Perfected (Perfected #1) by Kate Jarvik Birch - Restarting June 8th 2017

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Perfection comes at a price.

As soon as the government passed legislation allowing humans to be genetically engineered and sold as pets, the rich and powerful rushed to own beautiful girls like Ella. Trained from birth to be graceful, demure, and above all, perfect, these “family companions” enter their masters’ homes prepared to live a life of idle luxury.

Ella is happy with her new role as playmate for a congressman’s bubbly young daughter, but she doesn’t expect Penn, the congressman’s handsome and rebellious son. He’s the only person who sees beyond the perfect exterior to the girl within. Falling for him goes against every rule she knows… and the freedom she finds with him is intoxicating.

But when Ella is kidnapped and thrust into the dark underworld lurking beneath her pampered life, she’s faced with an unthinkable choice. Because the only thing more dangerous than staying with Penn’s family is leaving… and if she’s unsuccessful, she’ll face a fate far worse than death.

For fans of Kiera Cass’ Selection series and Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden series, Perfected is a chilling look at what it means to be human, and a stunning celebration of the power of love to set us free, wrapped in a glamorous—and dangerous—bow.

[Sarah Elizabeth]

chapter 1 (view spoiler)[ they treat them like dogs! (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

chapter 5 (view spoiler)[ I find it quite ridiculous that they don't teach the pets how to read. (hide spoiler)]

[Abi]

Sarah wrote: "chapter 1 [spoilers removed]"

Yep!

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Chapter 14 (view spoiler)[ so awful to abandon her like that! (hide spoiler)]

[Abi]

Sarah wrote: "Chapter 14 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Really bad! (hide spoiler)]

[Abi]

Chapter 22 - (view spoiler)[They were bound to get caught at some point. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Abbie wrote: "Chapter 22 - [spoilers removed]"

Yep.

[Abi]

The last few chapters were really good!

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date Changed. Restarting March 22nd 2017. Happy Reading ☺

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[Susan]

Review #1

All I can say is WAIT WHAT!!!!! Did I just read that right???
(view spoiler)[

YEP, I sure did. This book is about a girl named Ella who was bought along with other "pets" (human pets) by wealthy business men. These young girls are made in labs or kennels as they called them and they are raised with one purpose and that is to be a pretty show piece and do whatever their "master" (yes you heard that right they have to call their owners master...gag me right) THANKFULLY the congressmen that bought Ella said not to call him that. He bought her and he hasn't done anything more then touch her cheek or have his hand linger on her shoulder to long but he makes her wear ballgowns and has her become a show piece when his friends come to visit. They do not come with names, they should not sit at the table with the family at mealtime and they should never be given the food the family is eating. They should sit at another table so they won't be tempted to eat the foods the family is eating. They have a special diet to help keep their hair shinny and silky, and keep their skin flawless and to keep them looking thin. If they mess up or become ill the owners can turn them back to kennels and get a new one and the sick pets will be euthanized.

This book is crazy or the author is but I had to keep reading to see where this book goes. The whole concept had me intrigued and repulsed at the same time. I didn't love this book but I loved Penn and Ella and Ruby. (hide spoiler)]

[Susan]

Review #2

So I really like Ella, for being raised a certain way she has some spunk to her and I liked her. I also like Ruby and Penn. Penn I really like.

(view spoiler)[ He pushes Ella to try things she normally wouldn't do and he gave her her first kiss which was a quick peck on the lips. He was shocked to learn she had never been kissed so he decided she had to have her first kiss from a boy. It was quick and sweet and Ella was smitten from then on. Ella was Ruby's play thing. She did Ella's hair or she had Ella do her hair. They would play dress up and one incident was when Ruby decided they should go swimming and she pulled Ella in the water only to find out Ella couldn't swim. They didn't feel that swimming was that important and neither was reading. Ella couldn't read and Ruby was going to teach her how to read. Penn would later try to teach her how to swim (hide spoiler)]

[Susan]

Review #3

I find the congressmen very creepy. I love the son Penn, and I love the daughter Ruby.

(view spoiler)[
Penn has discovered he is in love with Ella even though it is impossible to have it go any further. He has a secret garden that has become overgrown with weeds and moss and it has a beautiful pond that needs cleaned out. He shows Ella the secret garden and he also cleans it up so he can teach her privately how to float and swim. I forgot to mention in review 2 Ella gOt kidnapped by the next door neighbor who wanted to get her to Canada so she could gain her freedom but Ella was terrified and she did not want her freedom or to be away from Penn. The congressmen found her thanks to a microchip the kennels had placed behind her ear. Later she tries to really run away and she tries to get the help of another pet who acts like she is going to be her friend then screams that Ella was trying to steal her away.....the next review I will go into what the congressmen did to Ella after her running away stunt (hide spoiler)]

[Susan]

Review #4

I wasn't sure I like the congressmen's wife but in the last part of this book I love her and what she does for Ella and Penn.

(view spoiler)[
The congressmen was called to go retrieve his pet at midnight from the house of the other pet after the other pet lied and said Ella tried to force her to run away with her. He got her home and the kennel said that he should chain her up and so he chained her to her bed with long enough chain to reach into the bathroom. She was chained at the dinner table too. The kennel told the congressmen that if he had her spayed she wouldn't be so wild and the urge to run away would most likely leave her....this part just made me so angry I almost stopped reading this book I was disgusted by how this girl was treated like an animal. Penn was angry about it to and the night before she was to be spayed they ran away. He got bolt cutters and cut her chain and pushed the car down to the road so his dad wouldn't hear the car. Ella got her razor from the tub and cut out the microchip (she passed out from all the blood) they drove away and had almost made it to Canada. Penn's mom heard the chains drop and she said she was the one who had her kidnapped the first time and she gave Penn money and wished them luck. They got to the border and there was a barricade of police cars blocking the border. Penn and Ella had to run...she made it and asked for asylum but Penn was detained....and that is how the book ended. (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

20% (view spoiler)[ Jeez what is Rosa’s deal. Anyway, I am intrigued to find out what really happened to the previous pet, and what are this girls being bred for? A perfect wife? A trophy wife? Ella doesn’t seem to have learned much but poise in her life, how can she not know how to read? How to swim? Well I guess plenty of people don’t know how to swim. Anyways, I feel a love interested sprouting between Ella and Penn. (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

59% (view spoiler)[ Jeez let the boy choose his own career. Yes, I understand you want him to follow in your footsteps but why can’t he do what he loves as well. Anyways, I am starting to understand Ella a little bit better. I am so sorry she had to go through the whole kidnapping by that crazy lady, I understand it’s wrong to have a “pet” which is more like a dog not a person but I don’t really know how I feel about it, at least Ms. Harper should have done her research instead of abandoning Ella. I am really curious about what happened to the previous pet… hum? (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Susan your spoilers sure are long.

[[deleted user]]

I guess it makes sense you call them reviews instead of comments

[Susan]

Mostly they are long because the first time I did it they told me I needed more detail when posting a review so they could tell I didn't skim the book but really read it...LOL....also I am a terrible insomniac and get really gabby at night ha ha ha :)

[Susan]

It was not this challenge but another one I was on that told me I had to leave better more detailed reviews.

[[deleted user]]

Wow. I am terrible at writing reviews. I like spending the The reading than reviewing.

[Susan]

I actually like to do both. I like to review as well as read. When I have done to much reading I take a break and do my reviews and look around Goodreads. I love to do both read and review...no biggie really.

[[deleted user]]

78% (view spoiler)[ I cannot believe Missy actually betrayed Ella like that. I don’t know what Missy might have done to be so scared to lose what she has now. The congressman is obsessed with Ella, and Jealous of Penn. I guess, that little love match between Ella and Penn really shouldn’t happen, I kinda agree with Claire on that. I liked the story at the Opera, I’m gonna have to research a little bit about it. Poor Ella she is really treated as a real pet, I can’t believe she was ready to just escape. (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Finished… (view spoiler)[ Well, at least she made it to Canada, it is about time she learns to fend for herself. I did like the bit about Penn’s mother helping him and Ella. I kinda had guessed why they had gotten rid of the last pet, I knew she had to be pregnant, I wouldn’t doubt it was the congressman. I am glad that Penn and Ella found that lady to help them cross border and that although Penn was arrested and not allowed to go into Canada it shouldn’t be difficult for him to find his way back to Ella. (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Bonus Material. Penn’s POV: (view spoiler)[ To be completely honest, I really didn’t care to read the same story only on his POV instead of hers. I did like the Banana split incident, it was fun and real, I didn’t care about the pond, I had already read her side, which was basically the same as Penn’s. (hide spoiler)]

[Anna 'Bookbuyer']

Cinthia wrote: "20% [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I agree I'm very curious to find out what happened to the previous pet. I was also very curious to know why the pets don't know how to read. :/ (hide spoiler)]

[Anna 'Bookbuyer']

Cinthia wrote: "59% [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I completely agree with everything you said. Penn should be able to choose his own career and instead of having to follow in his father's footsteps. He seems to genuinely love music and seems good.

I was also really upset with Mrs. Harper. She was unprepared and even though she seemed to be doing it from a kind POV she did leave her behind.

I also struggled with my feelings about the pets. The girls seemed to have been raised like lap dogs. :/ (hide spoiler)]

[Anna 'Bookbuyer']

Cinthia wrote: "78% [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I'm was also upset at Missy for betraying her but not surprised. Yes they are both pets but they only met twice and from the first visit you could she that Missy didn't like her. :/ (hide spoiler)]

[Anna 'Bookbuyer']

Cinthia wrote: "Bonus Material. Penn’s POV: [spoilers removed]"

I enjoyed the Bonus POV. :)

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date Changed. Restarting June 8th 2017. Happy Reading ☺

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[Adriana]

Thanks!

[faith]

thank you!

[Adriana]

10% (view spoiler)[ Grenish kennels????

And they are named by numbers....

Breeders.... Oh my goodness. This book is going to kill me already. I hope this girl rebels and rebels hard.

Why 5 feet tall? Touching her hair... So creepy. They called the girls it. IT! Pet? Sheesh.

She's already realizing that this is wrong with number 16.

The wife is comparing her to slaves... She's smart.

This is a fantastic narrator.

Oh my goodness.... I feel like they killed the other pet when she was returned to the kennel.

And here walks in Penn. I hope this isn't a ridiculous love. She needs to be less naive for them to get together or it would feel wrong.

I can't do anything other than listen to this story. It's too engaging! (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

20% (view spoiler)[ She can't read!!!??? She's definitely like a slave.

Ooh! Did the last girl try to run away?

She also doesn't know how to swim... Are they trying to kill the girls?

I hope Penn isn't the hero type. As in I don't want her to fall in love with the first person who is kind to her. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

30% (view spoiler)[Another being as a prisoner. This girl has it right.

HE GAVE HER A DOG COLLAR! The congressman is so freaking creepy. EW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so scared he's going to rape her.

SPADE. I'm going to vomit.

Oh my goodness.... The other pet was raped wasn't she? (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

60% (view spoiler)[ I know Penn is being nice to her but I don't particularly like him. He knows that the other girl was obviously raped right? And he does nothing to help Ella. All these people suck. Even Ruby. She's old enough to know better. I don't care how she was raised. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

70% (view spoiler)[ I love Missy giving it to her straight.
I wish she would tell her about the girl's that go to sleep. That they kill them. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

Done (view spoiler)[ If it wasn't for Penn I would have at least given the book three stars. But because of him it's only one. I know he ended up saving her and all but he acted hurt when she left him to go to Missy's house. I find it appalling that she is given the task to love the first person she meets and that's okay. She isn't an equal. The story was pretty disgusting giving parallels to slavery and how she is a human but treated like she is pet. She wasn't given the tools to save herself. I was grossed out by situations that came up. I felt nauseous when they mentioned spading her. I commend the author for being able to give me this reaction but she's still rendered her weak by having to rely on Penn. It reminded me of the Shatter Me series. I know that Warner could be a confrontational love interest but she chose him. Juliette chose him after he stopped with his craziness. Yes, he loved her too much, too fast. But there is a difference between him and the other guy. He saw her as an equal. He built her up. Penn let her be captured like a dog for weeks. And he knows, even if he doesn't want to admit it, what his father did to the other girl. While Warner would never let that happen. It's weird that I'm talking about Shatter Me I know... but I couldn't help think of what Juliette said - how she was seen as an equal to Warner. I don't like seeing girls like Ella anymore in YA or in any book for that matter. It's great to be in love but Penn knows how naive she is about the world... she's like a child. Ugh. (hide spoiler)]

[faith]

forgot to add this but started the book yesterday.

[faith]

10%
(view spoiler)[one thing that really bothered me was that everyone calls these girls "pets." I mean, sure, they're genetically engineered and whatnot, but they can think for themselves and are human beings. you can't just refer to them as a "pet."

after reading the synopsis, it seems like Ella falls in love with Penn, which kind of bothers me because he doesn't seem like that good of a person. Penn refers to her as a pet and believes her to be less of a person than him.

the red door situation is kind of frightening. the previous "pet" was sent back, and it seems like she died, although the synopsis said Ella might face a fate "far worse than death," so something else happened to her.

according to the congressman, the previous girl (I think her name was Ravenna) "came down with something," but Penn hints that this isn't true. I think either they weren't able to provide enough care for Ravenna or the people back at Greenwich possibly did something to make her sick... (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

@ Faith - (view spoiler)[ I didn't like Penn either. (hide spoiler)]

[faith]

Adriana wrote: "@ Faith - [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ yes, he seems a little full of himself. (hide spoiler)]

[faith]

30%
(view spoiler)[now Penn and Ruby are talking about what happened to Ravenna. Penn has repeated his father's exact words in saying "they insisted that we return her so that they could give her the special care she needed," which is kind of weird? i'm getting more and more curious about her "sickness," but i think, based on the actions of the congressman, she may have contracted some sexually transmitted disease.

one thing I don't get is why Rosa seems kind of hostile towards Ella. either she's angry at Ella for just being there or she is angry at the fact that the congressman and his wife have bought what is essentially another slave.

the introduction of Mrs. Harper was pretty interesting. I'm glad there is at least one sane person here who realizes that this is wrong and that people should not be owned by other people. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

I was going to say something in response to your update but I stopped myself because I might give something away.

[faith]

do you remember what general area of the book or page it was on? i can tell you when I get there lol

[faith]

50%
(view spoiler)[Mrs. Harper literally just stole Ella and drove her five hours away. she had good intentions and everything, but I don’t think that was the best way to do it. she also left Ella at the apartment where they did not want to help her, which was a terrible decision. she must have known that they would probably kick Ella out onto the streets.

I really disliked the people at the apartment. they would only help girls gain their freedom for fifteen hundred dollars, really?! I cannot believe that they would want to be paid that much to let someone have freedom.

Penn is beginning to seem like a nicer person, but I’m still not quite sure about him. I want to believe that he is different from his father, but it doesn’t really seem like it. after all, when he kissed that girl at the beginning, Lexie, he was only “goofing around” and it didn’t seem to matter at all to him when Ella came along. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

I figured it out at 30% and was sure at 60%.

(view spoiler)[ People are evil. That's what the book conveyed to me at least.

You might like Penn later on. When you are done you can read my last post I did for the book and you'll see my perspective on him. I go on a rant... (hide spoiler)]

[faith]

ahaha yeah he's starting to be okay now.

i reached 60%, was the fact that (view spoiler)[people are evil (hide spoiler)] the thing you wanted to tell me? or was it something else i'm so confused lol

[Adriana]

No, do you realize why the other pet had to leave yet?

[faith]

(view spoiler)[there's overwhelming evidence of either rape and/or a sexually transmitted disease, but it hasn't been proved yet. (hide spoiler)]