4 out of 5 Robots!
Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano
Series: The Internment Chronicles #1
Genre: YA Dystopian
Release: October 1, 2013
Hardcover: 356 Pages
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
My Copy: Purchased
Reviewer: Shannon
Buy the Book: Amazon
Book Summary:
On Internment, the
floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives,
getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's
older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him.
She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and
if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes
solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.
Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.
(Courtesy of the Publisher)Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.
Shannon's Thoughts:
Perfect Ruin is another entrance to the burgeoning dystopian genre. I can't say that it offers anything particularly new, but for the first two-thirds I was happy to ride along. I liked the added murder mystery. It lent a lot of tension to the story. I also really liked the writing, which had almost a gothic feel. I also liked that a lot of time was devoted to the characters. I felt like I knew the characters fairly well. But somewhere around the back third, things took a turn and I'm not sure I liked the direction it went. Unfortunately I can't say much without spoilers, but it felt almost out of place with the first part of the book. Especially some of Morgan's actions.
The other problem is there are almost no answers about Internment. This could really frustrate some readers. I didn't mind it too much, but I did have a hard time understanding and imagining Internment. I think some additional world building would have been useful. And maybe less focus on the beginning and more on the end? I'm not sure, but I felt the plot was a little out of balance and that was the part that bothered me the most. Overall, I think it is a worthy contender. I hope the next book pulls back the curtain a bit more and lets us see the Wizard.
The other problem is there are almost no answers about Internment. This could really frustrate some readers. I didn't mind it too much, but I did have a hard time understanding and imagining Internment. I think some additional world building would have been useful. And maybe less focus on the beginning and more on the end? I'm not sure, but I felt the plot was a little out of balance and that was the part that bothered me the most. Overall, I think it is a worthy contender. I hope the next book pulls back the curtain a bit more and lets us see the Wizard.
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