Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

‘EMBRACE YOUR FLAWS, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT MAKES YOU HUMAN’

Have you ever felt the pressure or need to be perfect? We live in a society where perfection is a paramount and the slightest flaw separates you from the norm. Cecelia Ahern depicts this remarkably in the novel ‘Flawed’. Flawed is set in a powerful society where perfection is valued above humanity, and the protagonist Celestine, whose life could not have been more exemplary, simple and discipline, lands herself in a situation which may be very difficult to escape from.

In this book, one morally incorrect decision (not necessarily illegal) lands people the title ‘flawed’. They are seared a capital ‘F’ in one of five body parts by a piping hot iron rod and are forced to live as outcasts, with different rules and regulations from normal civilization. Celestine never felt any sympathy or compassion for any of the flawed before, but after her very own piano teacher was taken away to be branded, she started to see the unjust system and world in a whole new light. Suddenly, she starts to notice things she never noticed before and a compassionate act towards an old, struggling-for-breath, flawed man landed her in big, big trouble.

This story holds up a mirror to the society that we all live in and exploits all the ugly parts of it that we choose to ignore. The main theme of this book is underlined throughout the novel and it sends out a strong message that everyone should be aware of: Perfection is just an allusion, and by making mistakes, we learn from them. So, embrace your mistakes and flaws, because we only grow by making mistakes and become better versions of ourselves. In this book, mistakes are punished and the people who make mistakes never get the chance to redeem themselves, to bud. We have that chance, so we should grab it while we can.

Overall, ‘Flawed’ by Cecelia Ahern is a book that spoke about so many things that are flawed within our society. It’s a novel that urges readers to see more than what’s laid out before them, to stand up for the things that we believe in and to defend those beliefs.