As most of us can attest, the teenage years are tumultuous at best, as we flail around, struggling to find out who we are, what we want to do, and where we fit in. In Celest, we meet the title character going through all that in a journey that takes many twists and turns. But she is also burdened with a unique sense of isolation and a power that no one should be allowed to wield, especially a teenager. (As a father with a teenage daughter, believe me, it would be bad news.)
We meet Celest, about to go out on her own as she turns eighteen, and knowing in her heart that she isn’t ready. No one ever is, but she is a special case. Her skin is completely white, making the sun another obstacle, and she does not know who her real parents are. She is brought up well and has good people guiding her, so as the day fast approaches, those things make it even harder to go out in the world and fend for herself. For the most part, the setting is familiar, and many of us have faced it as we hit that certain age.
Then, everything changes in the blink of an eye, but not in the way Celest could have ever imagined. A horrible loss is immediately followed by meeting Tabitha, white-skinned like her. Before she realizes what is happening, they are on the run for their lives from people they know nothing about, searching for answers that are now more complicated than they could ever imagine. When they meet Tron, the circle is complete, and the three move towards a destination and destiny that will change everything.
Author Sandy Robson, a director and actor, weaves an interesting tale that often pushes the story forward in some tense and unpredictable ways. He can capture the essence of the three main characters, especially Celest, and make their journey intriguing, both in a familiar and unfamiliar way. Robson molds the characters so that it is easy to cheer for them, urge them on, and hope there is some peace and happiness at the end of wherever this journey takes them.
Celest is particularly well-written. You can almost feel her fear, the sense of being alone in the world, through the words. A child of foster care, the sense of not knowing where she belongs is amplified by the mysteries surrounding her parents. She is different. She feels it, knows it, yet yearns to belong in something or someone. As her journey progresses, she discovers she is not alone yet still feels isolated, and Robson does a great job of making the reader feel that. It’s not easy to do, and it’s done well here, right from the opening pages. You feel that connection to Celest and her journey almost immediately.
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The book’s first half is a chaotic journey with Celest meeting Tabitha and Tron and how they try to unsolve the mystery of where they need to go. While intriguing overall, there are a few times that this journey begins to drag, where certain parts seem unnecessary in length and description. That being said, there is purpose here, as we find out, and while I was frustrated a few times with some dialogue and plot, the story eventually got where it needed to go.
This leads us to the back end of this book.
The mysterious three travelers and their hopes, wants, and fears run smack dab into a deep dive into a sci-fi rabbit hole that was very enjoyable to read. Celest, Tabitha, and Tron soon discover that they are part of a much bigger plan, not only for them but possibly for the fate of humanity. This is not something that would be easily digestible, and for these three, it’s even more difficult at their ages. Throw in the fact that finding out about their parents only helps deepen the mysteries about just what their purpose is, and trying to cope with it all becomes a stressful and dangerous, almost daily, event.
The sci-fi aspect of the story is good, and while it might hit on some very familiar themes, it does it in a way that stays true to the characters and the story. As the book concludes, you realize the journey to get this far, while tumultuous and confusing, is only the first step in a path with no clear end in sight. There are roadblocks for people wishing to harm or use them for their own purposes. However, these three are part of a prophecy that, like all prophecies, is rather vague in details, making for a great story and stressing the “three that will come.”
This is the first novel in what is described as the Trine Trilogy, and after finishing the book, I realized this story could easily stretch out over three books. It is a well-written story wrapped in a cloak of mystery, fantasy, and sci-fi. Ultimately, it is more about the human condition and how to simply belong. Choices, consequences, and connections drive the story forward, the heart of most pages, making this sci-fi/love story something very special.
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