Book Review: Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Image (c) Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Perfect Ruin (The Interment Chronicles #1) by Lauren DeStefano
Release Date: October 1st, 2013
Book Format: eBook
Rating: Four Stars

On the floating city, you can be anything you dream - a novelist or a singer, a florist or a factory worker... Your life is yours to embrace or to squander. There's only one rule: you don't approach THE EDGE. If you do, it's already over.

Morgan Stockhour knows getting too close to the edge 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 at home: 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, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find—or whom she will lose.

I have to admit- I was a bit hesitant about reading this book due to the fact that I wasn't a big fan of Ms. DeStefano's previous books (not that there was anything really horrible about them, of course, they just weren't my favorite books either). But I have to admit... the pretty cover pulled me in. What ended up getting me convinced to try it out in the end, though, was one of the reviewers that I follow here on Goodreads... who ended up really loving this book. I couldn't help but wonder that, hey, maybe I'll like it too. So, as soon as I found it was on sale as an ebook, I figured I had nothing to lose save for a couple bucks.

I'm soooooo so glad I did.

The book centers around a girl named Morgan who lives in a place called Internment. Everyone lives a fairly happy life and there isn't much holding anyone back other than one rule: don't get close to the edge. As if she didn't need any proof that it was bad- her brother, Lex, is a Jumper and he hasn't been the same ever since he went close to the edge. It isn't until a murder- something that hasn't happened in a long while- that things start slowly changing for Morgan and, suddenly, she starts to realize that things aren't as simple as they seem to be.

There's not much that I can say that I actually disliked about this book. The one thing that seemed a bit far fetched was somewhere around the end... (Highlight the text to read the spoiler). It was when the group heard some noise and they thought it was the part of the ceiling falling down in the 'metal bird' but, really, it was actually Princess Celeste and Thomas- Pen's fiance- and I just can't imagine that she managed to sneak in without anyone noticing... but hey, maybe the mechanical bird IS bigger than I imagined it to be.

The pacing of the book was pretty much spot-on and I never once felt like there was an 'information overload', so to speak. Never felt like it was being rushed or it was too slow. I ended up falling in love with almost all of the characters in the story. Morgan and Basil, even though they were set up to be married before they were even born, I felt like were a perfect match and they were just adorable together. Even Pen and Thomas, even though there were many times when she looked as if she didn't really care about them, I felt like there was so much behind them that I almost kind of wished that I could've gotten to know the both of them behind the scenes (would that be possible??? A story of the both of them?? :D Heeheehee...).

I could probably continue to gush about this book all night, but all in all... I just loved this book and I am all too excited for the next book to come out and I just can't wait to see what sort of challenges are ahead for Morgan and her friends and family. :'D

Those who may have heard of Castle in the Sky might get a sense of familiarity from this, but not for the worse for sure. Honestly, though, I recommend this book to everyone.

Originally posted and shared on November 30th, 2013