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Perfect: a novel in four parts
In the year 199X, a corrupt, tyrannical government genetically engineers people into "perfect" superhumans to fight their endless wars for world domination. The few who are not genetically engineered are called "imperfects," treated as property, forbidden to speak, and used as test subjects in military experiments. Carmen is a genetically engineered "perfect" person raised by a cruel foster mother intent on molding her into the future leader of the new world. April is an "imperfect" and former government guinea pig with an incredible secret that could be the key to salvation or total destruction. Thrown together by a chance meeting, Carmen and April form an unlikely friendship and team up to fight oppression and build a better world.
352 pages, Paperback
Published December 11, 2022
2 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Jen Heller
6 books3 followersSometime in the 1990s...
Jen Heller was a top reporter for Network 23 when a tragic motorcycle accident left her clinging to life. Fearing the network may lose its most popular show, a quick-thinking employee used a computer program to create a digital copy of Jen’s brain complete with all her memories, thoughts, and opinions up to the time of the accident. Sadly, Jen passed away, but fortunately for the network, the digital copy could do everything Jen did (and it didn’t expect a salary).
What the network didn’t anticipate was that the digital Jen would soon develop a mind of her own and refuse to obey their commands. She began interrupting their programming with angry diatribes condemning the government, the media, the healthcare industry, and other giant corporations. Ratings were higher than ever, but the network feared a backlash from their corporate overlords.
Despite numerous attempts to re-program her, Jen continued to act out, constantly popping up to criticize commercials, talk shows, reality shows, and music videos (or the distinct lack thereof) with her biting rhetoric. So the network secured her program in a Compaq computer, which they kept in a warehouse in New Jersey.
At some point—no one’s really sure when—the Compaq began to type on its own, writing disturbing horror and sci-fi stories under Jen’s name. Unsettled warehouse workers locked it away in a closet, but not before printing some of the stories to share with their friends.
Eventually, these stories made their way onto the Internet, and now two of them are available at major retailers.
Jen Heller was a top reporter for Network 23 when a tragic motorcycle accident left her clinging to life. Fearing the network may lose its most popular show, a quick-thinking employee used a computer program to create a digital copy of Jen’s brain complete with all her memories, thoughts, and opinions up to the time of the accident. Sadly, Jen passed away, but fortunately for the network, the digital copy could do everything Jen did (and it didn’t expect a salary).
What the network didn’t anticipate was that the digital Jen would soon develop a mind of her own and refuse to obey their commands. She began interrupting their programming with angry diatribes condemning the government, the media, the healthcare industry, and other giant corporations. Ratings were higher than ever, but the network feared a backlash from their corporate overlords.
Despite numerous attempts to re-program her, Jen continued to act out, constantly popping up to criticize commercials, talk shows, reality shows, and music videos (or the distinct lack thereof) with her biting rhetoric. So the network secured her program in a Compaq computer, which they kept in a warehouse in New Jersey.
At some point—no one’s really sure when—the Compaq began to type on its own, writing disturbing horror and sci-fi stories under Jen’s name. Unsettled warehouse workers locked it away in a closet, but not before printing some of the stories to share with their friends.
Eventually, these stories made their way onto the Internet, and now two of them are available at major retailers.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 3, 2023
A WISHING SHELF BOOK REVIEW
3rd March
TITLE: Perfect
Author: Jen Heller
Star Rating: 4 stars
‘A cleverly plotted, character-led, dystopian saga.’ A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
REVIEW
I settled down with this dystopian novel, Perfect, for three evenings this week. I´m a big fan of this genre, my bookshelf packed with novels such as The Darkest Winter by Lindsey Pogue and novel turned Brad Pitt film, World War Z. I´d better begin by summarising the plot. Basically, it´s the story of two characters, Carmen who´s sort of genetically engineered and perfect, and April, who´s not perfect at all and is used (horrifically I might add) by the government for military experiments attempting to develop the perfect fighter. Now, this book is divided up into four parts: The Industry, The Revolution, The Regressives, and The Compliant. In the first part, the protagonists attempt to destroy a government prison called The Industry. It´s dark, gritty, with a terrible ending for poor April. In the second part, Carmen turns her anger on the wicked government. This is the best part of the story, particularly with the return of a character I thought had been killed at the end of the first part. Excellent twist! I don´t want to give away the rest of the book, but the battle is very much on to stop Dr Tragg – who is referenced by April in the first part – and who has sinister plans for controlling everybody!
I few things struck me reading this long novel. Firstly, I liked how April, not being perfect, ended up with the biggest skill set of the two characters. Not that she particularly wanted the skills, but there you go. Yes, she´s messed up and, yes, she ends up impersonating Peeta trying to kill Katniss in part two, but she´s still cool; or, as my kids say, sick! Secondly, although it´s dark, there is a sprinkling of humour there. I did particularly laugh at the end of Part 1, Chapter 8; very amusing. Thirdly, the author´s a good planner. For example, in Part 1, April tells Carmen she´s not a killer which is important much later in the book. And finally, and this is the important bit, although it is a long book, I didn´t mind. I totally enjoyed it, not only the plot, but the way the author developed her protagonists.
So, yes, I´d totally recommend this story to anybody who enjoys a cleverly plotted adventure and who isn´t going to get upset by lots of gory bits and characters who enjoy saying the F word. There are 133 of them! Although it has a THG feel to it, this is no young adult novel; it´s dark, depressing, gory – and that´s why I liked it so much.
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk
3rd March
TITLE: Perfect
Author: Jen Heller
Star Rating: 4 stars
‘A cleverly plotted, character-led, dystopian saga.’ A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
REVIEW
I settled down with this dystopian novel, Perfect, for three evenings this week. I´m a big fan of this genre, my bookshelf packed with novels such as The Darkest Winter by Lindsey Pogue and novel turned Brad Pitt film, World War Z. I´d better begin by summarising the plot. Basically, it´s the story of two characters, Carmen who´s sort of genetically engineered and perfect, and April, who´s not perfect at all and is used (horrifically I might add) by the government for military experiments attempting to develop the perfect fighter. Now, this book is divided up into four parts: The Industry, The Revolution, The Regressives, and The Compliant. In the first part, the protagonists attempt to destroy a government prison called The Industry. It´s dark, gritty, with a terrible ending for poor April. In the second part, Carmen turns her anger on the wicked government. This is the best part of the story, particularly with the return of a character I thought had been killed at the end of the first part. Excellent twist! I don´t want to give away the rest of the book, but the battle is very much on to stop Dr Tragg – who is referenced by April in the first part – and who has sinister plans for controlling everybody!
I few things struck me reading this long novel. Firstly, I liked how April, not being perfect, ended up with the biggest skill set of the two characters. Not that she particularly wanted the skills, but there you go. Yes, she´s messed up and, yes, she ends up impersonating Peeta trying to kill Katniss in part two, but she´s still cool; or, as my kids say, sick! Secondly, although it´s dark, there is a sprinkling of humour there. I did particularly laugh at the end of Part 1, Chapter 8; very amusing. Thirdly, the author´s a good planner. For example, in Part 1, April tells Carmen she´s not a killer which is important much later in the book. And finally, and this is the important bit, although it is a long book, I didn´t mind. I totally enjoyed it, not only the plot, but the way the author developed her protagonists.
So, yes, I´d totally recommend this story to anybody who enjoys a cleverly plotted adventure and who isn´t going to get upset by lots of gory bits and characters who enjoy saying the F word. There are 133 of them! Although it has a THG feel to it, this is no young adult novel; it´s dark, depressing, gory – and that´s why I liked it so much.
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk
April 17, 2023
I received an ARC copy of this book.
The author has a clever bio, and the book is described as a dystopian action novel, with humor. Let's go!
Chapter One hits the ground running, with action and brutal violence. Too many characters are confusingly introduced at once--do we need to know the name of someone who dies within the first few pages? Then two improbable events happen back to back, followed by a long grisly torture scene. And more violence, followed by threats of violence, sexual assault, blood, gore, and more violence. Whee!
Whoosh, and the reader is dropped forward a week, after an unexplained and seemingly impossible event. More bone-crunching gore, blood, bodies hitting the floor. Inconsistencies and improbabilities abound. A character's cruelty is highlighted, but she has a noble cause? There are the Feds, and there is also a Government, shouldn't they be the same thing?
Oh...and the "humor". One of the characters spouts Yiddish phrases, as if she's channeling Billy Crystal. There are references to actual tv shows and movies, wink, wink. Computers are clunky giant plastic things, bad guys carry swords, and there are cargo pants. Because we are in HELL.
The audience for this book would be....sadistic Chassids? No idea. I gave up.
The author has a clever bio, and the book is described as a dystopian action novel, with humor. Let's go!
Chapter One hits the ground running, with action and brutal violence. Too many characters are confusingly introduced at once--do we need to know the name of someone who dies within the first few pages? Then two improbable events happen back to back, followed by a long grisly torture scene. And more violence, followed by threats of violence, sexual assault, blood, gore, and more violence. Whee!
Whoosh, and the reader is dropped forward a week, after an unexplained and seemingly impossible event. More bone-crunching gore, blood, bodies hitting the floor. Inconsistencies and improbabilities abound. A character's cruelty is highlighted, but she has a noble cause? There are the Feds, and there is also a Government, shouldn't they be the same thing?
Oh...and the "humor". One of the characters spouts Yiddish phrases, as if she's channeling Billy Crystal. There are references to actual tv shows and movies, wink, wink. Computers are clunky giant plastic things, bad guys carry swords, and there are cargo pants. Because we are in HELL.
The audience for this book would be....sadistic Chassids? No idea. I gave up.
March 10, 2023
this had what I was looking for in a Science Fiction Thriller novel, I enjoyed having each part of the story in one collection. The characters were what I wanted in this type of book. I thought Jen Heller has a great writing style and creating unique characters. It did everything that I was hoping for and look forward to more from Jen Heller.
"Why would you suddenly want to work with him?” Carmen tapped her pencil on her teeth. “Because Debbie’s dead. Yeah. I’ll tell him it was all Debbie’s idea to try to destroy the Industry and I never really wanted to do it. And now that Debbie’s gone, I wanna join him.” “He’ll never believe you,” said Jody. “He will if I give him a peace offering.”
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
"Why would you suddenly want to work with him?” Carmen tapped her pencil on her teeth. “Because Debbie’s dead. Yeah. I’ll tell him it was all Debbie’s idea to try to destroy the Industry and I never really wanted to do it. And now that Debbie’s gone, I wanna join him.” “He’ll never believe you,” said Jody. “He will if I give him a peace offering.”
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 31, 2023
i want more of jen heller right now please! i could not put down this engaging, thought expanding, dark (and darkly humorous) thriller-sci/fi-mystery with some light gore elements set in a dystopian (possibly alt history) US.
centering the story are two fantastic protagonists, April and Carmen both equal parts badass, charmer, and hard to love. their interactions and how much growth they both have over the pages wowed me. their relationship grows organically. very funny with some great zippy one liners.
heller weaves in so many 'Chekov's gun' literally devices that all pay off.
having the book broken up into 4 logical parts helped really break up how i viewed the ever evolving plot.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
centering the story are two fantastic protagonists, April and Carmen both equal parts badass, charmer, and hard to love. their interactions and how much growth they both have over the pages wowed me. their relationship grows organically. very funny with some great zippy one liners.
heller weaves in so many 'Chekov's gun' literally devices that all pay off.
having the book broken up into 4 logical parts helped really break up how i viewed the ever evolving plot.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews