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indecisivesailorscout's review against another edition
5.0
I really don't understand why this book only has a 3.3 rating on here. It's like poetry in motion, and for a short read it's a surprisingly deep one. I love it just as much now as the first time I read it.
heatherg213's review against another edition
4.0
For some reason my book club chose two books about the end of civilzation as we know it for our August selections. You'd think that during the glorious months of summer we would be reading hopeful books about love and family and fun, but not us! We'd rather read about pandemics, natural disasters, food shortages and how to stay warm during what amounts to a nuclear winter!
Well, whatever the reason, we read Life As We Knew It, by Susan Beth Pfeffer (soon to be reviewed by yours truly on Second Childhood Reviews) and In a Perfect World by Laura Kasischke. While reading both books in a row made me want to start stocking up on canned goods and bottled water, I'm pleased with the selections. Even though the books were about different kinds of disasters leading to the destruction of our comfortable way of life, it was a little like reading the same story told from tw points of view-Life As We Knew It has a teenage girl for a narrator, while In a Perfect World is told from the perspective of a woman in her 30s. But mood of both books was both heartwrenching and ultimately hopeful.
In a Perfect World is the story of Jiselle, a flight attendant, always the bridesmaid, never the bride. When handsome, charming Capt. Mark Dorn starts to court her on their frequent transatlantic flights together, she is honored, and a little bewildered. When he proposes to her just three months after they start dating, she is quick to say yes. The catch-he wants her to quit her job and stay in Wisconsin to raise his three children-two teenage daughters and an eight year old son. Despite her misgivings, and the hostility of the older children, she becomes a stay-at-home stepmom. Looming on the horizon is a disaster with global implications-a new disease, called the Phoenix Flu, that starts as a small epidemic but soon becomes a worldwide threat. When Mark and his plane are detained in Germany, Jiselle is left alone with the children to survive the best they can.
There are really layers of story going on in this novel. First, there is the dubious "love" story between Mark and Jiselle. As I was reading I was pretty sure I knew how it was going to turn out, but I also knew with the certainty of someone who has also convinced herself that a love is true that Jiselle as going to get sucked in. Then there is the story of Jiselle's relationship with the children. While I've never been a step-mother, I am married to one, and I know first-hand how difficult it can be to negotiate the unspoken rules that make each family function. And, of course, at its essence this is a survival story, one that pits humans and their institutions against the vagaries of the natural world. This as a theme is not uncommon in contemporary literature. As we discover more about global warming and the impact that humans have on the planet more and more authors are exploring this idea of man against nature. That theme has existed in literature for much longer than our current climate crisis, but unlike some of those earlier stories, in today's literature nature usually wins, forcing humans to adapt to the new reality of life without the conveniences we have come to rely on.
One of the most interesting things about the story, to me, is the fact that Kasischke chose America as the place where the pandemic begins, and created a world where it was Americans who were denied access to foreign countries, and American products being turned away from prots worldwide, and American flights that weren't allowed to land at the world's airports. Though I don't know the author's intent, the sory felt like an allegory for the way that American culture is exported globally, and the idea that American commercialism and political dominance could be a disease spreading around the globe was inescapable for me. If nothing else, that particular plot point turned the tables on the usual way of things, with America being the arbiter of who and what is worthy to enter our boundaries. I can't believe that was completely accidental on Kasischke's part. All in all, this was an enjoyable, thought-provoking way to spend a beautiful summer day-even if I've probably bought a few too many cans of tuna in the last week or so!
Well, whatever the reason, we read Life As We Knew It, by Susan Beth Pfeffer (soon to be reviewed by yours truly on Second Childhood Reviews) and In a Perfect World by Laura Kasischke. While reading both books in a row made me want to start stocking up on canned goods and bottled water, I'm pleased with the selections. Even though the books were about different kinds of disasters leading to the destruction of our comfortable way of life, it was a little like reading the same story told from tw points of view-Life As We Knew It has a teenage girl for a narrator, while In a Perfect World is told from the perspective of a woman in her 30s. But mood of both books was both heartwrenching and ultimately hopeful.
In a Perfect World is the story of Jiselle, a flight attendant, always the bridesmaid, never the bride. When handsome, charming Capt. Mark Dorn starts to court her on their frequent transatlantic flights together, she is honored, and a little bewildered. When he proposes to her just three months after they start dating, she is quick to say yes. The catch-he wants her to quit her job and stay in Wisconsin to raise his three children-two teenage daughters and an eight year old son. Despite her misgivings, and the hostility of the older children, she becomes a stay-at-home stepmom. Looming on the horizon is a disaster with global implications-a new disease, called the Phoenix Flu, that starts as a small epidemic but soon becomes a worldwide threat. When Mark and his plane are detained in Germany, Jiselle is left alone with the children to survive the best they can.
There are really layers of story going on in this novel. First, there is the dubious "love" story between Mark and Jiselle. As I was reading I was pretty sure I knew how it was going to turn out, but I also knew with the certainty of someone who has also convinced herself that a love is true that Jiselle as going to get sucked in. Then there is the story of Jiselle's relationship with the children. While I've never been a step-mother, I am married to one, and I know first-hand how difficult it can be to negotiate the unspoken rules that make each family function. And, of course, at its essence this is a survival story, one that pits humans and their institutions against the vagaries of the natural world. This as a theme is not uncommon in contemporary literature. As we discover more about global warming and the impact that humans have on the planet more and more authors are exploring this idea of man against nature. That theme has existed in literature for much longer than our current climate crisis, but unlike some of those earlier stories, in today's literature nature usually wins, forcing humans to adapt to the new reality of life without the conveniences we have come to rely on.
One of the most interesting things about the story, to me, is the fact that Kasischke chose America as the place where the pandemic begins, and created a world where it was Americans who were denied access to foreign countries, and American products being turned away from prots worldwide, and American flights that weren't allowed to land at the world's airports. Though I don't know the author's intent, the sory felt like an allegory for the way that American culture is exported globally, and the idea that American commercialism and political dominance could be a disease spreading around the globe was inescapable for me. If nothing else, that particular plot point turned the tables on the usual way of things, with America being the arbiter of who and what is worthy to enter our boundaries. I can't believe that was completely accidental on Kasischke's part. All in all, this was an enjoyable, thought-provoking way to spend a beautiful summer day-even if I've probably bought a few too many cans of tuna in the last week or so!
ris_stitches's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty strange. But in a good way, I think. However, the editing was awful. Lots of continuity errors.
cophoff's review against another edition
4.0
Kind of dark material with a light and casual tone, a very enjoyable read with a bit of tension involved.
mrsfligs's review against another edition
4.0
While some dystopian books take place in an imagined future where things are very different from our own world (like The Hunger Games series), In A Perfect World takes place right in our here and now. There are no fantasy elements to this book at all—everything seems utterly believable and possible, which made it a more effective and scarier book for me.
Our glimpse into a world that encompasses nothing less than a complete breakdown of our society is Jiselle, a flight attendant who has "landed" the handsome and charismatic pilot Mark Dorn. In her 30s and tired of always being the bridesmaid and never the bride, Jiselle is ready to settle down and imagines a perfect little world with her ready-made family. (Mark has three children whose mother died a few years before.) Jiselle leaves her job and moves into the idyllic little town where Mark has a picture-perfect home. Anxious and excited to be the stepmother, Jiselle is eager to meet her new family. What she finds is three children who are less than thrilled—with the exception of the young boy (gotta love those boys!)—with their new stepmother. With Mark away for a good portion of time, Jiselle struggles to make the transition into her new life.
In the background of Jiselle's life, there are rumblings of another kind—a mysterious Phoenix Flu is causing troubles through the country. Even celebrities seems to be getting it and dying. (OK...a little editorial note here: I just loved that Kasischke killed off Britney Spears with the flu! Take that, Ms. I'm A Terrible Singer Yet Have Achieved Huge Success!)
As the story progresses, Mark is away more and more often, and Jiselle finds out some disturbing information about her new husband. And as the Phoenix Flu begins to become more and more of a problem, Jiselle's focus begins to shift from getting adjusted to family life to surviving—a skill she finds herself to be more adept at than she ever imagined.
As conditions worsen and society begins to fall apart, Jiselle is thrust into a nightmarish world where isolation, survival, sickness and death become a part of everyday life. Yet the worse things get, the more Jiselle's world actually becomes "a perfect world." With an ending that will leave readers who need things tied up at loose ends, this book surprised me in how it shifted and turned and twisted and changed into something that I can't quite describe. Consider it an uplifting story about the end of society as we know it.
Reading this right after The Hunger Games, I think this book came out on top for me. Where The Hunger Games is flashy and showy with its tantalizing premise, this book is more subtle and slow and deep. Written in an almost distant, chilly type of prose, Kasischke has created a dystopian book that truly scared and disturbed me yet also made me feel good about the world at the same time. As I said, this isn't a book that ties things up in a nice little package for you, but I thought it suited the story well. If you're looking for an adult book on the opposite side of the dystopian spectrum, then this book is for you.
The Bottom Line: I'm giving the book 4 stars. I was drawn into Jiselle's world in an almost hypnotic way. Each page brought me closer to horror but also to goodness. This is a book that I could envision happening in our lifetime, and I think Kasischke did a wonderful job of keeping it from falling into a run-of-the-mill "Oh No...There's An Epidemic" type thriller. This book has a vibrant beating heart if you take the time to look for it.
Our glimpse into a world that encompasses nothing less than a complete breakdown of our society is Jiselle, a flight attendant who has "landed" the handsome and charismatic pilot Mark Dorn. In her 30s and tired of always being the bridesmaid and never the bride, Jiselle is ready to settle down and imagines a perfect little world with her ready-made family. (Mark has three children whose mother died a few years before.) Jiselle leaves her job and moves into the idyllic little town where Mark has a picture-perfect home. Anxious and excited to be the stepmother, Jiselle is eager to meet her new family. What she finds is three children who are less than thrilled—with the exception of the young boy (gotta love those boys!)—with their new stepmother. With Mark away for a good portion of time, Jiselle struggles to make the transition into her new life.
In the background of Jiselle's life, there are rumblings of another kind—a mysterious Phoenix Flu is causing troubles through the country. Even celebrities seems to be getting it and dying. (OK...a little editorial note here: I just loved that Kasischke killed off Britney Spears with the flu! Take that, Ms. I'm A Terrible Singer Yet Have Achieved Huge Success!)
As the story progresses, Mark is away more and more often, and Jiselle finds out some disturbing information about her new husband. And as the Phoenix Flu begins to become more and more of a problem, Jiselle's focus begins to shift from getting adjusted to family life to surviving—a skill she finds herself to be more adept at than she ever imagined.
As conditions worsen and society begins to fall apart, Jiselle is thrust into a nightmarish world where isolation, survival, sickness and death become a part of everyday life. Yet the worse things get, the more Jiselle's world actually becomes "a perfect world." With an ending that will leave readers who need things tied up at loose ends, this book surprised me in how it shifted and turned and twisted and changed into something that I can't quite describe. Consider it an uplifting story about the end of society as we know it.
Reading this right after The Hunger Games, I think this book came out on top for me. Where The Hunger Games is flashy and showy with its tantalizing premise, this book is more subtle and slow and deep. Written in an almost distant, chilly type of prose, Kasischke has created a dystopian book that truly scared and disturbed me yet also made me feel good about the world at the same time. As I said, this isn't a book that ties things up in a nice little package for you, but I thought it suited the story well. If you're looking for an adult book on the opposite side of the dystopian spectrum, then this book is for you.
The Bottom Line: I'm giving the book 4 stars. I was drawn into Jiselle's world in an almost hypnotic way. Each page brought me closer to horror but also to goodness. This is a book that I could envision happening in our lifetime, and I think Kasischke did a wonderful job of keeping it from falling into a run-of-the-mill "Oh No...There's An Epidemic" type thriller. This book has a vibrant beating heart if you take the time to look for it.
saltycorpse's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't think Kasischke would write such a sentimental novel - but here it is. Not that it's a bad book, the story is simple: a young and new stepmother to three children, trapped with only a few neighbours in their tiny city while a new plague sweeps America. Kasischke knows how to do apocalypse in a slow-burn, and I appreciated everything about the backdrop and small details of this novel, which seem simple but in reality took a tremendous amount of research on the author's part.
The one key-Kasischke component was the disillusionment of the idea of romance and the "perfect" marriage.
I did actually enjoy the development of Jiselle's relationship with her two step-daughters, Sara in particular.
Kasischke is a wonderful writer, and although this isn't her darkest, or my favourite of her books, I appreciate the fantastically well-done apocalyptic backdrop to what would have otherwise been a bit of a "chicken soup for the soul" Oprah book club special.
The one key-Kasischke component was the disillusionment of the idea of romance and the "perfect" marriage.
I did actually enjoy the development of Jiselle's relationship with her two step-daughters, Sara in particular.
Kasischke is a wonderful writer, and although this isn't her darkest, or my favourite of her books, I appreciate the fantastically well-done apocalyptic backdrop to what would have otherwise been a bit of a "chicken soup for the soul" Oprah book club special.
reytru1065's review against another edition
4.0
This book was given to me to read and I was quite happy with it. The book deals with the world basically coming to an end and focuses on one family during this whole time. Not only are they dealing with the world ending but the children are dealing with a new mother who is really young and frightened. She's dealing with a pilot husband who is always unavailable to talk and then eventually never communicates anymore. She now is the mother to children who are very unsure of her and she is trying to cope with being a single woman in a world that is turning on itself. I would recommend this book to anyone!
sarahd3's review against another edition
4.0
This book was not what I thought is was going to be. From the description I thought it would be heavy reading with some dark themes but I was surprised to learn that it is neither. The author writes with a lot of humor and keeps things light. By the end of the book you are so wrapped up in the characters lives and wondering what she will do next you don't want the book to end. This was an excellent book.
lenorav's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
2.5