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Imperfect
Life is harsh for Kristi. She's the only Accident living in a world of Perfects. More often than not, she feels like a blemish on an otherwise utopian society. And her life is about to get worse. The government has arrested her adoptive parents and her brother goes missing. To top things off, Kristi somehow gets dragged into the mess and now she's a wanted fugitive...
Troop is less than he seems. Teachers love him. Colleges want him. Students revere him. There's even a hot girl after him. Life couldn't get any better than this, right? So, why doe she feel like he's a devil in disguise as an angel?
Troop is less than he seems. Teachers love him. Colleges want him. Students revere him. There's even a hot girl after him. Life couldn't get any better than this, right? So, why doe she feel like he's a devil in disguise as an angel?
367 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
7 people are currently reading
658 people want to read
About the author
Tina Chan
1 book17 followersTina Chan is an avid reader, writer and runner. When she's not reading or writing, you can probably find her listening to music, playing racquetball or running outside. Some of her favorite genres to read include dystopian, YA, fiction, sci-fi, steampunk and mysteries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 18, 2015
-Otras distopía Young Adult.-
Género. Novela corta.
Lo que nos cuenta. María Shea entrega su recién nacido a las autoridades ya que es un Accidente, un bebé no planificado y por tanto sin las requeridas modificaciones genéticas. Cinco años después el recuerdo no ha sido olvidado y María acoge un Accidente en su hogar, algo que va contra la ley y que realiza en contra de la opinión de su marido, un Accidente que crece para convertirse en una agradable jovencita llamada Kristi. Troop es un joven de éxito en su ambiente escolar, con todo para sentirse pleno y satisfecho, pero no puede evitar sentir cosas muy diferentes.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Novela corta.
Lo que nos cuenta. María Shea entrega su recién nacido a las autoridades ya que es un Accidente, un bebé no planificado y por tanto sin las requeridas modificaciones genéticas. Cinco años después el recuerdo no ha sido olvidado y María acoge un Accidente en su hogar, algo que va contra la ley y que realiza en contra de la opinión de su marido, un Accidente que crece para convertirse en una agradable jovencita llamada Kristi. Troop es un joven de éxito en su ambiente escolar, con todo para sentirse pleno y satisfecho, pero no puede evitar sentir cosas muy diferentes.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
December 3, 2016
Overall Rating: 1.5 Stars
It's usually very hard for me to not like a book. I don't think I have extremely high standards. A relatively interesting storyline, good grammar and decent characters? I'm in love already. I don't think I've ever given out below three stars to a book before, but this book was an exceedingly painful read.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. Between the cool looking cover and the enticing prologue, I was very excited. It was obvious that it was similar too, or even sometimes downright copied other dystopian books like Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, but then again, YA dystopian wasn't exactly known for it's originality, and besides, I really loves those books.
The Writing: 1 Star
The think that bothered me the most was that this book read like a fanfiction, or the majority of stories on wattpad. Tina Chan's writing was very descriptive, but was filled with grammatical errors, stiff, unnatural dialogue and use of improper words that are acceptable in fanfiction or amateur writing, but completely unexpected from a published author.
For example, things like this littered the book.
She cursed Glenn, the Speaker’s son, for damaging her hydro-bike. Walking to the Gathering Hall took at least ten minutes, a feat she could’ve accomplished in five if she had her hydro-bike. Alas, her hydro-bike was sitting at Mechanic Leo’s garage, waiting to be fixed.
Really? Need I say more?
Halfway out the front door, Kristi face-palmed herself.
Okay, this might just be a pet peeve of mine, but who has actually seen the word face-palm outside of texting, memes or fanfiction, not to mention a sophisticated piece of literature?
Characters: 1.5 stars
Another main thing that bothered me was that the characters were two dimensional and sometimes downright unbelievable.
Lets start with the heroine, Kristi. Right off the bat, she gave off the vibe of one of those 'projection' heroines that you see all the time in dystopian romance novels. (PLEASE check out this blog post to understand what I'm talking about:http://paper-fantasies.blogspot.ca/20....)
Not that every boy is in love with her or that she's had an average life, but because she simply lacks the unique personality that other non-projection characters have. I mean, she's grown up as the only imperfect in a world of perfects and everyone shuns her and even openly bully her. Wouldn't you expect her to have more spunk, attitude, guts or some form of defence mechanism that she's developed over the years? Instead, all we get is the typical whining and ungrateful teenage girl.
“You know how he dislikes negative attention being cast upon our family.”
Kristi laughed without the slightest hint of humor. “What else is new? He’s always complaining about my mistakes.”
“Although it may seem like he’s being tough on you, he does care about you.” “Not enough to allow me to skip Sunday Gatherings.”
Kristi stowed away her electro-slate. “Don’t you have someplace to be?”
Only about a page ago, she was thinking about how she had no idea why her parents would ever want to adopt someone like her when they already had a perfect son and could have had another perfect child. Now, she's being rather rude about the fact that her parents weren't pleased with her drawing negative attention to the family and even complaining because they wouldn't let her skip church.
If you burst into church in the middle of a sermon an hour late simply because you over slept, and on top of that, got yelled at by the preacher, I don't think your parents would be all that happy either. I know my parents would probably have blown their top and grounded me for a month. Instead they were only "not pleased" and didn't even mention it afterwards. Not to mention that Kristi should be grateful for Don and Maria taking her in and caring for her even though they probably wee just as scorned and judged as she was for doing it.
Maybe Tina Chan was trying to give her an attitude like I was talking about, but being rude and whiny about your parents attempts at making you a better person -when you should have been grateful nonetheless- doesn't exactly come off as 'bad-ass' or 'spunky'. No, it simply makes her seem like an ungrateful, whiny teenager.
Jaiden
Jaiden sort of fell perfectly into the stereotypical perfect older brother. He's good at everything, well-liked and is slightly protective of the heroine, aka his sister. Cliché, but bearable. There were times though, that he didn't make any sense.
Troop
The thing that really irked me about Troop and Troop's POV was how high school was portrayed. It honestly felt like the author got her high school experience from watching mean girls or something. I am currently in high school at the moment and it definitely isn't anything like that.
Others
“Acting is one of the greatest sins one can commit. In truth, acting is simply lying with actions. When one does—KRISTI!” he suddenly barked out. Half of the attendees jumped in bewilderment. “Young lady, why are you late for such an important Gathering? I would expect a child of sixteen years to be much more responsible.” Speaker Quincy’s pug nose twitched with resentment. He had gone through multiple surgeries in effort to make his nose look like less of an eyesore. As far as Kristi could tell, though, his efforts were in vain. “Not that I expect a child with genetic disabilities to attend an intellectual meeting,” Quincy said, loud enough for most of the attendees to hear.
So acting is a great sin, but publically embarrassing, scorning and discriminating against a young girl simply because she has a 'genetic disability' is acceptable by a preacher?! I completely understand if her classmates or even the occasional nasty teacher discriminates openly against her, but wouldn't authority figures, or at least the oh-so-perfect-and-sinless preacher know better than to be so horrible in front of an audience in which said girl's parents are included? I understand that the world being portrayed is twisted, but come on!
Concept: 2 stars
The idea of the book was very clichéd, nearly the same as, as I mentioned, the Uglies series or Under the Never Sky(in which the main character is literally genetically modified at birth to have a beautiful singing voice)so I give no points for originality, although it wasn't horrible like the rest of the book, so I give it two stars.
March 7, 2018
Imperfect by Tina Chan had a great impression when I first saw it, but I felt it did not truly live up to my expectations.
Kristi lives in a Perfect world, where everyone is genetically made to be Perfect. Except Kristi. Without the specifications, she is looked upon as an Accident—clumsy, imperfect, wrong. She has never met another Accident in her life, because all in except her case, the government takes the Accidents away from society. Where they go, nobody knows. Then Kristi’s parents are arrested for being spies and she discovers another Accident, Chelsa—then things really start happening.
There were a lot of things I disliked about this book, and at the same time, a lot of things I liked. Truthfully, I would have liked this a lot better had it not been for the ending. I am personally not a fan of cliffhangers (especially when the next book isn’t even out yet). Some cliffhangers are done well, but in this case, it left me feeling unsatisfied. Not a very good feeling to come off with.
What I liked: The dystopian element was well-developed, complete down the last detail, and was very believable. The beginning of the book hooked my attention, even if it was dragged out later on. I really enjoyed the author’s suspense writing; a mystery would be mentioned, and then pages later, it would come back and unravel it. In a couple of these cases, I did get the idea to wonder if the mystery even would be unraveled, but it always was. The writing itself was another thing I liked. It was definitely aimed for an older audience, and not by topic, but by wording and sentences. Some people do not like the fact that there was barely any romance in this book, but believe it or not, that was an element I was very happy about. Though some romance elements sneak in, it is there only in the background and never makes its way to center stage.
Downsides. I could easily tell this was a self-published book by the typos. Not to say it wasn’t good, but it was easy to tell. There were quite a few questionable words that I found myself skipping over, though I will credit the author and say that eighty percent of the time, it was mostly just written, “They cursed,” rather than actually say what they said. I did see one or two actual swear words, but they were framed as part of the dialogue/sentence and, though I definitely believe the author could’ve done something else instead just as well, they were not just thrown in there for the fun of it. The characters, though likable, were not totally developed to a point where you loved them. I did not appreciate the lack of emotion and the jumping from scene to scene. For an example, in one scene, Kristi is in a burning building trying to escape, and it seems that she is not even panicking. Once she gets out, she says, “Phew,” and goes to find somewhere to sleep, as if it had not even happened. There seems to be no aftermath to anything, and when replaying it later, there is no emotion or terror at the memory. This happened over and over at every action. Also, the action kept jumping from place to place.
I really would have loved some more connection with the characters. Also, I mentioned this earlier, but I did not like the cliffhanger. I read the last page and, thinking there was more, turned the page to see what happened next. Instead, the book was over, leaving me wondering, “What exactly was accomplished in that book again?” I understand the leadup to a sequel concept, and I think most people will love the ending…just not me.
Overall, though, it was a good read. I made my way through it, and liked (some of) it while it lasted. From reading it I can say most teens will LOVE Imperfect; but me…well, I guess I’m just not a normal teen. I’d rate it 3.5 stars and would recommend it for ages 12+. (NOTE: This book was self-published and I could not find it in my library system. I didn’t want to buy it, but the Kindle version was free.)
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Kristi lives in a Perfect world, where everyone is genetically made to be Perfect. Except Kristi. Without the specifications, she is looked upon as an Accident—clumsy, imperfect, wrong. She has never met another Accident in her life, because all in except her case, the government takes the Accidents away from society. Where they go, nobody knows. Then Kristi’s parents are arrested for being spies and she discovers another Accident, Chelsa—then things really start happening.
There were a lot of things I disliked about this book, and at the same time, a lot of things I liked. Truthfully, I would have liked this a lot better had it not been for the ending. I am personally not a fan of cliffhangers (especially when the next book isn’t even out yet). Some cliffhangers are done well, but in this case, it left me feeling unsatisfied. Not a very good feeling to come off with.
What I liked: The dystopian element was well-developed, complete down the last detail, and was very believable. The beginning of the book hooked my attention, even if it was dragged out later on. I really enjoyed the author’s suspense writing; a mystery would be mentioned, and then pages later, it would come back and unravel it. In a couple of these cases, I did get the idea to wonder if the mystery even would be unraveled, but it always was. The writing itself was another thing I liked. It was definitely aimed for an older audience, and not by topic, but by wording and sentences. Some people do not like the fact that there was barely any romance in this book, but believe it or not, that was an element I was very happy about. Though some romance elements sneak in, it is there only in the background and never makes its way to center stage.
Downsides. I could easily tell this was a self-published book by the typos. Not to say it wasn’t good, but it was easy to tell. There were quite a few questionable words that I found myself skipping over, though I will credit the author and say that eighty percent of the time, it was mostly just written, “They cursed,” rather than actually say what they said. I did see one or two actual swear words, but they were framed as part of the dialogue/sentence and, though I definitely believe the author could’ve done something else instead just as well, they were not just thrown in there for the fun of it. The characters, though likable, were not totally developed to a point where you loved them. I did not appreciate the lack of emotion and the jumping from scene to scene. For an example, in one scene, Kristi is in a burning building trying to escape, and it seems that she is not even panicking. Once she gets out, she says, “Phew,” and goes to find somewhere to sleep, as if it had not even happened. There seems to be no aftermath to anything, and when replaying it later, there is no emotion or terror at the memory. This happened over and over at every action. Also, the action kept jumping from place to place.
I really would have loved some more connection with the characters. Also, I mentioned this earlier, but I did not like the cliffhanger. I read the last page and, thinking there was more, turned the page to see what happened next. Instead, the book was over, leaving me wondering, “What exactly was accomplished in that book again?” I understand the leadup to a sequel concept, and I think most people will love the ending…just not me.
Overall, though, it was a good read. I made my way through it, and liked (some of) it while it lasted. From reading it I can say most teens will LOVE Imperfect; but me…well, I guess I’m just not a normal teen. I’d rate it 3.5 stars and would recommend it for ages 12+. (NOTE: This book was self-published and I could not find it in my library system. I didn’t want to buy it, but the Kindle version was free.)
Like my reviews? Follow my blog:
http://jcbuchanan.com
August 12, 2013
(Originally posted at www.keepersbookreviews.blogspot.com)
**Actual Rating**: 3 stars
**Book Format**: eBook
Imperfect took me longer to finish that I had anticipated, which is basically another way of saying I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Not because of the plot or characters or anything, but because of the minimal quantity of romance in the book. I have a feeling that this book may be aimed toward a younger audience, since the romance is barely there. Nevertheless, the summary sounds similar to that of Uglies, so fans of that book might like to check this out.
The story line centers around three Naturals - or Accidents - who live in a world of Perfects. Basically, Perfects are people who had their DNA altered to be more "perfect." Accidents didn't have these genetic changes done to them, and therefore are not perfect. Most of the time, they are abandoned by their parents and taken in my the government, though no one knows what they do to the babies.
The first Accident we meet is Kristi. She was adopted by two parents who nag her all the time, though she still loves them. Later, we find out that her parents are really spies for a secret organization called the Revealers, who are trying to stop the government from convincing everyone that being a Perfect actually makes you perfect. Kristi then meets Chelsa, another accident, and the girl who saved her from the electroslate-thieves who captured her.
We also meet Troop about the same time as Kristi. They live in two different cities though, and the book is told in both Troop's and Kristi's POV. I knew from the beginning that the two would have romance blossom between them, though I thought there would be a bit more. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more if I was younger though. I think 12-14 is a good age to read this book, if not younger. Back to Troop: he moved to his current city from another one, because of an incident no one but he and his mother seems to know about. To keep from being the hunted at his new school, he decides to be the hunter. But what no one knows is that his Perfect facade is just that, a facade. He's really not who he says he is.
These three band together to look for the final Accident, Finn, and eventually they do find him. This allows Kristi to unlock the electroslate her adopted mother left for her. After opening up the two files within, she realizes her mother wanted her to continue her work with the Revealers in the two case files. She can't do it alone though, and Chelsa, Troop, and Finn all decide to go with her. Next project: break into a government building with top-level security and find out what's happening. Where are all the abandoned Accidents going? What goes on in the building? Well, the answers to those questions will shock you once you get there. But when the four of them get caught, will they all escape, or will someone get left behind? The answer is yes, but it's up to you to find out who.
If this dystopia sounds interesting and you want to check it out, you can download it at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view.... It's free until August 30th, so get it while you can.
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
Author - Tina Chan
Title - Imperfect
Publisher - -----------
Released July 31, 2013
Genre - Dystopia
Downloaded Online
**Actual Rating**: 3 stars
**Book Format**: eBook
Imperfect took me longer to finish that I had anticipated, which is basically another way of saying I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Not because of the plot or characters or anything, but because of the minimal quantity of romance in the book. I have a feeling that this book may be aimed toward a younger audience, since the romance is barely there. Nevertheless, the summary sounds similar to that of Uglies, so fans of that book might like to check this out.
The story line centers around three Naturals - or Accidents - who live in a world of Perfects. Basically, Perfects are people who had their DNA altered to be more "perfect." Accidents didn't have these genetic changes done to them, and therefore are not perfect. Most of the time, they are abandoned by their parents and taken in my the government, though no one knows what they do to the babies.
The first Accident we meet is Kristi. She was adopted by two parents who nag her all the time, though she still loves them. Later, we find out that her parents are really spies for a secret organization called the Revealers, who are trying to stop the government from convincing everyone that being a Perfect actually makes you perfect. Kristi then meets Chelsa, another accident, and the girl who saved her from the electroslate-thieves who captured her.
We also meet Troop about the same time as Kristi. They live in two different cities though, and the book is told in both Troop's and Kristi's POV. I knew from the beginning that the two would have romance blossom between them, though I thought there would be a bit more. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more if I was younger though. I think 12-14 is a good age to read this book, if not younger. Back to Troop: he moved to his current city from another one, because of an incident no one but he and his mother seems to know about. To keep from being the hunted at his new school, he decides to be the hunter. But what no one knows is that his Perfect facade is just that, a facade. He's really not who he says he is.
These three band together to look for the final Accident, Finn, and eventually they do find him. This allows Kristi to unlock the electroslate her adopted mother left for her. After opening up the two files within, she realizes her mother wanted her to continue her work with the Revealers in the two case files. She can't do it alone though, and Chelsa, Troop, and Finn all decide to go with her. Next project: break into a government building with top-level security and find out what's happening. Where are all the abandoned Accidents going? What goes on in the building? Well, the answers to those questions will shock you once you get there. But when the four of them get caught, will they all escape, or will someone get left behind? The answer is yes, but it's up to you to find out who.
If this dystopia sounds interesting and you want to check it out, you can download it at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view.... It's free until August 30th, so get it while you can.
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
Author - Tina Chan
Title - Imperfect
Publisher - -----------
Released July 31, 2013
Genre - Dystopia
Downloaded Online
September 2, 2013
Wauw the premise sounded good but the execution not so good. The characters are flat the story was boring. The plot was somewhat predictable. To give an example when somebody close to Kristie and Jaiden dies there's absolutely no sorrow no sadness, when they get betrayed the person responsible is forgiven within 5 minutes.
March 24, 2014
This book is difficult to read. The motivations for the characters seem forced and the logic they follow is flawed. I didn't enjoy the read. In fact, I only finished the book because I don't like to fully judge a book until I have read it fully. I will not be reading the next book in the series and I do not recommend it.
June 2, 2014
I tried to give this book a solid try...got 25% through (which is more than I would usually give a book I didn't immediately get hooked into) but the writing was really poor/juvenile and I just couldn't stick it out. Unless someone can tell me that it gets great after the 25% point I wouldn't recommend
September 8, 2013
Editing means more than making sure words are spelled correctly and the pages don't look as though punctuation was dropped on, at random, by the handful. This is all I will say. Dreadful.
November 14, 2013
This is a debut novel for this Author, and in a reading world where the dystopian genre is becoming tired and stale, it brings a welcome breath of fresh air.
Aimed at the YA reader, this book is full of vibrate young characters, full of humour and life. There are four main protagonists in this book and each is written with as much care and detail as the others, there is no skimping on character development from this Author, and this makes this book an easy read full of characters the reader can care about to the point where you don’t want anything untoward to happen to them. The Author broke the chapters contained within the book into a way to tell the story from each of these character’s perspectives; again this works really well as through the telling of the tale this way more of the back story of each of the characters is unveiled, giving even more depth to what are already some very well written and three-dimensional characters. There are romantic interludes in the novel, but this didn’t make me cringe in any way, as they are written in a manner that reflects romance in real life; they are full of all the expectations and tensions that can be felt in these instances.
As well as being a good read, this book can be seen at some levels as being a commentary of the current body image trend that seems to be rampant in our society; an image is projected of the perfect man or woman and people will go to any lengths to achieve this. In building the world contained within this novel it is apparent that the Author has done a great deal of research, as the book is full of science. However, do not let this put you off as the Author has managed to include real science, without going too deeply into details and making the intended audience want to stop reading. Another great achievement in my opinion, as trying to get the demographic this book is aimed to read in the first place, let alone to want to keep reading is no easy task; this Author manages to achieve both with ease.
The ‘new world order’ that the Author uses as her locations are also very well written, and the attitude that is prevalent in this ‘new world’ causes chills to run down the spine in some places, as the reader reflects on the world they live in now and wonders just how close we could be to the chaos and disruption they are reading about, and an all powerful government dictating our every move. Again, like the character development, the way this world is split and divided is not throw at you in one large chunk, but a gradual trickle that appears when the reader needs to know this information; this prevents any reader from feeling overwhelmed and adds a nice dimension and flow to the novel as a whole. With intelligent, sharp and witty prose the book is easy enough for any YA reader to understand without becoming lost and, at the same time, manages to appeal to any adult reader who may pick this up without insulting their intelligence.
I would highly recommend this novel to readers of all ages, and especially lovers of The Hunger Games series. I will definitely be reading further instalments in this series.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2013/11/14...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Aimed at the YA reader, this book is full of vibrate young characters, full of humour and life. There are four main protagonists in this book and each is written with as much care and detail as the others, there is no skimping on character development from this Author, and this makes this book an easy read full of characters the reader can care about to the point where you don’t want anything untoward to happen to them. The Author broke the chapters contained within the book into a way to tell the story from each of these character’s perspectives; again this works really well as through the telling of the tale this way more of the back story of each of the characters is unveiled, giving even more depth to what are already some very well written and three-dimensional characters. There are romantic interludes in the novel, but this didn’t make me cringe in any way, as they are written in a manner that reflects romance in real life; they are full of all the expectations and tensions that can be felt in these instances.
As well as being a good read, this book can be seen at some levels as being a commentary of the current body image trend that seems to be rampant in our society; an image is projected of the perfect man or woman and people will go to any lengths to achieve this. In building the world contained within this novel it is apparent that the Author has done a great deal of research, as the book is full of science. However, do not let this put you off as the Author has managed to include real science, without going too deeply into details and making the intended audience want to stop reading. Another great achievement in my opinion, as trying to get the demographic this book is aimed to read in the first place, let alone to want to keep reading is no easy task; this Author manages to achieve both with ease.
The ‘new world order’ that the Author uses as her locations are also very well written, and the attitude that is prevalent in this ‘new world’ causes chills to run down the spine in some places, as the reader reflects on the world they live in now and wonders just how close we could be to the chaos and disruption they are reading about, and an all powerful government dictating our every move. Again, like the character development, the way this world is split and divided is not throw at you in one large chunk, but a gradual trickle that appears when the reader needs to know this information; this prevents any reader from feeling overwhelmed and adds a nice dimension and flow to the novel as a whole. With intelligent, sharp and witty prose the book is easy enough for any YA reader to understand without becoming lost and, at the same time, manages to appeal to any adult reader who may pick this up without insulting their intelligence.
I would highly recommend this novel to readers of all ages, and especially lovers of The Hunger Games series. I will definitely be reading further instalments in this series.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2013/11/14...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
August 30, 2013
Originally posted at The Canon!
One of my favorite things about dystopian novels is the world-building. Each author's world is completely different from others; I feel it is the best expression of the author's personality. I felt that Chan created as fascinating world - still holding things we are familiar with (like waffles) but using instafications (a.k.a. text messages) and electro-slates (something along the lines of the iPhone, I think). I found myself truly engaged with Chan's world - it was a interesting mix of old Wild West charm with the roaming bands of bandits covering the land and futuristic idealism, seen with the fanacy new gadgets and droid pets. I'm really curious to the history of this world - how did it end up this way? How did the world split off into regions from the countries we are now so familiar with? I hope Chan will explore the background story of her series as the novels progress.
It was an easy transition into Kristi's world: the outstanding battle between Accidents and Perfects is an familiar problem. We have all experienced opposition at some point or another: Kristi's quiet battle against those who deem her dumb because of her imperfect DNA represent the struggles that we all face against those who wish to cause harm simply because of differences. Throughout the story, Kristi shows herself to be capable and smart, but because she isn't perfect, she is nobody.
As with any good dystopian novel, there is a little romance sprinkled in. The romance itself wasn't really a surprise, but a nice addition to the novel, especially in a world so focused on perfection. I have the feeling that Chan was laying the groundwork for those particular romances to further blossom as we continue on in the series.
Kristi's third person limited narrative added a big boost to the story itself - it wouldn't have been as vivid from a first person point-of-view, and a third would have yanked me out of the story altogether. All of the characters were likable and had their own personality quirks, which made it easier for me to engage with them. I felt that the characters were good role models in YA literature - even the school bully is presented with a softer side, hiding his true feelings. At the end of the novel, I felt that Troop was the most developed and interesting character out of them all - he still retained that air of mystery that's so impossible to ignore.
There were a few times in the novel that I felt the dialogue between the teenagers was a little forced, a little more formal than I expected. I wish there had been a little more connection between Don and Maria to Kristi and her brother - to me, it would have made the story all that more engaging. But, to be honest, I know that Chan left the book with a cliffhanger - maybe she intends to explore that avenue deeper in the subsequent books!
Final Thoughts: Imperfect's vivid creative ideas, especially in the world-building, make this book as interesting as it is. Chan gives the familiar dystopian novel and engaging twist, creating a fascinating world of Perfects versus Accidents.
One of my favorite things about dystopian novels is the world-building. Each author's world is completely different from others; I feel it is the best expression of the author's personality. I felt that Chan created as fascinating world - still holding things we are familiar with (like waffles) but using instafications (a.k.a. text messages) and electro-slates (something along the lines of the iPhone, I think). I found myself truly engaged with Chan's world - it was a interesting mix of old Wild West charm with the roaming bands of bandits covering the land and futuristic idealism, seen with the fanacy new gadgets and droid pets. I'm really curious to the history of this world - how did it end up this way? How did the world split off into regions from the countries we are now so familiar with? I hope Chan will explore the background story of her series as the novels progress.
It was an easy transition into Kristi's world: the outstanding battle between Accidents and Perfects is an familiar problem. We have all experienced opposition at some point or another: Kristi's quiet battle against those who deem her dumb because of her imperfect DNA represent the struggles that we all face against those who wish to cause harm simply because of differences. Throughout the story, Kristi shows herself to be capable and smart, but because she isn't perfect, she is nobody.
As with any good dystopian novel, there is a little romance sprinkled in. The romance itself wasn't really a surprise, but a nice addition to the novel, especially in a world so focused on perfection. I have the feeling that Chan was laying the groundwork for those particular romances to further blossom as we continue on in the series.
Kristi's third person limited narrative added a big boost to the story itself - it wouldn't have been as vivid from a first person point-of-view, and a third would have yanked me out of the story altogether. All of the characters were likable and had their own personality quirks, which made it easier for me to engage with them. I felt that the characters were good role models in YA literature - even the school bully is presented with a softer side, hiding his true feelings. At the end of the novel, I felt that Troop was the most developed and interesting character out of them all - he still retained that air of mystery that's so impossible to ignore.
There were a few times in the novel that I felt the dialogue between the teenagers was a little forced, a little more formal than I expected. I wish there had been a little more connection between Don and Maria to Kristi and her brother - to me, it would have made the story all that more engaging. But, to be honest, I know that Chan left the book with a cliffhanger - maybe she intends to explore that avenue deeper in the subsequent books!
Final Thoughts: Imperfect's vivid creative ideas, especially in the world-building, make this book as interesting as it is. Chan gives the familiar dystopian novel and engaging twist, creating a fascinating world of Perfects versus Accidents.
August 1, 2013
This review is courtesy of topoftheheapreviews.com
In a world where genetic advancements mean only perfect children are born, what happens when it’s discovered that you are an accident? Check out the review from this new voice in the Young Adult Dystopian genre.
Troop is less than he seems. Teachers love him. Colleges want him. Students revere him. There’s even a hot girl after him. Life couldn’t get any better than this, right? So, why doe she feel like he’s a devil in disguise as an angel?
Ever since The Hunger Games the dystopian young adult survival genre has exploded. It happened so fast that the genre was quickly filled with with the same thing over and over again. Little was done to separate one book from another. Fortunately in the book Imperfect, Tina Chan creates a world that is not only different, but with recent advents in genetic technologies, very very plausible.
So how does she do it? Well for one, there is quite a bit of science involved. Real science, not stuff just made up for the book. It doesn’t go into specifics so as not to go over the heads of the intended reader, but the research is there. Next she creates a new United States that aren’t so united anymore. She hints at a second Civil War when the idea of making sure only perfect children could be born came out, a war which divided the country into four different regions. Unlike a lot of other books, you don’t get all of this information at once. This information is dispersed when you need to know it through the dialogue of the characters, you don’t feel so overwhelmed that you want to stop reading.
The story revolves around four central, Accident, characters. Kristi, Troop, Chelsa, and Finn. The chapters are broken into who’s perspective you are getting the story from, either Kristi or Troop. In the beginning they will bounce back and forth more so you can get a back story on both Kristi and Troop. The rest of the back story with Chelsa and Finn you will get as you go along.
The characters are fleshed out enough that you care enough about them that you don’t want anything to happen to them, but the traits aren’t shoved down your throat. The romantic interests are there, but again, it’s more tension and expectation rather than forced.
This book sets up much more to happen in this world, and I’m looking forward to the next installment in this series!
The Bottom Line: This is a fresh take on the genre, and it’s a welcome change. While the government being all powerful and divided into sections has been done to death, the genetic perfection adds a much more realistic view on a possible future. The prose is sharp and intelligent, and it’s easy enough for the target audience to understand while being accessible and not insulting the intelligence of adult readers. The book comes highly recommended by me.
In a world where genetic advancements mean only perfect children are born, what happens when it’s discovered that you are an accident? Check out the review from this new voice in the Young Adult Dystopian genre.
Troop is less than he seems. Teachers love him. Colleges want him. Students revere him. There’s even a hot girl after him. Life couldn’t get any better than this, right? So, why doe she feel like he’s a devil in disguise as an angel?
Ever since The Hunger Games the dystopian young adult survival genre has exploded. It happened so fast that the genre was quickly filled with with the same thing over and over again. Little was done to separate one book from another. Fortunately in the book Imperfect, Tina Chan creates a world that is not only different, but with recent advents in genetic technologies, very very plausible.
So how does she do it? Well for one, there is quite a bit of science involved. Real science, not stuff just made up for the book. It doesn’t go into specifics so as not to go over the heads of the intended reader, but the research is there. Next she creates a new United States that aren’t so united anymore. She hints at a second Civil War when the idea of making sure only perfect children could be born came out, a war which divided the country into four different regions. Unlike a lot of other books, you don’t get all of this information at once. This information is dispersed when you need to know it through the dialogue of the characters, you don’t feel so overwhelmed that you want to stop reading.
The story revolves around four central, Accident, characters. Kristi, Troop, Chelsa, and Finn. The chapters are broken into who’s perspective you are getting the story from, either Kristi or Troop. In the beginning they will bounce back and forth more so you can get a back story on both Kristi and Troop. The rest of the back story with Chelsa and Finn you will get as you go along.
The characters are fleshed out enough that you care enough about them that you don’t want anything to happen to them, but the traits aren’t shoved down your throat. The romantic interests are there, but again, it’s more tension and expectation rather than forced.
This book sets up much more to happen in this world, and I’m looking forward to the next installment in this series!
The Bottom Line: This is a fresh take on the genre, and it’s a welcome change. While the government being all powerful and divided into sections has been done to death, the genetic perfection adds a much more realistic view on a possible future. The prose is sharp and intelligent, and it’s easy enough for the target audience to understand while being accessible and not insulting the intelligence of adult readers. The book comes highly recommended by me.
February 16, 2022
The overall plot and world building is good, but the execution and the characters fall short.
December 10, 2013
"No one ever told her it was impossible. So she did it."
Kristi is not like the rest of her people. All their genetics are designed to be Perfect, but not Kristi, she is an Accident. Raised in a world where she is considered a stupid and worthless creature, Kristi finds Chelsea another accident just like her. And just when Kristi has some hope in her life, her adoptive parents are abducted by the government for being spies.
On the eyes of his mother, Troop is a well mannered boy. He is really caring and incredibly smart. But at his school, Troop is hiding the fact that hes an Accident, by pretending hes a Perfect. At his school, you're either the hunter or being hunted. He chose the path of the hunter, now being the most popular boy in school, things are pretty hard, one little slip up and things could turn very ugly.
This book definitely had its moments, I loved all the characters (except Chelsea near the end), they were all so different but interesting. And the world that Tina created was incredible. Yet there wasn't enough action, for most of the story you just follow around the characters and see how they interact. Also the story didn't have any twists and turns, it was too predictable. Usually when I reach the half way point in a book, I just cant seem to put it down, but in this book I just wasn't in a rush to finish it, I don't know if it was because of the predictability or because of the lack of action. Also the cover could have been a little better, I don't really understand it, I think it will attract more readers if the group of four is on it, or maybe something related to DNA or being Perfect.
Either way this book was pretty good, and I would definitely recommend this book to all the fans of the I Am Number Four books and movie. But if you're an action freak like me, I wouldn't necessarily read this.
Hopefully you'll enjoy this more than me,
Happy Reading :)
Kristi is not like the rest of her people. All their genetics are designed to be Perfect, but not Kristi, she is an Accident. Raised in a world where she is considered a stupid and worthless creature, Kristi finds Chelsea another accident just like her. And just when Kristi has some hope in her life, her adoptive parents are abducted by the government for being spies.
On the eyes of his mother, Troop is a well mannered boy. He is really caring and incredibly smart. But at his school, Troop is hiding the fact that hes an Accident, by pretending hes a Perfect. At his school, you're either the hunter or being hunted. He chose the path of the hunter, now being the most popular boy in school, things are pretty hard, one little slip up and things could turn very ugly.
This book definitely had its moments, I loved all the characters (except Chelsea near the end), they were all so different but interesting. And the world that Tina created was incredible. Yet there wasn't enough action, for most of the story you just follow around the characters and see how they interact. Also the story didn't have any twists and turns, it was too predictable. Usually when I reach the half way point in a book, I just cant seem to put it down, but in this book I just wasn't in a rush to finish it, I don't know if it was because of the predictability or because of the lack of action. Also the cover could have been a little better, I don't really understand it, I think it will attract more readers if the group of four is on it, or maybe something related to DNA or being Perfect.
Either way this book was pretty good, and I would definitely recommend this book to all the fans of the I Am Number Four books and movie. But if you're an action freak like me, I wouldn't necessarily read this.
Hopefully you'll enjoy this more than me,
Happy Reading :)
July 22, 2013
I received an ARC of this book from the author; it was an early version that was still being copyedited/proofed, so I will work from the premise that editing/proofing issues have been resolved.
Kristi, as far as she knows, is the only "Accident" in a society in which everyone has been genetically modified to remove normal human flaws. Certain modifications are performed for all newborns, while others must be purchased by the parents. These genetically modified human beings are referred to as Perfects. Being the only "Accident" in her community makes high-school life more hellish than what the typical teenager goes through. Although her adoptive parents and adoptive brother are supportive, her peers at school and in the community are all too eager to remind her of her inferior status, while the grown-ups are anxious that she would somehow corrupt their Perfect children.
Matters go from bad to worse when her parents and brother are unexpectedly seized by the government, and Kristi is thrown into an adventure she never would have expected.
With our growing knowledge and advancements in the field of genetics, I didn't have too much trouble imagining a future society where designer babies are the norm. Chan finds some clever ways to work in her world-building, such as tutoring sessions where the children involved are quizzed on aspects of society a reader would need to know. Some aspects were a bit unclear to me, such as why there is a curfew imposed, but perhaps that will be explained in the sequel, which is titled Flawless. The narrative held my attention and was an engaging, suspenseful read. There is a cliff-hanger, so be ready for that. I'll look forward to seeing how the story is resolved.
Kristi, as far as she knows, is the only "Accident" in a society in which everyone has been genetically modified to remove normal human flaws. Certain modifications are performed for all newborns, while others must be purchased by the parents. These genetically modified human beings are referred to as Perfects. Being the only "Accident" in her community makes high-school life more hellish than what the typical teenager goes through. Although her adoptive parents and adoptive brother are supportive, her peers at school and in the community are all too eager to remind her of her inferior status, while the grown-ups are anxious that she would somehow corrupt their Perfect children.
Matters go from bad to worse when her parents and brother are unexpectedly seized by the government, and Kristi is thrown into an adventure she never would have expected.
With our growing knowledge and advancements in the field of genetics, I didn't have too much trouble imagining a future society where designer babies are the norm. Chan finds some clever ways to work in her world-building, such as tutoring sessions where the children involved are quizzed on aspects of society a reader would need to know. Some aspects were a bit unclear to me, such as why there is a curfew imposed, but perhaps that will be explained in the sequel, which is titled Flawless. The narrative held my attention and was an engaging, suspenseful read. There is a cliff-hanger, so be ready for that. I'll look forward to seeing how the story is resolved.
August 26, 2013
Imperfect takes us into a utopian society where children are planned and perfected down to their eye & hair color. No more diseases. Advanced academics. Perfection has been met. Yet still, there are Accidents. The unplanned children that happen naturally. These babies are whisked away by the government shortly after birth. No one seems to know where they are taken or what is done with them, but it's accepted. Kristi is one of the few Accidents that was adopted and has survived into adulthood.. In a world with droid pets vs real ones , for pete sake's, Kristi definitely doesn't fit in.
I absolutely loved the thought process that this book takes you on. Initially, Perfects sound... well perfect, right? No more diseases ! Yay! And then you realize that the Perfects are constantly upgrading. Who exactly decides what "Perfect" is? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that.. We are taken on a journey with Kristi and several others who join her. The realization that there are more "Naturals" like Kristi sends them on a voyage to figure out what has happened to all of the Accidents that are taken at birth? Who should they trust?
I really enjoyed the characters as we learned more and more background into them. I felt the book was well written with only a few editing errors. Imperfect is an evenly paced story with no drag to it! My only disappointment was upon realizing that I now have to wait for the next in this new series to find out what happens next!
4 Stars !
**Note- I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review *
I absolutely loved the thought process that this book takes you on. Initially, Perfects sound... well perfect, right? No more diseases ! Yay! And then you realize that the Perfects are constantly upgrading. Who exactly decides what "Perfect" is? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that.. We are taken on a journey with Kristi and several others who join her. The realization that there are more "Naturals" like Kristi sends them on a voyage to figure out what has happened to all of the Accidents that are taken at birth? Who should they trust?
I really enjoyed the characters as we learned more and more background into them. I felt the book was well written with only a few editing errors. Imperfect is an evenly paced story with no drag to it! My only disappointment was upon realizing that I now have to wait for the next in this new series to find out what happens next!
4 Stars !
**Note- I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review *
August 16, 2013
It has been a long time since I was a young adult and my interest now is mostly based on a desire to write something in this genre. I am, however, very well versed in the dystopian genre. Admittedly, I am just estimating (rather than knowing) what young people like, but it seems to me that they will enjoy this book, especially those in the 12-16 category.
Two things kept me turning pages, the characters and the mysteries. As other reviewers have already said, the characters are likable and I really wanted to find out what happened to them. Also, the book has lots of secrets which are revealed gradually. I like that. (I don't give spoilers so don't expect me to tell what those secrets are.)
The world of the story is well-drawn. It has a nice balance of similarities and differences to our world. Overall, I believe this will do well with its target audience.
P.S.: I noticed that one reviewer complemented the author for not putting too much romance in the story and another criticized her for not putting enough. Just goes to show you can't please everyone. I agree with the reviewer who complemented.
Two things kept me turning pages, the characters and the mysteries. As other reviewers have already said, the characters are likable and I really wanted to find out what happened to them. Also, the book has lots of secrets which are revealed gradually. I like that. (I don't give spoilers so don't expect me to tell what those secrets are.)
The world of the story is well-drawn. It has a nice balance of similarities and differences to our world. Overall, I believe this will do well with its target audience.
P.S.: I noticed that one reviewer complemented the author for not putting too much romance in the story and another criticized her for not putting enough. Just goes to show you can't please everyone. I agree with the reviewer who complemented.
June 24, 2013
I received a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Recently I have been let down by many Dystopian books and have came close to abandoning the Genre but it's books like this that make it worthwhile reading through all the S*** in this genre.
Imperfect was great. The characters where engaging and I enjoyed reading about their journey. there were many surprising twists in the story and I like how you learn more about the world this story is set in as you go through the books rather than a huge info dump at the beginning and even although not everything is explained in this book i think we will learn more as the series continues.
Another great thing about this book is it isn't over run with romance yes there is a little but it is far more realistic you can see the attraction building without the characters just throwing themselves at each other like most other books.
Can't wait to read more of this story.
Review also on Reading After Sunset : Book Reviews And More
Recently I have been let down by many Dystopian books and have came close to abandoning the Genre but it's books like this that make it worthwhile reading through all the S*** in this genre.
Imperfect was great. The characters where engaging and I enjoyed reading about their journey. there were many surprising twists in the story and I like how you learn more about the world this story is set in as you go through the books rather than a huge info dump at the beginning and even although not everything is explained in this book i think we will learn more as the series continues.
Another great thing about this book is it isn't over run with romance yes there is a little but it is far more realistic you can see the attraction building without the characters just throwing themselves at each other like most other books.
Can't wait to read more of this story.
Review also on Reading After Sunset : Book Reviews And More
March 12, 2015
Being the only imperfect in a world of perfect isn't the most easy thing. Kristi's life is base on the fact that she was an accident. A baby not planned and genetically modified to be perfect.
Being the son of a secret agent and trying to hide a secret for everyone is not easy for Troop. Not were he is trying to be the most perfect of his school.
Kristi will embark in a journey after her adopted parents are taken to jail and her brother has gone missing. She will meet Troop and other interesting characters who will teach her that being who you are as an individual is the definition of Perfect.
An sweet and funny dystopian young adult book.
Really love it. Can wait to read the next book of the series.
"A person, like an onion, is made p of multiple layers. When you love a person, you get to take away all their layers and truly see what they're like on the inside. You may cry as you peel away each layer and discover not all of them are sweet."
Imperfect makes you realize that being Perfect is being content of who you are. 4 stars
Being the son of a secret agent and trying to hide a secret for everyone is not easy for Troop. Not were he is trying to be the most perfect of his school.
Kristi will embark in a journey after her adopted parents are taken to jail and her brother has gone missing. She will meet Troop and other interesting characters who will teach her that being who you are as an individual is the definition of Perfect.
An sweet and funny dystopian young adult book.
Really love it. Can wait to read the next book of the series.
"A person, like an onion, is made p of multiple layers. When you love a person, you get to take away all their layers and truly see what they're like on the inside. You may cry as you peel away each layer and discover not all of them are sweet."
Imperfect makes you realize that being Perfect is being content of who you are. 4 stars
August 24, 2013
-No Spoilers-
I hate to give negative ratings and reviews on books so I will keep this one short.
This book had a ton of potential. The story line is great, the characters are great, & the idea of perfects & accidents is wonderful. Unfortunately there were some things that prevented me from really enjoying this book. I thought it took forever for them to meet up with Troop making his side of the story hard to read as I just wanted the others to find him already, second, it lacked suspense making the story seem slow and the action scenes...without much action, also the way the characters spoke & lacked reaction to twists in the story left me kind of bummed.
But this is all obviously preference & I am sure dozens of others think it a fantastic read : )
I hate to give negative ratings and reviews on books so I will keep this one short.
This book had a ton of potential. The story line is great, the characters are great, & the idea of perfects & accidents is wonderful. Unfortunately there were some things that prevented me from really enjoying this book. I thought it took forever for them to meet up with Troop making his side of the story hard to read as I just wanted the others to find him already, second, it lacked suspense making the story seem slow and the action scenes...without much action, also the way the characters spoke & lacked reaction to twists in the story left me kind of bummed.
But this is all obviously preference & I am sure dozens of others think it a fantastic read : )
May 20, 2014
I have a hard time with this one. The book was ok. The premise was pretty good, even if I have seen it before. Maybe i was expecting too much. It didn't have a lot of romance (at least not IN YOUR FACE) so, for me, that was a good thing. I have had enough of the constant goo goo eyes. But my primary problem is the over description of EVERYTHING. It makes as if everything is important. And I keep trying to see something that turns out isn't there. There are descriptions just of the most mundane things. And I think "oh, something is going to happen with that!" and....nothing. No more mention ever. I won't continue. I know that much. Too much build up build up.
February 19, 2015
Grating
This read like a pamphlet handed out at an elementary school during self esteem week. It's the equivalent of a book about a superhero named kindness guy who fights a monster called bullyzilla. Also, the title is not capitalized. That bothers me way too much, but still.
The reason this still gets 2 stars is that it really was a gripping book. Not great writing, but good plot development in the first half. And the characters other than Kristi were well developed. (Although I have to wonder why Finn was even there. ) exposition was unusually well-handled. That really Impressed me.
This read like a pamphlet handed out at an elementary school during self esteem week. It's the equivalent of a book about a superhero named kindness guy who fights a monster called bullyzilla. Also, the title is not capitalized. That bothers me way too much, but still.
The reason this still gets 2 stars is that it really was a gripping book. Not great writing, but good plot development in the first half. And the characters other than Kristi were well developed. (Although I have to wonder why Finn was even there. ) exposition was unusually well-handled. That really Impressed me.
July 11, 2013
I was given a copy of “Imperfect” by Tina Chan in exchange for an honest review. Imperfect is about the future where people are perfected through genetic engineering. It is a great YA Book. I think it best suited for ages 10-16. The characters are young and there is a bit of humor throughout the story. It is the first in a series. Imperfect makes you think about the importance of being an individual and being happy and content with who you are. I give this book 4 stars as a young adult book.
August 31, 2013
I had received the free signer copy of imperfect and I am happy that I did.Although at first the beginning made me a little bored and drowsy,I found myself getting into both Kristi and Troop's places in the story.Its your typical distopian story that has a mixture of uglies into it,but readers will not be disappointed with the ending and will wait impatiently for the next installment to the series.
August 27, 2013
I won this book from Goodreads giveaway. Imperfect is a fast paced read. It is along the lines of the Uglies series but has enough difference and new ideas to not make it the same. I really liked how there isn't constant trouble around each bend for the characters. For me the way that entertainment has gone with excessive amounts of calamity has become tiresome. This book was fresh and easy to read.
March 1, 2015
Imperfect is an easy to read book with complex and surprising undertones. The layout of the book flows seamlessly and every chapter leaves you wanting more. It also carries the lesson that our imperfections and what make us different as people are what makes us individuals. I enjoyed reading this book and since there is a cliffhanger at the end I can't wait to dive into the second book.
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
January 13, 2014
I'm stuck between giving this book 3½ stars or 4. First off, I wanna say that I got this as a free book on my kindle, so for a free book it wasn't bad. There were some typos, but not too many. I liked the concept of this book. I thought it was unique. I actually thought this would just be a one book kind of story and the end would wrap up, but that's not the case. The story continues into another book, which I might get. So yeah, this book was good, not mind blowing and addicting, but good.
June 14, 2017
This was definitely a over all good book! Took me a while to get into but not because of lack of action. It was more of the fact that I didn't connect with the main character Kristi. I loved Troop but didn't get enough of him until later on. I would totally recommend this book to young readers. The ending left me wanting more and I see this being a great up and coming series.
August 17, 2015
This could have been good. Interesting (though not totally original) concept, but the writing was terrible. At times I felt like I was reading a grade school creative writing project that hadn't even been properly edited. Dialogue felt stilted a lot of the time and none of the characters were all that likable.
October 25, 2013
Gah. The dialogue in this book drove me nuts. No one talks like that, particularly not teenagers. It was a shame really because the premise is really interesting. As others have mentioned it started really slow but it did pick up by the end which did help me forget the completely awkward dialogue. It was not terrible enough to prevent me from reading the next one though.....so that's something.
June 14, 2013
This was a great story! I loved the main characters. I really felt like I got to know them! It was a great adventure and I can't wait to read what happens next!!!
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