Review: A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan

Genre: Adventure

Rating out of 10: 8.5

Publisher: Usbourne Publishing LTD

First Published: 2017

Plot

When Violet's father gets a new job, he, Violet and Violet's mother have to move to perfect, a small town in the middle of nowhere. People there have to wear glasses to stop them from going blind, and at school she gets in trouble for the tiniest, most trivial things. Violet quickly realises something is wrong... especially after her father disappears. After meeting Boy, though, Violet learns her father isn't the only one. The Watchers are hiding a secret...

General Writing

The book uses very descriptive language, making it interesting to read.  The  storyline itself is constantly moving, so I couldn't fault that. Overall, the writing is excellent.

Characterisation

The good characters in this story are instantly likeable and relatable, and Helena Duggan does a superb job of portraying the antagonists. 

Front Cover

They say never to judge a book by its cover, but I always have done! The cover for this book is enticing and interesting- I like the abstract element of it, and the simple yet effective detail in each part. And (as is rare in most books) the back is just as good. I feel like publishers often don't pay as much attention to the decoration on the blurb; but that isn't the case with this one. 

Age Range

This book is marketed at ages 9+, which I agree with. However, with most books, I believe the age range shouldn't be a concern. Many 7 and 8 year olds probably could read this independently. Young adults might even enjoy this book as well.

Good Things About the Book

• The language used is informative and interesting
• The characterisation is fantastic, and the characters have strong personalities
• The plot is always interesting and easy to follow
• The front cover is beautiful

Things I Didn't Like

• Occasionally, the plot isn't that engaging

Conclusion

This book is one of the best I've ever read. I would recommend it to pretty much all ages, and it is ideal for anyone who likes adventure, surreal reality, fantasy and mystery stories.