Customer Reviews

Celia and the Fairies

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Celia and the Fairies is a Wonderful Read for every age group . I am way past senior citizen age and the second I saw that it was written by Karen and when I saw the cover on this book I knew I wanted to read it . In my generation we read Dick, Jane and Spot. HaHa. I can still vividly remember those books and also remember being a small child growing up on a farm. Instead of fairies, we had magical Lightning bugs that glowed at night and we could see hundreds of them in the fields fluttering around twinkling in the dark. Just like Mira does.

Going back to one's childhood day's bring's back so many wonderful memories and this book did just that.

I am sure that the youngsters who read this book will remember it forever and this story also sends an important message about being good vs being bad to children. I also could of played Grandmother Celia and relate stories like this to my children and grandchildren and hopefully my great grandchildren.

I am an avid reader of myster/light thriller,light romance but I have to say that after I read one of Karen's books I was and am absolutely hooked on the way she writes and when one of her books comes to Kindle I put aside my mystery book or whatever else I am reading and start on Karen's stories.

Another Great read Karen for the youngsters and the oldsters !!!! Keep them coming. If all your future stories equal the quality of the six that I have read of your's, I am going to start saying Ditto...Ditto...Ditto

I bought this book last night and started reading it and I could not put it down. I stayed up to finish the book because it is such an engaging and charming story. The characters are soo real and the descriptions of the fairies make them so vivid and real that you can almost see them yourself. This is such a beautiful story and such a enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book! All age groups will enjoy this book.

I previewed this book on Kindle and loved it so much I bought a copy for a little girl I know who adores fairies. This story reminded me of Edward Eager's books, and in fact, has a sort of timeless, nostalgic feel to it. Celia's story is interwoven with the story of the "other Celia," her grandmother, who has come to live with Celia and her parents. As the grandmother tells the story of her childhood experience with fairies, Celia starts to have her own encounters. Throw in some evil plotting on the part of Celia's father's childhood friend turned nemesis, and you've got a full-fledged fun (and at times suspenseful), plot. I'd definitely recommend this for girls ages 7 to 11 or anyone who loves childrens' literature.

Having two children, reading children's lit has become something of a hobby for me, as I try to build up a library of really, really good books for my kids. I've found that some children's lit really works, some does not work at all, and some falls flat. For me, Celia and the Fairies just fell flat. There were some things that I really liked about it but, as a whole, I just couldn't get into the book.

I think my biggest criticism of the book is that some sections of it felt too adult to me. I don't mean this in the sense that the sections were objectionable, but that they discussed concepts that I felt would be beyond the ken of the targeted age group. In particular, I didn't feel that the parts of the book that dealt with corporate corruption were really on the mark for a young children's book. A theme like this would work in a book targeted to teenagers, but I felt like it would go right over the heads of younger children.

Another disappointment for me was with the relationship between Paul and Celia. Paul just didn't feel developed enough for me, so I had a sense that he was there more to drive the plot than to serve as a full character in his own right. I was also disappointed in the way Celia treated Paul. Paul was painted as a selfish, bossy child, but I just felt like the way Celia treated him was too mean. She does apologize, but I would have liked to see some self reflection on her part. I think it would have been a nice message for her to reflect on how her actions caused hurt feelings in someone else.

What I really liked about the book, though, was that it avoided the simplistic trap that most children's works seem to fall into: it did not divide the world into a distinct good/bad dichotomy. I really liked the message of compassion. I thought it was great that Celia's grandmother explained to Celia that no one is all good or bad, and that she introduced Celia to the idea that sometimes people do mean or bad things because they're misguided and not necessarily because they are mean or bad. I was very impressed with how Celia ultimately resolved her situation, and I would love to see more works take this nuanced a view of the "bad" guy.

Though the ending of the book was very strong and though I liked the ending a great deal, it just couldn't make up for the beginning and middle sections for me, which simply dragged. Had the whole book been like the ending, I would have rated it much higher.

I'll be honest. Brutally so. I saw this book and bought it, but in the back of my head I was saying, "Oh really, the lady that wrote that amazing adult women's fiction book, A Scattered Life, wrote a fairy tale for kids? Really? Jumping the shark much? Well, let's put this suckfest to the side to read later." *hangs head in shame* The author stopped by my blog and left a comment and we ended up exchanging a tweet or two when she emailed me asking if I would like a free review copy of Celia and the Fairies, to which I replied something like, "Oh, absolutely, I actually already bought it a while back and cannot wait to read it, it just keeps getting pushed back." (notice no suckfest comment) She still sent me a copy to share with a friend. ANYWAY...

I should have never doubted this author for a second. This is one of the most heartwarming and charming little fairy tales I've had the privilege of reading. I actually started it with my daughter but read ahead because I got so pulled into it. There's the mean old aunt next door, the little girl who's finding magic, the grandma who helps her find the way and... well, there's fairies, people! Fairies! Little human looking things with wings that fly around and glow! While set in the modern times, it had the feel of a story that had been retold before (not ripped off - that's not what I mean at all - but an old story told to little girls at bedtime).

McQuestion has, in all of her books that I've read, an amazing way of transporting you into her story. She makes the places and people come alive. I am pretty darn sure I've met Celia before, somewhere, somehow. Her writing really is THAT good.

I cannot wait to finish this book with my daughter. Her little eyes were all lit up while we were reading it. A note to parents though: If you have a kid (my daughter is 7) that is on the cusp of learning about Santa, etc, there's a line in there that might open up that discussion - depends on if you want it opened or not. I chose to change that sentence a bit myself. *laugh*

For the adults out there... this story will make you believe in fairies yourself. And in the author's talent for creating. To her, I owe a large "I'm very sorry for thinking it was going to suck". I shall never doubt again.

Very very highly recommended. I wish I could say more, but read the description, then go read the book. It's truly beautiful.

This was a charming story. The delightful characters and simple themes (good vs. evil, right vs. wrong) combined with the fantasy aspects draws you into this tale. I wish my daughter was just a little older and I would have enjoyed reading this to her. Thanks Karen McQuestion for another satisfying read!

This is an absolutely delightful and charming "modern" fairy tale that promotes being good to each other, the importance of family, and other life lessons - all without being preachy or heavy handed.

Celia is ten, and when her grandmother (the "original Celia") moves in with her and her parents, Grammy tells young Celia stories about fairies. Her parents have cautioned her that the stories aren't real... but turns out, they are! And young Celia has an important role in righting a wrong - not just with magic, but also by doing the right thing.

All of the characters, including the fairies, are very real and vivid, and you sympathize with all of them (yes, even the "bad" people; though as Grammy points out, people aren't all good or all bad). The story is very believable, and feels like something that could actually happen.

The cover recommends this for ages 9-12, but I think younger children would like it, as well as adults (I certainly did, and I'm waaaay past that age group!) Also, like another reviewer said, I would love to see a sequel to this book - or even a prequel with the "original Celia's" story.

I actually got this for my Kindle some time ago. It was one of those impulsive initial purchases I made right when I got my Kindle; for 0.99 cents it was a great deal. This Ended up being a fantastic book. A great fairy tale for the middle grade or younger set that touches on issues of responsibility, greed, environment and friendship. I enjoyed this book a lot.

Celia lives in her parents' house, a house which has been in the family for ages. Celia's grandma is going to be moving in with them; Celia loves her grandma and the stories she tells about fairies in the woods behind the house. Celia's dad is a toy maker with his own business. Things start to take a turn for the worse when an evil president of a corporate toy company wants to buy out her dad's business and he refuses. Then suddenly they are being forced out of their house because of a new highway being put in. Somehow everything is tied together and Celia has to figure out how; she also finds that she made need assistance from the supposed fairies that live in the wood's behind her house to set things right.

This was a well-written book and was easy to read. Celia is a lovable and realistic character; who tries her best but sometimes isn't as nice as she should be. I loved how subtly the magic in this story was woven into a lot of real life problems. I think kids will enjoy this because it really makes magic in everyday life seem possible.

I was most impressed with how McQuestion integrated a lot of important issues into such a simple fairy tale. In the course of the story Celia learns about corporate greed, a bit about environmentalism, how to accept people for who they are, and how to look past the evil in people and try to bring out the good in them. There were a lot of wordly and important issues addressed and they were addressed subtly enough that I think kids will learn from this but not realize they are learning from it :-)

Overall I really enjoyed this story. It was well written, the characters were believable, and the story was magical. A great story for all ages. I recently saw this availably through the Amazon Vine program and I am happy that Amazon is bringing this story to print so that it will be more widely available. I definitely recommend picking it up if you like fairy tales that deal with real world issues. I think young girls will enjoy it a lot; It is magical, insightful, and intriguing.

Celia Lovejoy (now there's a name) knows that her grandmother is special. Not just as in "everyone's grandmother is special to them," but as in Celia senior knows a secret: She saved the fairies once upon a time and she knows of a magic fairy flute--but it's broken! Oh no! Celia, junior, needs the flute to save the fairies and her family, or all is lost. All it takes is one wish...the biggest wish of Celia's life. Can she believe despite her parents' admonitions that her grandmother's stories are made-up? And why are two positive forces like Celia's parents Jonathan and Michelle Lovejoy, who own a toy company, so dismissive of magic?

in each good story there is a role model character (Celia's grandmother) and a warning example, usually the antagonist. In this case the antagonist is the aptly named Vicky McClutchy, a powerful rival toy company owner (with no toys in her office!) who wants to buy the Lovejoys' business and settle a few old scores. Vicky somehow eludes being cast as a harpy and comes off as, in Celia Senior's words, "misguided." Celia's parents' reaction to the trouble Vicky has caused, which all started because of the Watchful Woods fairies such as the strong-minded Mira, is entirely believable. In fact, considering this is a magical story with a generous dose of fantasy, the adults come off as three-dimensional. Celia herself has flaws, especially in regard to Vicky's nephew Paul, whose negativity the fairies have been trying to cure for years. The fairies in this book serve as guardian spirits trying to set the world right--and they've chosen Celia to right an old evil.

Celia ranks in the tradition of strong child female heroines, worthy of a Frances Hodgson Burnett novel or a Jim Henson film. I would love to see Henson's Creature Shop, under the direction of Henson's heirs and creative proteges, make a movie of this book. Perfect family fare for all ages and a heartwarming story that reaffirms what all kids now--grandparents are magic! Perfect for the pre-Harry Potter/Twilight crowd.

*written by her husband*

Fairies have been a part of the imaginary world in books and movies. Whether it be Tinkerbell or Pinocchio's Blue Fairy, they have delighted children for decades. I know my four-year-old daughter loves watching the Tinkerbell movies and listening to us reading her the paperbacks based on the characters. I have absolutely no doubt she would to hear this book. I certainly loved reading it.

I remember seeing that the harshest negative review felt that that the plot seemed too adult for younger children to understand. After all, the plot involves a girl who with the help of a fairy must stop an evil woman from taking over her father's toy business. While I can understand why this might not normally appeal to children, I think they could recognize evil when they hear it, and Vicky McClutchey IS downright evil. So I have the feeling that as they are reading this, children can't help but root for Celia and Mira to get back part of the magic flute that Vicky stole when she was a child.

I also think the ending is fantastic. It doesn't become a cliche, and it teaches children a powerful lesson in not only redemption, but also seeing friends in a different light.

I actually would like to see a book series of this. Many stories involving the fairies could be spun from this. Since the author did a great job with this one, she might want to consider that. It'll certainly give my daughter more stories to hear.