A Place Called Perfect by Helena DugganMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - 1 day
Publisher - WYR WhereverYouRoam Publishing
Pages - 306
Blurb from Goodreads
Take a journey into Perfect, a town that is anything but...
Violet Brown didn’t want to live in a place that was perfect. How would she ever survive? She’d have to be neat and tidy, would definitely have to brush her hair. She’d have to be perfect and that was boring.
But when her dad is offered the best job an optician can get, to fix a strange problem in this odd little town, Violet has to obey. That’s the thing with parents, they only ever did what they wanted!
From the beginning Violet hates her new home, it’s too clean, the people are too friendly, everything is just too nice...
When her Mam begins to act a little strange, her Dad disappears on a mysterious business trip without telling a soul, she almost gets expelled from school for picking up a pencil without permission and starts hearing voices in her head, Violet thinks she’s going mad.
Until one day she meets BOY..
My Review
Violet is not happy, she is 10 years old and moving to a new town, a new home and new friends. Like any other young girl, she has decided she will hate it. However once she gets there the town is perfect, the people are perfect and soon she notices her parents are changing. Soon Violet is getting into trouble at school, her dad has mysteriously disappeared on a trip and something about this town is just too perfect. Violet meets a new friend called Boy who actually seems to understand Violet and together they are going to find out whats really happening in Perfect!
I wasn't too sure how I would feel about this story as the main character is a pre teen and it is seemingly at a younger audience. However there is much about this story adults can enjoy and although some of it is sweet and innocent there is some dark, scary moments dotted throughout. It is a nice read, goes at a good pace and as we are introduced to more of the characters and happenings of Perfect the adventure draws you in. There are moments of suspense, mild horror, and a few moments I actually held my breath and had to keep reading to find out what happens next.
I found it hard to put the book down, it reminded me of when I was a kid and discovering Roald Dahl and The BFG, not in content but in the way it is written and captures your imagination. Definitely a recommended read for those among us who are still kids at heart, likes fantasy, crime and adventure and just wanting to read something a bit different. 4/5 for me this time and I would definitely read this author again. Thank you so much to Helena for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. And for letting me enjoy a story in a way I haven't done since I was a youngster.
I think that the best children's books can have a strong appeal to adults. This one sounds very good. I like the idea that there seems to me mix of light and dark in this one.
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