just the way she was. Even though our Celeste was emotionally stunted and was still gravely lacking in social skills, throughout this book you were witnessing her slow realisation of her want to change, her need to change and then you watch her take the bull by the horns and try to change. No mean feat for a little girl that only really ever interacted with her brother Matt, his then time girlfriend Julie and to a small degree her parents and also our beloved Flat Finn.Celeste could have the pick of any University she wanted, being wise beyond her years and a grade A student, all the top Universities were vying for her to pick them. Imagine her surprise when out of the blue she receives an email from another University she hadn’t even approached. The email was from Justin Milano their liaison officer, he was a sophomore. It soon became apparent that he was just as socially inept and awkward as she was. You could tell just from their first initial emails that he was her soul mate, the ying to the yang, the sun to the moon, they couldn’t have been more perfect for each other, but would either of them see that, would their social awkwardness rule or would they both be finally able to spread their wings and fly, could they do the impossible?“Yet, in terms of dating, if males are drawn to me for my appearance, they are soon discouraged by my other qualities. Eccentricities, of which I know I have many, do not hold universal sexual and romantic lure. I understand that.”I have to say that Jessica Park did Celeste proud with this book; I never would have thought I could have loved her any more than I already did. She was like my little sister, I wanted to nurture her, I wanted to smother her with cuddles and kisses and prove to her that she was beautiful, she was perfect just the way she was. She never needed to change, her character was infectious, her dry sense of humour and her mannerisms were all unique to her, they made Celeste the beautiful character that she was and I wanted more and more than more is what I got, I was deliriously happy.Justin was just totally adorable, awkward, clumsy and so romantic. He shared the same level of humour as Celeste, the same intellectual aptitude, similar quirks and they were so perfect for each other. Right from the very start, their very first email exchanges I knew that he was the one for her, they were just sooooooo cute, I was championing them from the start, but as you know, nothing ever runs smooth and these two are going to need to face some challenges full on. They need to push their boundaries and their comfort zones and I was with them all the way, pushing and pushing and pushing.“I am staggered by you. I am intoxicated by you. I think about you way more than I should. I want to get to know you as much as possible, but you have to let me. I mean, if that’s what you want. Maybe you think I’m a huge jerk, and maybe you’re done with me. So tell me that if you need to…but please don’t, because I desperately want to take you out tonight.”Matt and Julie also star in this book and it was great to catch up with these two, I just don’t want this series to end, I love it too hard. Once again Jessica has pulled me in with her unique story telling abilities, the quirk, the humour, the wit and the way she brings the characters to life. No longer are they characters on a page, but they are real life people to me, while reading I became totally submersed in their story, I was there with him, I lived it, I breathed it and I devoured it.This is a story about finding your way in life, learning to live it for what and who you are, live it your way, stamp your imprint and make it count, don’t change for no-one, you are what you are, quirks and all, there is someone in life for all of us, it just may take a leap of faith to find them, grab them with both hands and don’t let go, make the most of what you have been given and just be happy.“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”This is a series that will stay with me for a long time and one that I will never forget. So if you haven’t jump on board the crazy Flat-Out Love train, give it a try, it is YA at its best, it will have you laughing, it will have you crying, but most of all it will have you feeling and loving, it is a joy to read and one that I will read again and again and again.“This confusing, overwhelming, daunting world. The one that she imagined might one day swallow her whole.”Once again, awesome job Jessica Park, I seriously want more from this crazy family, please I am begging you, write MORE!!!

This is the first novel, I have read from this author and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.Celeste and Justin both had to struggle with what they considered to be shortfalls in their everyday life in different ways and yet when they met for the first time they felt this kinship.As their paths ran completely in separately directions, neither of them envisaged that their paths would cross again. The terrible tragedy, which occurred in Celeste's life had an adverse effect on her family. Matt was a very supportive brother who was always there for her when she needed him. The whole story is very well written and the emotions felt very real. I found myself laughing out loud one minute and nearly in tears the next.I feel that the message being put across in this novel could be beneficial to anybody. This is one, which I would recommend to those who like a good romance with unexpected twists. I know that this is one that I will read again.

Well this book has placed me in a book funk. Sure I've had plenty of book hangovers but this one leaves me unsure of what to read next.This book made my heart hurt, then it made my heart smile. I love this book.Celeste has always held a special place for me with the other two Flat-Out installments but this one obviously goes a lot deeper. It broke my heart to be inside her head, struggling socially, clearly suffering her isolation and lying to her family.I hurt for my son imagining him growing up with the same social struggles and so perhaps I can relate in some way. I wanted to go and wrap cotton wool around her and this book really makes you understand why Matt does, even if she has become his crutch.I love Justin, what a sweetheart!!It's awesome to see Matt and Julie again and revisit their story. But Celeste takes centre stage and in the most beautiful way. When we hit the part involving flat Finn, whilst my heart broke, I honestly don't think Jessica Park could have come up with anything more fitting and powerful as a turning point.Gorgeous.

I have to say I think this is Jessica Park's best work to date. The story is simply beautiful.I will always one-click everything Jessica writes after reading Flat out Love, but must admit I am not a fan of spin off books usually but if you haven't read the Flat Out series you really are missing a gem of a series. Celeste is the most amazing character, I adore her quirkiness and her insecurities about herself and life around her.But be warned you will need a box of tissues when it comes to the pink sweater scene!I want Justin's story now please Ms Park!

I was given this book by a friend, being a 38 year old who scoffs at love stories I did not hold out much hope. However I have just devoured this lovely little book. In the last four hours I have laughed and cried - I mean seriously sobbed like a loon. I have rarely rooted for a character quite as much as I did Celeste, she was written with such honesty and love. A really great book.