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A review by wrentheblurry
A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home by Henry Cole
3.0
I'd give this one closer to 3.5 stars since it made me cry at the end (out of how sweet it was, not out of tragedy).
I had just come out of months of reading the Skulduggery Pleasant series to the boys, and I found the transition to this title difficult. After all those weeks of nearly non-stop action, humor that both myself and the boys enjoyed and bonding with the characters, this title was so different.
It's cuteness I initially found corny and annoying, though by the end it had grown on me. There is some action, though it is tame compared to SP; it involves rats, battling the elements and of course, since a mouse is the main character, a cat. I didn't find it funny in the least. Yet the included sketches and pictures of the characters are so lovely and enjoyable, it's difficult not to come to care for this little mouse.
I liked the friendship Celeste and the young man had, as well as her interactions with other animals. I hadn't read a fiction title with so much detail about drawing and painting before, and that was an interesting addition. What I didn't like was the slow pace, the predictability of the story and the characters and the lack of humor.
This is probably better for younger kids, though neither of my boys ever asked me to not read it (maybe they knew that was futile?), so I will recommend with the above reservations. And again, it did make me cry, and even though that is possibly due to hormones, I respect a book that can do that.
I had just come out of months of reading the Skulduggery Pleasant series to the boys, and I found the transition to this title difficult. After all those weeks of nearly non-stop action, humor that both myself and the boys enjoyed and bonding with the characters, this title was so different.
It's cuteness I initially found corny and annoying, though by the end it had grown on me. There is some action, though it is tame compared to SP; it involves rats, battling the elements and of course, since a mouse is the main character, a cat. I didn't find it funny in the least. Yet the included sketches and pictures of the characters are so lovely and enjoyable, it's difficult not to come to care for this little mouse.
I liked the friendship Celeste and the young man had, as well as her interactions with other animals. I hadn't read a fiction title with so much detail about drawing and painting before, and that was an interesting addition. What I didn't like was the slow pace, the predictability of the story and the characters and the lack of humor.
This is probably better for younger kids, though neither of my boys ever asked me to not read it (maybe they knew that was futile?), so I will recommend with the above reservations. And again, it did make me cry, and even though that is possibly due to hormones, I respect a book that can do that.