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Perfections
Two sisters. One wish. Unimaginable consequences.
Not all fairytales are for children.
Antoinette and Jacqueline have little in common beyond a mutual antipathy for their paranoid, domineering mother, a bond which has united them since childhood. In the aftermath of a savage betrayal, Antoinette lands on her sister’s doorstep bearing a suitcase and a broken heart. But Jacqueline, the ambitious would-be manager of a trendy Melbourne art gallery, has her own problems – chasing down a delinquent painter in the sweltering heat of a Brisbane summer. Abandoned, armed with a bottle of vodka and her own grief-spun desires, Antoinette weaves a dark and desperate magic that can never, ever be undone.
Their lives swiftly unravelling, the two sisters find themselves drawn into a tangle of lies, manipulations and the most terrible of family secrets.
The Aurealis and Australian Shadows award-winning novel by the author of Madigan Mine and Caution: Contains Small Parts.
Not all fairytales are for children.
Antoinette and Jacqueline have little in common beyond a mutual antipathy for their paranoid, domineering mother, a bond which has united them since childhood. In the aftermath of a savage betrayal, Antoinette lands on her sister’s doorstep bearing a suitcase and a broken heart. But Jacqueline, the ambitious would-be manager of a trendy Melbourne art gallery, has her own problems – chasing down a delinquent painter in the sweltering heat of a Brisbane summer. Abandoned, armed with a bottle of vodka and her own grief-spun desires, Antoinette weaves a dark and desperate magic that can never, ever be undone.
Their lives swiftly unravelling, the two sisters find themselves drawn into a tangle of lies, manipulations and the most terrible of family secrets.
The Aurealis and Australian Shadows award-winning novel by the author of Madigan Mine and Caution: Contains Small Parts.
- GenresHorrorFantasyParanormal
498 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2012
184 people want to read
About the author
Kirstyn McDermott
50 books93 followersKirstyn McDermott is an Australian author of two award-winning novels, Madigan Mine and Perfections, as well as a collection of short fiction, Caution: Contains Small Parts. Until recently, she produced and co-hosted a literary discussion podcast, The Writer and the Critic, and is currently undertaking a creative PhD at Federation University with a research focus on retold fairy tales.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 11, 2015
My brain is exploding. Holy crap stop whatever you are doing and read this book. Then, after you are finished, do as I am doing and stare at a wall forever.
February 5, 2013
Dear god, this was horrifyingly creepy. It particularly hit several new-parent horrid things happening to children buttons with me, but is not gratuitously violent by any means. I really loved how effectively it moves from that creeping sense of wrongness to you wondering how the hell any of the characters are going to come out of this alive and sane.
December 30, 2012
Perfections is McDermott’s second novel, released in digital format through Xoum publications.
I reviewed Kirstyn’s first novel Madigan Mine, released in both pbook and ebook fromm by Picador - here.
If you liked Madigan Mine, you’ll still like Perfections but they don’t occupy quite the same space.
Ian Mond, Kirstyn’s co-host on the Writer and the Critic described it as more of a character piece. Kirstyn herself has tentatively called it modern urban gothic, situating it at the subtler end of the horror continuum.
And I think Perfections is a subtler piece of work than Madigan Mine. I always had suspicions with what was going on with Kirstyn’s first novel, it had a stronger affinity with well known Horror tropes.
Don’t get me wrong though, Perfections is still gut wrenchingly nasty at times, enough to really unsettle you but I was hard pressed to figure out where the horror was going to emerge - which of course kept me slightly on edge.
Now you notice here I am avoiding telling you the story. And I am not going to reveal anything about the plot, aside from the blurb:
It’s best to dive into this one blind, trust the author to entertain you. It’s not one to give you nightmares but Kirstyn will make you love the characters and then let things unravel so that the horror, the tragedy hits you unawares.
If you enjoy King when he does well crafted characters in slightly off kilter realities then I think you’ll enjoy Kirstyn’s work here. The horror, the suspense comes from or empathy with the characters she has crafted, and what she does to them.
The writing is smooth flowing prose that seems effortless but that I suspect was agonising to refine.
There is so much more I would love to talk about but it would give the game away.– the cover for instance and how well it suits the work. What makes it a smart bit of art amongst all the other “male gaze” cover art out there.
Horror has a bad reputation, possibly well deserved in some areas within the genre, where the grotesque comes to the fore, where violence and blood are thrown at the reader to make up for a lack of real substance.
McDermott, however, combines literary skill and a horror that focuses on the personal, on human desires and interactions, to give us a work of quality that should appeal to a broad audience.
Perfections was provided to me by the author.
I reviewed Kirstyn’s first novel Madigan Mine, released in both pbook and ebook fromm by Picador - here.
If you liked Madigan Mine, you’ll still like Perfections but they don’t occupy quite the same space.
Ian Mond, Kirstyn’s co-host on the Writer and the Critic described it as more of a character piece. Kirstyn herself has tentatively called it modern urban gothic, situating it at the subtler end of the horror continuum.
And I think Perfections is a subtler piece of work than Madigan Mine. I always had suspicions with what was going on with Kirstyn’s first novel, it had a stronger affinity with well known Horror tropes.
Don’t get me wrong though, Perfections is still gut wrenchingly nasty at times, enough to really unsettle you but I was hard pressed to figure out where the horror was going to emerge - which of course kept me slightly on edge.
Now you notice here I am avoiding telling you the story. And I am not going to reveal anything about the plot, aside from the blurb:
Two sisters. One wish. Unimaginable consequences.
Not all fairytales are for children.
It’s best to dive into this one blind, trust the author to entertain you. It’s not one to give you nightmares but Kirstyn will make you love the characters and then let things unravel so that the horror, the tragedy hits you unawares.
If you enjoy King when he does well crafted characters in slightly off kilter realities then I think you’ll enjoy Kirstyn’s work here. The horror, the suspense comes from or empathy with the characters she has crafted, and what she does to them.
The writing is smooth flowing prose that seems effortless but that I suspect was agonising to refine.
Even cushioned with anger it hurts to say the words, to hear them, and Antoinette knows with gut-sinking certainty that if Paul was standing here before her, if he had the balls to stay and plead his own case instead of sending Greta as proxy, then she would have little hope of resistance. Poised on the edge of her life here, Paul and their flat and the history that seeps from every wall, every photograph stuck careless to the fridge, every half-burned candle and guilty wine stain on the carpet, how easy it would be to close her eyes and jump, to allow herself the exhilaration of free-fall.
There is so much more I would love to talk about but it would give the game away.– the cover for instance and how well it suits the work. What makes it a smart bit of art amongst all the other “male gaze” cover art out there.
Horror has a bad reputation, possibly well deserved in some areas within the genre, where the grotesque comes to the fore, where violence and blood are thrown at the reader to make up for a lack of real substance.
McDermott, however, combines literary skill and a horror that focuses on the personal, on human desires and interactions, to give us a work of quality that should appeal to a broad audience.
Perfections was provided to me by the author.
January 18, 2015
Sometime around when I first started getting involved with the Australian spec fic scene, I told myself I needed to get my head above my comfortable reading parapet and venture to new parts of the imagination. I only half kept my promise. I never read or reviewed horror. That was because I’m a scaredy cat when it comes to descriptions of violence, bodily fluids and guts being slung about and also because I am an idiot. Good horror of course goes beyond such things.
Last year at the Aurealis, I chatted with Jason Nahrung (an Australian horror writer) and told him about my horror reading conundrum. He told me, ‘Read Perfections. It is psychological horror and reads like literary fiction and even if you hate the horror, you’ll like the beautiful language.’ When Kirstyn’s novel was re-published as a physical print I took him up on his promise. I was not disappointed.
I loved the language, but I also found myself enjoying more than that. From the big things like a story set firmly in Australia (I used to think the spec fic scene was awash with only European and American settings, which is true to an extent, but since writing myself I have found a lot of brilliant Australian writers with the seeds for their stories planted in parts of Australia. Kirstyn is another to add to the list), an outcast goth sister who I could relate to, hard truths about feminism, gender politics, sexuality and careers which didn’t make me want to murder the author and creepy plot twists that I didn’t see coming to the small things like an Emilie Autumn shout out (seriously guys, Opheliac is one of the greatest songs ever) and pockets of prose that sing like good poetry. This story has the added bonus of being accessible to both genre and non-genre readers, being planted firmly in the real world with relationship trauma and family ties and fractures explored, even as magic plays a part in the horror that unfolds.
I really enjoyed this novel of dark desires and bitter spells and hope that I can find my kindle after a spell State-side so that I can download Madigan’s Mine and the Aurealis winning short story collection, Caution: Contains Small Parts also by McDermott.
This review was originally posted at my writing and reviewing blog, Inkashlings.
Last year at the Aurealis, I chatted with Jason Nahrung (an Australian horror writer) and told him about my horror reading conundrum. He told me, ‘Read Perfections. It is psychological horror and reads like literary fiction and even if you hate the horror, you’ll like the beautiful language.’ When Kirstyn’s novel was re-published as a physical print I took him up on his promise. I was not disappointed.
I loved the language, but I also found myself enjoying more than that. From the big things like a story set firmly in Australia (I used to think the spec fic scene was awash with only European and American settings, which is true to an extent, but since writing myself I have found a lot of brilliant Australian writers with the seeds for their stories planted in parts of Australia. Kirstyn is another to add to the list), an outcast goth sister who I could relate to, hard truths about feminism, gender politics, sexuality and careers which didn’t make me want to murder the author and creepy plot twists that I didn’t see coming to the small things like an Emilie Autumn shout out (seriously guys, Opheliac is one of the greatest songs ever) and pockets of prose that sing like good poetry. This story has the added bonus of being accessible to both genre and non-genre readers, being planted firmly in the real world with relationship trauma and family ties and fractures explored, even as magic plays a part in the horror that unfolds.
I really enjoyed this novel of dark desires and bitter spells and hope that I can find my kindle after a spell State-side so that I can download Madigan’s Mine and the Aurealis winning short story collection, Caution: Contains Small Parts also by McDermott.
This review was originally posted at my writing and reviewing blog, Inkashlings.
October 22, 2015
This is superb. The pacing is incredible, the writing so smooth and compelling and irresistible: there is no way to stop reading this book. It's sad/annoying/typical that this hasn't been a bestseller - it's so enjoyable to read and so satisfying in its story and construction, with great characters and a thrilling idea beautifully executed. So go on, read it. It's unsettling but not terrifying; psychologically horrific but not gross at all. It's full of twists and turns and clever (but not TOO clever) ideas. If you have even a slight taste for the supernatural, I reckon you'll love it (and because it's so well written, you might find you love it even if you're a realism addict).
January 23, 2016
With a slight shift of perspective, this could be a razor-sharp depiction of the worst month in the lives of two sisters. The month their mother dies. It really, really could. Only, readers like me wouldn't touch it. Readers like me need the gloss, the promise of something more. And that is where the horror lies.
January 20, 2013
This review forms part of my contribution to the Australian Women Writers 2013 Reading Challenge. All my 2013 AWWC reviews can be found here.
Perfections is Kirstyn McDermott's second novel, following the excellent Madigan Mine in 2011 (which I reviewed here as part of the 2012 AWWC challenge). The two novels are not related in terms of plot, although they do share a certain sensibility (which I've heard described by the author on her Writer and the Critic podcast as "modern urban gothic"). I enjoyed Madigan Mine, so have been looking forward to this release.
Perfections has been released as an eBook only from the relatively new Xoum. The quality was good, with only one typo jumping out at me. Given Xoum are also publishing a work from another of my favourite Australian authors (Blood and Dust by Jason Nahrung), they will be a publisher I'll be keeping a close eye on in the future.
The blurb for the novel is Two sisters. One wish. Unimaginable consequences. Not all fairytales are for children. It's hard to tell much more about the plot without giving spoilers, but it is one of those storylines that unfolds well. There are twists, but the twists felt natural. Rather than changes coming completely out of left field, I found that McDermott balances the foreshadowing well to ensure that when something was revealed my first thought tended to be "oh yes, in hindsight that is obviously what must have been happening". That's a difficult thing to get right - maintaining surprise while having fairly outrageous things feel natural.
There are some themes of emotionally abusive relationships, with hints of physical violence within those relationships. These themes are handled in a sensitive and nuanced manner, but are still very confronting.
There is a strong focus on the relationship between the two sisters. The characters are very engaging, this is something I noticed different from Madigan Mine where the characters were unsympathetic and in some ways difficult to engage with - I thought one of the strengths of MM was the way McDermott managed to drag you through the story despite the unsympathetic protagonist. In Perfections, the main characters (the sisters) are very sympathetically drawn, even when they are being slightly annoying. You want things to work out for them. And McDermott does an excellent job of playing on that sympathy as a source of dread for the reader.
Not all the characters in the book are sympathetic of course, and I thought the interplay between the minor characters was handled very well. Both the major characters went through significant growth, in particular in the nature of their relationship with others. The minor characters felt well realised, contributing their specific part to the story while staying three dimensional.
While the supernatural elements of the novel come in fairly early, the horror is more subtle, with less "jump in your seat" moments and more "stays with you and creeps you out at unexpected times in the future" moments. Stepping back from specific sentences and paragraphs, I found the writing generally to a) be beautiful and b) leave you with a slightly off balance feeling. Even in the sections of the book that are describing relatively mundane life, there is something about the way things are described that adds to the sense that there is something wrong, that things aren't quite right.
This leads into the pacing, which was very good. I flew through the book and never felt that the pace dragged. Reading on the Kindle it's easy to lose track of how far you are through a novel, I was surprised when I noticed I was almost at the end after only a couple of sittings. I put this speedy read down to a combination of wanting to resolve the mystery of the plot and my attachment to the main characters.
I loved the ending. Now, I'm not sure how much I can really say beyond that without giving anything away. But the ending does a great job of both resolving plot and character development.
Another excellent book by McDermott. Highly recommended.
I also reviewed this book on my website.
Perfections is Kirstyn McDermott's second novel, following the excellent Madigan Mine in 2011 (which I reviewed here as part of the 2012 AWWC challenge). The two novels are not related in terms of plot, although they do share a certain sensibility (which I've heard described by the author on her Writer and the Critic podcast as "modern urban gothic"). I enjoyed Madigan Mine, so have been looking forward to this release.
Perfections has been released as an eBook only from the relatively new Xoum. The quality was good, with only one typo jumping out at me. Given Xoum are also publishing a work from another of my favourite Australian authors (Blood and Dust by Jason Nahrung), they will be a publisher I'll be keeping a close eye on in the future.
The blurb for the novel is Two sisters. One wish. Unimaginable consequences. Not all fairytales are for children. It's hard to tell much more about the plot without giving spoilers, but it is one of those storylines that unfolds well. There are twists, but the twists felt natural. Rather than changes coming completely out of left field, I found that McDermott balances the foreshadowing well to ensure that when something was revealed my first thought tended to be "oh yes, in hindsight that is obviously what must have been happening". That's a difficult thing to get right - maintaining surprise while having fairly outrageous things feel natural.
There are some themes of emotionally abusive relationships, with hints of physical violence within those relationships. These themes are handled in a sensitive and nuanced manner, but are still very confronting.
There is a strong focus on the relationship between the two sisters. The characters are very engaging, this is something I noticed different from Madigan Mine where the characters were unsympathetic and in some ways difficult to engage with - I thought one of the strengths of MM was the way McDermott managed to drag you through the story despite the unsympathetic protagonist. In Perfections, the main characters (the sisters) are very sympathetically drawn, even when they are being slightly annoying. You want things to work out for them. And McDermott does an excellent job of playing on that sympathy as a source of dread for the reader.
Not all the characters in the book are sympathetic of course, and I thought the interplay between the minor characters was handled very well. Both the major characters went through significant growth, in particular in the nature of their relationship with others. The minor characters felt well realised, contributing their specific part to the story while staying three dimensional.
While the supernatural elements of the novel come in fairly early, the horror is more subtle, with less "jump in your seat" moments and more "stays with you and creeps you out at unexpected times in the future" moments. Stepping back from specific sentences and paragraphs, I found the writing generally to a) be beautiful and b) leave you with a slightly off balance feeling. Even in the sections of the book that are describing relatively mundane life, there is something about the way things are described that adds to the sense that there is something wrong, that things aren't quite right.
This leads into the pacing, which was very good. I flew through the book and never felt that the pace dragged. Reading on the Kindle it's easy to lose track of how far you are through a novel, I was surprised when I noticed I was almost at the end after only a couple of sittings. I put this speedy read down to a combination of wanting to resolve the mystery of the plot and my attachment to the main characters.
I loved the ending. Now, I'm not sure how much I can really say beyond that without giving anything away. But the ending does a great job of both resolving plot and character development.
Another excellent book by McDermott. Highly recommended.
I also reviewed this book on my website.
November 20, 2018
Powerful story, unfolding in layers and layers of mystery and secrets until the full truth is uncovered, and leaves the reader on a held breath.
April 18, 2021
3.5 Stars
October 22, 2022
It started out a little slow and I was annoyed with how little information was given, but it all came out and came together in good time.
February 14, 2016
Perfections is the second novel by Kirstyn McDermott, originally released as an ebook only from Xoum, and recent re-released by Twelfth Planet Press as a gorgeous paperback. McDermott’s debut novel, Madigan Mine is also being re-released by Twelfth Planet Press as an ebook.
First thing: I am so happy to be able to own a physical copy of this book. I read a lot of ebooks, but for books that I really love (spoiler: I love this book), I really like having a physical copy on the shelf. And this is a seriously gorgeous book, with stunning cover art by Amanda Rainey.
Second thing: I am a massive fan of McDermott’s work in general. In terms of craft, she is extraordinarily talented – at a sentence level, her prose is lyrical and evocative, and her characters are always exquisitely drawn. From the moment they step foot onto the page, they live and breathe and feel; combine this with the darkness that twines through most of McDermott’s work, and you have something truly extraordinary.
Perfections is what I’ve come to expect from McDermott – grounded in reality, but a reality slightly twisted, threaded through with dark magic. I don’t want to talk too much in depth about the plot of the book – there are details that aren’t really spoilers, but I believe that the reading of the book is a much richer experience if you don’t know them.
Perfections is, at its heart, a book about sisters, about daughters, about mothers. It is a book about the way families can twist around secrets (and oh, the secrets that this family has). The reader moves back and forth between the viewpoints of two sisters, Antoinette and Jacqueline. Both are skilfully drawn, and it is very easy to feel empathy for both of them and the situations that they are in; especially well done is the juxtaposition between how they see themselves and how they are seen by their sister.
There is darkness here: both of the human variety (and kudos to McDermott for how well she handles some of the true nastiness in her characters – it always makes sense, and is never there for the sake of a character having to be nasty to justify a dark genre), and of the fantastical. There is some particular imagery from near the end of the book that I will likely never be able to get out of my head (if you’ve read the book, I bet you know what I mean).
And, without spoiling anything, Perfections has a seriously good ending.
Reading as a reader, I was utterly captivated by this world (and loving some of the connections to McDermott’s other work). As a writer, I was torn between deep envy and deep admiration for just how damn well McDermott writes. The envy doesn’t last long, of course, especially when an author is as damn nice as McDermott is.
Horror and dark fantasy are genres that have, at times, a bad reputation – I know plenty of readers who won’t even touch something that might be horror. And honestly, with some of the books and movies that are in the genre, I don’t blame them (reputations are, sometimes, justified things). And yes, sometimes there is absolutely nothing wrong with gore for the sake of gore, fear for the sake of fear. I do wish that some of the readers who shy away would pick up books like Perfections and realise that there can be much more to the horror/dark fantasy genre.
Perfections is an incredible book. It is haunting and evocative, presenting a world that is just so slightly askew from our own, but populated with characters who live and breathe so well that they could be anyone you know. McDermott is one of Australia’s best writers of dark fiction, and if you haven’t read any of her work, Perfections is an extremely good place to start. And then prepare to devour everything else.
First thing: I am so happy to be able to own a physical copy of this book. I read a lot of ebooks, but for books that I really love (spoiler: I love this book), I really like having a physical copy on the shelf. And this is a seriously gorgeous book, with stunning cover art by Amanda Rainey.
Second thing: I am a massive fan of McDermott’s work in general. In terms of craft, she is extraordinarily talented – at a sentence level, her prose is lyrical and evocative, and her characters are always exquisitely drawn. From the moment they step foot onto the page, they live and breathe and feel; combine this with the darkness that twines through most of McDermott’s work, and you have something truly extraordinary.
Perfections is what I’ve come to expect from McDermott – grounded in reality, but a reality slightly twisted, threaded through with dark magic. I don’t want to talk too much in depth about the plot of the book – there are details that aren’t really spoilers, but I believe that the reading of the book is a much richer experience if you don’t know them.
Perfections is, at its heart, a book about sisters, about daughters, about mothers. It is a book about the way families can twist around secrets (and oh, the secrets that this family has). The reader moves back and forth between the viewpoints of two sisters, Antoinette and Jacqueline. Both are skilfully drawn, and it is very easy to feel empathy for both of them and the situations that they are in; especially well done is the juxtaposition between how they see themselves and how they are seen by their sister.
There is darkness here: both of the human variety (and kudos to McDermott for how well she handles some of the true nastiness in her characters – it always makes sense, and is never there for the sake of a character having to be nasty to justify a dark genre), and of the fantastical. There is some particular imagery from near the end of the book that I will likely never be able to get out of my head (if you’ve read the book, I bet you know what I mean).
And, without spoiling anything, Perfections has a seriously good ending.
Reading as a reader, I was utterly captivated by this world (and loving some of the connections to McDermott’s other work). As a writer, I was torn between deep envy and deep admiration for just how damn well McDermott writes. The envy doesn’t last long, of course, especially when an author is as damn nice as McDermott is.
Horror and dark fantasy are genres that have, at times, a bad reputation – I know plenty of readers who won’t even touch something that might be horror. And honestly, with some of the books and movies that are in the genre, I don’t blame them (reputations are, sometimes, justified things). And yes, sometimes there is absolutely nothing wrong with gore for the sake of gore, fear for the sake of fear. I do wish that some of the readers who shy away would pick up books like Perfections and realise that there can be much more to the horror/dark fantasy genre.
Perfections is an incredible book. It is haunting and evocative, presenting a world that is just so slightly askew from our own, but populated with characters who live and breathe so well that they could be anyone you know. McDermott is one of Australia’s best writers of dark fiction, and if you haven’t read any of her work, Perfections is an extremely good place to start. And then prepare to devour everything else.
April 10, 2013
Perfections by Kirstyn McDermott is the author's second novel and has been shortlisted for a pile of awards this year, despite having only been released last December. It's picked up shortlistings for Aurealis Horror Novel, Ditmar Best Novel and Australian Shadows Award Novel. Reading it, the award nominations are hardly a mystery.
Perfections is about two sisters, Antoinette and Jacqueline, who live in Melbourne. The story opens with Jacqueline going off to Brisbane for work shortly after Antoinette's boyfriend dumped her. They don't have much in common other than a shared childhood and a mother. The story follows their separate issues as their lives become increasingly entwined.
Perfections isn't what I think of as psychologically-scarred for life horror (a la Slights) but there is a distinct creepiness to it and there were definitely a few disturbing bits. (Not enough to keep me up at night, but your mileage may vary.) For a large chunk of the book I thought it could be classed as the horror version of magical realism but it got a bit too... much towards the end for such a tentative label.
McDermott made me think about the relationship between the mundane and the horrifying. One doesn't have to peel back many layers to find unpleasantness in the sisters' lives, but McDermott keeps peeling until all they're left with is reality (or some facsimile thereof) and each other.
As I write this, I realise that going into Perfections I had little idea of what the book was actually about, beyond that there were two sisters. None of the reviews I read prior to picking it up (via AWW) reveal the instigating event near the start that kicks off the plot. Which strikes me as odd because it's not what I'd usually consider a spoiler. But I suppose I'll jump on the bandwagon; leave a comment if you want to know.
Perfections was an enjoyable read. McDermott is a skilled writer and uses a few different stylistic tools in some chapters to great effect. I definitely want to pick up her other novel, Madigan Mine, and will be keeping an eye on what she writes in the future. I recommend Perfections to fans of horror and speculative fiction generally. I suspect there's much in there to appeal to a fan of dark contemporary fiction as well (it's not that similar to After the Darkness, but if you enjoyed that book and you don't usually read genre fiction, I'd suggest giving Perfections a shot).
4.5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
Perfections is about two sisters, Antoinette and Jacqueline, who live in Melbourne. The story opens with Jacqueline going off to Brisbane for work shortly after Antoinette's boyfriend dumped her. They don't have much in common other than a shared childhood and a mother. The story follows their separate issues as their lives become increasingly entwined.
Perfections isn't what I think of as psychologically-scarred for life horror (a la Slights) but there is a distinct creepiness to it and there were definitely a few disturbing bits. (Not enough to keep me up at night, but your mileage may vary.) For a large chunk of the book I thought it could be classed as the horror version of magical realism but it got a bit too... much towards the end for such a tentative label.
McDermott made me think about the relationship between the mundane and the horrifying. One doesn't have to peel back many layers to find unpleasantness in the sisters' lives, but McDermott keeps peeling until all they're left with is reality (or some facsimile thereof) and each other.
As I write this, I realise that going into Perfections I had little idea of what the book was actually about, beyond that there were two sisters. None of the reviews I read prior to picking it up (via AWW) reveal the instigating event near the start that kicks off the plot. Which strikes me as odd because it's not what I'd usually consider a spoiler. But I suppose I'll jump on the bandwagon; leave a comment if you want to know.
Perfections was an enjoyable read. McDermott is a skilled writer and uses a few different stylistic tools in some chapters to great effect. I definitely want to pick up her other novel, Madigan Mine, and will be keeping an eye on what she writes in the future. I recommend Perfections to fans of horror and speculative fiction generally. I suspect there's much in there to appeal to a fan of dark contemporary fiction as well (it's not that similar to After the Darkness, but if you enjoyed that book and you don't usually read genre fiction, I'd suggest giving Perfections a shot).
4.5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
May 22, 2017
I received this book from Goodreads First Reads in return for an honest review.
When I read the blurb, I was surprised by the sort of story line they were setting up. I was expecting something that wasn't very fantasy. I love fantasy and I was slightly disappointed in that.
Then I read the first page and was instantly hooked. McDermott has an amazing way of bringing the reader straight into the world without making you realise it.
As an Aussie, I was so grateful to read a book that was set in my country but wasn't overly Australian. McDermott didn't feel the need to throw in Australian slang every five minutes to remind us that we're there.
This story started off as very whimsical (hurr hurr) but then slowly dissolved into horror... which I loved! I loved the twists and turns and how it makes you think!
Antoinette and Jacqueline were fantastic characters, and I only wish the ending was fleshed out a little more. I saw Jacqueline as someone who didn't want to be alone and was starting a bit of a romance with the Queensland artist, but that seemed to be cut off suddenly.
I also wanted to know if Antoinette would be able to love again after Loki was gone.
So many questions, but I like that it ended in a style like this! They weren't plot holes, just questions for their future. This keeps the possibility open for a future novel!
When I read the blurb, I was surprised by the sort of story line they were setting up. I was expecting something that wasn't very fantasy. I love fantasy and I was slightly disappointed in that.
Then I read the first page and was instantly hooked. McDermott has an amazing way of bringing the reader straight into the world without making you realise it.
As an Aussie, I was so grateful to read a book that was set in my country but wasn't overly Australian. McDermott didn't feel the need to throw in Australian slang every five minutes to remind us that we're there.
This story started off as very whimsical (hurr hurr) but then slowly dissolved into horror... which I loved! I loved the twists and turns and how it makes you think!
Antoinette and Jacqueline were fantastic characters, and I only wish the ending was fleshed out a little more. I saw Jacqueline as someone who didn't want to be alone and was starting a bit of a romance with the Queensland artist, but that seemed to be cut off suddenly.
I also wanted to know if Antoinette would be able to love again after Loki was gone.
So many questions, but I like that it ended in a style like this! They weren't plot holes, just questions for their future. This keeps the possibility open for a future novel!
April 6, 2013
The story of two sisters, one of who creates a mysterious new double of her ex-boyfriend in a moment of passion, and the consequences for both of them. There are some lovely ideas in here, and the magic has consequences. The characterisation is vivid, and both sisters are both likeable and well drawn. I thought the book lost momentum a little around a third of the way through, as pieces were set up and just seemed to cruise along. But then the author threw a few spanners into the works and suddenly all bets were off and the plot raced through to the end.
There is a lot at stake and some powerful emotional moments. I only knocked a star off because I felt there was more in this book, somewhere, than what ultimately came out of it, for me as a reader. Whether that was the author's fault or mine, I don't know. It worked well as a tightly focused horror story, but I just would have liked that little extra resonance that I felt was just out of reach. That said, it's a great book.
There is a lot at stake and some powerful emotional moments. I only knocked a star off because I felt there was more in this book, somewhere, than what ultimately came out of it, for me as a reader. Whether that was the author's fault or mine, I don't know. It worked well as a tightly focused horror story, but I just would have liked that little extra resonance that I felt was just out of reach. That said, it's a great book.
February 17, 2016
A great dark urban-fantasy story; satisfyingly true to its Australian setting. Kirstyn writes some great dialogue, and has a deceptively smooth writing style; she makes the reader comfortable before expertly ratcheting up the tension. Some excellent twists and dark events, although I got the feeling that she pulled a few punches. It’s enjoyably creepy – a fine lighter horror read. Recommended.
A more detailed review is available here: https://uncertaintales.wordpress.com/...
A more detailed review is available here: https://uncertaintales.wordpress.com/...
December 2, 2013
A languid literary horror tale in the spirit of Kim Wilkins and "Witches" Anne Rice, this is the sophomore book after Madigan Mine. Shamefully, Perfections was supposed to be published for the mass market and was lost after a editor reshuffle at PanMac.
January 2, 2015
Giving up on books too often at the moment, and that was the case with this one. Started off enjoying it, not bad writing; but as the story seemed to slip into fantasy it got too much for me.
Pity about that.
Pity about that.
June 10, 2016
I really enjoyed this book! The language is beautiful, the plot is great, and although I was initially wary that this would be a love story it's not, so I was pleasantly surprised there. I really recommend this one.
March 31, 2013
A creepy and addictive horror novel with well drawn, believable characters. Will keep you guessing right to the end. Recommended.
June 23, 2014
This is an excellent book - my full review is posted at Thirteen O'Clock here: http://www.thirteenoclock.com.au/perf...
July 31, 2014
My review has vanished >:(
I will type it again real soon.
JUST READ THE BOOK.
I will type it again real soon.
JUST READ THE BOOK.
July 20, 2014
This is one of my favourite endings of ANY book EVER :D That's all I'm saying, haha!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2014
Extremely nasty. And wonderful. Just read it.
October 30, 2014
Reviewed in Aurealis #76.
May 29, 2013
I could not put this down. Amazing, unpredictable stuff!
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