siobhan27's review against another edition
4.0
Lauren Destefano is an author I am so happy I discovered. Her Chemical Garden Trilogy was one of my favorite series these last few years. Her ability to create a new and exciting world was amazing and I loved reading it. So when I figured out that she was writing a new series I was extremely excited and wanted to read it right away.
Perfect Ruin was a great read. I knew going in that it would be very different from her other series, but I did notice some similarities. For example, like in the Chemical Garden Trilogy, the characters are betrothed to another, and they have no choice in the matter. But unlike her last trilogy, the main character approves of this match and it is actually quite a sweet romance. Even though it seems forced at the beginning.
What I loved about this book was the world itself. The imagination Lauren has is unlike anything i have read. When you read about a generation of people who were banished to the sky by God, and forced to live on an island in the sky, you have to admit that its pretty amazing. Internment is literally an island that is suspended in the sky, and its residence are forbidden to go to the ground, and if you try, then they are faced with some pretty horrific consequences.
Another aspect of this story was the mystery element. This is something that Lauren touched on in her Chemical Garden series but in Perfect Ruin it is everything. When a girl is found murdered, her wrists and throat slashed everyone on the island begins to panic, and with good reason. There hasn't been a murder in over 20 years. I loved this aspect of the story. I wanted to know who was the murderer and why that girl had to die. And i loved how it effected our main character. She had always questioned the world around her, and why they were bannished from teh ground, but this just added to that. We saw her grow as a character and become an independent thinker and I loved that.
I am so happy that Lauren wrote this series, it is both familiar and unique. It is a story that I cannot wait to follow, and considering how the book ended, the next one will have even more mysteries and surprises. And I cannot wait! A great read!
Perfect Ruin was a great read. I knew going in that it would be very different from her other series, but I did notice some similarities. For example, like in the Chemical Garden Trilogy, the characters are betrothed to another, and they have no choice in the matter. But unlike her last trilogy, the main character approves of this match and it is actually quite a sweet romance. Even though it seems forced at the beginning.
What I loved about this book was the world itself. The imagination Lauren has is unlike anything i have read. When you read about a generation of people who were banished to the sky by God, and forced to live on an island in the sky, you have to admit that its pretty amazing. Internment is literally an island that is suspended in the sky, and its residence are forbidden to go to the ground, and if you try, then they are faced with some pretty horrific consequences.
Another aspect of this story was the mystery element. This is something that Lauren touched on in her Chemical Garden series but in Perfect Ruin it is everything. When a girl is found murdered, her wrists and throat slashed everyone on the island begins to panic, and with good reason. There hasn't been a murder in over 20 years. I loved this aspect of the story. I wanted to know who was the murderer and why that girl had to die. And i loved how it effected our main character. She had always questioned the world around her, and why they were bannished from teh ground, but this just added to that. We saw her grow as a character and become an independent thinker and I loved that.
I am so happy that Lauren wrote this series, it is both familiar and unique. It is a story that I cannot wait to follow, and considering how the book ended, the next one will have even more mysteries and surprises. And I cannot wait! A great read!
jamiem418's review
5.0
I honestly did like it. Everything about it makes you see the world in a different way. And, the books is greatly written. The plot twist and the cliff hanger though can make you feel as if you need to finish it and read more. I love the book and love the author.
jbojkov's review
3.0
Read this for our YA Book Club. Overall, I liked it. It struck me as The Handmaid's Tale "light" or maybe YA version. I think I'm becoming a little tired of the whole dystopian trope. No quibble with the writing. The author seems to be able to craft a story that kept me engaged even though I was not crazy about the subject.
ashleysue's review
1.0
DNF at 54%.
I give up. I've been "reading" this book for two years. The cover is gorgeous, the idea is lovely, but I just don't connect with it at all. It's seriously blah. I can't get into it. Maybe I'll try to knock out the last half of the book in like ten years when I have time. Ah well.
I give up. I've been "reading" this book for two years. The cover is gorgeous, the idea is lovely, but I just don't connect with it at all. It's seriously blah. I can't get into it. Maybe I'll try to knock out the last half of the book in like ten years when I have time. Ah well.
amanda57's review against another edition
3.0
Okay I am a big fan of Lauren DeStefano. Her Wither series was a really interesting concept. As is the world she creates in Perfect Ruin. My problem with this novel is twofold, one that the main character Morgan is incredibly self-centered and cares little for her friend Penn or her betrothed Basil. Secondly, the plot, at least for me, fell apart after the second half. There was no need to involve the Prince and Princess in the story and furthermore they aren't well made characters. While the reader is supposed to wonder about their motivations, I find myself groaning at how little their characters are developed. Neither their behavior nor their motivations make any sense.
literarystrawberry's review against another edition
3.0
I think the thing that first made me really like this book was the world building. Rather than randomly slapped together "THEY'RE ON A FLYING CITY THAT'S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW", it all seemed really well thought through to me. It has a lot of elements common to various dystopias (arranged marriages, known as "betrothals", pills to keep you complacent, euthanasia for the elderly when they reach a certain age, etc.) but instead of just "because reasons" or "the government is mean", the things actually made /sense/. ...And before you really get in to the darker dystopian stuff, the world is just pretty. I loved all the little customs and decorations and general atmosphere. The world was just really well developed and I liked it a lot.
The main character was refreshingly non-angsty. All the characters were pretty well developed, honestly. And although I thought I smelled a love triangle from a mile away (that's the only reason most authors would have introduced an arranged marriage, right?) it actually DIDN'T HAPPEN which was pretty amazing. Of course, there were a few vague hints, so I don't know what will happen in the future books, but still, it was a nice surprise. Basil, her betrothed, is a legitimately nice guy.
I loved Lex and Alice, her older brother and his wife, and Pen, her best friend.
The writing was pretty lovely.
It isn't really an action packed book; things move rather slowly and quietly, especially in the first half. Still, it kept my attention, and I enjoyed it enough to want to see where the next book will go.
and I'm sorry I fail at this review my brain is so tired
maybe I'll come back and try to re-write it in a more coherent way at a later date
but anyway yes. If you'd like a quieter, more thoughtful dystopian with lovely world-building and prose, I think you should give this one a go.
The main character was refreshingly non-angsty. All the characters were pretty well developed, honestly. And although I thought I smelled a love triangle from a mile away (that's the only reason most authors would have introduced an arranged marriage, right?) it actually DIDN'T HAPPEN which was pretty amazing. Of course, there were a few vague hints, so I don't know what will happen in the future books, but still, it was a nice surprise. Basil, her betrothed, is a legitimately nice guy.
I loved Lex and Alice, her older brother and his wife, and Pen, her best friend.
The writing was pretty lovely.
It isn't really an action packed book; things move rather slowly and quietly, especially in the first half. Still, it kept my attention, and I enjoyed it enough to want to see where the next book will go.
and I'm sorry I fail at this review my brain is so tired
maybe I'll come back and try to re-write it in a more coherent way at a later date
but anyway yes. If you'd like a quieter, more thoughtful dystopian with lovely world-building and prose, I think you should give this one a go.
sandraselvas's review against another edition
4.0
Ahhhhhh that cover is beautiful. CANT WAIT TO READ IT!
kirstie22's review
4.0
I definitely enjoyed this book, although according to other reviews it apparently follows the general plot line of a lot of other YA novels. The world DeStefano creates is really intriguing as well as the mythology or "religion" to go along with it. There are definitely some plot holes that I hope get covered in the rest of the books in the series because I'm just interested in they why and how of certain things, like why the "Jumpers" all had different injuries from doing the same thing yet how some of them were even possible. I had never heard of this book prior to seeing it at the bookstore and I'm really glad I picked it up.
elmeeks's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book! I found the world the book was set in to be very interesting. I really liked some of the supporting characters. Basil and Morgan's brother were my particular favorites. This book reminded me of Delirium in the way it was written. I can't wait to read the next one.