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3 out of 4 stars
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Celeste is a modern-day fictional, supernatural-themed novel written by Penelope Moon and published in 2020. At 141 Kindle edition pages, the book is a great length to finish in just a few sittings and easily digest the events that occur. There are many themes within the story that pulled me in from the beginning like family secrets, romance, supernatural dealings with evil, and self-discovery.
The main character in the book, Celeste, is a wife and mother of 3 girls. Her life is simple and ordinary, right up until she reaches her 35th birthday. Turning 35 was difficult for Celeste. Unexpectedly losing her mother was unimaginable. Discovering that she has developed some kind of supernatural powers leaves her feeling like she doesn't even understand her identity anymore. With the help of a black cat familiar, Celeste soon discovers that her life is nowhere near ordinary, and the dangers that will now follow her because a desire to possess her powers is overwhelming and scary, and something she's not sure she's ready for.
Along with the supernatural themes of the story, there's a complicated romance triangle that follows Celeste, adding even more excitement to an already adventure-filled story.
I found the main character in the story to be so relatable while reading. She's searching for something more in life, though she seems to have everything she could want; a wonderful husband and father to her children who seems to adore her more than imaginable, 3 beautiful girls who admire and love their mother, yet she's searching for more when the unimaginable happens and she's forced to pull from the power within herself to defeat a dangerous force who is out for her demise.
I was unaware before beginning Celeste that it's the first installment the first in a series, but now that I have read to the end of the first book, I can't wait to join in with the characters and experience the full set of the story. The emotions pulled from the main character are raw and engaging and I was captivated from the beginning.
Despite my captivation and enjoyment from reading Celeste, the novel needs thorough editing to clear up some errors that are present all throughout the story. It's difficult to say that there are specific spelling and grammar mistakes found, but the sentences are consistently choppy and difficult to understand. There are also moments where it's unclear which character is speaking during dialogue. Although the book is written in English and follows a well-developed storyline, many sections throughout are written in such a choppy manner that it almost reads as broken English at times. With a careful round of editing to clear up any inconsistency with the grammar, Celeste would easily earn a 4-star rating from me.
Celeste by Penelope Moon has a fantastic supernatural storyline that I quickly became enchanted by, but because of the choppy editing, I'm rating Celeste 3 out of 4 stars. With a careful round of thorough editing, I would highly recommend the novel to any reader who enjoys captivating supernatural novels with a theme of self-searching.
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Celeste
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