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Ashbury/Brookfield #1
Feeling Sorry for Celia
A first novel of refreshingly original letters exchanged between teenage friends, refrigerator notes from a madcap mother, and darkly comic epistles from the heroine's internal voice of self-doubt.
The Association of Teenagers" is coming down pretty hard on Elizabeth Clarry. What is she to do when her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father suddenly reappears, and her communication with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the refrigerator? And now, because her English teacher wants to rekindle the "Joy of the Envelope" in the "Age of the Internet," a complete and utter stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else.
But Elizabeth is on the verge of some big changes. She is about to outgrow a friend, discover a great new friend, kiss the sexiest guy alive, and run in a marathon. Who needs "The Association of Teenagers" anyway?!
Jaclyn Moriarty's hilariously candid novel shows that the roller coaster ride of being a teenager is every bit as fun as it is harrowing.
About the
Jaclyn Moriarty grew up in Sydney with four sisters, one brother, two dogs, and twelve chickens. She studied English and Law at the University of Sydney, received her Master's degree atYale, and received her Ph.D. at Cambridge University. She now lives in Sydney, where she works as a Media and Entertainment Lawyer.
The Association of Teenagers" is coming down pretty hard on Elizabeth Clarry. What is she to do when her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father suddenly reappears, and her communication with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the refrigerator? And now, because her English teacher wants to rekindle the "Joy of the Envelope" in the "Age of the Internet," a complete and utter stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else.
But Elizabeth is on the verge of some big changes. She is about to outgrow a friend, discover a great new friend, kiss the sexiest guy alive, and run in a marathon. Who needs "The Association of Teenagers" anyway?!
Jaclyn Moriarty's hilariously candid novel shows that the roller coaster ride of being a teenager is every bit as fun as it is harrowing.
About the
Jaclyn Moriarty grew up in Sydney with four sisters, one brother, two dogs, and twelve chickens. She studied English and Law at the University of Sydney, received her Master's degree atYale, and received her Ph.D. at Cambridge University. She now lives in Sydney, where she works as a Media and Entertainment Lawyer.
Audio Cassette
First published May 1, 2000
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About the author
Jaclyn Moriarty
37 books1,551 followersJaclyn Moriarty is an Australian writer of young adult literature.
She studied English at the University of Sydney, and law at Yale University and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she was awarded a PhD.
She is the younger sister of Liane Moriarty. She was previously married to Canadian writer Colin McAdam, and has a son, Charlie. She currently lives in Sydney.
She studied English at the University of Sydney, and law at Yale University and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she was awarded a PhD.
She is the younger sister of Liane Moriarty. She was previously married to Canadian writer Colin McAdam, and has a son, Charlie. She currently lives in Sydney.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 716 reviews
February 3, 2021
I was recommended this book because of the cool formatting (which, I can testify, makes for an engaging reading experience... I like how you see different elements of the character through these different media of her life).
HOWEVER, this book is much too young for me and I just didn't enjoy the storyline. It felt too outlandish and, aside from the protagonist, I didn't think the characters were that believable. I ended up skimming the whole second half of the book.
HOWEVER, this book is much too young for me and I just didn't enjoy the storyline. It felt too outlandish and, aside from the protagonist, I didn't think the characters were that believable. I ended up skimming the whole second half of the book.
April 1, 2013
Dear US readers,
Do not be alarmed by how accessible this book is to people living in the States. This does not diminish the awesomeness that we've come to expect from Australian authors. Nor do you have to jump through hoops or swim through the rings of Fishpond hell to get it!
This book is a series of letters to and from Elizabeth Clarry. Her new English teacher decides to revive the Lost Art of Letter Writing and has his students write letters to the rival high school. Elizabeth's penpal ends up being Christina Kratovac. Through the letters between Elizabeth and Christina, Elizabeth and her mum (THE HILARIOUS ALL CAPS OVER-EXCLAMATION POINTER!!!!), and various unsolicited letters, we get a look into the lives of our characters. The Celia in the title refers to Elizabeth's lifelong best friend and potential missing person -- potential because she often chooses to go missing.
This book was first published in 2000 so there are some dated references, like Walkmans. Remember those? But in this age of Twitter, Goodreads, and blogs, where we (or at least I) spend a good portion of my day chatting, tweeting, and emailing people I've never met but formed solid relationships with, this book is actually rather timely. I totally related to how Elizabeth and Christina's friendship began and grew, how you can feel like you know someone without being able to recognize them on the street. Sometimes I find it's easier to share things with someone you don't have to see everyday. You can also find people who share your very specific interests (Melina Marchetta + San Antonio Spurs + Friday Night Lights + Graffiti Moon + GIFs of waving bears + Tom Hardy's ass), which is an instant basis for friendship.
Basically, I really enjoyed this book. And you can too! Really available, not Fishpond available, at IndieBound, B&N, and Amazon.
Yours sincerely,
A dues-paying member of the We ♥ Aussie YA Association
This review appears on Young Adult Anonymous. You can also find the book on sale for $3.99 at BookCloseouts.
Do not be alarmed by how accessible this book is to people living in the States. This does not diminish the awesomeness that we've come to expect from Australian authors. Nor do you have to jump through hoops or swim through the rings of Fishpond hell to get it!
This book is a series of letters to and from Elizabeth Clarry. Her new English teacher decides to revive the Lost Art of Letter Writing and has his students write letters to the rival high school. Elizabeth's penpal ends up being Christina Kratovac. Through the letters between Elizabeth and Christina, Elizabeth and her mum (THE HILARIOUS ALL CAPS OVER-EXCLAMATION POINTER!!!!), and various unsolicited letters, we get a look into the lives of our characters. The Celia in the title refers to Elizabeth's lifelong best friend and potential missing person -- potential because she often chooses to go missing.
This book was first published in 2000 so there are some dated references, like Walkmans. Remember those? But in this age of Twitter, Goodreads, and blogs, where we (or at least I) spend a good portion of my day chatting, tweeting, and emailing people I've never met but formed solid relationships with, this book is actually rather timely. I totally related to how Elizabeth and Christina's friendship began and grew, how you can feel like you know someone without being able to recognize them on the street. Sometimes I find it's easier to share things with someone you don't have to see everyday. You can also find people who share your very specific interests (Melina Marchetta + San Antonio Spurs + Friday Night Lights + Graffiti Moon + GIFs of waving bears + Tom Hardy's ass), which is an instant basis for friendship.
Basically, I really enjoyed this book. And you can too! Really available, not Fishpond available, at IndieBound, B&N, and Amazon.
Yours sincerely,
A dues-paying member of the We ♥ Aussie YA Association
This review appears on Young Adult Anonymous. You can also find the book on sale for $3.99 at BookCloseouts.
July 20, 2017
Written in letter form, Feeling Sorry for Celia by Aussie author Jaclyn Moriarty is so completely different it’s delightful. With Elizabeth’s English teacher getting the students to write to a Complete and Utter Stranger, Elizabeth becomes friendly with Christine. Their letters back and forth are funny, light-hearted and filled with teenage angst.
With Celia, Elizabeth’s best friend missing, eventually turning up at a circus, the postcards to Elizabeth (who she calls Lizzy) get progressively more worrying. And Elizabeth’s father has returned to Sydney from Canada where he plans to live for a year. He’s completely wacky and hasn’t got a clue how to talk to his only daughter.
Elizabeth’s mother puts huge notes on the fridge for Elizabeth, never seeming to be there for her…
Feeling Sorry for Celia is my first read of Jaclyn Moriarty’s and it’s also her debut. Recommended for young adult fans everywhere.
With Celia, Elizabeth’s best friend missing, eventually turning up at a circus, the postcards to Elizabeth (who she calls Lizzy) get progressively more worrying. And Elizabeth’s father has returned to Sydney from Canada where he plans to live for a year. He’s completely wacky and hasn’t got a clue how to talk to his only daughter.
Elizabeth’s mother puts huge notes on the fridge for Elizabeth, never seeming to be there for her…
Feeling Sorry for Celia is my first read of Jaclyn Moriarty’s and it’s also her debut. Recommended for young adult fans everywhere.
August 8, 2016
This is such a lovely read! I know the other sister (Liane) is the one whose books are being made into movies but I think Jaclyn's books are fantastic too.
Feeling Sorry for Celia is quirky and clever. It is written for young adults but it never talks down to them and is perfectly readable for any age group. As the reader we do feel sorry for Celia but the main character is Elizabeth and she is remarkable. The relationship between her and her mother is unusual but it works and is always entertaining.
The book is written in letter form - letters from Elizabeth to her friends, postcards from her friends, notes from her mother on the fridge, imaginary letters from imaginary critics, all sorts of different correspondence. It is a great way to read and very hard to stop! I kept saying "just one more" and eventually completed the whole book in record time!
Highly recommended:)
Feeling Sorry for Celia is quirky and clever. It is written for young adults but it never talks down to them and is perfectly readable for any age group. As the reader we do feel sorry for Celia but the main character is Elizabeth and she is remarkable. The relationship between her and her mother is unusual but it works and is always entertaining.
The book is written in letter form - letters from Elizabeth to her friends, postcards from her friends, notes from her mother on the fridge, imaginary letters from imaginary critics, all sorts of different correspondence. It is a great way to read and very hard to stop! I kept saying "just one more" and eventually completed the whole book in record time!
Highly recommended:)
March 21, 2012
Dear Reader:
You are probably wondering whether or not you should read Feeling Sorry for Celia. I know this about you because you're reading this review of the book, which is supposed to tell you whether or not you should read it. If you think about it, this makes book reviewers pretty arrogant people.
Like I should know you well enough to know if this book is any good for you. Who am I? A complete stranger. Yes, a slightly clever stranger who reads lots of books, but still a stranger.
In my opinion, you shouldn't care so much about the opinions of strangers. I know that you care about the opinions of strangers because you're reading the opinion of a stranger right this second.
See? You're still here. You care.
But in this case, maybe you should care about what people say about this book. Maybe they'll tell you that this is the best book they've ever read. If they do tell you that, you should buy a copy of the book as soon as possible. Or request it at your local library. If you're bored while waiting for the library to get the book for you, you can think about things that are purple. What are some really purple things?
Or maybe they'll say that this book is not worth the time, because they thought it was about the circus when they picked it up. I understand why someone might think that because there is a girl on a tightrope on the cover of the book. But it turns out the book is really just about some people named Elizabeth, Celia, Christina (NOT TINA), the mysterious J_____, and Saxton.
Which is actually kind of boring compared to the circus.
Then there will be some opinions that gently say that the book is readable and slightly entertaining and those are really no help at all, because why else would the book be published if it wasn't at least slightly entertaining, hmm?
I think that with any of these options, you're pretty much screwed, because you can never know what you'll think of the book until you actually read it. But you're not reading the book, are you? You're still reading the strangely written review of the book from a complete stranger, which I've already told you, is pretty much useless.
So go read the book already.
Sincerely,
The Society of Why Book Reviews Are Silly, But Sometimes Helpful, But Sometimes Completely Off-Base, and Why Don't You Just Read The Book Yourself Already?!... Oh Yeah, Because You're Still Reading This Review
You are probably wondering whether or not you should read Feeling Sorry for Celia. I know this about you because you're reading this review of the book, which is supposed to tell you whether or not you should read it. If you think about it, this makes book reviewers pretty arrogant people.
Like I should know you well enough to know if this book is any good for you. Who am I? A complete stranger. Yes, a slightly clever stranger who reads lots of books, but still a stranger.
In my opinion, you shouldn't care so much about the opinions of strangers. I know that you care about the opinions of strangers because you're reading the opinion of a stranger right this second.
See? You're still here. You care.
But in this case, maybe you should care about what people say about this book. Maybe they'll tell you that this is the best book they've ever read. If they do tell you that, you should buy a copy of the book as soon as possible. Or request it at your local library. If you're bored while waiting for the library to get the book for you, you can think about things that are purple. What are some really purple things?
Or maybe they'll say that this book is not worth the time, because they thought it was about the circus when they picked it up. I understand why someone might think that because there is a girl on a tightrope on the cover of the book. But it turns out the book is really just about some people named Elizabeth, Celia, Christina (NOT TINA), the mysterious J_____, and Saxton.
Which is actually kind of boring compared to the circus.
Then there will be some opinions that gently say that the book is readable and slightly entertaining and those are really no help at all, because why else would the book be published if it wasn't at least slightly entertaining, hmm?
I think that with any of these options, you're pretty much screwed, because you can never know what you'll think of the book until you actually read it. But you're not reading the book, are you? You're still reading the strangely written review of the book from a complete stranger, which I've already told you, is pretty much useless.
So go read the book already.
Sincerely,
The Society of Why Book Reviews Are Silly, But Sometimes Helpful, But Sometimes Completely Off-Base, and Why Don't You Just Read The Book Yourself Already?!... Oh Yeah, Because You're Still Reading This Review
August 19, 2013
!!!!IMPORTANT!!!!LOOK AT THIS REVIEW!!!!OVER HERE!!!!ON YOUR SCREEN!!!!
READERS,
I HOPE YOU LIKE AND 'LIKE' THIS REVIEW, AS IN THE LITTLE BUTTON DOWN THERE, AS IN BELOW THIS REVIEW, NOT 'DOWN THERE'.
ELIZABETH CLARRY, YOUR DEAR MC, IS PRACTICING TO BE THE FUTURE QUEEN OF THE IAFF. BUT SHE DIDN'T WANT YOU TO MISS OUT ON HOW AWESOME A JOURNEY IT WAS TO BE FEELING SORRY FOR CELIA. HOW BITTERSWEET AND LOLWUT! HOW VERY AUSTRALIAN AND COMPLICATED!
I'LL TRY TO HELP YOU ALONG, BUT I CAN ONLY HERD YOU TO THE EDGE. YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE THE JUMP. WELL, I CAN ALWAYS PUSH YOU- BUT THOSE THINGS ARE NOT IN MY REPERTOIRE AND ANOTHER ORGANIZATION ALREADY HAS MONOPOLY OVER THAT. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT FRIENDSHIPS, GROWING APART AND FORGING NEW ONES, GROWING UP, EVIL DADS, FLIGHTY FRIENDS, ANONYMOUS IN AN EPISTOLARY FORMAT. READ IT.
IN ANY CASE, HAVE A RAINY DAY. I ALREADY AM.
LOVE FROM YOUR THOUGHTFUL
AND FAVORITE REVIEWER
________________________________________
'Stuti's room amidst rain- her mother's nightmare!' Photograph taken and incinerated(hence, no photograph) by Mushu. Postcard produced by Books behind Dam{n}s.
Hi!!!! Wish you'd read this book! Even if it wasn't perfect. And it really wasn't. Sometimes, the humor was stretched too far(but I snorted all the same) and it wasn't consistent. The book is very depressing in a lot of parts and the humorous sections have been coagulated. Some of the characters , particularly Celia and Saxon's, didn't really come across as either likable or realistic; I didn't feel them. But did I stress enough on the reading part? Damn, Christina's gonna kill me.
Love,
Me
__________________________________________
Dear reader,
It has come to our attention that you are extremely bad at following the above advice and are still reading this review.
Look, we're not going to threaten you, not really, but observe yourself. Really observe. That hollowness in your laugh? That emptiness in your jokes? The disconcerting feeling of being left alone in the land of laughs(which is another book, btw)? That point in your day when nothing is good enough? When you feel, screw these characters, I'm going to sleep?
Do you think it's all going to vanish by continuing on with your day? Or maybe, perhaps, mayhap, that it all will be nuked out of your universe if you just gave in to this very australian, but still readily and cheaply available, book. Did you even think of that? Did you? No, you didn't.
Therefore, could you just go out and borrow/beg/steal/buy this book now? Not to be rude or inconsiderate, but if you don't, could you please climb into the refrigerator and wait very quietly until your good sense comes back to you.
After all, I can always push you, but I can't make you swim.
Yours sincerely,
The Association of We-don't-really-threat
P.S. we can always push you, but it's better if you jump.
READERS,
I HOPE YOU LIKE AND 'LIKE' THIS REVIEW, AS IN THE LITTLE BUTTON DOWN THERE, AS IN BELOW THIS REVIEW, NOT 'DOWN THERE'.
ELIZABETH CLARRY, YOUR DEAR MC, IS PRACTICING TO BE THE FUTURE QUEEN OF THE IAFF. BUT SHE DIDN'T WANT YOU TO MISS OUT ON HOW AWESOME A JOURNEY IT WAS TO BE FEELING SORRY FOR CELIA. HOW BITTERSWEET AND LOLWUT! HOW VERY AUSTRALIAN AND COMPLICATED!
I'LL TRY TO HELP YOU ALONG, BUT I CAN ONLY HERD YOU TO THE EDGE. YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE THE JUMP. WELL, I CAN ALWAYS PUSH YOU- BUT THOSE THINGS ARE NOT IN MY REPERTOIRE AND ANOTHER ORGANIZATION ALREADY HAS MONOPOLY OVER THAT. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT FRIENDSHIPS, GROWING APART AND FORGING NEW ONES, GROWING UP, EVIL DADS, FLIGHTY FRIENDS, ANONYMOUS IN AN EPISTOLARY FORMAT. READ IT.
IN ANY CASE, HAVE A RAINY DAY. I ALREADY AM.
LOVE FROM YOUR THOUGHTFUL
AND FAVORITE REVIEWER
________________________________________
'Stuti's room amidst rain- her mother's nightmare!' Photograph taken and incinerated(hence, no photograph) by Mushu. Postcard produced by Books behind Dam{n}s.
Hi!!!! Wish you'd read this book! Even if it wasn't perfect. And it really wasn't. Sometimes, the humor was stretched too far(but I snorted all the same) and it wasn't consistent. The book is very depressing in a lot of parts and the humorous sections have been coagulated. Some of the characters , particularly Celia and Saxon's, didn't really come across as either likable or realistic; I didn't feel them. But did I stress enough on the reading part? Damn, Christina's gonna kill me.
Love,
Me
__________________________________________
Dear reader,
It has come to our attention that you are extremely bad at following the above advice and are still reading this review.
Look, we're not going to threaten you, not really, but observe yourself. Really observe. That hollowness in your laugh? That emptiness in your jokes? The disconcerting feeling of being left alone in the land of laughs(which is another book, btw)? That point in your day when nothing is good enough? When you feel, screw these characters, I'm going to sleep?
Do you think it's all going to vanish by continuing on with your day? Or maybe, perhaps, mayhap, that it all will be nuked out of your universe if you just gave in to this very australian, but still readily and cheaply available, book. Did you even think of that? Did you? No, you didn't.
Therefore, could you just go out and borrow/beg/steal/buy this book now? Not to be rude or inconsiderate, but if you don't, could you please climb into the refrigerator and wait very quietly until your good sense comes back to you.
After all, I can always push you, but I can't make you swim.
Yours sincerely,
The Association of We-don't-really-threat
P.S. we can always push you, but it's better if you jump.
August 18, 2013
Feeling Sorry for Celia is hilarious, heartfelt, and an absolute delight. Moriarty's specialty seems to be novels told in an epistolary form and her talent comes alive in this novel. Elizabeth, the protagonist of our tale, begins a written correspondence with Christina, a girl from a neighboring school, that soon blossoms into a tight friendship. The titular Celia is Elizabeth's best friend since childhood, a wild spirit who is constantly running away from home. Like Moriarty's latest, A Corner of White, her debut serves as a character-driven piece, centering about Elizabeth and her gradual journey of self-discovery. With a long-lost father come to stay in Sydney, a neglectful mother who communicates through notes, and a missing best friend, Elizabeth's year is about to become far more complicated than she anticipated.
What I love about Moriarty's work is the utter cleverness of it. I kid you not, this woman is a genius. Feeling Sorry for Celia is dispersed with short notes to Elizabeth from multiple organizations with names such as "THE COLD HARD TRUTH" or "The Best Friend Society" which serve to reflect Elizabeth's own conflicting feelings and her emotions of self-doubt. Growing up, the teenage years are perhaps the most difficult because of these mood-swings and Moriarty conveys these increasingly mixed feelings that Elizabeth has towards others and towards herself in the form of these notes. Additionally, the many tales of Elizabeth's life are told through her letters to Christina, who gradually becomes a confidant and helps Elizabeth to realize that friends, like other things, change as you grow older. And that's okay. I love that this is the theme of this novel - that change, in every way, is inevitable and perfectly alright. We need more books in YA that epitomize this because, truly, no friendship is perfect and long-lasting, as much as we'd all like to believe. When one door closes, another one opens. It really does.
And yet, my favorite part of this story was Elizabeth's own relationship with her mother. Although we see their interactions through colorful and amusing notes stuck on the refrigerator, mostly because Elizabeth's mother is busy so often, it provides a different angle to the classic mother-daughter relationship. I like seeing a mother who doesn't let her single parenthood dictate her life. I like seeing that Elizabeth's mother pursues her passions, but also loves her daughter very, very much. Elizabeth is fiercely independent, but the love and comfort she gains from her mother is still visible. It is a delicate balance to strike, one that becomes more obvious and meaningful as the novel progresses, but it is present and beautiful all the same. All in all, Feeling Sorry for Celia is one of the best contemporaries out there and an unexpectedly honest portrayal of growing up, facing the world, and friendship.
*Bonus: Sex Positive YA, Anonymous Letters, Secret Admirers, Rescue Missions, and Circuses!
What I love about Moriarty's work is the utter cleverness of it. I kid you not, this woman is a genius. Feeling Sorry for Celia is dispersed with short notes to Elizabeth from multiple organizations with names such as "THE COLD HARD TRUTH" or "The Best Friend Society" which serve to reflect Elizabeth's own conflicting feelings and her emotions of self-doubt. Growing up, the teenage years are perhaps the most difficult because of these mood-swings and Moriarty conveys these increasingly mixed feelings that Elizabeth has towards others and towards herself in the form of these notes. Additionally, the many tales of Elizabeth's life are told through her letters to Christina, who gradually becomes a confidant and helps Elizabeth to realize that friends, like other things, change as you grow older. And that's okay. I love that this is the theme of this novel - that change, in every way, is inevitable and perfectly alright. We need more books in YA that epitomize this because, truly, no friendship is perfect and long-lasting, as much as we'd all like to believe. When one door closes, another one opens. It really does.
And yet, my favorite part of this story was Elizabeth's own relationship with her mother. Although we see their interactions through colorful and amusing notes stuck on the refrigerator, mostly because Elizabeth's mother is busy so often, it provides a different angle to the classic mother-daughter relationship. I like seeing a mother who doesn't let her single parenthood dictate her life. I like seeing that Elizabeth's mother pursues her passions, but also loves her daughter very, very much. Elizabeth is fiercely independent, but the love and comfort she gains from her mother is still visible. It is a delicate balance to strike, one that becomes more obvious and meaningful as the novel progresses, but it is present and beautiful all the same. All in all, Feeling Sorry for Celia is one of the best contemporaries out there and an unexpectedly honest portrayal of growing up, facing the world, and friendship.
*Bonus: Sex Positive YA, Anonymous Letters, Secret Admirers, Rescue Missions, and Circuses!
January 21, 2010
"Feeling Sorry for Celia" is Moriarty's debut novel and the second book I've read by this author. Looking back, I probably should have read this book first, before "The Year of Secret Assignments," because they both are set in the same "world," have common characters, and reading "Feeling Sorry for Celia" first would have probably helped me to understand events in the second novel better. However, these two books are not a part of a series, they are completely independent novels, so reading them out of order wasn't that much of a problem in the end I suppose.
My opinion about this book is pretty much the same as about "The Year of Secret Assignment," probably because they are very similar. Not only they both are written entirely in letters, notes, and diaries, but the themes are the same too - friendships found through forced correspondence between two rivaling schools, family troubles, psychological volatility of some characters, teen romance. I still don't get the lighter, funnier parts of the book. They seems just too weird for me, I don't know why. But the parts dealing with "serious" issues are very well done.
I don't think I would whole-heartedly recommend Moriarty's books to any of my reading friends, but personally I am very drawn to them. It probably has something to do with the epistolary format...
My opinion about this book is pretty much the same as about "The Year of Secret Assignment," probably because they are very similar. Not only they both are written entirely in letters, notes, and diaries, but the themes are the same too - friendships found through forced correspondence between two rivaling schools, family troubles, psychological volatility of some characters, teen romance. I still don't get the lighter, funnier parts of the book. They seems just too weird for me, I don't know why. But the parts dealing with "serious" issues are very well done.
I don't think I would whole-heartedly recommend Moriarty's books to any of my reading friends, but personally I am very drawn to them. It probably has something to do with the epistolary format...
May 23, 2015
Raring 4.5
Now I must get my hands on book two ...*sigh* Aussie authors are more difficult to find ... and by default the prices are always higher (for what I paid for four Marchetta's books and the two of Ms Moriarty, I could have bought twelve books by US or British authors)... *sigh*... but so worth it. Damn it!
Dear Ms Moriarty,
We are pleased to inform you, we loved your book, great work!
Yours truly,
The Association of Happy Readers
P.S
We would be also thrilled to here news regarding a publication date of the third book in the The Colors of Madeline series.
!!!! ELIZABETH!!!! DOWN HERE!!! IN THE REVIEW SPACE!!! ELIZABETH, I WAS DELIGHTED BY YOUR STORY, WITH ALL THE LETTERS AND FAX MESSAGES, IMAGINARY NOTICES BY YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS AND ESPECIALLY YOUR MOM'S POST-IT NOTES. YOUR MOM ROCKS!!!
I'VE ENJOYED EVERY MOMENT OF YOUR STORY!!
YOURS,
READER
P.S.
we really appreciated how you stick it up to that uppity Association Of Teenagers. You Go, Girl!!
This was probably one of those few YA-contemporary books that I will remember in the years to come and wonder why I gave only a four star rating.
Books that fit this genre, usually make me scratch my head half-a-year later, trying to remember the story-line no matter how delightful I thought them after reading the last line.
Once in a while I get to read a YA-contemporary that endures the time-test, like books by Melina Marchetta, Vikki Wakefield, Courtney Summers, Kirsty Eagar and now Jaclyn Moriarty, who won me over with her Colours of Madeleine books.
Seriously, who could have thought that a story written entirely like an exchange of correspondence could be such fun? Nothing but mailed letters, postcards , notes slipped in backpacks (anonymously, of course), letters via fax, post-it notes and crazy and bizarre missives from imaginary organizations like The Association of Teenagers, The Best Friends Club, The Society of Amateur Detectives, The Young Romance Society, The Cold Hard Truth Association, etc.
Feeling Sorry for Celia was joy to read.
....and no love-triangle!!
Now I must get my hands on book two ...*sigh* Aussie authors are more difficult to find ... and by default the prices are always higher (for what I paid for four Marchetta's books and the two of Ms Moriarty, I could have bought twelve books by US or British authors)... *sigh*... but so worth it. Damn it!
Dear Ms Moriarty,
We are pleased to inform you, we loved your book, great work!
Yours truly,
The Association of Happy Readers
P.S
We would be also thrilled to here news regarding a publication date of the third book in the The Colors of Madeline series.
!!!! ELIZABETH!!!! DOWN HERE!!! IN THE REVIEW SPACE!!! ELIZABETH, I WAS DELIGHTED BY YOUR STORY, WITH ALL THE LETTERS AND FAX MESSAGES, IMAGINARY NOTICES BY YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS AND ESPECIALLY YOUR MOM'S POST-IT NOTES. YOUR MOM ROCKS!!!
I'VE ENJOYED EVERY MOMENT OF YOUR STORY!!
YOURS,
READER
P.S.
we really appreciated how you stick it up to that uppity Association Of Teenagers. You Go, Girl!!
This was probably one of those few YA-contemporary books that I will remember in the years to come and wonder why I gave only a four star rating.
Books that fit this genre, usually make me scratch my head half-a-year later, trying to remember the story-line no matter how delightful I thought them after reading the last line.
Once in a while I get to read a YA-contemporary that endures the time-test, like books by Melina Marchetta, Vikki Wakefield, Courtney Summers, Kirsty Eagar and now Jaclyn Moriarty, who won me over with her Colours of Madeleine books.
Seriously, who could have thought that a story written entirely like an exchange of correspondence could be such fun? Nothing but mailed letters, postcards , notes slipped in backpacks (anonymously, of course), letters via fax, post-it notes and crazy and bizarre missives from imaginary organizations like The Association of Teenagers, The Best Friends Club, The Society of Amateur Detectives, The Young Romance Society, The Cold Hard Truth Association, etc.
Feeling Sorry for Celia was joy to read.
....and no love-triangle!!
September 4, 2011
Feeling Sorry For Celia was one of those books which took me a while to get into as its not written in your typical format, but in the form of letters, notes and postcards between characters. However once I got a feel for the style of writing, I found myself zipping through the pages. Feeling sorry for Celia tells the story of Elizabeth, whose dealing with the ups and downs of being a teenager; her spontaneous friend Celia has gone missing, Celia’s mum thinks that this is perfectly normal, her dad has unexpectedly announced that he’s moving back to Sydney, she’s receiving anonymous notes from a stranger who catches her bus and on top of all that she has training to do for an upcoming marathon!
What I enjoyed most about this book was reading the letters from Elizabeth’s mum and the anonymous stranger, as they were extremely funny;
I have now created a web for myself which I see no
Way to untangle. I am only sorry to have got you tangled
Too. I’m going to have to pack up and move interstate.
Tonight, I will call the CIA and ask if they have any
Spare identities for me to assume.
It is now a matter of national security that you forget
My existence.
Forgive me.
A stranger
ELIZABETH!!! OVER HERE! ON THE TABLE! BY THE
HYDRANGEA? IT’S A NOTE FROM YOUR MOTHER!!!
I also enjoyed the witty, quirky characters, the unexpected surprises and the friendship Elizabeth was able to form with Christina through the letters they sent to each other.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Feeling sorry for Celia, Jaclyn Moriarty did a brilliant job in creating such a fun and humorous read and illustrating that sometimes friendships can be found in places you least expect them.
What I enjoyed most about this book was reading the letters from Elizabeth’s mum and the anonymous stranger, as they were extremely funny;
I have now created a web for myself which I see no
Way to untangle. I am only sorry to have got you tangled
Too. I’m going to have to pack up and move interstate.
Tonight, I will call the CIA and ask if they have any
Spare identities for me to assume.
It is now a matter of national security that you forget
My existence.
Forgive me.
A stranger
ELIZABETH!!! OVER HERE! ON THE TABLE! BY THE
HYDRANGEA? IT’S A NOTE FROM YOUR MOTHER!!!
I also enjoyed the witty, quirky characters, the unexpected surprises and the friendship Elizabeth was able to form with Christina through the letters they sent to each other.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Feeling sorry for Celia, Jaclyn Moriarty did a brilliant job in creating such a fun and humorous read and illustrating that sometimes friendships can be found in places you least expect them.
Read
January 20, 2026Part of my mission to find books I loved as a kid in second hand shops to create Home Library of every book I’ve ever known. Reread and I think YA is actually so hard to write but this book is so good, glad to have it on lock
August 31, 2013
The cover's horrible. Don't look at it. If ever there were a case of "don't judge a book by its cover" this is it.
I love this author. This is the second book of hers I've tried, and I'm sure I'll be polishing off the rest of this series before the end of the year.
I guess I started them out of order, but I don't think it matters. This one focuses on Elizabeth Clarry (also a character in The Murder of Bindy MacKenzie) and is told through notes and letters, including imaginary letters from various "associations" (such as The Association of Teenagers) that represent Elizabeth's many anxieties.
This book reminded me of the pen pals I made growing up. It makes me feel old to think that I used to exchange addresses with people as readily as cell numbers, emails or Facebook friendships are exchanged now. The letters between Elizabeth and Christina are often laugh-out-loud funny, but they also represent so much of what is beautiful in a budding friendship.
Jaclyn Moriarty writes creatively and humorously about the pain and joy of growing up. I'm glad there are more of her books out there for me to read!
I love this author. This is the second book of hers I've tried, and I'm sure I'll be polishing off the rest of this series before the end of the year.
I guess I started them out of order, but I don't think it matters. This one focuses on Elizabeth Clarry (also a character in The Murder of Bindy MacKenzie) and is told through notes and letters, including imaginary letters from various "associations" (such as The Association of Teenagers) that represent Elizabeth's many anxieties.
This book reminded me of the pen pals I made growing up. It makes me feel old to think that I used to exchange addresses with people as readily as cell numbers, emails or Facebook friendships are exchanged now. The letters between Elizabeth and Christina are often laugh-out-loud funny, but they also represent so much of what is beautiful in a budding friendship.
Jaclyn Moriarty writes creatively and humorously about the pain and joy of growing up. I'm glad there are more of her books out there for me to read!
June 18, 2015
This is a new favorite.
August 17, 2024
So a bit of backstory. I work at a library. This was a book that hadn’t been checked out for o we five years. I wondered why. I started to read. I never stopped. Except for food and work and life. But I never stopped. I don’t know why people didn’t picked it up and read. But I’m not people. I’m floored.
.
I really liked this book. It’s told in letters and notes and yeah I love epistolary themes in books.
-
It’s about a a girl in her teens living her life but everything changes the day her best friend since childhood runs away. And her English teacher give them a new assignment - to write letters to a stranger….
.
It was a fast paced read because of the format. But I truly thrived while reading it. I really come to like Elisabeth as a character and her (mis)adventures of life. It was a funny and lovely read. Like there wasn’t really anything I didn’t like. It was perfect from start to finish.
.
So, I do still wonder why people haven’t picked it up but now I am obligated to save it for a few years more. People needs to read this. Teenagers need to. If they want to have a nice “slice of life” story put into there hands which will give them happiness and a chance to laugh and to love and cherish.
.
I really liked this book. It’s told in letters and notes and yeah I love epistolary themes in books.
-
It’s about a a girl in her teens living her life but everything changes the day her best friend since childhood runs away. And her English teacher give them a new assignment - to write letters to a stranger….
.
It was a fast paced read because of the format. But I truly thrived while reading it. I really come to like Elisabeth as a character and her (mis)adventures of life. It was a funny and lovely read. Like there wasn’t really anything I didn’t like. It was perfect from start to finish.
.
So, I do still wonder why people haven’t picked it up but now I am obligated to save it for a few years more. People needs to read this. Teenagers need to. If they want to have a nice “slice of life” story put into there hands which will give them happiness and a chance to laugh and to love and cherish.
December 25, 2015
Dear Reader,
This review also appears on Reading with Jenna.
Despite what the title suggests, this book is not about Celia. This novel follows the life of Elizabeth Clarry, a 15 year old high school student from Sydney. Her mother is a bit flighty and neglectful, her father who left her mother before Elizabeth was born has now moved back to Sydney from Toronto, and her best and only friend, Celia, has gone missing. Her high school starts a pen pal system with a nearby school and Elizabeth develops a new friendship with her pen pal, Christina.
Feeling Sorry for Celia is very much a slice-of-life kind of novel, written entirely in epistolary form. It not only includes letters between Elizabeth and Christina, but also little notes between Liz and her mother and terrifyingly mean letters from random associations like the Society of People who are Definitely Going to Fail High School, COLD HARD TRUTH ASSOCIATION, Housewives of the World United, The Society of High School Runners Who Aren’t Very Good at Long Distance Running but Would be if they Just Trained, The Association of Teenagers, etc. These letters from the random societies are most likely just random thoughts in Elizabeth’s head but they were incredibly insightful and funny to read. I really enjoyed that this book was written in epistolary form because it allowed us to get to know Elizabeth’s personality and to enjoy her humour. It felt intimate and I was completely drawn into her life and all the chaos around her, despite the book being more of a slice-of-life, everyday kind of story.
I thought the characters in this book were quirky and interesting, but they never came across as too quirky. While some of the characters behaved in drastic and unusual ways, the format of the book made everything seem lighthearted and just right. The book had a great balance of humour, solemnity, heartbreak and optimism, which made it just a pleasure to read. I never felt the chaos or the burden of all of Elizabeth’s problems and it was just a joy to be able to see into Elizabeth’s life and follow her as she discovers different aspects of herself. I thought it was a wonderful coming-of-age story that most young adults will be able to relate to or connect with. It’s a story about friendship and what it means to be a friend, but it’s also a story about how to be your best self even when faced with problems that you don’t want anything to do with. It has the beautiful writing that I’ve come to associate with Jaclyn Moriarty, after having read A Corner of White and The Cracks in the Kingdom a couple weeks ago.
If you’re looking for a funny book with a cast of very funny characters, I’d highly recommend this one. It was a very quick read because of the epistolary format and it’s impossible not to love Elizabeth, her mother and Elizabeth’s secret admirer who is sorrybutnotsorry about remaining anonymous.
Kind regards,
The Society of This Review is Really Short and Unstructured but it’s Currently Really Hot in Sydney and I Have Lost the Ability to Think and Write but You Should Read This Book or Any Book by Jaclyn Moriarty.
This review also appears on Reading with Jenna.
Despite what the title suggests, this book is not about Celia. This novel follows the life of Elizabeth Clarry, a 15 year old high school student from Sydney. Her mother is a bit flighty and neglectful, her father who left her mother before Elizabeth was born has now moved back to Sydney from Toronto, and her best and only friend, Celia, has gone missing. Her high school starts a pen pal system with a nearby school and Elizabeth develops a new friendship with her pen pal, Christina.
Feeling Sorry for Celia is very much a slice-of-life kind of novel, written entirely in epistolary form. It not only includes letters between Elizabeth and Christina, but also little notes between Liz and her mother and terrifyingly mean letters from random associations like the Society of People who are Definitely Going to Fail High School, COLD HARD TRUTH ASSOCIATION, Housewives of the World United, The Society of High School Runners Who Aren’t Very Good at Long Distance Running but Would be if they Just Trained, The Association of Teenagers, etc. These letters from the random societies are most likely just random thoughts in Elizabeth’s head but they were incredibly insightful and funny to read. I really enjoyed that this book was written in epistolary form because it allowed us to get to know Elizabeth’s personality and to enjoy her humour. It felt intimate and I was completely drawn into her life and all the chaos around her, despite the book being more of a slice-of-life, everyday kind of story.
I thought the characters in this book were quirky and interesting, but they never came across as too quirky. While some of the characters behaved in drastic and unusual ways, the format of the book made everything seem lighthearted and just right. The book had a great balance of humour, solemnity, heartbreak and optimism, which made it just a pleasure to read. I never felt the chaos or the burden of all of Elizabeth’s problems and it was just a joy to be able to see into Elizabeth’s life and follow her as she discovers different aspects of herself. I thought it was a wonderful coming-of-age story that most young adults will be able to relate to or connect with. It’s a story about friendship and what it means to be a friend, but it’s also a story about how to be your best self even when faced with problems that you don’t want anything to do with. It has the beautiful writing that I’ve come to associate with Jaclyn Moriarty, after having read A Corner of White and The Cracks in the Kingdom a couple weeks ago.
If you’re looking for a funny book with a cast of very funny characters, I’d highly recommend this one. It was a very quick read because of the epistolary format and it’s impossible not to love Elizabeth, her mother and Elizabeth’s secret admirer who is sorrybutnotsorry about remaining anonymous.
Kind regards,
The Society of This Review is Really Short and Unstructured but it’s Currently Really Hot in Sydney and I Have Lost the Ability to Think and Write but You Should Read This Book or Any Book by Jaclyn Moriarty.
August 9, 2010
As the title suggests, Elizabeth Clarry is truly worried about her best friend Celia. The pair have been inseparable ever since they were tiny but lately Celia has been acting strange - even for the unpredictable Celia. She's run away (again) and Elizabeth doesn't know who to confess her fears to: not her mom, who stays busy with work and only communicates with Elizabeth through post-its on the fridge (albeit hilarious post-its); not her father who has suddenly reappeared in her life and who would like nothing more than to take her to fancy restaurants and talk about fancy wine (ugh); and not Celia's mom, who can only think of Celia's habit of escaping as a beautiful form of youthful expression.
It's not until Mr. Botherit, Elizabeth's brilliant English teacher, sponsors a letter writing project called "The Joy of the Envelope" between his students and the local public school that Elizabeth finds herself detailing her worries to a complete and utter stranger, Christina. Beginning somewhat hesitantly, Elizabeth and Christina slowly forge an unusual friendship solely based on the written word yet one that expands to help each other through a multitude of joys and heartaches.
Frequently, their letters are interrupted by missives to Elizabeth from The Association of Teenagers, The Best Friends Club, THE COLD HARD TRUTH ASSOCIATION, and The Society of High School Runners Who Aren't Very Good at Long-Distance Running but Would Be if They Just Trained. With the subtly of a sledgehammer, these witty letters add humor and levity to the constant niggle teenage self-doubt ever present in the girls' letters.
I'll say it again: Jaclyn Moriarty's books are made of win. I love that they written completely as letters. I love that even while they manage to be laugh-out-loud funny, they still capture all the heartbreak and all the turmoil inherent in their ever-changing teenage friendships. Elizabeth's voice comes across so fluidly in Feeling Sorry for Celia. I felt myself responding to every poignant or exultant letter in kind. Love, love these books.
It's not until Mr. Botherit, Elizabeth's brilliant English teacher, sponsors a letter writing project called "The Joy of the Envelope" between his students and the local public school that Elizabeth finds herself detailing her worries to a complete and utter stranger, Christina. Beginning somewhat hesitantly, Elizabeth and Christina slowly forge an unusual friendship solely based on the written word yet one that expands to help each other through a multitude of joys and heartaches.
Frequently, their letters are interrupted by missives to Elizabeth from The Association of Teenagers, The Best Friends Club, THE COLD HARD TRUTH ASSOCIATION, and The Society of High School Runners Who Aren't Very Good at Long-Distance Running but Would Be if They Just Trained. With the subtly of a sledgehammer, these witty letters add humor and levity to the constant niggle teenage self-doubt ever present in the girls' letters.
I'll say it again: Jaclyn Moriarty's books are made of win. I love that they written completely as letters. I love that even while they manage to be laugh-out-loud funny, they still capture all the heartbreak and all the turmoil inherent in their ever-changing teenage friendships. Elizabeth's voice comes across so fluidly in Feeling Sorry for Celia. I felt myself responding to every poignant or exultant letter in kind. Love, love these books.
August 6, 2022
Difficult... the first third was a drag.. I was bored most of the time and also very confused about these strange Society and Association letters.. (obviously there here to get us readers more information about Elizabeth's day but it's strange and lazy nonetheless). Luckily it got better with time, enjoyable and also a bit exciting. All in all an okay read but nothing more. I won't continue with the Ashbury/Brookfield pen pal series that's for sure.
February 2, 2015
Dear Feeling Sorry for Celia,
I hope this letter finds you well. How are you enjoying the view from my bookshelf? I’ll jump straight to the point: I very much enjoyed reading you. In fact, you were one of my favourite books of 2013 (I originally wrote ‘of the year’ before realising it is now 2014).
To be honest, (and please don’t take this too personally) I was kind of scared to pick you up at first. You see, all my other blogger friends had already read you and they loved you with your charming main character and witty letters. I felt like I was a kid at the edge of the playground watching all my friends take turns on the money bars with a pretty new girl. I wanted to be part of the Society for Fans of Feeling Sorry for Celia, but was really nervous that we might not get along. Maybe I wouldn’t understand you. Maybe I wouldn’t find you as humorous as everyone else had. So, all in all, it was quite a relief to be completely captivated by you. Also, you really are rather funny.
Reading you, I felt a strong connection with Elizabeth. It was lovely to watch her friendship with Christina develop through their letters. I don’t know about you, but I love letters. I have a shoebox full of letters and cards I’ve kept since I was about five. When I moved away to uni, one of my best friends and I continued to write to each other in the same way Elizabeth and Christina do, talking about what we were doing, our subjects, the books we were reading etc. I’ve also really enjoyed connecting with lots of bloggers via email in the last year or so. Reading you felt like opening Elizabeth’s shoebox collection and experiencing this (sometimes challenging) period in her life.
It didn’t take me long to read you, because you were so funny and held my attention right from the start. Although the storyline wasn’t the most mind-blowing I’ve ever read, it was down to earth, fair dinkum and in many ways quite reflective of the experiences most teenage girls go through. Not necessarily in terms of the whole best-friend-keeps-running-away thing, but more in terms of friendship problems (some of which we never even see or understand), discovering new friends, and first crushes/heartbreaks/kisses. I really liked that, because sometimes a slice-of-life is just what you need.
I am very much looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I’m sure they will be just as funny/witty/engaging/charming as you were. I’m also very happy/honoured to now be a member of the Society for Fans of Feeling Sorry for Celia.
Yours sincerely,
The Unfinished Bookshelf
I hope this letter finds you well. How are you enjoying the view from my bookshelf? I’ll jump straight to the point: I very much enjoyed reading you. In fact, you were one of my favourite books of 2013 (I originally wrote ‘of the year’ before realising it is now 2014).
To be honest, (and please don’t take this too personally) I was kind of scared to pick you up at first. You see, all my other blogger friends had already read you and they loved you with your charming main character and witty letters. I felt like I was a kid at the edge of the playground watching all my friends take turns on the money bars with a pretty new girl. I wanted to be part of the Society for Fans of Feeling Sorry for Celia, but was really nervous that we might not get along. Maybe I wouldn’t understand you. Maybe I wouldn’t find you as humorous as everyone else had. So, all in all, it was quite a relief to be completely captivated by you. Also, you really are rather funny.
Reading you, I felt a strong connection with Elizabeth. It was lovely to watch her friendship with Christina develop through their letters. I don’t know about you, but I love letters. I have a shoebox full of letters and cards I’ve kept since I was about five. When I moved away to uni, one of my best friends and I continued to write to each other in the same way Elizabeth and Christina do, talking about what we were doing, our subjects, the books we were reading etc. I’ve also really enjoyed connecting with lots of bloggers via email in the last year or so. Reading you felt like opening Elizabeth’s shoebox collection and experiencing this (sometimes challenging) period in her life.
It didn’t take me long to read you, because you were so funny and held my attention right from the start. Although the storyline wasn’t the most mind-blowing I’ve ever read, it was down to earth, fair dinkum and in many ways quite reflective of the experiences most teenage girls go through. Not necessarily in terms of the whole best-friend-keeps-running-away thing, but more in terms of friendship problems (some of which we never even see or understand), discovering new friends, and first crushes/heartbreaks/kisses. I really liked that, because sometimes a slice-of-life is just what you need.
I am very much looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I’m sure they will be just as funny/witty/engaging/charming as you were. I’m also very happy/honoured to now be a member of the Society for Fans of Feeling Sorry for Celia.
Yours sincerely,
The Unfinished Bookshelf
August 5, 2015
I did not expect to love this novel as much as I did. Jaclyn Moriarty is officially one of my favorite authors. I couldn't put Feeling Sorry for Celia down. I loved the characters and the epistolary style. I loved the slightly dramatic yet honest plot that kept me guessing. I loved how it was funny yet ever so serious.
I really loved Elizabeth and her relationship with Christina. Lets face it, I love any wacky, long distance(ish) friendship done right. Its basically the story of my life.
The story follows Elizabeth, but not in the usual way. It follows her through notes between Elizabeth and her mother, letters with her pen-pal, post cards from her best friend, and letters from her subconscious? brain? self-esteem? Whatever you call them, they were the most brilliant part of the novel. They showed Elizabeth at her most vulnerable and expressed the character change without bogging the reader down in endless self-analysis. A very clever style.
The book handles some serious problems. Divorced parents, changing friendships, and boy issues being only a few. Yet all these issues are handled with a funny, wry style that kept the story bitter-sweet instead of just plain depressing. I love all the quirky characters - hippie moms and anonymous admirers, awkward fathers and boy-obsessed cousins.
Overall, a PG13 storyline (one of the characters has sex with her boyfriend*) and probably not the story for everyone, but it was one I enjoyed.
*Normally, teenage sex would be an automatic negative one star while I drag out my soap box and rant about the standards for novels these days. However, in this case, while it wasn't necessarily handled perfectly, it was okay. The character's panic and frustration actually brought some balance. I didn't feel it was glorified here. Or even maybe the "expected norm." But it would be interesting to know what others think.
I really loved Elizabeth and her relationship with Christina. Lets face it, I love any wacky, long distance(ish) friendship done right. Its basically the story of my life.
The story follows Elizabeth, but not in the usual way. It follows her through notes between Elizabeth and her mother, letters with her pen-pal, post cards from her best friend, and letters from her subconscious? brain? self-esteem? Whatever you call them, they were the most brilliant part of the novel. They showed Elizabeth at her most vulnerable and expressed the character change without bogging the reader down in endless self-analysis. A very clever style.
The book handles some serious problems. Divorced parents, changing friendships, and boy issues being only a few. Yet all these issues are handled with a funny, wry style that kept the story bitter-sweet instead of just plain depressing. I love all the quirky characters - hippie moms and anonymous admirers, awkward fathers and boy-obsessed cousins.
Overall, a PG13 storyline (one of the characters has sex with her boyfriend*) and probably not the story for everyone, but it was one I enjoyed.
*Normally, teenage sex would be an automatic negative one star while I drag out my soap box and rant about the standards for novels these days. However, in this case, while it wasn't necessarily handled perfectly, it was okay. The character's panic and frustration actually brought some balance. I didn't feel it was glorified here. Or even maybe the "expected norm." But it would be interesting to know what others think.
April 21, 2009
Elizabeth Clarry is not your average private school teenage girl. In fact, she’s anything but. Her favorite hobby is long-distance running. She communicates with her mom through notes left on the refrigerator. Her one and only friend is Celia Buckley, who has a bad habit of running away for weeks at a time.
In the midst of Celia’s latest escapade, Elizabeth’s English teacher sets up a pen-pal project with the public school down the road. The last thing Elizabeth wants to do is to be forced to communicate with a total stranger, but she soon discovers that writing to her pen-pal, Christina, is actually a nice retreat from her increasingly hectic life. Her dad, who ran off with another woman when she was just a baby, has now returned to Australia to work and is interested in bonding with his daughter.
As things with Celia get more and more interesting, Elizabeth is forced to reconsider her friendships. Maybe it’s time for her to grow on. Luckily she’s got Christina, her mom, and an anonymous admirer to make the way easier for her!
It’s impossible to sum up this amazing book in a few sentences. Let’s just say that this is one of my all-time favorite books, and I’ll never get sick of it. Told entirely in letters and notes, FEELING SORRY FOR CELIA will make readers laugh, cry, and wish they could be part of Elizabeth’s crazy but wonderfully interesting life.
In the midst of Celia’s latest escapade, Elizabeth’s English teacher sets up a pen-pal project with the public school down the road. The last thing Elizabeth wants to do is to be forced to communicate with a total stranger, but she soon discovers that writing to her pen-pal, Christina, is actually a nice retreat from her increasingly hectic life. Her dad, who ran off with another woman when she was just a baby, has now returned to Australia to work and is interested in bonding with his daughter.
As things with Celia get more and more interesting, Elizabeth is forced to reconsider her friendships. Maybe it’s time for her to grow on. Luckily she’s got Christina, her mom, and an anonymous admirer to make the way easier for her!
It’s impossible to sum up this amazing book in a few sentences. Let’s just say that this is one of my all-time favorite books, and I’ll never get sick of it. Told entirely in letters and notes, FEELING SORRY FOR CELIA will make readers laugh, cry, and wish they could be part of Elizabeth’s crazy but wonderfully interesting life.
October 7, 2007
4.5 stars, really. I have no idea where I got the rec for this book, but I have such mad love for it. It's written in the snarky smart tone I associate with fanfic and love so much. It's completely epistolary - Elizabeth is mainly writing notes to her mother via the fridge and letters to a penpal at a neighborhood school, and receiving letters from the same and also from such (mental) organizations as "The Association of Teenagers" (who firmly believe she has no right to call herself a teen and must hide away until school is done), "The Secret and Mysterious Association of all that is Secret and Mysterious" (when she starts getting anonymous notes), etc. Her mother is my favorite of the note writers and I just adore her. The story of her brother and father is kind of overdone and one of the reasons why it's getting less than a 5. Celia is just slightly ridiculous, as well, but still very interesting. Anyway, I still loved it.
June 13, 2007
"Maybe a rocking motion makes you think deep and philosophical thoughts? I wonder if that means babies are always lying in their cradles being rocked and working out the meaning of life? They probably are you know, and it's completely wasted because they can't talk."
December 28, 2016
Reread this, and not sure if it was the time or not, but I wasn't as totally taken with it this time, though it is still funny and is a lot less slight than it appears.
May 12, 2020
If this book was a person, I would send them a letter with an orange Smartie taped to the bottom of them. Because they taste the bestest.
December 6, 2017
Onvan : Feeling Sorry for Celia (Ashbury/Brookfield, #1) - Nevisande : Jaclyn Moriarty - ISBN : 312287364 - ISBN13 : 9780312287368 - Dar 288 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2000
November 26, 2024
Ok, I went into this book thinking that this was going to be an innocent book by the same author as one of my favorite series of all time, Jaclyn Moriarty. I saw that it was one of her young adult books, and I was like, 'oh I'm sure they are perfectly fine!'
It wasn't the cleanest book I've ever read to be sure.
But I still did enjoy it!!
(I realize I usually don't put a summary of the book in my reviews, and for that I'm sorry, so I'll write what this book is about)
So basically, this book was composed of letters that Elizabeth has received/given to other people. So it was a really interesting concept, and the author pulled it off really well!!! So the letters are mostly about Elizabeth writing to a pen pal who goes to the public school that is near the private school that she goes to. It is mostly talking about trying to find her friend Celia, and all the things that have been happening in her life, and her pen pal's life. I kind of thought that Jaclyn Moriarty would kind of botch the letter stuff, but it was really well done!
So now to the stuff I liked about it. I liked how all the characters were very quirky. Their quirkiness could come off a bit cringy at times, especially since I don't really think the author wrote a very accurate representation of teenagers, but it didn't really change my rating of the book. I also liked how some letters in the book were like letters written by Elizabeth's insecurities, or at least that's how I determined it.
Now to the things I didn't like about it. I didn't like that there was a few parts in the book where Elizabeth's pen pal, Christina, talks a bit in her letters about how her and her boyfriend did it, if you know what I mean, but it isn't described. Suicide is also discussed in this book, so that's definitely a trigger warning.
So that's my review!!! I don't know if I'm going to read the rest of the series, but I'm at least glad I read this one!
Also, please read the Kingdoms and Empires series by Jaclyn Moriarty!!! That series is so good, and its middle grade, so it is clean!!
It wasn't the cleanest book I've ever read to be sure.
But I still did enjoy it!!
(I realize I usually don't put a summary of the book in my reviews, and for that I'm sorry, so I'll write what this book is about)
So basically, this book was composed of letters that Elizabeth has received/given to other people. So it was a really interesting concept, and the author pulled it off really well!!! So the letters are mostly about Elizabeth writing to a pen pal who goes to the public school that is near the private school that she goes to. It is mostly talking about trying to find her friend Celia, and all the things that have been happening in her life, and her pen pal's life. I kind of thought that Jaclyn Moriarty would kind of botch the letter stuff, but it was really well done!
So now to the stuff I liked about it. I liked how all the characters were very quirky. Their quirkiness could come off a bit cringy at times, especially since I don't really think the author wrote a very accurate representation of teenagers, but it didn't really change my rating of the book. I also liked how some letters in the book were like letters written by Elizabeth's insecurities, or at least that's how I determined it.
Now to the things I didn't like about it. I didn't like that there was a few parts in the book where Elizabeth's pen pal, Christina, talks a bit in her letters about how her and her boyfriend did it, if you know what I mean, but it isn't described. Suicide is also discussed in this book, so that's definitely a trigger warning.
So that's my review!!! I don't know if I'm going to read the rest of the series, but I'm at least glad I read this one!
Also, please read the Kingdoms and Empires series by Jaclyn Moriarty!!! That series is so good, and its middle grade, so it is clean!!
August 2, 2017
What a cute book! Felt very middle school to me, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. Specifically, I really liked how it was written. There was no narrative. It was written completely in letters. Letters between the main character and her mom, her best friend, her penpal, her secret admirer, etc. You get to read the letters and keep up with her life. What makes it great is that letters force the author to only stick to essential details and not random facts, which basically means the entire book is perfectly written because all of the nonsense, run on sentences have been filtered out. You are left with all essential details, which help you stay connected and focused to the book. It also makes it hard to put down because there are no chapters, you just want to keep reading the letters. I also liked how it was divided into parts, because it made me feel like we were reaching a major turning point of her life, which made it more addicting. This all contributed to me finding it an extremely quick read, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It's the type of book you can just read without thinking too much, and it's very relaxing. On the other hand, it might have been a little too simple for me to completely fall in love with. It starts off with Elizabeth, whose teacher starts a penpal service, and she becomes friends with her penpal Christina, who lives in her same neighbourhood. They share stories about their lives, like Elizabeth's best friend Celia who has a habit of running away, and Christina's cousin Maddie who does the same. Christina talks about her boyfriend Derek, and Elizabeth explains how her mother is always busy and her dad left when she was young. Someone anonymously starts writing notes to Elizabeth too! And I liked the little mental notes Elizabeth wrote to herself while thinking, like "association of teenagers" "association of best friends." It was a humorous but cute book.
September 10, 2021
Read it in middle school, forgot the title and finally found it again, tore through it in an evening and still really enjoyed it ten years later.
Funny and mostly lighthearted even through serious topics. This is not just for pre-teens but also a very fun read for adults and gives a great perspective on healthy friendships.
Funny and mostly lighthearted even through serious topics. This is not just for pre-teens but also a very fun read for adults and gives a great perspective on healthy friendships.
August 19, 2011
5/5 (will be a mini-ish review on the blog sometime in the future)
I love these kinds of books! Feeling Sorry for Celia is written in the form of letters. While this may detach the reader from its characters, it surely was not the case this time. In fact, I loved this book even more for it.
The book doesn't seem to have much direction at the beginning. Elizabeth 'receives' a letter from The Association of Teenagers who declare that she really isn't much of a teenager at all, is she? She has one (best) friend, who is MISSING, and no one else cares because it's just her way; she doesn't rebel or party; basically, she's an embarrassment to teenagerhood. The book follows through with letters from different associatios (but of course she's writing the to herself, to mirror how she feels at the time), as well as letters back and forth between several people. The one thing that was lost on me as caused by the letter format, was time. Anyway . . .
Elizabeth was so easy to relate to, so real and honest her voice was. I liked the easygoing nature of the book - I didn't feel the need to sit there on the edge of my seat, gaping at the pages. I didn't need to; I kept coming back to the book anyway. It was almost like I was just sitting down and reading a pile of letters from a stranger, and I could just pick up where I left from at any time.
That's not to say the book wasn't at all exciting, because it certainly was. It's through the connections that were made between me and Elizabeth and her friend (and soon-to-be-friends) and family that I actually cared about what was going to happen next. Whether Celia was going to come home; whether Elizabeth's family would ever be whole again; whether her new pen-pal and her were ever goingto meet; and so forth.
The humour and little quirks really shine a light through this book. I cannot count the number of times I smiled or chuckled throughout. The letters exchanged between Elizabeth and Christina . . . it's almost like they could have just been passing notes during class. The relationship between Elizabeth and pretty much everyone she comes into contact with, was so easy to relate back to myself. And yes, there is a romance, and a pretty cute and funny one at that. It did take a backseat among all the other stuff, but it was nice to have another dimension added to the plot.
Basically, what I'm saying is READ IT. This is an Australian novel, but it has been published in the US so you have no excuses. ;)
I love these kinds of books! Feeling Sorry for Celia is written in the form of letters. While this may detach the reader from its characters, it surely was not the case this time. In fact, I loved this book even more for it.
The book doesn't seem to have much direction at the beginning. Elizabeth 'receives' a letter from The Association of Teenagers who declare that she really isn't much of a teenager at all, is she? She has one (best) friend, who is MISSING, and no one else cares because it's just her way; she doesn't rebel or party; basically, she's an embarrassment to teenagerhood. The book follows through with letters from different associatios (but of course she's writing the to herself, to mirror how she feels at the time), as well as letters back and forth between several people. The one thing that was lost on me as caused by the letter format, was time. Anyway . . .
Elizabeth was so easy to relate to, so real and honest her voice was. I liked the easygoing nature of the book - I didn't feel the need to sit there on the edge of my seat, gaping at the pages. I didn't need to; I kept coming back to the book anyway. It was almost like I was just sitting down and reading a pile of letters from a stranger, and I could just pick up where I left from at any time.
That's not to say the book wasn't at all exciting, because it certainly was. It's through the connections that were made between me and Elizabeth and her friend (and soon-to-be-friends) and family that I actually cared about what was going to happen next. Whether Celia was going to come home; whether Elizabeth's family would ever be whole again; whether her new pen-pal and her were ever goingto meet; and so forth.
The humour and little quirks really shine a light through this book. I cannot count the number of times I smiled or chuckled throughout. The letters exchanged between Elizabeth and Christina . . . it's almost like they could have just been passing notes during class. The relationship between Elizabeth and pretty much everyone she comes into contact with, was so easy to relate back to myself. And yes, there is a romance, and a pretty cute and funny one at that. It did take a backseat among all the other stuff, but it was nice to have another dimension added to the plot.
Basically, what I'm saying is READ IT. This is an Australian novel, but it has been published in the US so you have no excuses. ;)
June 18, 2012
Dear Lauren,
Didn't Elizabeth's dog die when she went on a trip? Think about that next time you go anywhere.
Love, your beloved Chihuahua Seamus
Feeling sorry for Celia was a lovely book about the complications of relationships. Elizabeth Clarry's teacher has assigned them to write to kids from another school to rediscover the joys of letters in envelopes.
This book was in it's own way hearkening back to a time where everyone wasn't texting while talking to someone else. The book was published in 2000 when people did email but twitter and Facebook hadn't happened.
I can only imagine the drama Christina's friend Maddie would've brought on with those tools. Celia might have had a harder time disappearing though. Maddie sounds like the sort of girl who would be texting others while your talking or interrupt you mid-sentence to call someone else.
This story was a shining example on how meaningful a penpal friendship can be. Celia was self absorbed and selfish. She represented a true account of how manic depressives can be on those who love them. They can be exciting but not reliable and you can never do enough for them.
The teenage association letters were cruel. My mom once told me when I was a teen that I didn't lead an exciting enough life. She took off with boys to led Zeppelin concerts in other states at age thirteen. I listened to the cure and the Smiths while reading books. No arrests for skipping school or fake seizures to rob drugstores for me. My aunt was pretty wild.
Teen movies have a way of glamourising that age. There just isn't time to have an active social life, school, work, family, data, etc. and be perfect.
This book got that perfect.
My mom told us "whatever you want to fix" was for dinner so Elizabeth's mum didn't seem that bad to me. I find the helicopter parenting strange. Celia's mother would be arrested for neglect in America. Elizabeth's mom seemed normal to me.
Didn't Elizabeth's dog die when she went on a trip? Think about that next time you go anywhere.
Love, your beloved Chihuahua Seamus
Feeling sorry for Celia was a lovely book about the complications of relationships. Elizabeth Clarry's teacher has assigned them to write to kids from another school to rediscover the joys of letters in envelopes.
This book was in it's own way hearkening back to a time where everyone wasn't texting while talking to someone else. The book was published in 2000 when people did email but twitter and Facebook hadn't happened.
I can only imagine the drama Christina's friend Maddie would've brought on with those tools. Celia might have had a harder time disappearing though. Maddie sounds like the sort of girl who would be texting others while your talking or interrupt you mid-sentence to call someone else.
This story was a shining example on how meaningful a penpal friendship can be. Celia was self absorbed and selfish. She represented a true account of how manic depressives can be on those who love them. They can be exciting but not reliable and you can never do enough for them.
The teenage association letters were cruel. My mom once told me when I was a teen that I didn't lead an exciting enough life. She took off with boys to led Zeppelin concerts in other states at age thirteen. I listened to the cure and the Smiths while reading books. No arrests for skipping school or fake seizures to rob drugstores for me. My aunt was pretty wild.
Teen movies have a way of glamourising that age. There just isn't time to have an active social life, school, work, family, data, etc. and be perfect.
This book got that perfect.
My mom told us "whatever you want to fix" was for dinner so Elizabeth's mum didn't seem that bad to me. I find the helicopter parenting strange. Celia's mother would be arrested for neglect in America. Elizabeth's mom seemed normal to me.
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