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torikate92's review
1.0
The only thing captivating to me was how impressed i was in myself for getting through this bore of a story
bookph1le's review
4.0
This book was pretty much glued to my hands. Excellent psychological suspense. More complete review to come.
Full review:
The Perfect Girl is one of those near-perfect novels for me. At the center of the story are two intriguing mysteries: what happened when Zoe was younger, and what happens to her mother during the course of the story. Though this book only takes place over a 24-hour span, it was never boring. It's a deep dive into the psyches of several of the major players, and I found it very compelling. Some spoilers to follow, though with a book like this I would never give the major plot points away.
What kicks off the story is the secret that Zoe and her mother are concealing from their "Second Chance" family. Right from the start, there's a sinister edge to this particular thread. As the narrative peels back the layers, we see how harrowing everything was for Zoe and her mother in the aftermath, and how hard Zoe's mother had to work to reclaim their lives, but her insistence that Zoe not tell the truth sets up a pretty harsh reality in which mother and daughter are forced to act out parts. Zoe is deeply unhappy and bears the scars of her experience, but she can't discuss her troubles with her mother because her mother has an image to maintain. This new life has a thin veneer of perfection, but the book makes it quite clear that there are some serious cracks in its foundation.
Throughout the book, I felt for Zoe. While there's no denying that she did something that had serious repercussions, the story is not as simple as it initially seems, and over the course of the story I had the sense that no one is fully on Zoe's side. Sam, her attorney, fights for her, but I never felt like anyone was truly in Zoe's corner, believing her and fighting for her, and I think that speaks to the complexity of her situation. Everyone is focused on the future and what the punishment for Zoe's actions will mean, which means no one is very focused on Zoe's present, which is exactly what she needs. Once all is said and done, Zoe continues to be isolated, forced to keep her feelings to herself because of her mother's determination to more or less sweep it all under the rug and pretend it never happened.
This theme of unresolved issues runs very strongly throughout the narrative, and it's not just confined to Zoe. In fact, everyone in the story has unresolved issues: Tessa's lack of fidelity, Sam's unwillingness to have a difficult conversation because he fears what might result, Richard's refusal to face up to his drinking problem, Zoe's father's inability to deal with his feelings about his daughter in the aftermath of the crime she committed, and Lucas's unresolved issues with his father.
Obviously, this is a densely packed book, which is why, though it takes space in an abbreviated amount of time, it never feels as if it's dragging. Macmillan really digs into the darker side that inherent in a lot of us, in our inclination to push aside the unpleasantness of life rather than dealing with it. These characters all felt so vivid to me because their psychology is so detailed and so believable. Each one of them has his or her own motivations for their actions, and this lends distinction to their voices.
I thought this was particularly true of Richard, whose voice we don't hear until later in the novel, after an image of him has already been formed based on what other characters have to say about him. These sections were particularly strong to me because they created new facets to a character I thought I'd already figured out. I didn't find him entirely sympathetic, but reading from his point of view provided me with a much better understanding of who he was.
Really, the portrayal of Richard gets to another heart of this book: that the images we create of other people don't always match up with the actual person. Rather than look at someone as they are, we have a tendency to create our own narrative about them, and when our narrative doesn't match their own, that is when a collision occurs and misunderstanding creates rifts.
In the end, I felt there was a real payoff to this book's ending, but it's one I'm still chewing over even after a couple of weeks of having read the book. This isn't a black and white book about good and evil, but very much a story about the many shades of gray we human beings have to navigate.
Full review:
The Perfect Girl is one of those near-perfect novels for me. At the center of the story are two intriguing mysteries: what happened when Zoe was younger, and what happens to her mother during the course of the story. Though this book only takes place over a 24-hour span, it was never boring. It's a deep dive into the psyches of several of the major players, and I found it very compelling. Some spoilers to follow, though with a book like this I would never give the major plot points away.
What kicks off the story is the secret that Zoe and her mother are concealing from their "Second Chance" family. Right from the start, there's a sinister edge to this particular thread. As the narrative peels back the layers, we see how harrowing everything was for Zoe and her mother in the aftermath, and how hard Zoe's mother had to work to reclaim their lives, but her insistence that Zoe not tell the truth sets up a pretty harsh reality in which mother and daughter are forced to act out parts. Zoe is deeply unhappy and bears the scars of her experience, but she can't discuss her troubles with her mother because her mother has an image to maintain. This new life has a thin veneer of perfection, but the book makes it quite clear that there are some serious cracks in its foundation.
Throughout the book, I felt for Zoe. While there's no denying that she did something that had serious repercussions, the story is not as simple as it initially seems, and over the course of the story I had the sense that no one is fully on Zoe's side. Sam, her attorney, fights for her, but I never felt like anyone was truly in Zoe's corner, believing her and fighting for her, and I think that speaks to the complexity of her situation. Everyone is focused on the future and what the punishment for Zoe's actions will mean, which means no one is very focused on Zoe's present, which is exactly what she needs. Once all is said and done, Zoe continues to be isolated, forced to keep her feelings to herself because of her mother's determination to more or less sweep it all under the rug and pretend it never happened.
This theme of unresolved issues runs very strongly throughout the narrative, and it's not just confined to Zoe. In fact, everyone in the story has unresolved issues: Tessa's lack of fidelity, Sam's unwillingness to have a difficult conversation because he fears what might result, Richard's refusal to face up to his drinking problem, Zoe's father's inability to deal with his feelings about his daughter in the aftermath of the crime she committed, and Lucas's unresolved issues with his father.
Obviously, this is a densely packed book, which is why, though it takes space in an abbreviated amount of time, it never feels as if it's dragging. Macmillan really digs into the darker side that inherent in a lot of us, in our inclination to push aside the unpleasantness of life rather than dealing with it. These characters all felt so vivid to me because their psychology is so detailed and so believable. Each one of them has his or her own motivations for their actions, and this lends distinction to their voices.
I thought this was particularly true of Richard, whose voice we don't hear until later in the novel, after an image of him has already been formed based on what other characters have to say about him. These sections were particularly strong to me because they created new facets to a character I thought I'd already figured out. I didn't find him entirely sympathetic, but reading from his point of view provided me with a much better understanding of who he was.
Really, the portrayal of Richard gets to another heart of this book: that the images we create of other people don't always match up with the actual person. Rather than look at someone as they are, we have a tendency to create our own narrative about them, and when our narrative doesn't match their own, that is when a collision occurs and misunderstanding creates rifts.
In the end, I felt there was a real payoff to this book's ending, but it's one I'm still chewing over even after a couple of weeks of having read the book. This isn't a black and white book about good and evil, but very much a story about the many shades of gray we human beings have to navigate.
spatterson12's review
5.0
It was impossible to put this one down. The story is told from multiple perspectives and will keep you guessing until the end.
johnsonines's review against another edition
3.0
The writing was great and so was the plot. However, the ending left me a little bit confused. More than anything, I was expecting a bigger twist after finding out who murdered Maria (Zoe's mother.) After reading the book, I didn't understand why certain characters in the book (ie: Sam) were even in the book to begin with, since he/they really didn't have anything to do with the actual plot of the book. Or why they went into such great detail when Zoe was in the Unit.
starthelostgirl's review
1.0
I really didn't like this book. It's inconsistent and half-baked with no real plot or resolution. It relies entirely on similes and metaphors for description, which gets incredibly annoying. The characters are shallow, obnoxious, and underdeveloped. The premise is interesting but I was sorely disappointed by the execution.
mbkarapcik's review
3.0
Concert pianist Zoe Maisey becomes involved in an accident that sends her to jail. Once she completes her sentence a few years later, she tries to assimilate into a new life with her mother, new stepfather, stepbrother, and baby sister. On the night of a very important recital, her mother dies, and the mystery of who killed her begins from there.
This book earned a higher rating–I gave it a three on Goodreads. It deserves a 3.75 out of five because I enjoyed it but feel like it’s misclassified. It reads more like an intense family drama with some thriller-type elements than straight suspense. One of the twists was surprising but not outrageously shocking.
I feel, too, like some loose ends were not tied up and others were wrapped up too neatly. Also, one storyline seemed a little too implausible to be much more than fiction. Ultimately, this is a tale of redemption for a handful of characters and a come-uppance for others.
I’m interested in reading a few of her other novels because I like her writing style and think some of her descriptions sounded very poetic. Unfortunately, the library is not open, so I cannot borrow any of her books right now. (Since that time, we can use curbside pickup–which limits what I can get because I like to browse.) Ugh! And I don’t love that the downloadable books disappear within a certain time frame! (I’ve become accustomed to electronic books but still prefer the paper copies.)
Anyway, I would get more into the plot, but the way it unfolds should kept under wraps.
This book earned a higher rating–I gave it a three on Goodreads. It deserves a 3.75 out of five because I enjoyed it but feel like it’s misclassified. It reads more like an intense family drama with some thriller-type elements than straight suspense. One of the twists was surprising but not outrageously shocking.
I feel, too, like some loose ends were not tied up and others were wrapped up too neatly. Also, one storyline seemed a little too implausible to be much more than fiction. Ultimately, this is a tale of redemption for a handful of characters and a come-uppance for others.
I’m interested in reading a few of her other novels because I like her writing style and think some of her descriptions sounded very poetic. Unfortunately, the library is not open, so I cannot borrow any of her books right now. (Since that time, we can use curbside pickup–which limits what I can get because I like to browse.) Ugh! And I don’t love that the downloadable books disappear within a certain time frame! (I’ve become accustomed to electronic books but still prefer the paper copies.)
Anyway, I would get more into the plot, but the way it unfolds should kept under wraps.
brosepal's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75