Saturday 28 September 2013

YA Book Review: Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Paperback
356 pages
Expected Release Date: October 1, 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Series: The Internment Chronicles, Book 1
HUGE thank you to S&S Canada for sending me this book to review!


On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.
Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.


This book was my introduction to Lauren DeStefano. I have the Chemical Garden Trilogy sitting right over there on my shelf, but I haven't read it yet.
After reading Perfect Ruin, that trilogy will be moved waaaaaay up in my TBR pile.
This book was AMAZING.

You know when you read a book, and the plot just makes you go, 'WHERE DID THIS EVEN COME FROM IN SOMEONE'S BRAIN?!'? Like The Hunger Games or Harry Potter or the Uglies series? Where the author just blows your mind because you have no idea how someone could be so brilliant and have an imagination so wild that it thinks up the most wonderful things?
Yeah, THAT'S what this book is.

Hundreds of years ago (probably), a huge chunk of the earth is somehow taken from the ground and put up into the sky. Way up, like, miles and miles and miles. And it just kind of...hangs there.
The people who live on the earth have no contact with the people who live in the sky--which is called Internment.
The people who live on Internment pretty much believe that their 'sky God' is responsible for everything that happens in their lives. 
But some question that, and some feel like they want more out of life. Some even try to go to the edge--something that is strictly forbidden--and see the ground for themselves. And sometimes those people even try to jump off.

Perfect Ruin is the story of Morgan, who's brother was one of those jumpers.
Morgan is a normal girl on Internment, with normal friends and a normal boyfriend--her betrothed, because the people of Internment can't choose who they want to marry.
But Morgan, like her brother, wants more
And so the story begins.

I really enjoyed the romance in this book. It's not shoved in your face with constant make-out sessions.
It's subtle and sweet and just really normal. 
I loved pretty much every character, with the exception of Royals--who we're supposed to hate--and Thomas, but I think even he will grow on my throughout the series.
Pen, Morgan and Basil are particularly easy to relate to.

I'd definitely recommend this book to all kids 12 and up, and to their parents. 
It's definitely a great book to read together and discuss.

The only downside? 
Now I have to wait until 2015 for book two! [Vader]NOOOOOOOOOOO![/Vader]

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