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A Place Called Perfect

(Perfect #1)

Helena Duggan (Goodreads Author)

4.04 · Rating details · 4,702 ratings · 682 reviews

Violet lebt in der perfekten Stadt. In einer Stadt voller Rätsel und Geheimnisse. Und nur sie allein kann hinter die Fassade blicken!
Willkommen in Perfect – einem Ort, an dem nichts ist, wie es scheint! Die Bewohner tragen rosafarbene Brillen, trinken speziellen Tee und führen ein Leben in Gehorsam. Auf den ersten Blick ist alles makellos, ordentlich und geradezu märchenha ...more

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Paperback, 306 pages

Published November 2012 by Wherever You Roam Publishing

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Jan 16, 2013 Helena Duggan rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Children and Adults

Ok so I would give my own book 5 stars!?

I am not going to review Perfect as I have a feeling I may be biased! Instead, I will give a bit of a background into the ideas behind the book...

I first starting thinking about this story when I bought a pair of old bifocal glasses in an antique shop in Australia. I loved them, and still carry them everywhere with me. I had contemplated taking out the glass and replacing it with my own prescription...That notion started me on the train of thought for this ...more

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Aug 15, 2018 stefiereads rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade

THIS BOOK IS PERFECT!
Can I give 8 out of 5 stars?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

From the beginning, halfway until the end, everything is just bonded amazingly!!
I know there are lots of books out there about bravery, family, friendship, but this book surely had my heart from page 1. It’s written beautifully, it full of adventures, it’s so tense, spooky, creepy, full of imagination, great pace, great storyline, it’s atmospheric, okay like literally everything is just SO GOOOOD!

This book made my eye teary, made m ...more

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Nov 21, 2017 Whispering Stories rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Book reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com

The town of Perfect was run by the Archer Twins, George and Edward. Just like the place name, everything was perfect, except for one thing, all the residents went blind not long after arriving and needed special pink rimmed/rose tinted glasses to be able to see again.

Dr. Eugene Brown was a top Ophthalmologist, (eye surgeon), and had been headhunted by the Archers to fix the problem. Eugene moved to Perfect with his wife Rose, and ten year old d Book reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com

The town of Perfect was run by the Archer Twins, George and Edward. Just like the place name, everything was perfect, except for one thing, all the residents went blind not long after arriving and needed special pink rimmed/rose tinted glasses to be able to see again.

Dr. Eugene Brown was a top Ophthalmologist, (eye surgeon), and had been headhunted by the Archers to fix the problem. Eugene moved to Perfect with his wife Rose, and ten year old daughter Violet. Sure enough the next day all three went blind and needed the special glasses to be able to see again.

Violet was a little girl with a big imagination, but even she knew she wasn’t imagining that something was wrong in Perfect, especially when her father went missing and her mother didn’t seem to care.

Then Violet met Boy, a little lad from a place called, No-Man’s Land, whom she could only hear when she didn’t have her glasses on, and only see with a pair of gold rimmed glasses that she found. Boy agreed with Violet that something was not right in Perfect. The two set off on an adventure to locate Violet’s dad and find out just what it was that Perfect was hiding.

A Place Called Perfect is an engaging, exciting and fun book for readers aged around 9 years plus, though it would be a great book for a parent/guardian to read with their child.

Ms. Duggan’s style of writing actually reminded me of Roald Dahls. The chapters are short, the plot is filled with mystery, adventure and strange occurrences, and the heroes are just normal little children.

Violet and Boy form a beautiful friendship even-though they have been brought up very differently. They learn to get along together, although there are a few moments where they are not so nice to one another. They are very likeable characters. Violet goes from this little girl who is scared of everything, to one that is brave, resilient and determined.

The book has a dystopian feel to it, with those people that conform to Perfects society being allowed to stay in Perfect and those that don’t being cast aside to No-Man’s Land.

It is a lovely, enjoyable book that is just as good on the inside as the front cover looks. I also hear that there is going to be a sequel too. ...more

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Jan 26, 2021 Noura Khalid (theperksofbeingnoura) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 0-2021-reading-list, 5-star-reads, favourites, middle-grade, fantasy

What can I say about A Place Called Perfect to convince you to pick it up? This was one of the most unexpected reads for me. I read the synopsis a while back and loved it but I eventually forgot what this book was really about. Sometimes I like going into books knowing as less as possible (or after forgetting I suppose?) and it was honestly the best surprise ever.

This book was spooky, whimsical, and emotional all at once. It was mysterious and always had me guessing, while also being absolutely ...more

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Nov 19, 2017 Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A Place Called Perfect is an enchanting mystery novel with a plucky young heroine in the form of ten-year-old only child, Violet Brown, who is uprooted from her home and forced to move when her father, ophthalmologist Doctor Eugene Brown, is headhunted for a prestigious position in the town of Perfect. The family are welcomed to their new residence by brothers, George and Edward Archer, who are her father’s new bosses and are employing him in an effort to rid the town of the eye defect that ever A Place Called Perfect is an enchanting mystery novel with a plucky young heroine in the form of ten-year-old only child, Violet Brown, who is uprooted from her home and forced to move when her father, ophthalmologist Doctor Eugene Brown, is headhunted for a prestigious position in the town of Perfect. The family are welcomed to their new residence by brothers, George and Edward Archer, who are her father’s new bosses and are employing him in an effort to rid the town of the eye defect that every resident in Perfect is afflicted by. Mr Archer and Mr Archer explain the curious predicament that results in every single inhabitant in the town wearing identical rose-tinted glasses due to the blurred vision and eventual blindness that is caused by virtue of being too close to the sun. George is a tall and thin as his brother, Edward, is short and wide, but it doesn’t take Violet too long to work out that there is something sinister and rather unsettling about them both although they are keen to state that nobody ever wants to leave Perfect and after introducing the new doctor and his family to the mouth-watering tea that is a town staple Violet’s original qualms start to waver. However when the entire Brown family awaken with blurred eyesight, Violet quickly discovers that blindness makes silence increasingly scary as she and her parents are ferried to be fitted for their new spectacles by the seemingly ever present Archer brothers who loiter like a bad smell!

When Violet starts to notice some worrying strange occurrences and witnesses her accountant mother, Rose, transitioning to a submissive domestic goddess, she discovers that Perfect really is a seemingly perfect town of disconcertingly clean and orderly streets, with no flaking paint or rubbish and full of healthy and glowing inhabitants. Apparently the people in the town of Perfect must also act perfectly, but as Violet discovers, being a perfectionist and accepting every rule without pause for consideration or questioning the reasons can make like miserable and very dull. Soon Violet’s new schoolteacher, Mrs Moody, is singling her out for “acting up in class” and she is diagnosed with IDDCS (Irritable Dysfunctional Disobedient Child Syndrome) for which the remedy are daily yellow pills. Already concerned about the apparent imposter that her replaced her mother, Violet’s dispirited and increasingly jaded father suddenly disappears on a supposedly urgent opticians conference.

It is only when a frustrated Violet discovers a pair of old wooden spectacles hidden within the stuffing of her mattress and she slips them her nose on she finds herself able to see Boy.. who along with his fellow residents in No Man’s Land have been banished for their supposed dissent. As Boy takes Violet over the bordering walls to his scruffy part of town he tells of the dastardly Watchers who patrol the streets after dark and prevent the entry of No Man’s Landers to Perfect, all due to their refusal to kowtow to the uniformity of a town devoid of imagination and succumb to the necessary loss of spirit and individuality. But as Violet and Boy investigate just what is going on within the town of Perfect they meet William Archer, the ostracised brother of Edward and George who enlightens them about the horrifying ‘bended reality’ rose-tinted spectacles that distort the retina and ensure that the wearer’s reality is controlled by his brothers, only permitting them to experience certain things, and the Hollowing machine that destroys imaginations. As William experiments with a potential solution and tweaks his Reimaginator to restore Imaginations, Violet and Boy come to the conclusion that there must be something else contributing to the obedience and faltering eyesight of the inhabitants of Perfect. The well worked plan that is eventually conjured up between Violet, Boy and William Archer is crafted through collaboration, sharing ideas and considering possible outcomes.

Although the age guidance categorises this as suitable for readers of 9 to 14, I would suggest that this depends on how much exposure a young reader has had to mystery, fantasy and magical novels as the story touches upon some weighty concepts surrounding conforming to stereotypes, the benefits of our varied imaginations and the importance of standing up for what we believe in. This adventurous tale is jam packed with thrills and risky undertakings and feels genuinely quite creepy, with mentions of haunted graveyards, the presence of ghosts and some sinister scientific experiments in progress. Tackling areas such as whether a one size fits all cure is ever possible and the developed worlds increasing reliance on pills and potions to ensure everybody conforms to some ideal normality, even younger readers not able to explicitly discuss what that have learnt will draw their own conclusions that a world of conformity and indoctrinated humans would drain much of the pleasure out of our lives and stifle everything from medical discoveries to becoming more accepting of differences and breaking down the walls that separate sectors within society.

Debut author and graphic designer Helena Duggan subtlety downplays the likely existence of ghosts by linking back to the fact that they all derive from our own imaginations. The actual print copy of this book is an object of beauty with a charming cover design, a town map and page design marking each new chapter. Told with panache and illustrating the genuine bond that is fostered between Violet and her new friend, No Man’s Land orphan, Boy, the good-natured teasing and gradual realisation that working together can bring greater rewards gives the story a real charm. Full of clever insights and pithy sound bites that will resonate with younger readers, such as eyes being the window to the soul and fighting fears which are products of their own imagination such as ghosts and monsters. A Place Called Perfect comes highly recommended and will inspire and captivate young readers around the age of 11. With a sequel to follow, this mix of individual and quirky characters and their understated and humorously sarcastic dialogue ensure that the creepy happenings never feel too overtly threatening. Given that the novel has plenty of discussion points for younger readers and is a delightful and original story it will also readily hold adult readers attention and I would encourage parents and young readers to share the journey! ...more

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May 15, 2021 Moru rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook-mode, need-to-finish-series, middle-grade

This was such a cute fun story. The friendship between Violet and Boy was everything. If you want a cozy, magical read, this one's for you.

Can’t wait to read the next one!

“Maybe tea was the answer to everything.” ...more

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May 29, 2018 Phoolani rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Not a bad story exactly, but it irritated the life out of me and (to a lesser extent) my son. Violet apparently can’t do, think or act without getting an order or at least confirmation from Boy. She’s supposed to be the primary heroine (I assume) but defers constantly to being told what to do by Boy. It drove me bloody crazy. Then at several points through the book, the author explicitly raises the fact that Violet is ‘only a girl’ to no apparent purpose; she doesn’t then suggest that being a gi ...more

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Aug 21, 2017 The Librarian Witch rated it liked it · review of another edition

This book had such a promising start and has such an interesting premise for a story.

And have you seen that cover?!
It's gorgeous!

Unfortunately I found myself getting bored and struggling to plough through it after about the halfway mark.
I found the story was starting to drag. Things were happening too slowly for my liking and I just wanted everything to hurry up already!

However, this may be because of my age more than anything.
I think it would be a really great book for ages 10 - 13 ish.

The s ...more

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Apr 21, 2021 ⛅ Saniya (sunnysidereviews) ⛅ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.75 stars!

A Place Called Perfect delivers a creepy and whimsical tale on friendship, and fighting for what you believe in.

The synopsis was said to be a book fans of Roald Dahl would like. I’m happy to report that this pitch is quite accurate! However, it did miss the mark for me in some places.

One aspect of the book I didn’t like were the characters. The main character Violet can’t do much on her own. She always needs the help of a boy whose name is…Boy. This annoyed me as young children, speci 3.75 stars!

A Place Called Perfect delivers a creepy and whimsical tale on friendship, and fighting for what you believe in.

The synopsis was said to be a book fans of Roald Dahl would like. I’m happy to report that this pitch is quite accurate! However, it did miss the mark for me in some places.

One aspect of the book I didn’t like were the characters. The main character Violet can’t do much on her own. She always needs the help of a boy whose name is…Boy. This annoyed me as young children, specifically young girls, will read this and see a girl their age constantly being saved by a boy. Here is a quote from page 237 in which I feel has some sexist undertones. For context, the main character Violet says this line. “I think I prefer the gate.” To which Boy responds. “Don’t be such a girl.” Boy laughed. It’s almost as though Boy is using the word ‘girl’ as an insult. The line was unnecessary, and adds nothing to the story. There was another line similar to this one. I can’t remember the page, but for context, Violet is cold. To which Boy responds, “Boys don’t get cold.” I just don’t think these comments are needed, especially in a children’s book. Overall, the main characters Violet and Boy were written very poorly. It’s such a shame because A Place Called Perfect had so much potential for witty banter.

Luckily, the side characters, specifically the Archer brothers, add a lot of creepiness to the story. The background characters also have this bizarre monotone expression to everything. It’ll only make you want to read on!

The dialogue, as mentioned earlier, contained a few sexist remarks. This unfortunately was a big turn-off for me.

On a better note, the writing was deliciously eerie and gripping. It definitely reads like a thriller-mystery. The book is also quite easy to read, which is a plus since the target audience is under thirteen. My only complaint is that the pacing felt off at times. It went from 0 to 100 far too many times, and the transitions weren’t very smooth. Nevertheless, Helena Duggan still delivers a great story!

The overall enjoyment level of this book is fairly high. It was engaging, but could easily become boring for those who don’t love thrillers. All in all, if you’re looking for a creepy story to read on a rainy day, I somewhat recommend A Place Called Perfect.

More reviews and more on my blog https://sunnysidereviews.wordpress.com/ ! ...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Teresa rated it really liked it

Helena Duggan is a graphic designer based in Kilkenny and this is her debut novel aimed at readers age 9+ although it would be equally enjoyed by adults who enjoy magical tales.

Only child Violet Brown finds her life disrupted when her parents decide to up sticks and move to a town called Perfect. Her optician father has been offered an almost perfect job in this new location and despite her misgivings, Violet must do as she is told. The strange thing is that everyone in Perfect wears peculiarly ...more

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Jul 27, 2019 《Maram》 rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-reads

I really enjoyed this, the plot & concept were great, the story & the writing were well-written.

But I had an issue with the book and I think the review down below explains it perfectly:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ...more

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Aug 04, 2017 Ammie (Ammie's Book Obsession) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-star-read, bold-heroine, arcs, young-adult, fantasy

FOR MORE REVIEWS VISIT-- http://ammiesbookobsession.blogspot.in/

Cover Rating

Book Rating

**Thanks to USBORNE for providing me a physical review copy**

For the lovers of Fantasy, here comes a new inventive tale of strength, courage and magic.

This was definitely a brilliant book, quite creepy but still amazing, with some incredible characters and an enticing yet unique plot.

Welcome to Perfect, a town anything but...

Image result for magic gif

Violet Brown has never ever wanted be perfect and she definitely neve ...more

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Aug 25, 2017 Geoff Lynas rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 9-12

Had a bit of a struggle getting through this after a promising start. It felt repetitive, over-long and I gradually lost my engagement with it. The pace felt off and the characters didn't seem to grow, particularly Boy. Two stars seems harsh, but according to Goodreads that means 'it was ok' and three means 'I like it'. So it has to be two. Sorry. ...more

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May 12, 2020 Chloe Reads Books rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: my-actual-bookshelf

RE-READ 22.10.21 - Kept my rating at 4 stars. Will hopefully be getting to the sequel FINALLY next month, after reading this for the first time in May 2020.

So much fun - really creepy and atmospheric. Can't wait to read the next book in the series. ...more

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Aug 14, 2021 Toria (some what in hiatus) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.7 stars. A quite entertaining middle grade. A mystery revolving a kid that dosent want to move to a new town (a common thrope I feel) but she does has a good point. In the town called Perfect, everyone have to wear glasses or they will get blind! That doesn't sound very pleasant at all! With her dad disappearing and her mom acting weird she takes help by her new friend to find out what was going on. I enjoyed it pretty much but wasn't completely in love with it but a very entertaining story ne ...more

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Sep 06, 2017 Annie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: new-to-me-author, 2017-reads, childrens-ya

A Place Called Perfect is Helena Duggan's debut novel and is the book #1 in this new series. The book is aimed at young adults, but is also suitable for adults who enjoy reading fantasy. A thoroughly enjoyable read. I do want to read about what happens next, so hopefully the wait for book #2 will not be long.

Violet Brown and her parents Eugene and Rose, move to Perfect. Perfect is a perfect town, with perfect citizens who drink perfect tea, but if they take off their special rose tinted glasses, A Place Called Perfect is Helena Duggan's debut novel and is the book #1 in this new series. The book is aimed at young adults, but is also suitable for adults who enjoy reading fantasy. A thoroughly enjoyable read. I do want to read about what happens next, so hopefully the wait for book #2 will not be long.

Violet Brown and her parents Eugene and Rose, move to Perfect. Perfect is a perfect town, with perfect citizens who drink perfect tea, but if they take off their special rose tinted glasses, the people are totally blind.

Edward and George Archer have built this perfect town, but not all the citizens conform and do not become perfect citizens. Violet is one of those citizens and very soon Mrs Moody, the school teacher diagnoses Violet as having IDDCS (Irritable Dysfunctional Disobedient Child Syndrome) and Violet is placed on medication. However, Violet only pretends to swallow the pills because she does not want to be perfect.

Eugene, Violet's father, suddenly disappears. The Archers say that Eugene has been sent on an opthalmic conference, but Violet does not believe this. Rose, Violet's mother is of no help as she has already turned into a perfect citizen.

Lying on her mattress one day, Violet finds a box stuffed in her mattress. Inside the small flat box is a paid of plain spectacles made of wood. When she wears these spectacles, Violet finds that she can see a boy that she couldn't see at all when wearing the other spectacles. Boy, is his name and he tells Violet that the rose tinted spectacles do something to change reality. He tells her that he lives on the other side of the huge wall that surrounds Perfect. Boy goes on to say that the Watchers stop Boy and the other invisibles from entering Perfect. He says that his are outcasts, the unwanted, mainly called the No-Man's-Landers, because they are not perfect.

Violet discovers that Bungalow, one of the Watchers that she can now see, goes into people's houses at night after the curfew, collecting imaginations from the rose coloured glasses and transferring them to jars in the Archers Optical Emporium. Violet from following Bungalow, sees that the jars glow. One jar has her name written on it and says 'processing'.

Violet explains to Boy about the disappearance of her father and believes that the Archer brothers are keeping him somewhere. When she explains to Boy about the glowing glass jars, they decide that the Archer brothers must have something sinister planned. Boy promises Violet that together, they will find out what exactly is going on in Perfect and will help her find her father. ...more

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Apr 07, 2018 AHeartFullOfBooks❣️ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

A cute fun adventure with two little 12 year olds that live in a town where everything is perfect from all aspects. All is good and dandy and everyone is happy but there is a bit of a catch, no one thinks for themselves; they just believe whatever they are being told by the Archer twins who are not as nice as they may seem. After her dad’s disappearance, Violet will not sit and do nothing when she knows something is wrong with this town and it’s creators. Boy wants justice for the no-man-landers ...more

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Oct 25, 2017 Ruzaika rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Another version of this review can be found here.

Received in exchange for an honest review from Usborne Publishing UK

A Place Called Perfect, the middle-grade debut of graphic designer Helena Duggan, follows the story of Violet Brown who finds life as she knows it thrown up in air as her parents decide to move to a place called Perfect. Her father, a renowned ophthalmologist had been offered an attractive new job in this strange little town and Violet can do nothing but agree to this sudden turn ...more

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Aug 30, 2017 Mehsi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: cover-love, the-butler-did-it, children-s-books, warning-english-books, 5-twinkling-stars

A place called Perfect, a Perfect town for Perfect citizens.... or is it?

I am still a bit emotional as this was a terrific book, so bear with me while I try to write a review.

This was an absolutely delightful, charming, magical book, with mystery, with wonderful characters, and beautiful worldbuilding (I could just imagine Perfect, No-Man's-Land, everything, I saw myself walking through the town, running alongside of the orphans, Boy, and Violet) . I already loved the book just for the cover, b ...more

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Aug 18, 2018 theresa rated it liked it · review of another edition

i really wanted to LOVE this.i mean look at the cover-it’s easily on of the prettiest books that i own.middle grade,pretty cover and a delightfully pretty story-it was supposed to be a Perfect read (see,what i did there teehe) but if just wasn’t.i didn’t connect with Violet at all,i didn’t get to know Violet at all.same with Boy.it was a quirky story,but i just couldn’t get to it.now i am sad,because i never give middle grade books less than 4 stars and this one was more of a 2.5 ⭐️ still if you ...more

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Apr 24, 2020 One chapter more rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

From the beautiful cover to a fascinating story, A place called Perfect has put a spell on my heart and made me fall in love with this trilogy.

I love books like these; they sneak upon you and won't let go until you read all of them and tell all your friends about them. I can't wait to have kids and introduce them to the world of magic the middle-grade books bring. ...more

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Nov 25, 2017 Marie the Librarian rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a solid and entertaining fantasy book. The town of Perfect isnt as perfect as it may sound like, and thankfully Violet sees this. Cause she reads books and has a strong imagination. Some of the plottwists are a bit easily spotted but it was still a very enjoyable and exciting ride. Also those eyeplants are CREEPY.

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Dec 18, 2012 Anne rated it it was amazing

Certainly a 5 Star Young Adult read, probably 4 Star for Adults.

Every now and again I like to vary the books that I read. Although I particularly enjoy modern women's fiction, I do like to try a few other genres. Over the past few years I've been really impressed by the quality of Young Adult fiction that is appearing, I wish this sort of story had been around when I was growing up.

A Place Called Perfect is Helena Duggan's debut novel and I would say it is aimed at readers aged 10 plus, although Certainly a 5 Star Young Adult read, probably 4 Star for Adults.

Every now and again I like to vary the books that I read. Although I particularly enjoy modern women's fiction, I do like to try a few other genres. Over the past few years I've been really impressed by the quality of Young Adult fiction that is appearing, I wish this sort of story had been around when I was growing up.

A Place Called Perfect is Helena Duggan's debut novel and I would say it is aimed at readers aged 10 plus, although I would encourage adults to read it too.

Violet Brown and her parents have moved to a new town called Perfect after her optician father is offered the best job in the world. Violet doesn't really want to go, but adults do what they want to do, kids have no say in the matter. As soon as they arrive in Perfect, Violet realises that this is no ordinary place. There is no litter, no flaking paint, the tea tastes delcious, everyone is clean and tidy and friendly ....... it's so boring! Violet really doesn't want to be perfect. Violet's mother begins to change, who is this woman who cleans and bakes every day? Mum was never like that! When her father disappears on a mystery 'business trip' without saying goodbye, Violet realises that there is really something not quite right about Perfect.
And then she meets Boy. Boy is not like the other Perfect people and Violet soon realises that her father's bosses - the two Archer brothers, are far more dangerous and cunning than they appear. Violet and Boy begin the quest to save the people of Perfect from the Archer brothers.

A Place Called Perfect is a wonderfully exciting tale of adventure that races along and keeps the reader hooked. Helena Duggan has created a world of magic, and terror, and thrills. Violet and Boy are perfectly created, funny and quirky and incredibly realistic - despite the magical setting of the story. The evil twin Archer brothers are typical 'boo-hiss' bad guys, quite menacing yet they also raise a giggle.

Underneath the action and the adventure, there is a serious message to be found. The people of Perfect have no imagination, it's been stolen from them. They are afraid to say or do anything that may upset the Archer Brothers - something to think about in this computer-generated life that we find ourselves part of?

Helena Duggan is also a designer and has designed the cover for the book herself - it is gorgeous, beautifully detailed line drawings that really catch the eye and will appeal to readers of all ages, both male and female. ...more

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Jan 03, 2020 Jadey (the Bookish) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-books, books-i-own, scifi, cover-love, middle-grade, read-in-2020

This story started off really well, the creepy vibes were just so good. It sort of reminded me of a Series of Unfortunate Events which is a series I love.

However, as the plot progressed, I became disenchanted. The dialogue between Violet and Boy was really frustrating to read, there was just so much anger there and unnecessary emphasis on gender. Something that grated on me so much that fully made this book lose a star in its rating, was the excessive use of 'snapped' as a verb. I started to not ...more

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Aug 03, 2018 Story of a Book Reader rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, unpopular-opinions, never-too-old, series-i-wont-finish, favorite-book-covers

Oops, I did it again. I bought a book because of the cover. And I ended up not liking it. Disappointed even. I liked the idea of it. The characters were dull. I was utterly bored throughout the whole lenght of this book. The plot seemed too slow at some points, and too rushed in others.
It felt both too long and yet, not developed enough.
Look at that cover though. Isn't it gorgeous? I love it. ...more

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Aug 12, 2018 Ella rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Umm well
I thought it was really interesting at first. I loved the setting and thought it was really creepy and fascinating. But it was actually really predicable and wasn't mysterious at all. 😅😅 not so good👎 ...more

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Apr 19, 2020 Lisanne rated it liked it · review of another edition

⭐ ⭐ ⭐

It wasn't as good as I expected it to be, but the story overall was still pretty fun. Just didn't really feel much for the main character, Violet. ...more

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May 12, 2020 Milou rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book was pretty close to perfect indeed. We follow Violet as she moves to a new town, in which everyone wears special glasses to stop them from going blind. And everyone in town behaves weirdly, 'perfect'. Her mom starts to change, and then her dad disappears. It is up to Violet to save the day.

What makes this book stand out is its mystery and creepy atmosphere. Like being checked on while you sleep, disappearing people, plants that grow actual eyes and bleed when you pick them, a haunted g ...more

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Mar 23, 2021 Resh (The Book Satchel) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-middle-grade

Such fun! Kids would love this book. About a land called Perfect where people are blind, and have to wear glasses that makes everything look perfect, and become perfect citizens of Perfect.
A children's version of the idea explored in the Malayalam movie Guru. Don't think the novel was inspired by the movie.
3.5 stars ...more

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Dec 05, 2021 Kirstie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Loved reading this with Minnie. Probably more age 9 than her 7-8 but we enjoyed reading 5 pages of this a night hence why it’s taken so long
Violet and Boy make great characters and the story of place where glasses make you see everything around was tackled in an original way. We’ve bought the next two in the series

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About Helena Duggan

Helena Duggan

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Helena Duggan is from Kilkenny, a medieval, haunted city in the south of Ireland. She's pretty old, like 31 or something but her friends say she's never grown up, so like she's probably really only 13 in brain years. She writes stories for people her brain age and they are always full of adventure cause she gets bored really easy. She's also a graphic designer, that means she draws pictures for a ...more