The Perfect Outcast

by Melissa Ott Hansen

Seventeen-year-old Alina is the only imperfect person in a perfect world. On the surface, Pria is paradise: no hunger, no pain, not even death. Pria’s all-powerful ruler provides new thrills, constant pleasure, and eternal beauty. Every smile dazzles, every party delivers, and every young adult stops aging.

Except one.

Alina longs to fit in with her beautiful peers and dreams of connecting with the one boy who has been kind to her. But her flaws stand in the way. Fed up with her blunders and blemishes, her absence of friends, and her distant guardian, Alina seeks answers.

But behind Pria’s picture-perfect facade, unrest is growing, and the secrets Alina uncovers about her past are darker—and brighter—than she ever imagined.

A mysterious birth. A corrupt scientist who creates life merely to rule it. A parallel world where dissenters are sent to die. And an innocent Alina at the center of a deadly conspiracy. Now the only imperfect person must discover the courage to free herself and those she loves before she is silenced forever.

Genres: Young Adult

Paperback

First published September 8, 2020

Reviews

[Audrey]

I did a full edit on this one for re-publishing. I think it turned out pretty good.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously could not put this book down!! Especially towards the end.

The descriptions throughout are beautiful and captivating, the author truly knows how to paint pictures with her words. I could easily put faces to the characters. And honestly, my favorite one is Rex. He is just a delight! And I loved Mae. And I’m cheering for Oliver! And the villain is genuinely creepy.

I also felt that so much of Alina’s experiences were so very real. People might not like to admit it, but it’s true! Some of the things she went through resonated with me so much, it hurt a little. I’d go into more detail, but I don’t want to give too much away, you’ll just have to read it and experience it for yourself!

The story did not go the way I predicted, which was so much fun for me. I loved that I didn’t know what was going to happen next! I cannot WAIT to read the second book!!!

[Sophia Mccutchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that young adult sci fi fantasy or whatever you call this genre is not my thing. In fact fictional books that can't seem real are not my cup of tea. That being said I LOVED THIS BOOK. The book dives right in and you can't help but get swept up in the storyline and the development of the characters. You find yourself truly caring about Alina and what will happen to her. In fact the book ended and all I could think if was how to get my hands on book 2.
I liked that the book doesn't just tell the story of the main character but there are many subplots going on with the characters all around her. I may be reading too much into it, but I felt that there were lots of life lessons on morality and vanity that one can draw from the story. When a book makes you think of your own life experiences and forces you to examine the parallels, it has succeeded in my opinion. Melissa Hansen has done a great job!

[Risa Nyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Perfect Outcast, Melissa Ott Hansen has created a fascinating and horrifying world of mortals and immortals. Each group has some enviable characteristics, but Ms. Hansen demonstrates that being perfect may not always be perfect. As a reader, I was surprised by how many times the author presents us with issues that make you stop and examine your own values and assumptions. I found this intriguing.

The ending leaves you desperate for more. Clearly, the survival of the mortal world rests with seventeen-year-old Alina. Yet even with her powers and responsibilities, Alina is still a young woman navigating the world of relationships in Pria, the land of the immortals, and among the mortals of Carthem.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always so intrigued by dystopian books. I love how they force me to think about ways the future could go wrong. Maybe that's a bit morbid, but it's true. This book was the same way from the moment I read the synopsis. I've read quite a few dystopian books by now, but I still get really swept up in the idea of them.

And I really did like the world in this book. It was very interesting and different enough from other worlds I have read that it seemed like something new. There were a few points here or there where something reminded me so strongly of something I had read in another dystopian book that it took me out of things for a bit, but that wasn't a problem for the majority of the book. I think I've reached the point where that's going to happen for pretty much any dystopian book.

I couldn't entirely get behind the romance just because it seemed like a case of instalove to me. I know that doesn't bother a lot of people, but I'm someone who can't really like a couple together unless I see their relationship actually developing. That doesn't really happen here. They know each so little and Alina is already saying she loves him. Luckily, that was such a small aspect of the book that it didn't bother me too much.

I've read about worlds where everyone is pretty and other things similar to the world in this book, but it was different enough that it separated itself from those well in my opinion. It held my attention and had me wondering what would come next. I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy dystopian.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

http://hmweasley-blog.blogspot.com/20...

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good. I haven't been great about doing reviews of all the books I have read recently, but I absolutely had to review this book. Any teenage girl would love this book right off because Alina is so relatable. Everyone else will love it not just for the incredible relationships and premise of the book, but because it is action packed! I could not put it down! My 11 year old daughter read it in two days. I love that it was action packed yet clean enough I feel comfortable letting her read it!
AS the first book in a trilogy I can see this series going far! As I read it I could just see the scenes. The author is so vivid in her descriptions and it would lend itself beautifully to a movie someday (which would no doubt never live up to the book).
Very impressed with this first book by an amazing author and I cant wait to see what else she has in store!

[Maya Grimley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out this review and more on my blog, Maya’s Reviews.

Thank you to the author/publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

//TW: death, murder, kidnapping, sexual assault//

~Quick Statistics~
Overall: 5/5 Stars
Plot: 4/5/5 Stars
Setting: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5 Stars
Writing: 5/5 Stars
Memorability: 5/5 Stars

~Quick Review~
The Perfect Outcast is a wonderful science fiction, an absolute page turner. As I was in a huge reading slump for the past few months, I was truly surprised that I ended up loving The Perfect Outcast, as many of the books I read during reading slumps are typically not my favorite. However, this novel stood its ground and is by far one of my favorite science fiction novels. I cannot wait for the sequel to be released.

~Other Information~
Publisher: Immortal Works Publishing
Page Count: 322 pages

As is stated on the Goodreads page, the sequel, The Perfect Icon, is expected to be released in April 2021.

~Book Description (via Goodreads)~
Seventeen-year-old Alina is the only imperfect person in a perfect world. On the surface, Pria is paradise: no hunger, no pain, not even death. Pria’s all-powerful ruler provides new thrills, constant pleasure, and eternal beauty. Every smile dazzles, every party delivers, and every young adult stops aging.

Except one.

Alina longs to fit in with her beautiful peers and dreams of connecting with the one boy who has been kind to her. But her flaws stand in the way. Fed up with her blunders and blemishes, her absence of friends, and her distant guardian, Alina seeks answers.

But behind Pria’s picture-perfect facade, unrest is growing, and the secrets Alina uncovers about her past are darker—and brighter—than she ever imagined.

A mysterious birth. A corrupt scientist who creates life merely to rule it. A parallel world where dissenters are sent to die. And an innocent Alina at the center of a deadly conspiracy. Now the only imperfect person must discover the courage to free herself and those she loves before she is silenced forever.

~Characters~
The Perfect Outcast follows the story of Alina, a young girl who is living in the perfect and immortal world of Pria. Alina is a teenager who is not like the other immortals, and is trying to find her own way in her mysterious and ‘wonderful’ world. Some other characters that were involved heavily in the story were Rex, Jade, and Baylor.

I definitely felt like the characters were well thought out and well written. I found Alina to be a strong, independent, and brave girl. She faces so much throughout the story, and she could certainly be a role model to younger readers.

~Writing and Setting~
I loved that the writing focused mainly on what’s going on in Alina’s head, especially since she is far different from all of the other characters. Hansen’s writing style is simplistic yet descriptive, which fitted the flow of the story nicely.

I have to give credit to Melissa Hansen, her creation of an entirely new government function than I’ve seen previously in science fiction is fantastic. The relation and interactions between Pria and Carthem are for sure well thought out.

~Plot~
I absolutely loved the idea of this novel. As I’ve said before, it is nothing like any science fiction or dystopian novel that I’ve read before, which I loved. Personally, I often find that dystopian series are repetitive and similar, however The Perfect Outcast was not.

The flow of the story was very well done, the only problem I had was that the story was a little slow at parts. Though, in all fairness, that could have been because I’ve been in a reading slump since September (I know right, that sucks).

~Overall Review~
Overall, I really enjoyed The Perfect Outcast and it’s uniqueness in respect to its genre. I highly recommend that you read this novel if you are a fan of The Hunger Games or the Legend series.

Amazon

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review. Spoilers below.

I’ll start this review off by saying that I am very picky about sci-fi dystopian stories. For some reason, I tend to only vibe with a few.

My other disclaimer is that I did not finish this book. I hate DNFing, especially when it’s a book for review, but life is too short to make yourself read things you don’t like.

From the start of the book, I was very nervous about a couple things. I could see it very easily embracing a load of girlbashing and I could it see it easily falling into the “not like other girls trope”. Unfortunately, the book did fall into both traps. I think I’m getting to the point where I’m just a little too old and YA-read to ignore those things while I’m reading.

Not all of it was bad, obviously. I really enjoyed the “perfection details” like the pink kitten and the crystal birds, and how everything in the world was polished and smooth like plastic. That was such a clear visual for me, and the pretty and twinkly aspects of the world lay in stark contrast to Alina’s feelings in it. It was great detailing.

I also really enjoyed the “brainwashing” aspect of Father Sampson’s regime. It really reminded me of “there is no war in Ba Sing Se” and it was truly creepy and effective. I thought that was a great idea, rather than going the death route.

This book also really reminded me of the Uglies series, which kind of made me think that this book felt like that 2010-2015 era of dystopian YA novels where every book was a different take on the genre. I think if it had come out then, it probably would have been quite well received.

I also really wished there were maps of Pria and Carthem because I was very lost a lot of the time. We’re given a lot of street names, distances, and building names, but I would have loved a map so I could put those in context.

A big fault for me as well was the exposition. Everything was exposition and big villain monologuing. Except when I actually needed to understand things like who is Rex? Who is Camden? Is Pria��s world based on science or magic or both? It would be okay if these were presented as mysteries, but Alina doesn’t seem to need more into, so I guess neither does the reader!

I also just didn’t get why Alina was allowed to live out in the world. Why not just put her into permanent sleep as a baby? Or send her to Carthem or prison or something? Why allow her freedom and let others know of her?

Also this line appears as an insult from the boy who’s ~different~ and ~sees past how ugly and gross Alina is~. “You are like all the other girls.” Gross!

Also, I kind of wanted the book to end with Alina in eternal sleep, and then a flash to the rest of Pria in perfection. And it would be all about how these are the kinds of sacrifices and horrors people commit for the “perfect world”. That would be so eerie and poignant. But obviously, that did not happen.

I also absolutely hated the Alina’s change when they entered Carthem.

I was really hoping this wasn’t going to be a “ugly girl becomes pretty thus giving her a sense of self worth” Story. I guess it is.

So, this one is gonna be two stars for me. I think you can just go reread the Uglies series and skip this one.

[Paul DiBara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm rating this a '3' because it was compelling enough that I read it in under two days. Why not higher? Well . . .

The backstory, the foundation upon which the ongoing narrative is based, was unclear and confusing. There was some kind of civil war the result of which, Samson, regarded by some as the savior, or by others, the narcissistic and vindictive leader, wins the war then creates a community called Pria. Pria is a protected city of barren immortals, born in labs, who enjoy a totally licentious and carefree life. Each individual has been designed and created by Sampson. He is surrounded by a continuous stream of lovers who are replaced on a whim. Those few individuals who desire to know more about the outside or who become suspicious of Sampson are exiled to a land of horrors outside the city limits.

Alina is not like the other citizens of Pria. She is not beautiful and leads a lonely and almost friendless existence with her guardian. Unbeknownst to her, though, she was not artificially created and her real beauty is hidden to Pria's citizens.

When Alina reaches puberty she discovers she is very different from the rest of the population. She discovers that the only reason she is even alive is that if she were to die so would the leader of the whole community, Sampson himself. She also makes the startling discovery that she was also born of a real mother and father - and not only is she immortal, but beautiful in this world.

With the help of a rebel group she embarks on a plan to leave the city but is lead into a trap where she come face to face with Sampson. During a struggle that involves a magic knife she escapes his clutches and is thrown into the natural world outside Pria. This world is populated with horrors and she is not totally out of the influence of Sampson who will soon be in pursuit.

A series of dangerous adventures ensue. She blossoms as she discovers her unrealized strengths and abilities. She even begins to make real friends, including one particular boy. She learns about loyalty and sacrifice.

While the story ends on a positive note it is obvious that this book is intended to be the first of a series.

As a whole, the story is a little contrived and uneven. The focus is almost entirely on Alina with little real ancillary character development. Also, with few exceptions, other females are treated as silly, jealous and petty. I would have expected more from a contemporary authoress.

[Roxsanne Lesieur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very engaging story about Alina, she is a teenager with all the issues that comes with it, hormones, blemishes and imperfect teeth, but she is not as normal as she seems, she lives in a place filled with perfection and being imperfect as she is, makes her stand out in a way she does not want.

We start the journey within this book at school with Alina, in her biology class and this is where we discover where the book is based, in Pria, as well as a bit about the people living there. During this lesson we discover why Pria is known for its perfection and what this means for Alina and the other residents, as well as why Alina is different. Later on in history, more about the leader of Pria is revealed, as well as the repercussions which may happen if someone speaks about him in a less than friendly manner.

It is here that we find out more about Alina and how she is ostracised by the community she lives in, how she experiences life and how this all makes her feel. It also starts to uncover the relationships she has with those she lives with and those whom she hopes to be friends with. These relationships reveal things about herself and Pria which she never expected to hear and would never have believed if she wasn’t the imperfect being she is.

When things start to go wrong for Alina, she has to discover if perfection is all it’s cracked up to be and whether it is worth paying the price demanded for it.

The journey which Alina must now go on means that she has to discover new strengths of character which she didn’t know she possessed, as well as finding the strength to become who she is meant to be, but will all of this newness overwhelm her, or will she be able to step up and stand up for herself and those around her?

[Amy Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alina lives in a world of immortal beings--perfect looking people, who don't need sleep, who can't get injured, and who live in magnificent mansions. Everything seems perfect. Except her. She's not immortal. She's ugly, needs to eat to survive, and can die. In a strange twist of events, Alina must journey to the mortal world, a trip which causes her to transform into an immortal among mortals, to fight a series of monsters and monstrous villians in order to save the world.

Pria was such a fascinating city to read about; a world of vanity and boredom and total misery and I loved it! Alina was a fascinating character, with strong traits like bravery, selflessness, and kindness. I absolutely loved seeing how people were cruel to her because she wasn't beautiful in the immortal world and then because she was too beautiful in the human world. It was fun to root for the normal "nerd underdog" and then really fresh and interesting to remember that even those who seem like they have it all might be anxiously wishing for someone to like them.

The monsters were really creepy and delightful. I loved how they preyed on fear, and it really amped up the tension. The ending was epic, and the villains so wicked, that it was a relief to be rid of them. I also love the romantic beginnings happening throughout the book. Oliver was probably my favorite character, and I just loved him. His personality was so enchanting and my heart hurt for him and her "friend-zoning" of him. Great read for lovers of the Uglies series or dystopian in general. Romance, tension, powerful messages, and super strong heroine, and more.

[Pontus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking for another book to review this month from NetGalley, I stumbled upon this one. The cover and summary of the book promised an interesting story with deep themes regarding beauty and what it means to be perfect, and the ratings at Goodreads seemed to confirm this.

It did not fully live up to those expectations, but still kept me engaged.

The Perfect Outcast is a utopia-turned-dystopia story, in the likes of The Giver by Lois Lowry. Making that comparison might not be fair, as The Giver is seen as a world renown story, whilst The Perfect Outcast is (as far as I can see) the first published book by indie author Melissa Hansen. Still, I would say that in this regard, The Perfect Outcast manages to hold its grounds, and deliver an interesting enough story that keeps the reader going.

Not copying The Giver, it instead seems to delve into themes such as beauty, perfection and mortality versus immortality. However, all of these themes feel too shallow and are not explored well enough to have it be anything other than superficial observations. Alina, the main character, does not learn that true beauty comes from the inside, or that perfection requires imperfection. This in turns gives the book an unclear message, and instead becomes just a story among thousands.

That said, the book is entertaining enough, and it does present an interesting world that has a lot of potential to be explored in sequels.

[Laura Furuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Outcast
By Melissa O. Hansen
5 out of 5 stars

I loved reading the book The Perfect Outcast by Melissa O. Hansen. It is a story that pulled me in from the beginning and didn’t let me go until the final page. The author does an amazing job of world-building as well as making both the storyline and the characters come alive on the pages. I loved the character of Alina. She is a young woman who starts as one person in the beginning and during the story starts to change. She shows herself to be intelligent, strong, and independent. She is an amazing character and one that I could root for her to succeed in all that she does. Alina has always longed to fit into the society that she lives in. Everyone there seems perfect except for her. Secrets and a conspiracy are uncovered. What does the future hold for Alina? Read this book to find out. This is a story that had me hooked from the very beginning. There were times I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I grew to care about Alina with each chapter that I read. Other additional characters are introduced, and I enjoyed reading about many of them as they are helpful to Alina. There are others however that have a selfish agenda. Don’t miss out on an amazing and entertaining book. I highly recommend reading it.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is plenty different from the other dystopian books that have saturated the market the last several years. Alina lives in Pria, where everyone is immortal and beautiful except for her. But appearances are not always as they seem and Alina might be the key to it all. This world really fascinated me, a world where everyone is beautiful and spends their days in shallow flirting, eating, and sleeping around. A scripture comes to mind: “eat, drink and be merry.” However, in this world, there is no real joy, peace, contentment, or family. And it is ruled by the treacherous Victor Sampson.

Another world exists, a moral world called Carthem. This world has death and pain and imperfect people. But it also has purpose and love and family.

I loved this book- the characters are well developed and I’m always craving fiction with some sort of spirituality embedded in its pages. This is lacking in so much of modern fiction. This story explores agency, shallowness verses true beauty, the value of work, the necessity of adversity, the joy of family- just to name a few. I look forward to the second book.

[Liza · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Perfect Outcast" is the entrance to a big universe of immortals and mortals, where the main heroine Alina is trying to find a place where she belongs. Pria is this perfect world of immortals, at least from the first glance, where no one knows any pain, hunger, thirst or illnesses. Every single person in Pria is perfectly shaped and beautiful, except Alina. However, Hansen keeps reminding the readers that perfection is not as precious as everyone makes it seem. Our imperfections are exactly what make us humans.

I have to mention that YA and sci-fi are not my favourite genres, yet this book was a fairly easy and enjoyable read for the most part. I liked the author's language and storytelling style, but some parts were a bit long-winded for my taste. On the other hand, I believe that fans of Marie Lu will find this book enjoyable.
Unfortunately, I couldn't relate to the main heroine or the story; it didn't capture me, but I am happy that I gave it a chance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Outcast
By Melissa O. Hansen
☆☆☆☆☆
This complete novel is great for those wonderfully growing and changing teens, with a wild imagination. This is a fantasy for all ages as well, as I enjoyed this adventure.

Alina is a 17 year old that just wants what all of her classmates have. But her inner teen wants more. She is not pretty, she is not liked and she even has teachers who do not like her. A teen living in a perfect town. No sadness, no death and plenty of happy partiers. Perfect! Just not for Alina. She wants answers, she has many questions, and not even her caregiver will talk to her. So here is where it gets good, sit back and read on.

Melissa Hansen has quite the knowledge of those teens and young adults. Her story will not disappoint. I love her characters for this story. She gave it that realness teens are looking for. While this story is a YA Fantasy. I did enjoy reading it. It holds your interest and keeps you, the reader, wanting more. Take the leap and enjoy this story. I know I did!

[Kerry Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Outcast by Melissa O. Hansen is a young adult story set in a dystopian world that is different to any world you have experienced. This is an interesting story that will really get you thinking and re-evaluate what you class as “perfect”.
The description of this book caught my eye immediately. I knew I wanted to know more about this world and the supposedly imperfect Alina. From the moment I started reading I was transported into a world where things couldn’t be more different than we experience ourselves day to day.
As the story progresses you are really drawn into examining the perspective of perfect. The fact that it is done in the way the author has written it as well just makes it all the better. Although a lot of the basic themes of the book aren’t unique I thought the overall premise and the way it was written definitely was! This was a fantastic book and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

The Perfect Outcast is the first book in the Perfect Outcast series by Melissa O. Hansen. It is a clever and though-provoking story of self-discovery and finding where you belong.
It is a YA fantasy- with sci-fi and dystopian themes- the story is woven with meaning and hidden messages, which really made me think. There was so much going on in it, in a good way- from secrets, drama, deadly conspiracy, hidden agendas, corruption, mystery, romance, parallel worlds, power, responsibility, mortals/immortals- and the idea that ‘being perfect’ is not everything it’s cracked up to be.
This is a fantastic start to the series- and if this is anything to go by, the rest of the series is set to be outstanding. Ms. Hansen’s world building is superb- creating quite a vividly detailed setting in which to place her story.
I can’t wait to see where the story goes from here.

Thank you, Melissa O. Hansen!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one huge adventure! It really kept my interest as we go from one scene to the next. Just when I think I am getting it figured out. We go to another place and I have to start all over again. I am not complaining it just really kept me on my toes. This is filled with politics, dangerous creatures, immortals, rebellion and one guy who thinks he is God.

The characters are endless. But I loved learning and meeting each one. They all have unique traits that add to or help move the story along. As we follow Alina along her journey we see her skittishness then how it turns to confidence.

Overall this is an intriguing story. As for the characters there are a few I want to more of their story. What will happen when Zaiden arrives if ever? Will Oliver become her one? What’s up with Jade and Mae? J’koby, Camden...the list goes in. As you can see this story isn’t over. So bring on book 2!

[Kerry carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great young adult book. It keeps the reader guessing. It is full of adventure.

Alina is very relatable for young women who may struggle to fit in with their peers. Her fight to fit into a perfect world when she is anything but perfect can feel like a struggle most teenagers go through.

The world Alina lives in is perfect, even the people are perfect, created by one man using science instead of nature meaning that everyone of them is flawless and immortal apart from Alina.

Alina was a mistake, she is not flawless and perfect like the rest of the people around her and she questions why that is the case. Alina sets out to discover why this happened to her but what she finds will shock her. The perfect world shows itself as less than perfect and their creator isn't some powerful god but a man set on ruling over the people he creates. Will Alina differences mean that she cant survive? Or will her findings make her stronger and more confident in the person she is?

[Felicia Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Outcast
Melissa Hansen 
5 out of 5 stars

There was a time not too long ago when I would completely overlook a YA book because I was "too old" to being reading it. The fact that The Perfect Outcast is not really categorized within a genre I would gravitate toward and never having read this author before, I wasn't sure what to expect. Admittedly, my expectations weren't set very high. 
I honestly loved just about everything in this book. The world building and the depth of character, attention to detail within the writing were all points that kept me interested from start to finish. 
What I loved best about the book though, was that it really was more than a book about some "fantasy land". The storyline serves as a reminder that things aren't always as they appear and there is beauty in the most unexpected places. 
Melissa Hansen really delivered a 5 star, thought provoking read and I look forward to more from this author. 

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melissa O. Hansen has really written a lovely novel here. I was not sure what to expect since I hadn’t read anything by her previously, but this book was one I look forward to visiting again and sharing with my teenage daughter as well. This book has not only a wonderful storyline with fab characters, it has some really good points to be seen and made about people and personal growth. We are not all perfect or if we are we are perfect in our own ways and for different reasons. I felt like that was such a strong point throughout but it didn’t read lecture like or difficult it had the perfect flow to engage the reader and teach. This book brings us the story of Alina, a young woman stuck in the middle of a confusing time and world. She will get in your head and make you think as you enjoy the magic of her story. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book!

[Misty Ziegler · Rating 4 out of 5]

****4 stars****
The Perfect Outcast by Melissa Ott Hansen

This young adult book dystopian story is a mix of futuristic, sci-fi, fantasy, and adventure. It also touched on superficial and deeper meanings in relationships and peoples values. The author did a great job at world building and character development. I literally found myself rolling over at 3am and deciding ONE MORE CHAPTER wouldn’t hurt much. I was pulled into the story and found things to be easily pictured like being immersed in a movie. The storyline was creative and the way the comparisons were shown in Pria vs Carthem and the lives of the mortals vs immortals was interesting. I liked how the story showed how things might be seen as perfect and how the story dealt with assumptions and values of everyone. This is a fun and very descriptive book and I enjoyed this book a great deal.

[Bobbi Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. This is a young adult story that is well written with characters that are connectable and bring the story alive. This is a story about a young girl named Alina who lives in Pria where everyone is immortal but her. But things may not be as they appear. Things may not be as perfect as all want them to be. She really just wants to fit in some place. As she searches for the courage and freedom she longs for she may just uncover some dark past. Will she find what she is searching for before it is too late? This is a little different story but I really enjoyed it. The more I read the more I really liked Alina and felt for her. She made such a great character and made the story easy to read. I highly recommend this book.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Perfect Outcast
By Melissa O. Hansen
4 stars

I have to say when I first read the synopsis for this book I was intrigued, sci-fi/dystopian stories aren’t really my usual go to stories but I’ve read a few lately so I thought I would give this one a go and I really enjoyed it overall! I thought the writing was great, I was drawn in to the story quite quickly and I thought the authors writing was creative and it captured my imagination. I really liked Alina, I thought that she was a really relatable character, and I especially think young adults/teenagers would find that connection with her too. I enjoyed reading about her journey and seeing her grow as a person over the story.
A really great read and I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series!

[Mandy Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 Stars

The Perfect Outcast by Melissa O. Hansen

This is the first book I've read by the author and I so hope it won't be my last. The Perfect Outcast is amazing and I really hope there's more. Hansen knows what to do to capture a reader's attention.

Pira is a beautiful place while Carthem isn't. Pira has no flaws, but one. Alina. She looks nothing like the other women in Pira. Now, Carthem isn't exactly like Pira would like you to believe.

Alina, Jade, and Rex are thrown into Carthem and find challenges along the way. Alina is a hero to them. The quote I chose for Alina is: “I’ll pack my bag so it’s ready for Jade to take, and then let’s go.”

Fantasy lovers you need to read this. You'll be happy!

[Destiny Bridwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I was not sure what I would get when I decided to read this book. When I read the description I felt so sorry for Alina and the world that she lived in. I have to admit it did make me pause a moment and look at my life and my life when I was a teenager. She goes through a lot in her journey for she lives in where perfection and immortality is the norm. That is not true for her as she has imperfections that make her stand out from her peers and that puts so much pressure on her. I did not think this book would be as dark as it was, but that made me want to know more with each page. It was an intense read.

[Ashley Denno · Rating 4 out of 5]

What cliffhanger!!! The book ending has me ready for the next book for sure! An excellent coming of age story with a detailed plot that unfolds just the right pace. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It's set up nicely for additional books in the series, yet stands nicely on its own. The main character lives in a utopian society and finds out shocking information about herself that shakes her life and world up. Follow her journey as she discovers her uniqueness and unravels the mystery of what is happening in Pria and the outside world.

[Erica Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This young adult story is amazing. I find that Melissa O. Hansen does an amazing job with her attention to detail. She writes about a perfect world and a young lady who is imperfect. Try to imagine everyone and everything is perfect and then there was you, the imperfect person. Alina is looking for a safe space where she can be her. While looking for her perfect place she finds a dark spot in the past. Will the dark past be too much for her? You will have to read to find out how this story plays out.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Perfect Outcast by Melissa O. Hansen is a YA Dystopian Sci Fi and her writing, world building and characters makes it easy to get caught up in the storyline. It is an original premise that is creative so you can imagine the worlds of mortals and immortals and what they consider beautiful or not. But what is the definition of what one person perceives as beautiful as opposed to the next person. If I found it an interesting read the YA’s will definitely like it.