I wrote a review and posted to Amazon etc. Not sure if ok to post here but anyway:
A Place Called Perfect is an enchanting mystery novel with a plucky young heroine in the form of ten-year-old only child, Violet Brown, who is uprooted from her home and forced to move when her father, ophthalmologist Doctor Eugene Brown, is headhunted for a prestigious position in the town of Perfect. The family are welcomed to their new residence by brothers, George and Edward Archer, who are her father’s new bosses and are employing him in an effort to rid the town of the eye defect that every resident in Perfect is afflicted by. Mr Archer and Mr Archer explain the curious predicament that results in every single inhabitant in the town wearing identical rose-tinted glasses due to the blurred vision and eventual blindness that is caused by virtue of being too close to the sun. George is a tall and thin as his brother, Edward, is short and wide, but it doesn’t take Violet too long to work out that there is something sinister and rather unsettling about them both although they are keen to state that nobody ever wants to leave Perfect and after introducing the new doctor and his family to the mouth-watering tea that is a town staple Violet’s original qualms start to waver. However when the entire Brown family awaken with blurred eyesight, Violet quickly discovers that blindness makes silence increasingly scary as she and her parents are ferried to be fitted for their new spectacles by the seemingly ever present Archer brothers who loiter like a bad smell!
When Violet starts to notice some worrying strange occurrences and witnesses her accountant mother, Rose, transitioning to a submissive domestic goddess, she discovers that Perfect really is a seemingly perfect town of disconcertingly clean and orderly streets, with no flaking paint or rubbish and full of healthy and glowing inhabitants. Apparently the people in the town of Perfect must also act perfectly, but as Violet discovers, being a perfectionist and accepting every rule without pause for consideration or questioning the reasons can make like miserable and very dull. Soon Violet’s new schoolteacher, Mrs Moody, is singling her out for “acting up in class” and she is diagnosed with IDDCS (Irritable Dysfunctional Disobedient Child Syndrome) for which the remedy are daily yellow pills. Already concerned about the apparent imposter that her replaced her mother, Violet’s dispirited and increasingly jaded father suddenly disappears on a supposedly urgent opticians conference.
It is only when a frustrated Violet discovers a pair of old wooden spectacles hidden within the stuffing of her mattress and she slips them her nose on she finds herself able to see Boy.. who along with his fellow residents in No Man’s Land have been banished for their supposed dissent. As Boy takes Violet over the bordering walls to his scruffy part of town he tells of the dastardly Watchers who patrol the streets after dark and prevent the entry of No Man’s Landers to Perfect, all due to their refusal to kowtow to the uniformity of a town devoid of imagination and succumb to the necessary loss of spirit and individuality. But as Violet and Boy investigate just what is going on within the town of Perfect they meet William Archer, the ostracised brother of Edward and George who enlightens them about the horrifying ‘bended reality’ rose-tinted spectacles that distort the retina and ensure that the wearer’s reality is controlled by his brothers, only permitting them to experience certain things, and the Hollowing machine that destroys imaginations. As William experiments with a potential solution and tweaks his Reimaginator to restore Imaginations, Violet and Boy come to the conclusion that there must be something else contributing to the obedience and faltering eyesight of the inhabitants of Perfect. The well worked plan that is eventually conjured up between Violet, Boy and William Archer is crafted through collaboration, sharing ideas and considering possible outcomes.
Although the age guidance categorises this as suitable for readers of 9 to 14, I would suggest that this depends on how much exposure a young reader has had to mystery, fantasy and magical novels as the story touches upon some weighty concepts surrounding conforming to stereotypes, the benefits of our varied imaginations and the importance of standing up for what we believe in. This adventurous tale is jam packed with thrills and risky undertakings and feels genuinely quite creepy, with mentions of haunted graveyards, the presence of ghosts and some sinister scientific experiments in progress. Tackling areas such as whether a one size fits all cure is ever possible and the developed worlds increasing reliance on pills and potions to ensure everybody conforms to some ideal normality, even younger readers not able to explicitly discuss what that have learnt will draw their own conclusions that a world of conformity and indoctrinated humans would drain much of the pleasure out of our lives and stifle everything from medical discoveries to becoming more accepting of differences and breaking down the walls that separate sectors within society.
Debut author and graphic designer Helena Duggan subtlety downplays the likely existence of ghosts by linking back to the fact that they all derive from our own imaginations. The actual print copy of this book is an object of beauty with a charming cover design, a town map and page design marking each new chapter. Told with panache and illustrating the genuine bond that is fostered between Violet and her new friend, No Man’s Land orphan, Boy, the good-natured teasing and gradual realisation that working together can bring greater rewards gives the story a real charm. Full of clever insights and pithy sound bites that will resonate with younger readers, such as eyes being the window to the soul and fighting fears which are products of their own imagination such as ghosts and monsters. A Place Called Perfect comes highly recommended and will inspire and captivate young readers around the age of 11. With a sequel to follow, this mix of individual and quirky characters and their understated and humorously sarcastic dialogue ensure that the creepy happenings never feel too overtly threatening. Given that the novel has plenty of discussion points for younger readers and is a delightful and original story it will also readily hold adult readers attention and I would encourage parents and young readers to share the journey!