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Perfect: A Novel
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Perfect: A Novel
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Perfect: A Novel
Audiobook11 hours

Perfect: A Novel

Written by Rachel Joyce

Narrated by Paul Rhys

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

A spellbinding novel that will resonate with readers of Mark Haddon, Louise Erdrich, and John Irving, Perfect tells the story of a young boy who is thrown into the murky, difficult realities of the adult world with far-reaching consequences.

Byron Hemmings wakes to a morning that looks like any other: his school uniform draped over his wooden desk chair, his sister arguing over the breakfast cereal, the click of his mother's heels as she crosses the kitchen. But when the three of them leave home, driving into a dense summer fog, the morning takes an unmistakable turn. In one terrible moment, something happens, something completely unexpected and at odds with life as Byron understands it. While his mother seems not to have noticed, eleven-year-old Byron understands that from now on nothing can be the same.
 
What happened and who is to blame? Over the days and weeks that follow, Byron's perfect world is shattered. Unable to trust his parents, he confides in his best friend, James, and together they concoct a plan...
 
As she did in her debut, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Rachel Joyce has imagined bewitching characters who find their ordinary lives unexpectedly thrown into chaos, who learn that there are times when children must become parents to their parents, and who discover that in confronting the hard truths about their pasts, they will forge unexpected relationships that have profound and surprising impacts. Brimming with love, forgiveness, and redemption, Perfect will cement Rachel Joyce's reputation as one of fiction's brightest talents.

Praise for Perfect
 
"Touching, eccentric . . . Joyce does an inviting job of setting up these mysterious circumstances, and of drawing Byron's magical closeness with Diana."-Janet Maslin, The New York Times
 
"Haunting . . . compelling."-Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"[Joyce] triumphantly returns with Perfect. . . . As Joyce probes the souls of Diana, Byron and Jim, she reveals-slowly and deliberately, as if peeling back a delicate onion skin-the connection between the two stories, creating a poignant, searching tale."-O: The Oprah Magazine
 
"Perfect touches on class, mental illness, and the ways a psyche is formed or broken. It has the tenor of a horror film, and yet at the end, in some kind of contortionist trick, the narrative unfolds into an unexpected burst of redemption. [Verdict:] Buy It."-New York
 
"Joyce's dark, quiet follow-up to her successful debut, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, could easily become a book club favorite. . . . Perfect is the kind of book that blossoms under thoughtful examination, its slow tendencies redeemed by moments of loveliness and insight. However sad, Joyce's messages-about the limitations of time and control, the failures of adults and the fears of children, and our responsibility for our own imprisonment and freedom-have a gentle ring of truth to them."-The Washington Post
 
"There is a poignancy to Joyce's narrative that makes for her most memorable writing."-NPR's All Things Considered
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 14, 2014
ISBN9780804164153
Unavailable
Perfect: A Novel

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Reviews for Perfect

Rating: 3.696504978165939 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This was no Harold Fry.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I know it's only January, but I feel like I've already found my book of the year! An extremely well written novel, that slowly reveals itself with each page read. Told in alternating chapters that switch between 1972 and present day, it's hard to figure out what the connection will be between the two plot lines as the content seems incongruous, which only made me want to finish the book that much faster.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    After becoming a fan of Joyce's work through her first novel, I eagerly anticipated the chance to read her second. It was quickly clear that in this book, the author is telling a very different story. In Harold Fry, the reader is given a sense almost from the beginning that THIS story, no matter its twists and turns, will end up okay. Perfect starts with a very different tone - the reader knows right away that this is not going to be a happily-ever-after.It is a book about brief moments - about tiny, seemingly insignificant events, which alter the course of the world for one young boy during one long summer. Joyce unfolds her story slowly, with chapters alternating between Byron, the young boy, and Jim, a troubled adult man who remembers that summer as well. These alternating viewpoints can at times make the narrative seem a bit stiff, but as the novel progresses it becomes clear why each is critical to the ultimate resolution."It is indeed a small thing, that Eileen prefers frost to snow, but it is in these, he realizes, these smallnesses, that make up the big things. Besides, the big things in life do not present themselves as such. They come in the quiet, ordinary moments - a phone call, a letter - they come when we are not looking, without clues, without warning, and that is why they floor us. And it can take a lifetime, a life of many years, to accept the incongruity of things; that a small moment can sit side by side with a big one, and become part of the same." (p. 270)Joyce tackles a myriad of big topics - class and society, guilt and innocence, mental illness, love and sacrifice - and weaves a tale that is intimate and personal. Readers can't help but feel sympathy for Byron, his mother, and Jim, as each character is forced to deal with events that are clearly more than they can handle. That the tragedy near the end, which almost feels inevitable, does not leave the novel with a sense of despair is a tribute to the author's skill. This is an excellent book, and while some fans of Joyce's work may be expecting something different, I believe this novel is ultimately just as powerful as her first. This author has found a place on my "must-read" list. Recommended.(I recieved a review copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Let me start with an affirmation: Perfect by Rachel Joyce is every bit as good as her debut novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

    Perfect is set in Britain and follows two different storylines. In the first it is 1972 and 11-year-old Byron Hemmings has several things he is concerned about. First his best friend, James Lowe, tells him that two seconds are going to be added to the official time to balance things on this leap year. Byron knows that two seconds may seem inconsequential, but two seconds can make a huge difference. They can mean taking a firm step or stumbling off the edge of a cliff. While James and his mother, Diana, don't seem too concerned, a day comes when those two seconds changed the life of Byron's family. While driving Byron and his younger sister to school in the fog his mother hits a child on a bicycle. The only problem is that she didn't realize it happened and only Byron saw the accident. Should he tell her?

    Alternating chapters are set in the present and follow the life of Jim, a man in his fifties with OCD. Jim has been in and out of the mental health system and endured many rounds of electroconvulsive therapy. His current job is as a table washer at a local cafe. He stutters badly and has a difficult time dealing with people, although he desperately tries to get along as best as he can.

    It soon becomes clear to the reader that Byron's family is much more dysfunctional than even he realizes and it doesn't take much to topple the tightly regimented routine his mother keeps in order to endure his controlling and older father, who only comes to the country estate to see his family on the weekends. In the meantime Byron and James start "Operation Perfect," a plan to protect Diana, who James worships from afar.

    Joyce keeps the pace moving and I just flew through Perfect racing to see what was going to happen next in the two storylines. All of the chapters set in 1972 are seen through Byron's eyes so, while he is observant, he doesn't always recognize the reality of what is going on around him, although he does, with James's help, have some keen insights. He loves his mother and sees her through those eyes rather than how she is viewed by his classmates mothers. Jim's situation is heartbreaking as he struggles along as best he can.

    I might as well admit that I was a sobbing mess at the end of this novel. Yes, it is that good. I think I even liked it more than Harold Fry and I liked Joyce's first novel a whole lot. Joyce manages to portray her character's personalities and actions while describing the settings flawlessly. Even when propelling the story forward through the voice of an 11 year-old she manages to capture a sense of depth and purpose. She slowly shows us the steps toward the both of the unfolding tragedies that seem to be looming on the horizon. Perfect is permeated with an overwhelming sadness(thus the crying going on here) though there is redemption at the end.

    The writing is superb. It is perfect. I wouldn't change a word. I loved this novel

    Very Highly Recommended
    Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher and TLC for review purposes.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!I was anxious to read 'Perfect' because I had enjoyed 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry', the author's first novel. I was not disappointed. The two books are very different, but both are exceptional, and worth reading.'Perfect' is set in England. It held my interest throughout with alternating chapters in two time periods: Byron in the 1970s and Jim in the present day. There are many intricate characters in this novel and I'll be remembering them for many weeks to come. Ms. Joyce writes beautifully, plots extremely well, and knows how to develop characters. In 'Perfect, she shows how a single mistake can eventually change an entire family.This is an emotional, heartbreaking, and at times funny, story. I highly recommend it. I hope it does well for Ms. Joyce. She deserves praise for 'Perfect' as well as for her debut novel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    My feelings about this novel are somewhat mixed, but I reckon the overall theme and the way it is woven into the story gives the book enough power to justify a 4 star rating. My main reservations are in relation to my perception that for much of the story many of the characters stray too much towards caricatures rather than real people. I'm thinking very much of the 'family' of Beverley, Walt & Jeanie, and the 'other mothers' . But all of Joyce's books have this feature...Harold Fry and Queenie Hennessy are *just* believable too. The essential questions asked by the novel are definitely worth considering and for me Joyce has had a good go at addressing them in a way which I found personally meaningful.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An entertaining summer read but I found it rather formulaic and nowhere near as original as her first novel The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. The formula is the familiar territory of telling the story from the point of view of a very intelligent child. The parallel modern day narrative from the point of view of a mentally disturbed adult is also an over familiar trope but, having said all that, the story is well enough told to hold the interest
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    It's a difficult read though well written. Reading through a person 's suffering and fears in such detail is very difficult
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This would make a great book club selection - so many different facets to the book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Byron Hemmings and James Lowe are great friends. Life goes along nicely until one day, when an accident happens that changes everything. The chapters alternate between 1972 and now, so we watch as consequence leads to consequence, and wonder how the current state got to be that way. Well-written, and once it gets started, it's hard to put down. Highly recommended!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I found this readable but disagree with many of the glowing reviews here. The two parallel stories became distracting for me. I felt we were being asked to work out how they connected to each other but that, ultimately, it wasn't that interesting a connection. One for the beach.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Two very bright childhood friends are fascinated by time, and when Byron learns that two seconds are going to disappear to even out the year, he fixates on what will happen to those seconds. At the same time, his mother causes an accident while he is in the car, but he is the only one who sees what happens, leading to serious repercussions in his family. Chapters about Byron as a boy are interspersed with the story of Jim, more than 40 years later. He has been in and out of a psychiatric hospital over the years, and now that it is closed he is forced to try to survive in the world in spite of his obsessive compulsion disorder and social anxiety. By the second third of the book, it seemed belabored to me, and it was all too easy to skip sections, although I did care enough to find out what happened in the end.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not as good as Harold Fry, but an interesting story. Felt it needed a bit of polishing in places to pull strands together a bit more. Too many themes felt unexplored or explored in the wrong way eg Byron's friendship with James focussed on the mundane, and did not reflect the importance it subsequently had. Byron's parents were key characters but their role in the story did not reflect this.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Two seconds of time are going to be added and this will change the life of Byron and his friend James.This was a book of two halves for me. Part of the story was about one summer when Byron and James were children, and the rest of the story was about Jim. For me I felt I was plodding along with this book but was determined to finish it. I enjoyed the story of Byron and James better than Jim's story. I wanted to see how it was going to pan out and what was going to happen to Byron's mom. I did guess the sort of twist and it didnt really make the book.This for me wasn't a brilliant read but there was enough for me to keep going. I haven't read any other books by this author snd I am not reallt inspired to either. This book was ok and was something different for a change, but not for me
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Perhaps I was hoping for another touching story like Joyce's The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry but this story just left me feeling cold. The novel has an ethereal feeling that some readers may enjoy but I found it curiously not-engaging. Early on, I suspected something about one of the main characters that turned out to be true so the big reveal at the end was not a surprise. Harold Fry's pilgrimage also fell into some dull moments but Byron's and Jim's journeys are even more plodding. And where Harold's journey ended in redemption, this ending is uninspired.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is an exceptional story that details the psychological breakdown of the members of a dysfunctional family. It is told from the perspective of two people: Byron, a young boy who watches the gradual breakdown of his mother - something for which he blames himself; Jim, an emotionally broken man who is left to fend for himself when the psychiatric "home" where he'd lived for years is closed. Both characters are portrayed sensitively as people caught up in a world they have trouble understanding and in which they cannot seem to fit. Rachel Joyce has produced a marvelous book - well-written, clearly articulated, and meticulously structured. All that, plus an incredible twist at the end. I highly recommend this book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The British author of THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY has written her newest novel, PERFECT. In PERFECT, we are taken to an English village in 1972, and an 11-year old boy finds out from a friend that the government is adding two seconds to a day, therefore altering time. Byron and his friend James become so wrapped up in the idea and when it is going to happen, that it ends up encompassing their lives. One morning, on the way to school, Byron notices his watch is adding the two seconds. He leans over and shows his mom, who is driving at the time, and she ends up hitting a little girl on a bicycle and then driving off. Even though it is foggy and Byron is sure that he saw the accident, he can't believe his mom would just drive off. Byron and James are so horrified and worried about the girl that "Operation Perfect" is enacted to protect Byron's mother from facing the consequences. At the same time, another story is being told in alternating chapters. This story is sent in the present time in the same English village. An adult man, Jim, lives a life confined by his daily rituals and past demons. At first we don't know the connection between the two stories, but as the story goes on, you begin to make assumptions about who this adult man is. Then, when you find out the true connection between the two stories, you want to go back and read everything again. Byron is so caught up in the idea of the "supposed" adding of the two seconds that it consumes his daily thoughts and activities. He can't understand why no one else is upset about it and why there is nothing in the news about it. His father is gone during the week and only home on weekends and when he is, he has no time for his family, except to tell them what they are doing wrong. So, Byron is left to discuss the two seconds only with his friend, James, whom he sees at school. Byron is so concerned because he believes it is the difference between something happening and something not happening. Unfortunately, because of these two seconds something does happen and changes all of their lives forever. After the accident, Byron struggles with asking his mom about it, wondering if someone can be guilty without knowing they were guilty. He worries about the little girl and wonders if she was hurt. He constantly checks the car for damage and the newspapers for stories on the accident. As you read along, you begin to feel the overwhelming anxiety that both Byron and James are feeling. You become frustrated with the submissiveness of Diana, the mother and the absence of Seymour, the controlling father. As Diana carries on with her daily routine, you wonder if Byron imagined the accident or Diana is that afraid of the consequences or of her husband. Then you meet the society ladies, friends of Diana. Byron tries to listen in to their conversations to see if others are talking about the accident. The ladies remind me more of 1950's ladies than women of the 1970's, but maybe America was farther ahead than the English in the feminist movement at that time.As you get wrapped up in Byron's story, and then start a new chapter, you wonder why we are learning about this other character. Jim lives in a van, is socially awkward, and is overwhelmed by his OCD characteristics. His story was mostly uninteresting to me until the end of the book. Jim has had a disturbing history and his co-workers try to help him. His years at the psychiatric hospital keep coming back in his mind and you wonder if his psychosis is due to his past or his electric shock treatment that he received. His story opens your eyes to the horrors of psychiatric hospitals and the patient's life after discharge. PERFECT wasn't the "perfect" book for me, but saying that, there were many parts of it that I did love. Her writing was poetic and there were many thought-provoking lines that caused me to pause and consider the statement. Joyce was frequently able to paint a picture in my mind of Byron's house and their land near the Moor or Jim's van, that was his home. I loved this description of an evening:Apart from the buffeting wind, the lack of sound up here is breathtaking. For awhile neither of them speaks. They just push slowly against the wind. It charges at their bodies and whistles through the long grasses with the rage of the sea. There are many stars sprinkled like embers over the sky....the horizon is rimed with orange light. It is streetlamps, but you might think it was a fire, somewhere very far away. Page 253I think this story would work well for book clubs. Mothers will find themselves struggling with the weight on Byron's shoulders and then unable to comprehend the lack of intuition by his mother. There could be much discussion on the marriage between Seymour and Diana, Jim's hospital care, the society ladies and their views on life, and how you realized the two stories are connected. PERFECT will likely appeal to many readers. I found I liked the beginning and the ending the most, but the middle was a struggle for me. For those who appreciate literary prose and a deeply rooted storyline, PERFECT could be just the "perfect" read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's been a long time since I've read a book that moved me as much as did this one. I don't even have any way of properly critiquing this, I was so absorbed in the story of these ordinary, well-intentioned people and the fragility of their lives. It's one of those rare books that I finish and say to myself, "This is why I read."
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Oh, Perfect. I really wanted to love you, but you were just a bit too weird for me. ME! I am the weirdest person there is! Okay, maybe not the weirdest but pretty close. Point is, if you are too weird for me, something is not right here. What? You want to know why I thought you were too weird? I would be happy to share my opinions with you. Take a seat, book.The first thing I feel I MUST mention is your writing. While I liked it enough and thought it was unique, a lot of your phrasing was weird. Basically, I was repeatedly yanked out of the narrative due to pretentious wording and odd verbiage. Also, the flow was just really odd in places. And you know, that's one of the things that bothers me the most because I have a super-short attention span and books like you that don't always flow well really don't help the situation. Here's the thing though. Your writing was really beautiful despite all that. I mean, honestly, if I thought it was that bad I would have put it down and read something else, but I stuck it out because I really thought you captured the essence of England well. I thought your imagery was fantastic, and the way you thrashed my mind's eye left me gasping for air. If only the rest had been there for me.The other thing that sort of bothered me was your characters, Perfect. I know you are lit-fic so it's natural for your characters to be eccentric and a bit odd, but no matter now well-developed they were, I just couldn't connect with them. I felt sorry for them, I enjoyed reading about their lives and troubles, but even Jim, the one I know I was supposed to have sympathy for, well, I just didn't have much. It's hard to explain why that was, but maybe it's because Jim was hiding so much throughout the book. He wouldn't tell me his story because it was supposed to be the big reveal at the end, which is another thing that annoys many, but I never felt like I really knew him. And then when it came to the big twist, well I pretty much saw it coming. I just hate those types of books where the characters are all hiding things and it is supposed to be this big secret that the reader has to solve. I feel like they are all mocking me. This is not the same as a whodunit. I like solving mysteries, but I did feel like every single one of these characters was surface and hard to get to know. It's a stylistic thing that I just don't mesh with.Your plot, Perfect, was also hard to get into. I just felt the first half of you was running around in circles and going nowhere. The accident happens, and then for a while after that, there is nothing. The plot does not seem to have a focus or an ultimate goal. I do believe you are supposed to be character-focused, or at least you try to be, but when I don't care for your characters, there isn't a whole lot for me between your front cover and back. Once you get going, you are good, but I kept hoping Diana would stand up for herself and she never did. That was very frustrating for me to read. I do not believe it is very realistic to have one person be that patient without ever showing their frustration.Ultimately, there is a lot of good in you, and I think that for the right person, you might be the perfect book. But there was not enough that I personally like for you to be a hit for me. There is no doubt in my mind that your author is incredibly talented, and I do believe I would read a work by her again. But Perfect, you were simply not the type of fiction that I fall for. At best, you were an average book for me. It takes a certain person to find entertainment value in stories of this kind, and I am not that person.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a beautifully written tale, and the portrayal of 1970s upper-class England was rendered perfectly. I was especially interested in the hints tossed here and there about the role of women in society and the changing times - this backdrop gives great dimension to the story of Diana, Byron's mother, as she deals with the pivotal event that has also captivated Byron and his friend James.This book is difficult to get into because of the way it's written: the two stories, with alternating chapters, seem very distant from each other until the very, very end, and although we know James in one has grown into Jim in the other, there are so few hints about how the former leads to the latter that it was somewhat difficult to wade through. I thought Joyce's portrayal of mental illness was sympathetic and not inaccurate like most novels, but those chapters really dragged for me -- I wanted to get back to the "real" story and find out what was going to happen. Beautifully written, but could have used some help with the pacing.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    In 1972, two seconds were added to balance the earth's rotation with clock time. Since learning of this from his much-smarter friend James, 11 year old Byron has been worrying over this addition. When his mother is involved in a car accident with the children in tow, Byron is convinced those two seconds are implcated. The consequences of this accident are far reaching for the boy, his mother, his family and his friend. This story alternates with the story of present day Jim, who has been in and out of mental institutions, and suffers from what appears to be obsessive compulsive disorder, and possibly paranoid schizophrenia as well. Since the closure of the mental instituion, he has been 'main streamed' into a camper, menial job wiping tables and a life of constant rituals designed to keep himself and the world safe. We are kept wondering until very late in the tale if there is any connection between the two stories. While not generally the case for me, I found the bouncing between characters and time periods to be disruptive and a detriment to the overall pacing of the book. There is a a herviness and sadness to the story which some readers might find difficult to appreciate. I especially admired Joyce's fully realized characters. Mental illness is a difficult subject about which to write (and read.) Joyce does so with compassion and imagination. Anything that advances us along a path of understanding and acceptance of mental illness is a good thing.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Byron and James, two eleven year old boys, discover that life can change in a matter of seconds in this astonishing new novel by Rachel Joyce. It's the summer of 1972, and the boys learn that 2 seconds must be added to the clock to account for the rotational pull of the earth. This one fact changes everything for both boys.Joyce tells her story in the present and the past, where we see Jim, who has struggled with mental health issues for all his adult life, learning to cope with life outside an institution. The events of that long ago summer unfold in the alternating chapters.The characters are compelling: Diana, the 'perfect' mother; James, the high strung clever boy; Jim, homeless and struggling for connection; Beverley, who I couldn't decide whether to hate or to sympathize with; Seymour, who is so alienated from his own family; and Byron, whose world is turned upside down.The idea that certain events can resonate throughout your life, changing everything, is a powerful one that has been explored in a number of recent novels, such as Life after Life. Other themes, such as depression and mental illness, the pressure to be perfect, the strictures of social class, and the necessity and healing power of human connection, are all developed.I loved this book, and I will be pressing it on my friends.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is definitely a book to read. I have not read the author's other book, but had heard good things about her writing. I was not disappointed.The book is mainly about Bryon, an eleven year old boy. His best friend is James. James tells Bryon that two seconds are going to be added to the clock to correct the rotational pull of the Earth. Byron, a smart, curious boy who likes routine is deeply troubled by this news. On the day that Bryon believes the two seconds are added, his mom takes a different route to school by car. An accident occurs that sets a long chain of events that have irrevocable consequences. This chain of events shapes Byron's entire existence.Bryon's mom, Diana, is also an important character in this story. At times it was a bit frustrating because she is very naive and vulnerable. She develops a friendship that is not very sincere. It is easy for the readers to realize she is being used, but Diana is completely oblivious and that was difficult for me as the reader to keep having that happen.The book also takes place in 2 different times. One in 1972, and the other, almost 40 years later. I thought the writing was both haunting and powerful. This is a very talented author with a wonderful story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Any writer who can write a sentence like "If Byron ever tried to hug [his father], and sometimes he wished he could, the embrace ran away at the last minute and became a handshake," as though it just flowed off her pen in the first 50 pages of a book sets up high expectations in her readers. Not only is this a beautiful sentence to read, but it also tells us everything we need to know about Byron's relationship with his father.Joyce's language does not disappoint throughout the book, but the pacing does. There's a lot of tension in this book, which is interesting because it doesn't feel like a lot actually happens. Most of the energy seems to come from the collective inability of all the characters to get beyond their own anxieties and actually fix the situations in which they find themselves. And that's just not something I have any patience for, either in print, or in real life.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I was very excited to receive this book from Library Thing as an early readers copy because I loved The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Rachel Joyce's first book. I didn't exactly dislike Perfect, but I had a problem working my way through it. While "Harold Fry" moved along at a brisk pace, "Perfect" did not and I kept getting lost among the characters. The book just didn't grab me or hold my interest most of the time. Having said that, there were occasionally sentences and paragraphs that just jumped out, they were so descriptive and beautiful. Joyce seems to be so good at writing complex characters, but this time they didn't resonate with me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the second novel I have read by Rachel Joyce and both were completely different. What is constant, is the authors ability to develop strong and compelling characters (even if they are somewhat off beat). Perfect is the story of Byron who believes that the addition of two seconds of time have caused a terrible accident. His mother Diana who was involved In the accident develops some interesting quirks and is taken advantage of by the mother of the child involved in the accident. The story intertwines with that of Jim, a fifty something plagued by mental illness and finding his own life. It is not until the end of the book that I figured out that this story was interconnected. Overall, the book explores mental illness/depression (minor and major) and how events affect It. There are many interesting scenarios that make for good discussion. Well worth the read! Reader received a complimentary copy from the Library Thing Early Reviewers program.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's 1972 and Byron and his friend James are concerned about the rumor that because it is a leap year, 2 seconds need to be added to time to keep the movement of the Earth in balance. The obsession with this rumor, and the one time change to an everyday route to school are the causes of Byron's life changing in an instant, and forever affecting all he has known in his life and all he will come to know. Not wanting to give away too much of the story, I'll just note that it moves back and forth between that time in 1972 and present day. It's a story of misunderstandings, circumstances beyond control, and human nature at its best and worst. It's a story of finding forgiveness and hope no matter how many years have gone by. It's a story that is well done and thought provoking.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Thank you librarything.com for sending me an advanced copy as an Early Reviewer in exchange for my honest review.I found Perfect by Rachel Joyce to be rather depressing with little relief. The premise of the story is interesting, the adding of two seconds of time in 1972 to account for the rotational forces of the earth which a young boy perceives as a dangerous tampering and believes will ultimately have long lasting repercussions.Byron Hemmings, an eleven year old boy, is so troubled by this 2 seconds addition of time that when he thinks it is finally happening, he startles his mother, Diana, while driving causing her to jerk the car and possibly hitting into a little girl on a bicycle. Byron's mother drives away without realizing it. Young Byron and his friend, James, work tirelessly to help Byron's mother out of this precarious situation. The reader has to remember that Byron's perceptions are skewered by his age, immaturity and naivety; he is trying to make sense out of an adult world from a kid's perspective.His father, Seymour, may provide for his family financially, but he is absent both physically and emotionally. He cares about outward appearances and he likes having luxuries in life that others cannot afford. He strong-arms and belittles his fragile wife. Diana is loving and kind. She is a free-spirit locked in a cage. She is so innocent and sheltered that she struggles to live in the adult world. Seymour keeps her spending in check. He monitors where she goes and who she sees, even from a distance. Diana, is suffocating from her husband's emotional abuse, but also from the limitations this time period and her social status have placed upon her. Although she is beautiful and graceful, she is invisible. She has no voice, and she is very unhappy. Similarly, children's feelings during the 1970(s) were not considered either. Byron and James are as powerless as Diana. Additionally, there is the present story of Jim. Jim has lived in a mental institution for many years undergoing electro-shock therapy which was common during this time for curing illnesses such as depression. He was recently released from the hospital; he suffers with severe obsessive compulsive disorder, and after his nightly rituals, he literally seals himself into his van with duct tape before going to sleep. He works in a dead-end job at a grocery/cafe cleaning tables. He has a terrible stutter, and although he only wishes to be a friend to somebody, he sadly recognizes why that probably will never happen for him.There are brief moments of respite for the characters, but there is such a heaviness to this story. To me it was not only a confusing story, but tragically sorrowful as well, not a great combination.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When I first got this book, I said, "uh-oh" because I thought it was going to be like another book I got from Library Thing recently called The Husband's Secret. I loved the Husband's Secret but I didn't want another book exactly like it. Even the covers were similar. One is black and one is white but they both have a sort of crushed flower on top. And then both had important characters that had a sort of perfectionist thing going on. Well, I'm happy to say it's a completely different book. It is beautifully written, thought provoking and a different story than any I've read. Complex character development. So many characters that you fall in love with and one or two that are just so difficult you want to hate them but there is just one or two things about them that prevent it. Suspenseful. The ending was beautiful. Life's imperfections being worked into a perfect plan somehow. It was really the originality though that made it five stars for me.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Although the first 50 pages were captivating, I had a hard time getting through the rest of this less than perfect book. While it was competently written, the writing wasn't particularly interesting, and the story itself lacked narrative drive. More importantly, the number of extremely damaged characters, and the overwhelming selfishness of most of the characters made it a rather bleak world to enter into.