Every woman should have this book on their to-do list.
Meet Celia Stone, the ultimate hyper-organised, journal-obsessed thirty-something with a life that is perfectly planned out and running like clockwork. From her promising writing career to her devoted partner and rigorous fitness routine, Celia has it all – and she’s right on track with her early retirement plan.
But when her husband suggests it’s time to start a family, Celia begins to question whether a new addition might just throw off-course everything she’s worked so hard to achieve. Follow Celia’s diary entries on a year-long journey of self-discovery as she navigates the ups and downs of trying to have it all.
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Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:
The Disorganisation of Celia Stone by Emma Young was a surprisingly emotional read for me. Although it was definitely amusing at times, I also found it heartbreaking as the character of Celia resonated so closely with me. I loved the layout of month-by-month diary entries and found it a quick read as I would generally read a month of entries each night. As a planner and a writer of lists, like Celia herself, I found it very enjoyable to read it nightly and tick it off my own list of things to do. It was clear that Young has done extensive research into the fields of eating disorders, hypothalamic amenorrhea, anxiety and perfectionism. She has captured the thoughts, emotions and battles faced by those suffering these conditions and given insight and explained the science behind the paths leading to recovery. I laughed, cried and celebrated along with Celia and will miss reading about her daily battles. I really loved this book and found it extremely therapeutic. I highly recommend it to all, especially those suffering from eating disorders or perfectionism. Mary-Jo, VIC, 5 Stars
A refreshingly different way of depicting the slow realisation that Celia’s life is not as perfect as it seems. Both laugh-out-loud funny and uncomfortably raw, I would highly recommend this surprisingly thought-provoking story. Alanna, QLD, 5 Stars
I don’t often give five-star reviews for fiction but this book tapped into my psyche in a way that I found irresistible. Celia, trying to control anxiety through being an over-organised perfectionist people pleaser, was still a delightful main character who had me in there with her feeling that stress and hoping for her to find a happy ending that allowed for a better balance and genuine personal growth. A wonderful cast of characters and a storyline that points out the pitfalls of current social trends and then offers solutions for true self-development without preaching. Celia’s life appears wonderful, but she is hiding the cracks of deeper issues from herself and those around her. Her husband Jes, a beautifully written partner full of calm acceptance and the the Yin to her Yang, also grows within their relationship throughout the book. Celia’s story arc is satisfyingly one of personal growth and understanding all wrapped up in an engaging diarised format. Definitely a good read! Lisa, QLD, 5 Stars
A thoroughly enjoyable read, although it was slow to start off where the protagonist felt unrelatable. About a quarter of the way in, however, the pieces began falling into place and Celia started to become a more sympathetic character and certainly towards the end of the story the reader comes to understand the reasons for her personality quirks. This book shines a spotlight on some of the struggles and competing interests of the modern professional woman. Carolyn, NSW, 4 Stars
The Disorganisation of Celia Stone is a great read. This is an engaging read, hard to put down, and I liked the inclusion of diary entries and tick boxes. The exploration of key themes was great, such as birth control and health. Celia Stone is really organised and loves writing in her journal! Celia’s husband suggests starting a family. Celia wonders if her life will go off course because of this. This is a story of Celia’s journey across a year, exploring if she can have it all. A great read which I highly recommend! Maryanne, VIC, 4 Stars
The Disorganisation of Celia Stone is such an appropriate title for this novel, as we discover the central character whose approach to life is to be completely organised and in control of every facet. We soon discover that Celia’s life is in fact the complete opposite. I enjoyed the diary entry style of the book, it had a real ‘Bridget Jones’ vibe to it, with lots of humour and filled with laugh-out-loud moments throughout. The book raises important issues and life lessons. It is a reminder to take stock at times and look for the more important things in life. It also highlights issues of body image and its effects, as Celia in particular is terrified of becoming ‘fat’. This is relatable as such issues have a big prevalence in today’s society as women are constantly told that we need to look a certain way. The book highlights how easy it can be to spiral and develop unhealthy relationships with eating, and mental health disorders. This was an overall enjoyable read with some important takeaway lessons that we can all apply to our own lives. Melissa, VIC, 4 Stars
Be thin, but not too thin. Be a high achiever, but don’t be obsessive. Make time for friends, for family – and don’t forget to give yourself some me time. This is a diarised account of Celia’s anxiety-ridden attempts to meet everyone’s expectations – including her own. An interesting mirror of society – perhaps not a relaxing bedtime read. Very grateful to have previewed this book – thank you, Better Reading. Kirralee, SA, 4 Stars
Thank you to Better Reading for the opportunity to read and review this book. I quite enjoyed this book – I’m a list maker, a goal setter, a diary keeper and everything in between. I was moved to laugh many times in this enjoyable read. Celia and Jes are so different in their approach to life goals. A lot of joy abounds in this book, quite emotional, frustrating at times but most important is the laughter. The only downside was the diary/planner/to-do charts that I found hard to read – I wear reading glasses and found the font perhaps was difficult to read. Nicky, QLD, 4 Stars
The Disorganisation of Celia Stone centres around a young woman whose professional life is organised but personal life is not. The story is written in diary format which is good as you read it really quickly without realising. But then you don’t get to read how the other main characters think/feel. Everything is from the one persepective. I think the story was well-written. I found that I had a few things in common with Celia. I think a good few people would as well. Overall, I’m happy I read this book. It was refreshing to read a story that deals with today’s issues. Holly, NSW, 4 Stars
A wonderful relatable read. Celia shares her life, innermost thoughts, reasons for actions and decisions through diary entries. The plot is well developed with the reader presented with reasons for Celia’s actions, life’s decisions and fears seen through her rationale logical thought process where the past experiences are shared for the reader’s understanding. The author takes Celia on a journey where she is expected to step out of her rigid organised life to rethink her mantra and open up to life’s possibilities. The novel explores the personal growth of Celia both in her marriage to Jes and professionally as a financial consultant and budding financial writer. My first diarist novel, a truly enjoyable read. Lyn NSW 4 Stars
I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this book when I picked it up. I think I was expecting something more along the lines of “Bridget Jones” in terms of character and story. Although this is not what I got, I was not disappointed by the characters and plot that Emma Young has created. We follow the life of Celia Stone over the course of a year, through a series of diary entries and lists, as she slowly begins to let go of the strings on her tightly organised life. I really related to this book on an emotional level and could identify with aspects of Celia as she struggles to meet both internal and external expectations. I enjoyed the diary-style entries and felt that the book dealt with some heavy issues successfully. It kept me reading and I throughly enjoyed the reading experience. My favourite quote from the book is: “Do I want to be a person ruled by fear? Or do I want to be a brave person, who will take a leap of faith, and trust in myself to handle anything?” Kaylie, NSW, 4 Stars
I think comparing this book to Bridget Jones is quite misleading. I was expecting more of a feel-good rom-com type read in diary format where the incredibly regimented and organised Celia Stone discovers a wonderful world exists outside of a spreadsheet, while wacky adventures ensue. In this novel, Celia does eventually loosen her need for control; however, the journey is poignant, frustrating, at times confronting and uplifting. It doesn’t take long to realise Celia has allowed her planning to control her life, impacting her work, family and health, and is becoming less of a solution to a busy life and more of an impediment to a happy one. The story follows Celia’s journey over the course of 2019, through personal and professional highs and lows, coping with health issues and Jes’s desire for a baby. The mental health issues were handled with skill and empathy, and I really felt invested in Celia’s character and the plot arc, so much so, I actually found myself wondering how she went during COVID. A very thoughtful novel, offering far more than I expected. Juanita, NSW, 4 Stars
Well, this was definitely different to anything else I’ve read. If you like to be organised and take control of your life, this book is for you. Every woman should read this book as it makes you look at your own life. Celia is a very relatable character, that makes you want to sit down and have a drink with her. It also shows you that you can be the most organised person and things can still be out of your control. Judy, NSW, 4 Stars
The Disorganisation of Celia Stone is a unique and interesting story that chronicles a year in the life of a woman who seeks control by timetabling her life. It is full of wry humour and uncomfortable moments. The characters are likeable and one can’t help but feel empathy for Celia as she battles with her mental health challenges. I found the book easy to read but feel that it could be triggering for some readers. Janelle, NSW, 4 Stars
Celia was struggling with her overwhelming work and social life. At least she has her health under control: healthy eating and a good exercise regime, keeping her weight down and ensuring she is fit and well. All comes crashing down when a shock medical diagnosis sends her entire philosophy of life into chaos. She needs to look deeply into herself. Her diary entries take us along the journey of self-discovery and healing. I can’t help but wonder if her story would be different if those closest to her had been brave enough to have a difficult conversation with her. The Disorganization of Celia Stone is an uplifting account of a difficult subject. Louise, NSW, 4 Stars
This contemporary fiction, in easy-to-read diary format, portrays a myriad of social, medical, health and emotional issues. Celia Stone, a dedicated, successful 33-year-old financial counsellor is super obsessed with goal-setting, list-making, time management, task analyzing, gratitude journaling and has her life all mapped out, aiming to be financially secure by the age of 45. She is also working on writing a book to advocate financial literacy for young people. We become privy to her anxieties and actions through the diary she keeps for 12 months, reflecting on the ups and downs of her life choices while trying to not disappoint anybody and to be a responsible global citizen, to the detriment of her own health, happiness and relationships. At first, I was frustrated with Celia as she spent too much time and effort planning, list-making, analyzing and journaling in order to be more time efficient, while stressing about being unable to manage it all, but this just spoke to her idiosyncrasies. This is a thought-provoking book about trying to cope with living up to unrealistic expectations and touches on mental health, infertility and diet obsessions. Belinda, NSW, 4 Stars
Celia is the most organised person, lists for everything: goals, actions and daily routines all listed. At the start of each year, everything comes under review and plans for next year are set in place. Things come unravelled when her husband wants to have a baby and Celia can’t see how this can fit in her ordered life. The rest of the book is about how she deals with her feelings, her relationship with her husband and her health issues. I loved this book, as a list person myself I could totally relate to many of her thoughts. I liked the way the book is written as diary entries, making it easier for the reader to understand how Celia’s mind is working even if we don’t always agree. These often short entries made me keep reading… just one more entry, just one more entry. I churned through this one and would recommend. An easy read but with some deeper issues. Vikkie, QLD, 4 Stars
Emma Young has done such an incredible job of capturing the expectations placed on women and the consequences that may arise from them. It felt amazing to hear the inner workings of Celia Stone through her diary entries… It all sounded VERY familiar. I was captivated from beginning to end. Melissa, QLD, 4 Stars
Celia Stone has her life all figured out. It’s the New Year, she is setting her intentions to balance her social life, her husband is gorgeous although could take a little more initiative, and she has big plans for her financial advice book that she hopes will improve her stressful work life. She’s the modern-day Bridget Jones, chronicling her daily trials and tribulations. Then everything starts to unravel and she can no longer avoid the fact that maybe she isn’t coping at all. Despite being frustrated with Celia as a person (I suspect that means I had exactly the reaction the author intended), I still wanted to know what happened to her and found myself reading when I was meant to be doing other things. Overall, The Disorganisation of Celia Stone is an enjoyable and compelling yet at times uncomfortable novel that makes us think about our own lives, the expectations we put on ourselves in our work and social lives, and the subconscious impact of diet culture. For Celia, that leads to some very serious consequences but for all of us, we’re navigating these challenges every day in our own lives. Amelia, VIC, 4 Stars
At first, I couldn’t get a handle on the character of Celia Stone. She was a tad annoying with all her checklists of life. But as the book progressed, you discovered Celia didn’t quite have a hold on the perfect life as previously suggested and had as many insecurities and hang-ups as everyone else. The diary format was a great way to make it through the year with Celia. Andrea, VIC, 3 Stars
An interesting insight into one person’s life and how quickly it can all spiral out of control. Celia is a complicated character, trying to please too many people as she puts too much pressure on herself and her poor suffering husband. Not quite Bridget Jones but you will find yourself liking her in the end. Nicole, NSW, 3 Stars
Celia is the modern-day Bridget Jones. Her journey has elements that every 30-something-year-old woman can relate to. It shows the juggle of how hard it is to do everything while remaining mentally well. Amy. WA, 3 Stars
Celia likes to be organised and has her life all planned out to the extreme. She is professionally successful, caring and kind-hearted. Celia frustrated me and I found it hard that Celia could not see that she needed to make some changes in her life for her sake and those close to her. Despite this, I still wanted to know what was going to happen with her life. Tara, ACT, 3 Stars
A relatable diary-entry-style book about a woman’s struggle with anxiety and an eating disorder, and obsessively trying to control every aspect of her life. Even if you have never experienced a mental health issue, the challenges of being a woman in western society ring true! Mopsy, VIC, 3 Stars
Emma Young’s latest novel, The Disorganisation of Celia Stone, is a novel that I feel will very much speak to most women. The raw, funny but often heartbreaking retelling of Celia’s personal struggles to have it all as a woman – the perfect marriage, career, body, mind, family – is highly relevant and mirrors to a certain degree the challenges most women face in modern society. The diary-style prose may not to be everyone’s taste but does give the reader a real sense of being inside the central character’s head. The story invites the reader to challenge the tropes that we accept as normal and reminds us of all our flaws but also encourages us to embrace the things that make us human. A very readable book with a great message at its core. Penelope, QLD, 3 Stars
I found The Disorganisation of Celia Stone to be annoying in parts but easy to relate to overall. It shows daily struggles that many people have and how friends and family come together in times of need. Fleur, NSW, 3 Stars
I really struggled to connect with Celia. I could empathise and see how her mental health was such an issue for her, and representing HA and how it affects people is great. Alice, NSW, 3 Stars
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