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Global Blog Tour – Flawed by Cecilia Ahern #PerfectlyFlawed – Review and Exclusive Content
Flawed is Cecilia Ahern’s first foray into Young Adult fiction and the first book of hers that I have read. I will definitely be reading the follow up.
Check out the book trailer below and have a read of the official synopsis on Goodreads.
My Review/Plot Summary
Genre – Dystopian
How are the ills of society managed? – Government, laws and a police force all still exist to punish illegal activity but another organisation, The Guild, monitor moral and ethical “errors”. They employ Whistleblowers to bring in people to face trial through The Courts to determine if they are Flawed in one of five ways. Each type of Flaw carries with it a brand – as in literally a part of your body, including your tongue is branded with a hot poker with a giant F on it, and you have to wear an armband to signify if you are branded (some brands just can’t be displayed permanently). Flawed people have a curfew, a specific diet to follow, their own segregated seats on buses, they can’t progress to jobs where they might have influence. In fact, being found Flawed could be considered worse than being sent to jail – it’s a life sentence.
What type of things can get you branded? – Corrrupt bankers would be in trouble, celebrities flogging a miracle body transformation fitness video whose plastic surgery comes to light, adultery…helping someone travel to a country where euthanasia is legal, helping a Flawed person who might be dying. Can you see the flaw in the system yet?
You can find out how you might be branded here – http://www.maximumpop.co.uk/quiz-how-flawed-are-you/
Protagonist – Celestine North – the perfect student, girlfriend of the Guild head’s son.
I am a girl of definitions, of logic, of black and white.
Remember this.
Perfect girl, perfect life – perfection is a myth.
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
My thoughts – I love a good dystopia and this was a good dystopia. It reminded me a little of Delirium which I also loved. Society outlawing what are essentially human traits, things we can’t always control. Morality is not as simple as Good/Bad. People criticise the likelihood of whether something like this would come to pass, I think if we look closely at what is happening around us it’s sadly not too hard to believe that this could happen – similar does happen elsewhere (hands being chopped off for stealing, proposals for people to wear identifying tags).
Flawed is a perfect coming of age story, Celestine starts the story with her black and white thinking, blindly following what she is told to do. But then the Whistleblowers come for someone she knows and the whole world becomes full of shades of grey and she finds herself questioning what she knows, including herself. She moves from trying to blend in to standing out and speaking up and she isn’t the only character to find her voice when it is trying to be silenced.
The branding process is barbaric and you will find yourself wincing during some of the scenes. Without the harsh injustice though would people have been driven to action?
As with any dystopia it makes you question your current society and this book is uncomfortably relevant. There is a question about people being all talk and no action and this is something I battle with. I’m sure there are times we have all taken a step back from intervening in a situation that we should have to protect ourselves.
For me the short chapters keep the story whipping along and I managed to read it in around 5 hours or so. There were characters that I would like to get to know a bit more but hopefully they will get their say in the second book. This is very much Celestine’s story, and one well worth reading.
Giveaway
I am very excited to be able to offer a giveaway of a copy of the book as well as some Flawed ‘branded’ surprises.
To be in with a chance of winning, on twitter share how you have come to realise you are #PerfectlyFlawed (using this hashtag) and link me to the URL of your tweet in the comments below. I will pick my favourite after the Closing time/date – 13:13 Wed 13th April (a #PerfectlyFlawed date). Can only ship to UK addresses.
*The publisher provided me with an e-copy of the book and I will receive a goodie pack myself but my review has not been influenced by this. I seriously pouted because I can’t read the sequel Perfect right now, this second. Be warned this is the first of an addictive series – oh yeah, my flaw might be my book addiction! Well, one of many.
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Shards and Ashes (Various Authors) – Book Review
Overall rating 4/5 stars
A mixed collection of dystopian stories that started and ended really well. A couple were too confusing or didn’t give me a real sense of motivation or purpose but others were beautifully nuanced, scary or intriguing. One or two I’d love to see developed into longer pieces, a number would be great as episodes of a Shards and Ashes TV series.
I commented on each story as I finished it but here are my mini reviews.
Hearken by Veronica Roth’s – 5/5 stars
This was a beautiful tale of Darya who learns she has the potential to be a Hearkener, someone who can hear people’s life or death songs. This has potential to be a much longer story but shares a message in itself for us to listen to each other. To look beyond the surface. Highly recommended
Branded by Kelley Armstrong – 3.5/5 stars
I liked the voice of the protagonist Rayne and the story/world building of the fortress community. The second part of the story almost felt rushed and I just didn’t completely feel that it was satisfactorily explained. The conclusion would have been good had I felt able to understand motivation a little clearer.
A Necklace of Raindrops by Margaret Stohl 4/5 stars
This was a clever tale that kept me guessing about this world of necklaces and drops. I loved the title. I struggled to care immediately for the first character we met but cared about his sister. The idea of living without living was one people can connect with.
I wanted a slightly clearer explanation of the world though. It was there but I still didn’t quite grasp it.
The repetition at the end was both frustrating and poetic. It didn’t quite end in the right place and the final point of view distanced me. I wanted a little bit more from Jai’s perspective.
Dogsbody by Rachel Caine – 5/5 stars
Excellent story, great pace, a protagonist you are rooting for from the off. Revenge planned meticulously over years. Of course nothing ever goes to plan.
Pale Rider by Nancy Holder – 1.5/5 stars
Unfortunately I just didn’t connect with this one. The beginning was interesting, a character called Dana being very excited about finding some batteries. Had the story stuck to a dystopia and explored this more I think I would have preferred it. Instead it went into fantasy right that the end with a lot of telling not showing. I was left very confused.
Realised I have read Nancy before, she wrote some of the Buffy TV tie-ins.
Corpse Eaters by Melissa Marr – 3/5 stars
I’d have liked a little more meat on the bones of this one (pun intended). Liked the two main characters. Interesting story of a god/monster coming to earth and humans ending up as corpse stew. Harm and Chris are fighting back. Wasn’t that keen on the ending. As a longer piece I think this could be much better.
Burn 3 by Kami Garcia – 5/5 stars
Phoenix and her sister Sky live in Burn 3, that used to be New York before the holes in the ozone sent the sun out of control. Children are vanishing and, when Sky is taken, Phoenix heads into the Abyss and finds an unlikely ally in a one eyed crazy man who thinks the Skinners have Sky. This was an excellent short, just the right amount of world-building and tension.
Love is a Choice by Beth Revis – 5/5 stars
Set on a spaceship, a young man hides from Eldest, the ruler who drugs everyone on board to prevent a mutiny. With help from Mag, a girl who had taken her grandfather’s place as the Recorder (librarian of sorts) they plot how to overthrow Eldest. I believe this is set in an existing world and you could tell, although this story did stand alone. The ending wasn’t what I was expecting but certainly explained the title. Going to hunt out this author’s work now.
Miasma by Carrie Ryan – 5/5 stars
Love the word Miasma and I also loved this story. Almost a mythical Fairytale nightmare rather than dystopian. Beaked doctors and ferret like plague eaters with forked tongues. Reminded me a little of the Buffy episode Hush. A girl struggles to keep her sister’s illness hidden by stealing Rose petals from the gardens of the rich.
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What’s Left of Me – Book Review
Contains some spoilers
Kat Zhang (@KatZhang) has written a superb novel. Like many books I seem to be reading What’s Left of Me
I simply devoured this – it was so easy to read and I just felt for the characters straight away.
The book starts with an intriguing premise, that everybody is born with two souls but somewhen in early childhood one of the souls just fades away – this is called settling. Those who don’t – hybrids – are feared and children are put in institutions with the intent of ‘therapying’ away the weaker soul.
Addie is 15 years old, she learnt through therapy not to talk about Eva, the other soul inside of her but Eva never went away. When a sister (Hally/Lissa) and brother (Devon/Ryan) from her school identify that she is a hybrid (because they both are too) Eva pleads with Addie to let them teach her how to take over their body for periods of time. It’s difficult, but a budding relationship with Ryan drives Eva to achieve this. I felt for both girls here, Eva for never having had a voice and Addie for giving up and losing her control, seeing another’s happiness build as yours is disappearing.
But, of course, they are all found out and sent to an institution, where they discover that kids have gone mad, or died. We really feel Eva and Addie’s sense of betrayal because their parents ‘let’ them go. Also they are missing their little brother Lyle. Finding out that they are performing trial soul extractions (think Daemon splicings from His Dark Materials) the trio need to find a way to escape and quick because Hally and Lissa are next on the list.
Whatever Zhang did it really just drew me into the world and the pace of the story carried me through it. It was clear who was speaking via the layout so I didn’t get confused. The souls each have such a different personality and even the secondary characters such as the other kids in the institution are unique. The main point of view character was Eva the recessive soul, this clever choice was what made us root for the hybrids. I really wanted to keep reading as the book finished and suspect I shall take another trip back to the beginning before much longer.
I can’t rate it highly enough and 5 stars is well deserved. If my review hasn’t convinced you check out the book trailer here.
Thanks to HarperCollins for the review copy – the opinions and adoration of this book are my own.
You can read What’s Left of Me on 27th September 2012 – pre-order it now and clear your schedule.
kirstyes 