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author, book, book reviews, books, characters, dystopian, fiction, JL Spelbring, Netgalley, novel, Perfection, read, reader, review, science fiction, scifi, writer, YA, young adult
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Point of View: Third (Ellyssa, Dr. Hirch Ellyssa’s ‘father’, Angela a member of the Gestapo, and Rein a young renegade)
Pages: 317
Source: Netgalley
Release Date: July 8, 2014
My Rating: 6/10 Stars
Predictability: 4 out of 5 (Where 1 is George RR Martin (If the characters make a plan or think about the future I know it isn’t going to go that way.) And 5 is Cinder (where I guessed what was going to happen long before it did, but it was still a great book.)
Warnings: Attempted rape and torture (with super powers)
My Summary: Perfection is a Dystopian where Hitler won the war. Now it’s not enough to have blonde hair and blue eyes, but you have to have the right shade of hair and eyes. Anyone without these traits is sent to a concentration camp.
Ellyssa is a genetically engineered young woman. She’s literally perfect, a beautiful genius with kick butt martial arts skills, and the ability to read minds. Ellyssa’s spent her entire life in a place called the Center with her siblings. The first chapter is her first experience out in the world after escaping the Center.
Through a series of flashbacks we learn that a young dark haired renegade was dragged through the center and communicated into Ellyssa’s mind Kansas City. She’d never experienced anything like this before. How could an imperfect have such a skill? She then hacked into her ‘father’s’ computer, where she discovered the truth of his plans for the future.
My Review:
This was hard book for me to get into. I’d have liked a chapter or two of Ellyssa’s life at the Center first rather than the flashbacks. That way I would have cared more about what happened to her as she was struggling during the first part of the book.
I was surprised to learn this book was only just over 300 pages, it felt way longer than that. I think the reason for that was that there were so many points of view.
The book would’ve been better if it was only told by Ellyssa. Rein’s perspective was interesting and Dr. Hirch’s showed what was going on back at the Center, but Angela the Gestapo’s wasn’t necessary at all.
Even though there were four points of view, they were all unique and I never confused the characters.
The Good:
When we meet Ellyssa one of the first things she does is enjoy the emotion of panic, because it’s an emotion and she was never supposed to feel. She’s tough and kicks some serious butt. I liked that Ellyssa wasn’t a damsel in distress.
The world is interesting and I’d like to see more about what ordinary life is like, because our protagonists led very different lives, but both weren’t normal. The powers Ellyssa and her siblings had were cool and I liked how they developed.
The plot was fine overall, though I’d have liked Elyssa to have more of a plan when she escaped. The pacing slowed in spots, but there was enough action to keep me reading and the action scenes were nicely done.
The characters were likable enough, and even the side characters were well developed. I liked Ellyssa’s growth from someone who was afraid to feel or show emotion to more of a normal girl.
The ending was good, everything wrapped up nicely making this a self contained story, but still with room for a sequel.
The Bad:
The romance. I actually sped read through some of the romantic parts. I didn’t ‘feel’ the romance. It was love at first sight… *sigh* and they went on and on about how much they meant to each other. *eye roll* I like romance in books, but it happened too quickly and they felt too strongly for each other.
There was also the start to a love triangle, which I think might be developed more in future books. I actually found myself liking her relationship with the other guy, though he fell for her too quickly also.
There was one instance where Rein did something that made no logical sense, but needed to happen to further the plot. (These kinds of things bug me.)
Would I recommend this book? Yes to fans of Dystopian and romance. Will I read the Sequel? Maybe.
My Favorite Quote:
“Perfection? People, in themselves, ARE perfect. Creativity, emotions, the innate quest to find truth – these are the things which evolved humans. All of them. Not just what you choose.”
