Cecelia Ahern's young adult novel Flawed tackles our obsession with appearance
Best-selling author Cecelia Ahern wrote her latest book, Flawed, “in a fit of rage, anger, and a lot of passion”. The novel, whose screenplay is being written in Hollywood, has as its protagonist a 17-year-old girl, Celestine, who’s perfect in every way. Her mother is a top model who gets constant work done to her face. It’s all about appearances and playing the game.
Set in a dystopian future, where being perfect is the ultimate goal, society is ruled by the Guild. Those who lie, cheat, or steal must wear an armband emblazoned with the letter F in red and their skin is branded with the same letter. Celestine, who is ruled by logic, encounters a situation in which she makes an instinctive humane decision. She inadvertently breaks a rule and faces life-changing repercussions that see her going on trial. She risks imprisonment and being branded.
