Perfect Ruin
By Lauren DeStefano
Published on October 1, 2013
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher for review
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher for 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.
Dystopian has always been hit or miss for me (and lately, mostly miss). The dystopian genre seems so incredibly saturated currently. There are competitions, factions, zombies, the world is missing water, the world is missing oxygen, everything is included! I have to say Perfect Ruin seems refreshing! It is a combination of fantasy, dystopian, science fiction, and a touch of steampunk.
The plot in this book felt so fresh. I can't say that I have ever read a book about people who live in the clouds. It was strange- it seemed like there was a bit of a vintage feel in this book. At times, I wondered if this book was an alternate history and was set in the 1940s. I loved the descriptions of the clothing and the scenery. It didn't feel like info dumping or boring- I loved the way the author formed her descriptions.
I will admit, I didn't really get into Wither. I tried, but I was a little too weirded out by the plot. I was very unsure about Perfect Ruin, and I am so glad I gave it a chance- I loved it!
Now, I will say- there wasn't a great deal of action in this book. This is not Divergent, where people are jumping off of planes and trains, and having knife fights. The people in Perfect Ruin are not fighters- they are regular people who have been living in what seemed to be to them a utopia. (But we come to find that tons has been hidden from them). I especially loved Morgan's brother and sister-in-law and the roles that they played in the storyline.
Although it wasn't exactly action packed, I really enjoyed Perfect Ruin, and I believe the author has solidly set up readers for and excellent series.
