This book is my A+ #1 absolute favorite book of all time. I have reread it at least once a year since it came out and it never fails to blow my mind. The characters are realistic, Celine's narration is hilarious, and the melancholy honesty makes it an invaluable novel for teen and adult readers. Seriously -- everyone must like this book.

In this book, Brock Cole introduces us to Celine Morienval, a sixteen-year-old high school student living in Chicago. Celine is a talented artist and all-around bright kid, who has a fairly good idea of what she wants to do. Her parents are divorced; her professor father has married one of his students, Catherine, who is only six years older than Celine. He has chosen to let stepmother and stepdaughter work out the details of their relationship while he attends to pressing academic business in Europe and remains an invisible presence throughout the story. Celine's has a well-developed sense of irony that she unleashes on her family situation with great humor. Her attitude towards family matters is remarkably mature.

Celine hopes to graduate from high school a year early, but is having trouble closing the deal. She has not fulfilled her athletic requirement and is under the gun to finish a paper on The Catcher in the Rye in order to pass English. She hopes to live her own life after graduation with friends in Europe, but has, at this point, neither a definite plan nor parental permission. When it comes to the nuts and bolts of life, she shows her youth and inexperience. Socially, she is well outside the confines of the female teenage "box." She has little interest in clothes, sex, drugs, rock'n'roll, etc. She relaxes by vegetating in front of the television.

Her time has been co-opted by Jake, an eight-year-old boy who lives in the next apartment and whose parents have separated. Celine always treats Jake kindly and respectfully, unlike his foolish parents. In doing so, she shows her essential good nature.

The novel ends before Celine can accomplish all her objectives. The plot deals mainly with the humorous obstacles that life places in her path. She maintains a remarkable narrative voice throughout the book (she is the narrator). In fact, it was impossible (for me) to separate her voice from that of the author, Brock Cole. This is by no means a defect of the book-it explains her remarkable fluency without detracting from her charm.

This is one of the best Young Adult novels I have ever read. Celine is a fascinating character, and her outlook on life is refreshing and funny. Several passages made me laugh out loud, even on my third reading of it. The narrative is original, lively, and captivating. This book is a real gem.

This book caught my eye at my school library, so I took it out and started reading. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! It tells all about how Celine meets Jake, deals with her 22-year-old stepmom Catherine, this creep named Dermot, and drawing an art piece she calls Celine-Beast. If you are looking for an exciting, well-written book, pick up Celine by Brock Cole ASAP!