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Perfection.

Juliet Huff’s life depends on it.

She’s never been outside, had friends over, or attended school. She’s also never had a cold, a bruise, or a scrape.  

Her parents are researchers, part of the secretive Genesis Foundation, and they have one goal. Utopia. No one will ever lose another child to disease or birth defects. They’ll achieve their goal through cloning perfect children. In order to attract funding, any imperfect subjects are terminated.

As she nears her eighteenth birthday, she discovers she will become the first Genesis child to reach this milestone and will be “preserved” as a permanent record of their work unless she can break free.

But Juliet has a secret. She met someone from the outside world once, the boy from across the street. Breaking free of her house, she finds help from Bill Manning and his friends, but time is running out and she must expose the Genesis Foundation…

Because she’ll never be perfect again. 



300 pages, ebook

First published May 2, 2022

44 people are currently reading
893 people want to read

About the author

L.A. Kessler

3 books89 followers
L.A. Kessler is the pseudonym of award-winning horror and paranormal romance author Lisa Kessler. She's a two-time San Diego Book Award winner for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror and Best Published Romance. Her books have also won the PRISM award, the Award of Excellence, the National Excellence in Romantic Fiction Award, the Award of Merit from the Holt Medallion, and an International Digital Award for Best Paranormal.

Her horror short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.

When she's not writing, Lisa is a professional tarot reader and vocalist.

You can learn more at Lisa-Kessler.com

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5 stars
285 (12%)
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710 (31%)
3 stars
839 (37%)
2 stars
342 (15%)
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79 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 297 reviews
Profile Image for Beth Morvant.
498 reviews1,447 followers
March 30, 2023
First, why isn’t this categorized as Young Adult, because it is very much that. Main characters are 18 or below, and a cringe romance side plot.

The book started out promising, and then…. No. Just no. Too many eye roll moments and too predictable for my liking.
Profile Image for Emmyreads444.
316 reviews1,498 followers
July 3, 2023
THIS WAS SO GOOD AND THE LAST PAGE…. Goodbye. So fucking good. I need to read the other 2 books now
Profile Image for liztheliterary .
323 reviews31 followers
June 5, 2022
I absolutely loved the concept but I wasn't sold on the content. It felt dragged out, repetitive and too young for me - while at the same time making me cringe at some of the adult things the teenagers did. I won't discourage anyone from reading this book though. It just was not for me personally.
Profile Image for Aly Haebig.
159 reviews1 follower
February 2, 2023
Ok. I’ll preface this by saying that this was very much a “I just need something to listen to until something better comes along” read. And, for that, it delivered. Is this a thriller in any sense of the word? Absolutely not. It drags, is repetitive, explains things to the reader over and over again, and had me questioning what this book was trying to be. Is it a YA mystery/romance or a sci-fi saga? In either case, the characters lacked any depth to make you root for them. Not to mention the trauma carelessly strewn left and right in the book with seemingly no impact. You’re telling me a child who’s been abused and shut in their whole life can just walk outside and form relationships easily? Or that another could lose both his parents in a 24-hour period and not dwell on it??

At the end of the day, I wish this book would have trusted its readers more. The premise is good. But it lacked the vulnerability and depth necessary for me to be fully invested.
Profile Image for Laura.
171 reviews1 follower
January 26, 2023
This book was dumb. My impression was that the author wanted to write a story incorporating complex scientific ideas, but didn't want to do any research. Why would a scratch or cut make someone's DNA less perfect? So stupid. The characters were pretty one-dimensional as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kay Oliver.
Author 11 books197 followers
June 4, 2022
This story hooked me right away--a man and wife just had a baby but it's not their first; in fact, they've had seven and every one died of crib death. Curiously too much of a coincidence for me. As I read on, I met Juliet. A nine-year-old girl born to these weird parents and nicknamed "perfect girl." She watches the neighbor kids play outside from her window because she is never allowed outside--the sun could cause her to freckle which would render her flawed, imperfect, and apparently imperfection in their house is dealt with by death. The question lingered for me though: why?

This story was fun. It was a little predictable but there were also a couple of twists. It covered a wide range: sci-fi, suspenseful thriller, a bit of horror, and budding romance. There were a couple minor plot holes and redundancies but hopefully they were fixed before publication.
Profile Image for where the pages bleed.
221 reviews8 followers
January 30, 2023
Go on this journey with me, a mystery girl in a mystery victorian house (I know NOT a ghost story). This girl is kept from everyone, not allowed outside, or at school. Just trapped in this house. So you and your friends try and see if this girl exists, she does and her name in Juliet. The kicker, she is a perfect girl - not in the every parents child is perfect - but in the made in a lab, free of illness perfect.

She has been made to create a perfect person, to cure child illness for millions. So the amount of Juliets they've gone through shouldn't matter. This will save our children....

Can you believe that she wants to be free?? All because she wants to save her little sister (Juliet8 - the 8th girl after Juliet). How ungrateful! This 18 year old has dreams, how dare she??

Any hoooo, I enjoyed this read. Go in with it ready to get the full teenage hormone expierence without much cringe (thank you for that one). Also this is a series so remember that, it doesn't end here..
Profile Image for Nat PlainJanetheBookworm.
548 reviews73 followers
March 22, 2023
Umm hello, what did I just read? I went into this completely blind. I didn’t read what it was about, just judged a book by its title and cover and… ended up loving it a whole lot more than I imagined 😍 I looooved the storyline! As someone who wouldn’t normally pick this sort of storyline, it felt fresh and intriguing 🤔 Juliettes parents are the ones you love to hate. We’re there major twists? No. But there was definitely enough little curves to keep me hanging. We’re there cheesy lines? Yes. Was it a tad far fetched? Yes. But it somehow worked for me 😂 I’m bloody looking forward to the next book in the series now 🙌🏼
Profile Image for Jess.
1,205 reviews58 followers
June 5, 2022
*Netgalley EBook

This was a really fun dystopian novel. The 1st in a series of 3. I’m really looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

The characters were likable, the good characters anyway. I loved how the relationships grew throughout the story.

It’s a story of abuse, betrayal and friendship.

A bunch of cash flowing into a company called Genesis so they can play with DNA to make “perfect” children. What could go wrong?

The thing is, originally Genesis seemed to have good intentions…or at least some of the participants did. Some of the donors and participants lost children due to terrible diseases so they wanted to figure out how to ensure future children didn’t have those issues. Sounds like a good plan…or maybe not.

Juliet (the OG perfect child) and Julie Eight were held captive, as if they were lab rats. Genesis can’t allow their perfect creations to get away, because they have bigger plans for them. When the girls escape chaos ensures and the nightmare goes from bad to worse.

This book will immediately draw you in. Buckle up, you’re in for a wild ride.
Profile Image for Gina.
2,381 reviews31 followers
May 3, 2022
This was sooooo good. Cloning, a secret foundation, danger. When Billy saves Juliet and her sister he does not expect to be involved in a diabolical plan that will end Juliet's life. As he and friends work to expose the foundation danger comes fast. They will find out things that will be shocking to their lives. Very interesting and exciting story.
Profile Image for McKayla.
416 reviews3 followers
April 2, 2024
oh I’m ….why do the characters literally never listen to me. frick you LA Kessler for making a book that caused my blood pressure to rise and stress pimples to pop. frick you Juliette for not trusting your gut feelings. frick you Billy for being so blind in emotion that you miss the most crucial things. April 22 needs to HUSTLE so i can read the next book.
3,123 reviews
May 13, 2022
Juliet has lived a very sheltered life. She must stay perfect. She’s never been outside, never had friends, never been sick not even so much as a scratch. She must remain “ perfect “, the only experiment that has made it this long. On her ninth birthday, she sneaks outside where she meets Billy. Billy lives down the road and he and his friends believe she can make anyone sick just by touch.
On Juliet’s eighteenth birthday, she sneaks into her father’s lab and discovers her coffin. They are going to kill her and put her in a glass coffin. She grabs her little sister and escapes. They run smack dab into Billy’s truck. Billy takes them to his house and Juliet tells him what has been happening to her and her “sisters”. They work with Billy’s best friends to bring the Genesis group down. Will they ever give up Juliet and her sister because they will never be “ perfect “.

Sooo good. Secrets, suspense, and an evil group of people trying to make “ perfect “ kids. I don’t know what to say without giving anything away. There is a slight cliffhanger, at least to me.

* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *
Profile Image for Dallas Mcelroy.
52 reviews1 follower
May 9, 2022
Perfect is about a girl named Juliet who is locked in her house with her parents to ensure that she doesn't get sick, scrapes, bruises, or any other illness - in other words, be perfect. Why? Because her parents kill their children if they aren't perfect.

Now, as Juliet approaches her 18th birthday, she learns she will be preserved in her perfect state. A testament to all of the hard work her parents put into her creation. But Juliet wants more - she wants a life, and she can’t stop thinking about the boy across the street she met on her ninth birthday.

I really liked Juliet as a character and it was fresh to see what we take for granted that was all new to her. This book was about clones, technology, secret organizations, and conspiracies. This book was overall really good. Its not a book that I would normally choose because of the sci fi element but it was a great balance of both mystery and sci fi.

Perfect is the first book in a series and the way this one ended? I cannot wait for the next one to come out!
Profile Image for Elaine - Splashes Into Books.
3,883 reviews136 followers
May 7, 2022
'Disease Girl' is her nickname from a local lad
But he's never met her and feels quite sad.
Protected, she's never been outside,
Why not? Has she something to hide?

As the secrets of her life are slowly revealed,
You discover just why she's been concealed.
She's not allowed to step outside her home
No friends, no sunshine, no chance to roam.

When she discovers why she's kept this way
She also finds out the plans for her eighteenth birthday.
She needs to escape if she's to live but how?
And what about her young sister now?

An intriguing read of cloning and science, too,
What test subjects could be going through.
An enthralling page turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat
Hoping they'll escape and her captors she'll not have to re-meet.

The first in the series - I can't wait to read more!
With main characters who I've come to adore.
I can't wait to read the next two books to discover
What happens next to the experiments and each other.

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
Such an intriguing read and this is my honest review.
Profile Image for Cynthia.
57 reviews1 follower
May 8, 2022
Page turner for sure! L.A. Kessler has reopened the door on how well do you really know your neighbors, your friends and even your own family?

Billy Manning, Juliet and Julie Huff learn quickly that the price of freedom means finding truth and answers in the most unlikely and troubling of places. Between trying to live her freedom to the fullest, Juliet is faced with protecting her sister and ensuring they never return home. Unlikely friendships and even a touch of government conspiracy, make this story whole. I highly recommend this book!

I received my copy from NetGalley from the Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op. Thank you!
Profile Image for Shayay.
2,795 reviews54 followers
May 3, 2022
Interesting storyline dealing with cool scientific stuff like cloning. Unfortunately, scientific advancements lead towards certain individuals getting some sort of God complex; there are those that want to destroy the “imperfect” subjects. Juliet’s parents are the assigned scientists/researchers tasked with studying these “perfects”, and Juliet lives a very sheltered life because of this. Juliet is starting to see the the cracks in her world, and finds herself in a very tough spot. Luckily, she finds some help from her neighbor Billy and his friends. Intriguing story with some dangerous enemies! Entertaining story with fun suspense! Looking forward to the next one! Really enjoyed the whole premise for this one!
Profile Image for April Mollenkopf.
527 reviews7 followers
May 3, 2022
This was a totally different wheelhouse for me. Cloning is the premise for this book. Juliet has lived her life sequestered in her house, not allowed to go to school, play with friends or watch tv. She has a regime to follow in order for her to remain perfect. After watching so many of her siblings die, she decides that she doesn’t want to be perfect. Unfortunately, things go a lot deeper than her parents. This was truly a hair raising book to read. Definitely looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book.
Profile Image for Sheryl.
568 reviews5 followers
May 5, 2022
Loved it! This book is full of suspense, conspiracy and twist and turns that keep you guessing. You don't know who to trust or believe. This was a page turner for sure. *I was gifted an Arc for my honest opinion.*
Profile Image for Feed The Crime .
247 reviews15 followers
June 19, 2022
This is a seriously addictive book, I started it on a Saturday evening and stayed up till 2:30am to finish it because I couldn’t sleep until I knew what happened.
I loved the concept of this book, I couldn’t stop turning pages I had so many questions. What was happening to all the babies, how can they all die due to cot death?
Why is Juliet forced to live her life in such a way that she remains “perfect”?
What is Genesis?

I can’t answer any of these questions for you as it is such a crazy ride when you find them out for yourself. What I did love about this book was seeing the world from our two perspectives, Juliet and Bill, one who had never stepped foot out of the house until a few days before their 18th birthday and the other who seemed to have had a relatively normal upbringing.

You can read my full review here: https://feedthecrime.wordpress.com/20...
Profile Image for Morgana Verena.
109 reviews1 follower
August 3, 2023
"She nodded. This would either be the end or the beginning of her life"

Such a fantastic premise and concept!
Loved this book, and can't wait to read the next one, last page got me going!
A couple that just had a new baby, but already had 7 others that died of unknown causes, a mystery around a house, and a family that lives inside, forbidding their daughter to have contact with the outside world. This story had a wide set of subjects ranging from sci-fi to bits of romance, from aliens and secrets to tension reading: all great combinations that got me invested from beginning to end.
Profile Image for Jordan | jordans.bookshelf.
207 reviews1 follower
January 5, 2023
4 ⭐️ for this thriller!

Juliet has been locked in her house for almost 18 years. When she discovers that her parents have been cloning her to make the “perfect” person and they are set to preserve her at her 18th birthday she decides to run away to escape her fate. Can she survive? Can she have a normal life she’s always wished for?

This thriller hooked me from the beginning! The plot is so interesting and well put together. It felt a little more on the YA side of a thriller but overall a great start to this series and excited to see how this unfolds!
7 reviews
February 26, 2023
The idea is fine but there’s too many inconsistencies for me to enjoy it. She spends her life watching her neighbors out her window but doesn’t know how to get in a car? Read romance novels but was never aroused? Decades of research worth several billion dollars and the only copy was hand written in one little journal? Seriously? 😅
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Heather Jenkins.
75 reviews3 followers
March 2, 2023
This book I was unsure about in the beginning. It seems just out there. Hard to get into. BUT omg kudos to the author. This book is amazing. I will be listening to the other 2 books.
Profile Image for Gabrielle.
172 reviews
May 23, 2022
I had requested this book via NetGalley and would like to firstly give them a shoutout and a thank you!

This is the first book I have read by L.A. Kessler and it was an interesting one! The premise focuses on Perfection, and when Juliet is born her parents do all within their power to ensure she is perfect in every way. So much so, Juliet wears gloves and fuzzy socks in the home to protect her hands and feet from anything that would deem her tainted by the world.

Juliet has never been outside, nor has her younger sister Julie-Eight. It is from here that we are thrown into the whirlwind that is their lives. I found this book really interesting and the idea of perfection and maintaining that perfection at all costs really intrigued me. Imagine every time you cut your finger or grazed your knee you were deemed tainted and so had to face consequences? Baffling right?

I was reluctant to give this book more than 4 stars due to some things I found quite hard to grasp. If you had been in captivity your entire life and unknowingly emotionally and mentally abused, would you trust the first person you saw? Also I found the love interest very predictable and unbelievable. The love story was a fast burning flame and I just don’t think in real life (I understand this is fictional) someone in this position could fall for someone so quickly. Everyone is far too trusting and willing to risk everything. It had the premise to be such a scary and thrilling book but was more YA romance with a little darkness thrown into it. That’s not a bad thing! Just no what I was expecting.
4,123 reviews21 followers
May 11, 2022
From the title and description it is obvious that this is a thriller. Perfect by L.A. Kessler is that and a scary one at that. Not exactly horror but one that is believable so that is what makes the whole cloning, discard imperfections plot so frightening. Could this be happening somewhere in real time?

Juliet Huff’s life is one that is observed, controlled, and used as a science experiment. The outcome of the Genesis Foundation may seem to some to be a medical breakthrough. However, it is also set up to serve the wealthy at the expense of real children. This can’t turn the pages fast enough thriller has young people lives at stakes and the ones standing up to expose the truth.

While the conclusion seems to be come to a satisfying end, the overarching theme comes hauntingly back. Part of me can’t wait to read the next book in the series while part of me wants to close my eyes like you do in a frightening scene in a horror movie. What happens if the scientist decides to test if the perfect ones healing completely and faster? What kind of abuse will they endure? Not in this book but could it be in next? Like I said this borders on horror but could easily move more in that direction. Start reading today, you won’t be able to put it down or close your eyes either.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
48 reviews
May 6, 2022
A thriller with heavy sci-fi elements and some romance! This is book one in a trilogy. There are some trigger warnings that should be noted. There is child abuse and infant deaths. The first half of the book is NOT for people with body dysmorphia or for people who are easily triggered by body image.

Juliet is a girl who is kept inside the house and never let outside. Her parents talk about being physically perfect constantly. They do everything they can to avoid any kind of skin blemish. She sees her the neighbor boy ride his bike to and from school everyday, and one day, she meets him in person. She finds out that her parents are planning to kill her and immortalize her perfection forever on her 18th birthday. She wants to live, so she plans to escape. Just one problem - she has a sister.

This was a fast paced book. I love sci-fi thriller/horror anything so I enjoyed this! I will say that I found the mother to be a bit eccentric in the way she mistreated her daughters. There is romance, but nothing explicit. There oddly wasn’t a lot described about the science portion of the story so that left me wondering.

For people who don’t like cliffhangers, this was mild without the epilogue. The epilogue is where the cliff really…hangs. Skip it if you don’t like big ones.

157 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2022
A Good Thriller

I began by reading the sample yesterday, purchased it, kept reading and finished it today. True to form, it kept me rooting for the protagonists and my adrenaline pumping. I really enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 297 reviews

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