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Find out what Mumsnetters thought of A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan

39 replies

UrsulaMumsnet · 20/09/2017 17:17

Looking for a great new book for your child? ]] is a quirky, creepy, and unforgettable adventure, perfect for children aged 9+ who are fans of Roald Dahl, Neil Gaiman and Tim Burton. Find out more about the book and author.

Violet never wanted to move to Perfect. Who wants to live in a town where everyone has to wear glasses to stop them going blind? And who wants to be neat and tidy and perfectly behaved all the time?

Violet quickly discovers there's something weird going on in the town – she keeps hearing voices, her mam is acting strange and her dad has disappeared. With the help of the invisible Boy, and a little imagination, can Violet save her family without making too much of a spectacle?

There’s something very wrong in Perfect, but the adults are too blind to see it…

We ask all giveaway winners to share their child's thoughts on the book. Everyone who posts their detailed feedback by midday, Thursday 23 November will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 Love2shop voucher.

Buy the book on Amazon

This giveaway is sponsored by Usborne

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Find out what Mumsnetters thought of A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan
OP posts:
RestingBitchFaceKeepsYouYoung · 02/10/2017 10:39

Done!

tworonnies1957 · 09/10/2017 11:45

I take it I won a copy of the book as a copy arrived in my letterbox this morning, Thank You, review to follow

nornironlady · 09/10/2017 15:52

Same here. My copy just arrived today. Thought I might have ordered it and forgotten! Looking forward to reading.

MNHQ
SorchaMumsnet · 09/10/2017 18:31

Hi folks - apols for any confusion! All winners have now been notified. We hope your children enjoy the book :)

tworonnies1957 · 09/10/2017 20:02

thanks for the update think the publishers were really quick off the mark sending the winners there copy's out

Queenofthedrivensnow · 10/10/2017 13:11

Dd1 was really pleased to get this but has already said she doesn't like it and it's not her kind of book. She read couple of chapters. She loves Harry Potter and secret 7 for comparison. I've not known her to reject a book like this before.

cathisherwood · 13/10/2017 13:50

I think this book would appeal more to Philip Pullman fans than those of Roald Dahl. It is so much more scary than funny. Violet finds herself moved to a town where she definitely does not feel at home. Her mother becomes very unmotherly, her father disappears and pupils at school are much too well behaved. All is explained when she meets up with Boy and they find out whats going on on the Ghost Estate. Between them they manage to galvanise the 'orphans' and other inhabitants of No Mans Land to help them put things right resulting in a happy ending where families are reunited and life returns to normal. I enjoyed it - my grand-daughter can read it over halfterm so there may be more feedback to follow!

katb1973 · 14/10/2017 13:29

My 10 year old found this an interesting read but also unsettling. He explained that Violet with her normal family move to a place called Perfect. From the perfect streets to the enforced glasses that make everything seem just that bit more attractive, Violet, unlike her parents, knows something's not right. When Violet' s father disappears she enlists the help of her only friend 'Boy' to help find him. There begins a race against time and tea to set things right and reunite families with their children and reality. He really enjoyed it and found the storyline fast paced and interesting. Thanks for the copy Mumsnet!

nornironlady · 15/10/2017 12:20

DN and I also found this book a little darker than first expected. Maybe too much for the targeted audience and the ending was almost too happy in contrast to the rest of the book. I did enjoy it myself however and will likely read on in the series!

GrouchingTiggerHiddenSomething · 16/10/2017 16:18

Thank you for our copy of this book. I gave this to my just turned 12 year old and it was a big hit! He stayed up until 10.30pm reading it on Saturday night, a real page turner. He says he really liked it, it had some good twists and it was an interesting mystery altogether (his words). I'll be looking out for more books by this author. Thanks again.

annettehall · 18/10/2017 18:56

Thanks for the book. I gave it to my granddaughter who is 8 years old. This is her review.
"This book is about a girl called Violet who moves to a new town and everything is different. Some people think it is perfect, but Violet is suspicious and doesn't believe all is as it looks. When Violet finds some wooden glasses under her bed, she sees a boy. When she takes these glasses off and puts on the glasses that the town's opticians gave her (they give them to everyone in the town to stop people going blind, or so they say), she cannot see the boy. She puts the wooden glasses back on, and the Boy and her find out what the the opticians (William's brothers) are doing......can they save the town?

I really enjoyed this book because I liked the way Violet and the Boy don't give up. I liked finding out how they overpower William's brothers."

wheretoyougonow · 19/10/2017 18:39

Thank you for choosing us. This is the review given by my 10 year old son;

'The book is mysterious, strange and fun. I really liked it and I think it was quite amazing. I would recommend it to my friends'.

lifes4living · 20/10/2017 14:23

My granddaughter Amy aged 9 loved this book. She felt for Violet moving with her parents to this town called 'Perfect' Straightaway Violet feels something weird is going on, everywhere is neat and tidy and everyone is well behaved all the time. There is a curfew every night (so that everyone gets a good nights sleep) and everyone has to wear glasses to stop them going blind. More and more strange events happen and when her father disappears Boy helps her investigate. Amy is naturally inquisitive but it made her question characters and events and always follow your instincts.

tworonnies1957 · 24/10/2017 09:12

this book I would say is a mystery story and some kids could find it a little scary other reviews call it unsettling but I would say its not the book that nightmares are made off and ones kids are not going wake in the middle of the night screaming the house down its ideal for a child with a little imagination, love the fact its about wearing glasses which children can be really put off by having too wear them but with a book like this am sure children would want give glasses a go if they could have a adventure like this as the new girl in town she soon thinks she as becomes the local outcast but then see meets Boy and the magical world opens up in front of her

Cakecrumbsinmybra · 24/10/2017 15:00

DS is still reading this book, which he is really enjoying. He was also very complimentary about the front cover. Here are his thoughts so far:

"It is interesting and weird and has a cool concept. The characters are really good and the story is unusual."

clairethewitch70 · 24/10/2017 16:40

My DS has read this book and passed it onto me. DS is 18 but has dyslexia so like to read this level of book to improve his reading.

His words - Mum, you will like this book, it is quite steampunkish. It has a good story, but I think it should be aimed at children about 12-14, not younger as it is scary in places. The screaming eyes are gross. I like the book.

I then read it. My review. I really enjoyed this book. I feel it should be aimed at an older age bracket too.

Violet and her family move to an unusual town called Perfect. Her father is a well known eye surgeon and has been hired to help solve the towns blindness. Everyone in the town has to wear rose tinted spectacles as they go blind soon after arriving. The townsfolk assume it is because they are near the sun.

The next day Violet and her family wake up blind and go and get fitted with glasses from the Archers Emporium.

To cut a long story short, Violet finds different glasses hidden in her mattress which allow her to see another side of Perfect and a young child called Boy. With his help, they find the cause of the blindness, reunite orphans and families and give the townsfolk their memories back.

An enjoyable story, also suitable for adults. I would score 4 and a quarter out of 5. I would read more from this author, and so would me son.

Tigerlily13 · 24/10/2017 16:47

I really enjoyed this book and have now passed it on to my niece for review, it was quite sinister and I think some children would find it a bit too creepy. Really fast paced read and great having a strong female heroine. Set up for a sequel too so I’ll lool forward to that!

cambridgemumof4 · 24/10/2017 22:17

About to take it on holiday for Half term, but I think I will read it with my 9 yr old having read the previous comments. Thanks for the free copy!

Armck79 · 26/10/2017 09:53

I was a bit worried, that my daughter may still be a bit young for this book she's 9. However, she started reading it a few days ago and has been powering her way through it. She's really enjoying it and says it's different from any other book she has read.

Valski · 03/11/2017 21:07

Firstly, thank you very much for the copy of A Place Called Perfect.

My DS is 9 and her usual reading staple is Jacqueline Wilson, Jean Ure, Dork Diaries and as such she is less used to the magical realm. When she first started this book she told me she was confused, largely I expect because she is familiar with straightforward life stories (disabled sibling, parents splitting, short of money etc). We then decided to read together and as the novel went on she did take a strong interest and grew more conversant with the whole spooky mystery concept. I would however say that much of the deeper significance to this novel completely passed her by and although she enjoyed it overall, it wasn’t an easy task for her to persevere. As an adult, I thought it was wonderful but would probably say 12+ minimum age group for the deeper life lessons to make an impact. If I had to compare this kind of story to another author it would probably by Neil Gaiman.

Many thanks

Dsiso · 09/11/2017 09:51

My 9 year old absolutely loved this book. It is full of humour, fantasy and was jolly good fun! I read it alongside him so we could chat about the characters an plot. Thanks for the giveaway, we'll be looking for more by this author.

sarahemily88 · 12/11/2017 21:32

This a review from my daughter Poppy, 8 years old -

I liked a place called perfect because of all the mystery inside, mostly about why everyone wears glasses. The mysterious eye plants creeped me out as much as they creeped Violet out. I like how boy and Violet went on an adventure. The tea is also mysterious because everyone drinks it. I also liked the end because it makes you want to read the next book so I can find out where Edward is. My favourite bits were when Violet meets boy, when they have the new town and when they solve the hard mystery with William. I loved this book so much! By Poppy

sarahemily88 · 12/11/2017 21:34

Poppy’s writing

Find out what Mumsnetters thought of A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan
Find out what Mumsnetters thought of A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan
TrollTheRespawnJeremy · 12/11/2017 21:37

I spotted this in waterstones and liked the look of it for dd (8) but after reading the reviews will probably hang off for a bit!

snare · 14/11/2017 09:44

We have just finished this book and loved it! We read it as a family. I have a 13, 11 and 9 year old. They were all really into the book and found it fast paced and exciting. My 9 year old loved the twists at the end which he had not seen coming (my 13 year old was less surprised). The kids did not mention being unduly scared and were always eager to read another chapter. Thank you for the book!