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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
3.5 stars ** An interesting dystopian novel that explores societal expectations and the concept of being "perfect." Interesting that in order to be deemed unflawed in court, one needs to lie. Overall, while good, the story is a bit predictable and does not veer far from the typical dystopian plot formula.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm really surprised at the bad reviews for this. I wouldn't usually pick Cecelia Aherne, as I didn't particularly enjoy 'P.S I love you', but a friend loaned me this saying I would love it. I did, it's a cracking read. Good pace and plot, it was a real page-turner. I didn't realise it was a YA novel, it held my attention because the writing was good. The main character is bloody annoying at times, but that didn't mean I liked the book any less.
My son (age 16) and I had some interesting conversations about the parallels with our own society, and along the 'what would you do?' lines, so it is a thought-provoking concept.
I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series, since as a stand-alone novel, the ending is unsatisfactory.
My son (age 16) and I had some interesting conversations about the parallels with our own society, and along the 'what would you do?' lines, so it is a thought-provoking concept.
I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series, since as a stand-alone novel, the ending is unsatisfactory.
Very good! Can't wait to read the next one. A few issues with some plot stuff, but otherwise, great read.
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I haven't been blown away by a book like this in a long time! Picking up momentum as it goes you're nearly breathless by the end & left wanting to immediately know how the story continues. Love the underlying messages throughout the story that none of us are perfect, we're all flawed. Insanely great read! Cannot wait to read Perfect when it comes out!
Celestine North has always played by the rules. Perhaps that was why she never really thought too hard about the consequences for people who broke them. I mean, just follow the rules and you don't have to worry about facing any punishments, right? In her society, people who break the rules are branded Flawed. As in actually branded, with a branding iron! And once they are branded, they are literally second-class citizens who have a different set of rules to live by. While riding the bus one morning, Celestine finally comes face-to-face with a situation that makes her question everything she's ever known. A woman with an injured leg takes one of the Flawed seats on the bus because it affords her more leg room, and then her friend takes the only other Flawed seat to make it easier to converse. Then an elderly Flawed man gets on the bus, and he is forced to stand. As he nears collapse from a coughing fit, Celestine tries to help him... and all hell breaks loose. She ends up on trial for aiding a Flawed person, which could lead to her own Flawed classification. But how could showing a little human decency ruin her whole life?
Though we don't actually brand people Flawed in America, I think there are definitely plenty of situations in which Americans turn a blind eye to suffering and persecution under the mistaken impression that those people somehow deserve or earned their lot in life. I think this would be a fantastic book to read to start a discussion about empathy and the ways people can change their views of "other" people.
Happy Reading!
Though we don't actually brand people Flawed in America, I think there are definitely plenty of situations in which Americans turn a blind eye to suffering and persecution under the mistaken impression that those people somehow deserve or earned their lot in life. I think this would be a fantastic book to read to start a discussion about empathy and the ways people can change their views of "other" people.
Happy Reading!
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
