Review: Creative New Take on Dystopian YA!
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 08 30, 2013
Originally posted on The Canon! ([...]One of my favorite things about dystopian novels is the world-building. Each author's world is completely different from others; I feel it is the best expression of the author's personality. I felt that Chan created as fascinating world - still holding things we are familiar with (like waffles) but using instafications (a.k.a. text messages) and electro-slates (something along the lines of the iPhone, I think). I found myself truly engaged with Chan's world - it was a interesting mix of old Wild West charm with the roaming bands of bandits covering the land and futuristic idealism, seen with the fanacy new gadgets and droid pets. I'm really curious to the history of this world - how did it end up this way? How did the world split off into regions from the countries we are now so familiar with? I hope Chan will explore the background story of her series as the novels progress.It was an easy transition into Kristi's world: the outstanding battle between Accidents and Perfects is an familiar problem. We have all experienced opposition at some point or another: Kristi's quiet battle against those who deem her dumb because of her imperfect DNA represent the struggles that we all face against those who wish to cause harm simply because of differences. Throughout the story, Kristi shows herself to be capable and smart, but because she isn't perfect, she is nobody.As with any good dystopian novel, there is a little romance sprinkled in. The romance itself wasn't really a surprise,  but a nice addition to the novel, especially in a world so focused on perfection. I have the feeling that Chan was laying the groundwork for those particular romances to further blossom as we continue on in the series.Kristi's third person limited narrative added a big boost to the story itself - it wouldn't have been as vivid from a first person point-of-view, and a third would have yanked me out of the story altogether. All of the characters were likable and had their own personality quirks, which made it easier for me to engage with them. I felt that the characters were good role models in YA literature - even the school bully is presented with a softer side, hiding his true feelings. At the end of the novel, I felt that Troop was the most developed and interesting character out of them all - he still retained that air of mystery that's so impossible to ignore.There were a few times in the novel that I felt the dialogue between the teenagers was a little forced, a little more formal than I expected. I wish there had been a little more connection between Don and Maria to Kristi and her brother - to me, it would have made the story all that more engaging. But, to be honest, I know that Chan left the book with a cliffhanger - maybe she intends to explore that avenue deeper in the subsequent books!Final Thoughts: Imperfect's vivid creative ideas, especially in the world-building, make this book as interesting as it is. Chan gives the familiar dystopian novel and engaging twist, creating a fascinating world of Perfects versus Accidents.