In a world amidst the clouds, a young girl named Morgan dreams of the edge. The edge of the Internment is a place forbidden, a place that if jumped over will get you labeled irrational and put in a support group in seconds. She would know; her brother was a jumper. When a girl is murdered, Morgan encounters the dead girl's little sister-a jumper full of mysteries she can't begin to grasp who is friends with a murderer that could be their destruction...or salvation.
PERFECT RUIN captured me from the first page. Lauren DeStefano writes Morgan's voice in an engaging narrative, one full of curiosity and dreams. Morgan is an odd girl out, one who internally questions and wonders, often scaring herself. The way she is almost frightened by her own mind gives a wonderful depth to her character. She dreams, and though she struggles to dare to in a precious and courageous way, she cannot stop. Her way of both being set free by her mind and imprisoned by it is relatable and touching, two things I highly enjoy seeing in books.
One of the most striking features of PERFECT RUIN, beyond the enchanting, breath-taking, and scary world of Internment, is the romance in this novel. There is a point that a love triangle is potentially there, but it is wonderfully not there. I'm not a screaming fan of love triangles, though I do enjoy ones done well, but I am beyond glad at how DeStefano didn't take it in that direction. Instead, she gives a romance I wouldn't have expected. Morgan's betrothal, courtesy of Internment customs, Basil, is positively heart-warming. Their romance is slow, but powerful, and very appropriate for their situation. Being that this is the first in a series, I plan to root for their relationship throughout it, though given the plot twists done throughout the novel by the author, I can't put all my heart behind it in case she decides to break it.
A world of excitement, mystery, and adventure can be found in this start to a new series, PERFECT RUIN. I am not absolutely blown away by it, but I can tell this will be a series that my love will continue to grow for. I will without a doubt be anticipating the sequel and eagerly asking for more of these characters.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The
Chemical Garden trilogy: On the floating city of Internment,
you can be anything you dream. Unless you approach the edge.
Children's Literature says "shades of Aldous Huxley's
Brave New World and George Orwell's 1984
inspire DeStefano's sci-fi/murder mystery page-turner."
Morgan Stockhour knows getting too close to the edge of
Internment, the floating city and her home, can lead to
madness. Even though her older brother, Lex, was a Jumper,
Morgan vows never to end up like him. There's too much for
her on Internment: her parents, best friend Pen, and her
betrothed, Basil. Her life is ordinary and safe, even if she
sometimes does wonder about the ground and why it's forbidden.
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 once she
meets Judas. Betrothed to the victim, Judas is being blamed
for the murder, 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 whom she will
lose.
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