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A Perfect Shell
A dead woman, an enigmatic stranger, family secrets, and a corporate cover Brighton Eventide’s well-ordered life hasn’t prepared her for any of this.
Almost thirty and a model twenty-second-century citizen, Brighton has spent all her life within the confines of Citydome. The Corporation, known affectionately as Uncle Sal, provides all she needs and protects Brighton and her fellow citizens from the devastated, hostile environment Outside. Brighton hopes that one day Outside will be habitable again. She longs to experience the wild beauty that filled her grandparents’ stories of life before the domes. While she waits for ‘one day’, she trusts Uncle Sal to uphold its motto of ‘Protect. Preserve. Provide.’ But when Brighton stumbles across a dead woman and meets the mysterious Tom, she starts a chain of events that rips her world apart.
Brighton begins to question all she has been told and is drawn into an unfamiliar and unpredictable world, not knowing who to trust or believe. As her faith in Uncle Sal erodes and the certainties she relies on crumble, Brighton fears she is running out of time to uncover the truth.
Then she makes a discovery that could change everything.
Almost thirty and a model twenty-second-century citizen, Brighton has spent all her life within the confines of Citydome. The Corporation, known affectionately as Uncle Sal, provides all she needs and protects Brighton and her fellow citizens from the devastated, hostile environment Outside. Brighton hopes that one day Outside will be habitable again. She longs to experience the wild beauty that filled her grandparents’ stories of life before the domes. While she waits for ‘one day’, she trusts Uncle Sal to uphold its motto of ‘Protect. Preserve. Provide.’ But when Brighton stumbles across a dead woman and meets the mysterious Tom, she starts a chain of events that rips her world apart.
Brighton begins to question all she has been told and is drawn into an unfamiliar and unpredictable world, not knowing who to trust or believe. As her faith in Uncle Sal erodes and the certainties she relies on crumble, Brighton fears she is running out of time to uncover the truth.
Then she makes a discovery that could change everything.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A Perfect Shell by R D Hilsdon is a delightful sci-fi novel taking place in the distant future. Mankind has had to retreat into CityDome, which is exactly as it sounds, after the Outside becomes unlivable. Living in a seemingly utopian society run by The Corporation - referred to as Uncle Sal, Brighton Eventide's life takes a strange turn when she stumbles across a dead woman's body on her morning run. This mystery woman, along with meeting an enigmatic stranger Tom, starts Brighton down a path that unravels the very fabric of her perfect life. Is Uncle Sal as benevolent as he seems? Who is the mystery woman and why isn't she in Uncle Sal's database? And where did Tom come from??
This book is an easy read and I was quickly pulled in. I finished the book last night and found myself still thinking on it even this morning. I loved the morality questions it poses, specifically as things become more and more clear to Brighton. Trying to avoid spoilers, but the answers to the questions may not be as clear cut as one might think.
I definitely enjoyed this one, and will likely recommend it to my sci-fi loving husband, specifically so we can discuss together. The fact that this one has stayed with me long enough to want to discuss with him is the sign of a good book!
I'm giving this one: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
**Thank you Troubador for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own**
This book is an easy read and I was quickly pulled in. I finished the book last night and found myself still thinking on it even this morning. I loved the morality questions it poses, specifically as things become more and more clear to Brighton. Trying to avoid spoilers, but the answers to the questions may not be as clear cut as one might think.
I definitely enjoyed this one, and will likely recommend it to my sci-fi loving husband, specifically so we can discuss together. The fact that this one has stayed with me long enough to want to discuss with him is the sign of a good book!
I'm giving this one: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
**Thank you Troubador for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own**
February 28, 2026
3.5 ⭐⭐⭐
I was intrigued by the concept of this story and the title, and there are some interesting questions the book explores, particularly in relation to AI which I really enjoyed. I also liked discovering answers to questions along with the protagonist, Brighton, as well as other details about her world and experiences in Citydome as the story progressed.
In saying that, it did feel like there was something missing. Perhaps it was that some of the characters felt a little flat and I was wanting more from them. I also found the pace to be quite slow as well. This isn’t normally something I would mind but it wasn’t until at least a third of the way through that the story seemed to pick up the pace. That being said, I was interested enough to stick with it and I’m glad I did.
The way Brighton questions her world and Uncle Sal and how deeply entrenched AI is in her world, really reflects our own world and the increase of AI in everything and the difficulty in spotting and living with it. While it is a dystopian fiction set in the future, elements like this do hit close to home as it is something very real today. Even after finishing the book a few days ago, this has really stuck with me and I’m interested to see what R D Hilsdon writes and releases next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Troubador for the advanced reading copy.
I was intrigued by the concept of this story and the title, and there are some interesting questions the book explores, particularly in relation to AI which I really enjoyed. I also liked discovering answers to questions along with the protagonist, Brighton, as well as other details about her world and experiences in Citydome as the story progressed.
In saying that, it did feel like there was something missing. Perhaps it was that some of the characters felt a little flat and I was wanting more from them. I also found the pace to be quite slow as well. This isn’t normally something I would mind but it wasn’t until at least a third of the way through that the story seemed to pick up the pace. That being said, I was interested enough to stick with it and I’m glad I did.
The way Brighton questions her world and Uncle Sal and how deeply entrenched AI is in her world, really reflects our own world and the increase of AI in everything and the difficulty in spotting and living with it. While it is a dystopian fiction set in the future, elements like this do hit close to home as it is something very real today. Even after finishing the book a few days ago, this has really stuck with me and I’m interested to see what R D Hilsdon writes and releases next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Troubador for the advanced reading copy.
February 15, 2026
3 ⭐️ I wanted to like this more
but give it a chance!!!!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review. This book is out February 28th!
I don’t think I fully connected with the story. I can definitely see the appeal for other readers in spaces where it didn’t land for me, so please give this book a fair shot despite my 3.
I picked this book because of the premise, which is really interesting! I love a dystopian setup. For me, though, it was a bit hard to get into at first. I felt somewhat confused about how the dome society functioned in the beginning, which made it harder to feel grounded in the world. The pacing also leaned slower than I usually prefer, so I struggled to fully connect with the story.
I’ve read a few debut novels, and sometimes the writing can feel undeveloped, but I actually liked this author’s style. It was smooth and didn’t pull me out of the story, which I appreciated. I just couldn’t really connect with the story and really wanted to like it more.
but give it a chance!!!!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review. This book is out February 28th!
I don’t think I fully connected with the story. I can definitely see the appeal for other readers in spaces where it didn’t land for me, so please give this book a fair shot despite my 3.
I picked this book because of the premise, which is really interesting! I love a dystopian setup. For me, though, it was a bit hard to get into at first. I felt somewhat confused about how the dome society functioned in the beginning, which made it harder to feel grounded in the world. The pacing also leaned slower than I usually prefer, so I struggled to fully connect with the story.
I’ve read a few debut novels, and sometimes the writing can feel undeveloped, but I actually liked this author’s style. It was smooth and didn’t pull me out of the story, which I appreciated. I just couldn’t really connect with the story and really wanted to like it more.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Full of interesting and relevant concepts, such as what price we'd pay to live in a utopia, and the place of AI in saving the environment. These questions were the heart of the book, and the author skillfully drip-feeds information and clues, withholding just enough to build tension.
There isn't much tension in the rest of the story, though. It's very slow-moving, which I'm generally a fan of, but if this had been 10% shorter, I would have liked it more. It has a cosy vibe, uncommon in dystopian fiction, but perfectly suited to the story. I particularly appreciated the theme of reforming a system rather than tearing it down.
There isn't much tension in the rest of the story, though. It's very slow-moving, which I'm generally a fan of, but if this had been 10% shorter, I would have liked it more. It has a cosy vibe, uncommon in dystopian fiction, but perfectly suited to the story. I particularly appreciated the theme of reforming a system rather than tearing it down.
March 10, 2026
I really enjoyed A Perfect Shell. It reminded me A LOT of a more grown-up version of The Giver by Lois Lowry. The book raises some interesting questions about human autonomy and whether people are actually capable of making good decisions for themselves.
It made me think about the tradeoff between safety and freedom. If a system could make life more stable and predictable, would it be worth giving up some personal choice? The story stuck with me after I finished it, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who likes thoughtful dystopian stories.
It made me think about the tradeoff between safety and freedom. If a system could make life more stable and predictable, would it be worth giving up some personal choice? The story stuck with me after I finished it, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who likes thoughtful dystopian stories.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews