Celia on the Run

by Sarah Mandell

Nick Novaczek is a cautious soul, a 17-year old with a boring life, a predictable future, and a quiet thirst for danger. On the eve of his beloved grandmother's funeral, danger finds him by the motel swimming pool. Her name is Celia and she's everything he's not. This foul-mouthed beauty is hitchhiking across the country to make amends with her estranged father and doesn't carry an ounce of fear or hesitation in her tattered suitcase. She's bad news all around, but for a rule-follower like Nick, she's intoxicating.Twenty-four hours after speaking to Celia for the very first time, following one extremely lucky night, Nick is hopelessly hooked and "borrows" his parents' car to join her cross-country mission, even though her story is full of holes. It's the mistake he's been waiting his whole life to make. Together, they dodge a train, jump off a bridge, and scam everyone in their path. Nick is blossoming into a teenage fugitive, just like Celia, and he's never been happier. She may not be who she says she is, but she's got his vulnerable heart.After weeks of detours, with hundreds of miles left to go, their wild adventure starts to unravel. The money dries up, Celia's dark secrets begin to surface, and it's clear they both want vastly different things out of this partnership. Celia is all about no strings attached and severing whatever they may have between them once they reach their destination, while Nick is head over heels in love and wanting a future with the girl in his passenger seat. They seem to reach a new low on a daily basis, but she won't turn back, no matter how desperate things get. After all, this is her trip and Nick is just the driver. Celia's got a charming smile to pay her way, a willing accomplice, a hidden agenda, and an endless supply of lies. Not to mention a gun.

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2012

About the author

Sarah Mandell is a professionally trained artist with a background in commercial interior design. She's also the brains and busy hands behind a thriving indie craft business called Once Again Sam (www.onceagainsam.com). Even with an ever-expanding collection of creative outlets, she's truly the happiest when she's writing.

To learn more about Sarah Mandell please visit www.sarahmandell.com where you'll also find maps, road trip photo albums and soundtracks, all inspired by the debut novel.

Reviews

[Julie(Reading By The Beach) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review from my blog, http://readingbythebeach.blogspot.com...


Love, love, LOVED this book! This isn't a pretty little romance, it's a dark coming of age novel that takes you on an adventure across the country with two characters that elicit powerful emotions.

Celia On The Run is mostly told from Nick's perspective, a boy that so desperately wants to live life and not just watch it pass by as he has been for the seventeen years of his life. It was really refreshing to see the roles reversed as Nick is the shy, not-so-sure character and Celia is the bad-ass with confidence, attitude and a lack of self-preservation(in a way). Nick's confidence surges after his one night with Celia, and he instantly starts becoming his own person as he experiences new and, most of the time, dangerous situations. Celia's character is a mystery that we slowly get familiarized with, severely wanting to unravel the secrets that are hidden.

Celia On The Run is courageous, mostly dark and even horrific at times, gut-wrenching and exhilarating. I was gripping the edge of my seat the entire time, experiencing the ups and downs right alongside Nick and Celia. I was reluctant to set my Kindle down for even a moment, I even read while brushing my teeth! I was thoroughly invested in the story. Sarah Mandell did an excellent job of keeping the suspense, drawing in the readers and then slamming them with suspected and unsuspected outcomes. There are tender moments that left my heart stuttering, but they were slightly overshadowed by the dire situation that was ever present on the cross country trip. This only added to the tender moments, making them as sweet as can be. Sarah Mandell's writing style takes you to each scene without any trouble, letting the story play in your mind as your eyes scan the words on each page. The growth is both subtle and not, individual and as a whole. It gives you hope for a happy ending that you will never be sure is in Nick and Celia's future.

My only complaint is of the cover. I like the current cover, but I feel like it could have been better. I have a very distinct image in my head when I think about Celia On The Run, a cover that would have tied into the story more and would possibly draw in future readers.

An uninhibited view of sensitive topics done in a tactful manner that plunges you into the world of the not-so-well-off youth of America. If you are sensitive to swearing, violence, drugs and sex then this might not be a story that you will like, but it is a necessity to this story and it would not carry the same impact without it. I encourage males and females of the proper maturity to dive in because Celia On The Run is a dynamic, touching and intense adventure.

[Mandy Reads Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick has just finished high school, about to attend a college he has never laid eyes on, and is about to bury his crazy, foul mouth grandmother. He is a straight laced kid and about as boring as they come. That is until he meets a beautiful, homeless girl who is doing whatever it takes to make it to New Jersey. Celia flips Nick's neat and tidy world upside down and makes him dream of being a little reckless.

The day his family lays his grandmother in the ground, Celia takes off. Nick does the most spontaneous (and possibly the most stupidest) thing in the world: he grabs his clothes from the motel, leaves his parents a note, and takes off with Celia on the road...with his parent's car I might add. If he thought the crazy night he spent in her arms was great…he hasn’t seen anything yet. As soon as the money starts drying up, Celia resorts to less than savory ways to get it. Can Nick handle this side of Celia? Will the secrets she is hiding deep within slowly leak out for Nick to see? But most of all…can Nick make her fall in love with him by the time they meet their destination?

Celia on the run was powerful, heartbreaking, fun, raw, amazing, terrifying, and crazy. It was all that and more. So much emotion gets packed into this little book you sometimes need a breather to collect your thoughts. The author describes everything so well you feel as if you are sitting in the back seat; along with Nick and Celia on their crazy, zigzaggity road trip. But keep in mind, this book is anything but rainbows and butterflies the whole way through. There are some rough scenes that may be hard on some people. For instance there is a rape scene and lots of sexual talk. So please be considerate when deciding if this is a book for you or someone else. Is it raunchy? Not at all. In fact, I found a lot of the sexual banter quite funny.

Sarah gives us some really great characters…characters that will stay with you long after you are done. You watch Nick grow from a gangly teenager into a man in a matter of weeks. We see Celia soften her hard demeanor and slowly start letting Nick in more and more. These characters become a close friend to the reader…ones you truly care about what happens to them in the end. You will just want to hold them and tell them it will all be okay. At least that is the way I felt.

Celia on the Run is a wonderful coming of age story for Nick and a shocking in your face story of Celia. It is about two completely different souls that get intertwined together on the greatest road trip of their young lives. And what happens on that road trip will change the two of them forever. I hope you will give Celia on the Run a chance.

[Tee loves Kyle Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Celia on the Run is an amazing book to read. I have to say that the cover is so eye catching that when you finally turn the pages to start reading you are so caught in the story that the characters become something more. To me I was hoping that the two main characters would see that everything they do has consequences.

Nick is such a great character. He is as straight laced as they come. Lord the boy does not do any wrong in his life. He does not drink, smoke or give his parents any headaches like most teen boys do. Lord I loved this boy he was so perfect in every way but he had that quiet wild streak and I knew once he had a chance to explore it which is usually in college he was going to become a man and leave his boyish things behind. And boy oh boy was I right. I loved how the author took us on this ride because when Nick started the wild ride he was a little boy but at the end of the trip he became a man and I loved his character even more than ever.

Celia is a hot mess! She is hurt and determined to find her father or so she says. She has a plan but the plan did not include hooking up with Nick but when she does her life changes in ways she never knew was possible. She has lots of secrets and when some of them come out Nick will get to see a side of her that he did not see when he first met her. Through this whole experience Celia will have no choice but to decide right from wrong. She will experience her highs and lows and she will have to chose whether or not to leave the bad behind and start something real and true with Nick.

This story had me on pins and needles because I couldn't figure out whether or not Nick and Celia should be together or they should just move on. Read this story because the ending will surprise you! I know it did for me and I look forward to reading more from Sarah Mandell.

[Lee Holz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Celia on the Run is an outstanding coming of age story. It is hard to talk about this book without giving away some of the plot, which would be a crime. I will confine myself to saying I sometimes thought I had the plot figured out and sometimes I was right and sometimes I was very wrong. I will add the following adjectives that apply: funny, poignant, shocking, touching, disturbing and heartwarming. It contains fairly graphic sex and is for mature readers.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how to properly describe this book. It's very gritty and goes to some dark places. It's also exciting, fun and wild. It's full of drama and passion. It honestly made me afraid to go to sleep last night. (I actually had to watch The Glee Project afterwards, in an attempt to feel less freaked out!)

I was kind of led to believe this was a Y.A book. I can see how it would be considered Y.A, in some ways but in others, this is pretty crazy stuff. I definitely think this is a book most parents wouldn't approve of their kids reading(but aren't those the funnest books?! V.C Andrews was my guilty pleasure as a pre-teen/teen.)

It's so raw and it sent daggers through me at least a few times. It definitely made my emotions go all over the place. I have to say I really enjoyed the rollercoaster of craziness present in this one book.

First off, the characters are so flawed but they get under your skin. Even when they do risky things or fight with each other, you can't help but get sucked into their dysfuntional relationship.

The basic plot: Nick is 17 when he meets a hitchhiker named Celia. Within a day, he's under her spell and he steals his parents car and offers to drive her across the county to visit her father. He just wants to experience life before he heads to college and he is completely infatuated with Celia.

Celia is such a crazy character. The things she does and the experiences she's had in her life are all both terrifying and enthralling to read about. I just never knew what she was going to do or say next and I absolutely loved that about her.

I loved the road trip aspect (I just love books about road trips or travelling). I found it was extremely interesting to read about. I also loved the cons and scams. And the list of things that Nick wanted to do before heading to college (destroying something valuable, knowing what its like to almost drown, playing russian roulette, etc.)

Celia and Nick always seemed to be putting themselves in danger and I admit I was constantly worried for them. The part that made me not able to sleep well was a horrible gang rape. It tore my heart out and made me feel sick. It's the part that really made it seem too intense for a Y.A novel but that's just my opinion.

There were a few things that were a little un-pc but I didn't take any of it too seriously. I'm assuming they weren't meant to be taken seriously. I know some people will likely bash the book because of the dysfunctional relationship but I actually enjoyed that aspect of the book.

The thing that seemed weird and out of character for the book was the way they both become religious at the end. I just didn't expect it and didn't understand why it worked out that way. Also, I was sort of finding it hard to believe that Celia got away with killing her father. I just assume that someone would analyze the scene and know that it wasn't a suicide. I really had to suspend my belief when it came to that.

Even though I had an issue or two with the book, I still really liked it. I really believe this author shows great promise and I will be reading other books by her. I found it so edgy, gritty and absorbing. It did mess with my mind and make me scared to sleep but I think that's a great accomplishment.

I'm giving it four stars because I "really liked it", plus it's one of the most entertaining ebooks I've ever read. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something really edgy. It has sex, cursing, scams and tons of dysfuntion!

(Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion)

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could just throw up the stars on this one and walk away. I’m going 3.5 and I’m pretty torn on the star swing.

I’m not even sure how this made my radar. After I read it to see where I got it from and none of my friends have read it. (Not like me unless its an ARC) Anyhow I really wanted to read this for a while and went ahead on a whim. Let me start with the good. I really liked the idea of the story. It grabbed me right away and I liked the characters in the story. Celia was a little abrasive but I assumed there was some dark reason for it. Nick was a little too good but the ying and yang really worked most of the story. I read it in less than 2 days. It kept my attention and I didn’t want to put it down.

Ughhh…The bad. The story would gather steam and then a completely ridiculous scene would be thrown in out of nowhere. I’m tough on YA stories but these were tough to take. Then towards the end I was oh yes now I don’t have to worry which way to swing the stars and then DOH!!!...I’m ready to jump into my kindle and beat the crap out of Nick myself. I really could go on but I hate downing books. This one just didn’t work for me.

I liked the characters but thought the plot was a little predictable. Every OMG was predicted very early in the story but even with that if a couple scenes were written differently it would have been a solid 4 for me, instead it came up short.

[Shannon McCrimmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Celia on the Run is a well-written novel by author Sarah Mandell. The story takes you on a whirlwind adventure. Each chapter keeps you wanting more. I found myself wanting to sneak a peek at the end but am glad I left the element of surprise. And was I surprised! Mandell does an excellent job making you sympathetic to Celia and molding Nick's character from weak and unsure of himself to a strong, independent thinking young man. The dialogue was spot on for each character. Everything was described vividly. I hope Mandell will continue to write more novels.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Heavy relationship type books aren't my thing really.

[Francene Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I don’t read much YA fiction but I do love romances involving odd couples, and I also love books about road trips, so I thought I would give this one a try.

Nick is staying at a motel with his parents while he attends his grandmother’s funeral when he meets the enigmatic Celia. She is hitchhiking across the country to see her father and she is covertly using the facilities at the motel while she sleeps rough. Nick is drawn to her immediately, and he can’t stop watching her or thinking about her. When she returns his interest and has sex with him, he can’t believe his luck. Up to this point Nick has led a very sheltered and conventional life, and part of him yearns to break free and do something crazy for a change. Celia is everything Nick is not. She is wild, unpredictable and completely shameless. Nick falls for her hard and fast, and in the grip of passion, he steals his parent’s car so he can drive her to New Jersey.

A large part of the book is taken up with their time on the road as they get to know one another and their relationship deepens. While Nick is sure of his feelings from the start, Celia is amused by his blind adoration and she nicknames him ‘puppy’ and ‘newbie’. Nick has a list of crazy things he would like to do, and together they cross off many of them, having a great time in the process. They take unplanned detours, see some sights and meet a range of interesting and sometimes comical people. The book seems light-hearted at first as Nick and Celia enjoy themselves on their adventure and begin to open up to each other, but there is always a darkness lurking beneath the surface.

While they think it's amusing, I found many of the things they did to steal money quite mean-spirited and I particularly didn’t appreciate the way they mocked some of the people they stole from. I was never quite sure if the author wanted us to judge them for their behaviour of share their fun, which is a good thing because it forces you to examine your own values. I found Celia hard to like initially but she does redeem herself eventually in an act of selflessness that shows a lot about her. She also became a much more sympathetic character as more of her past was revealed, although there was always a sense she was hiding something and I didn’t know whether to trust her.

Nick also finds it hard to trust her, especially when it comes to other men, and there is one argument after she’s worked at a strip club to make money for gas that descends into violence. This, however, is nothing compared to the extreme violence that lies ahead. The book takes a very dark and unexpected turn that truly shocked me. Without giving too much away, I just want to say that I was disappointed that the perpetrators of this violence largely get away with it (except one who is shot through the hand), and I had to question what kind of message this is sending when they were simply let off to go and do it again. I also like to dig below the surface when I’m reading and I wondered if Celia was punished symbolically for being a “bad girl”.

This was really the only thing about the book I had issues with. Overall it is well written and the characters are defined and believable. The tension builds slowly, and the greatest strength of the book for me is the underlying menace that it always lurking, even when they are having fun together and don’t seem to have a care in the world (apart from where to scam the next meal and gas money).

There were a couple of instances of “head-hopping” that were a little distracting, but I only noticed because I always get pulled up for this in my own writing, and I doubt most people would even pick up on it. It lost momentum for me slightly after the major twist involving Celia's father, which signalled the end of their road trip, but I was still engrossed till the last page. I thought Nick’s parents were saintly and somewhat unrealistic for forgiving him so readily and embracing Celia, the girl who led him astray, but it was definitely a worthwhile read and one I would recommend to adult and young adult readers alike (15+).

Celia on the Run is an enthralling tale of young love and dark secrets that will linger with you long after you have finished reading it.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I love books that involve road trips, so I was very excited to start this one. Celia on the Run is a fast paced and exciting read. I never knew what was going to happen next and I was on the edge of my seat for most of it!

Nick is 17 and has never done anything rebellious his entire life. He has never stayed out late, never tried a cigarette, and never gave his parents a headache. How many teenagers can say that? On the eve of his grandmother's funeral he meets Celia at the motel that he and his parents are staying at. Celia is a runaway that Nick saw hitchhiking earlier that day. Nick wants to know this girl. He wants to know everything about her. He decides that for the first time in his life he is going to do something dangerous. He steals his parents car, and takes Celia across the country to New Jersey so she can be reunited with her father.

The story had a slow start for me, but once the two of them were on the road, that is when the story really took off. I really loved watching Nick grow from a young, innocent boy, to a man. I also enjoyed learning more about Celia and her past.

The writing was very easy to follow and flowed together nicely. I was impressed with how well the characters were fleshed out. I am excited to read other works by Sarah Mandell!

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. One of the craziest, most entertaining books I've read in a while. I never knew what was going to happen next. I'm really enjoying road trip books lately :) Full review on blog soon.

[Courtney James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun YA thriller!!

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

A roadtrip gone mad; an adventure gone twisted. Celia on the Run is a trip with two young adults; one wild with love, one driven by something unknown, across the country in a sort of stolen car, forced to live on nothing but their next scam.

I am always attracted to road trip/travel type books. I love the way they are normally set up; with their destinations, and detours. I love how the characters move from Point A to Point B, not only in their trip, but also in their lives. In these types of books, the characters always have baggage of some sort or another. There is almost always attraction between characters, and a kinship formed between them. The books usually end up having playlists – as when you are traveling, music is always involved, and on more than one occasion I have actually purchased music to recreate one or two of the book’s playlists, because I feel like I’m connecting more with the characters and their world. I love “visiting” the stops and locations along the trip, and seeing the world through the eyes of the characters. In the end I’m left with that feeling of wishing I could just drop everything and take a trip of my own.

I can say that with Celia on the Run, most of these things are true; but not the last. This was a road trip I was actually happy not to be a part of in reality. Celia carries a lot of burden, and Nick is a bit oblivious for a good portion of the trip. He knows that there is something not quite right about her, but he is lost in his love and obsession of her to really stop and evaluate what really might be going on. I found this a little bit frustrating, especially when taking a closer look was just a passing thought in his head and then putting the whole thing off as “letting her have her space.” She was very obviously screaming for help.

I was describing reading this book to a friend recently, and I believe my words were something along these lines, “it’s not a bad book at all, actually its written very well and for the most part I like the characters, but I’m reading timidly; waiting on the train wreck that is going to inevitably happen.” The thing is, it is very evident from the start of the book that some major collision is going to happen at some point. Evidenced by the downward spiral of events that starts at Celia and Nick’s very first real encounter, you just know something very serious is going to happen. And it does. Well, many serious things do actually. I was so caught up in the characters, and the story I couldn’t put the book down, but I truly was reading with caution; almost afraid to become too attached to the characters in a way, mostly because I don't typically like too much reality in my books. I live reality; I read to escape it. However, sticking by this book, and finishing it out to the end was rewarding in a surprising way. I was not expecting how it ended, even though could see hints of it throughout, I just wasn’t positive how the author was going to spin the foreshadowing – but I was pretty happy with the results.

Sarah Mandell put not only a lot of time and obvious love into her novel, but there is an entire website that will make this trip even more real (complete with soundtrack!) that I encourage you to check out.

So, I’d love to give you the chance to take this wild trip with Celia and Nick, and find out what happens on the other side of the train wreck. The publisher has offered a copy of Celia on the Run, therefore I have set up a giveaway below. To win a free ebook copy of Celia on the Run fill out the rafflecopter form. The first entry is free (even if you don't leave a comment - just click through, I'm not that particular), and there is an additional option for entry as well.

To enter to win, go to my website: I Loves to Read

[W.E. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

A roller coaster ride of adventure as Nick and Celia travel from one coast to the other so Celia can settle a dept with her estranged father. Having just met and surviving on nothing but Celia's street smarts and Nick's "borrowed" car, the couple embark a journey to adulthood with all of the emotional ups and downs. Dangerous, intriguing, and no idea how it will end.