Perfection by J.L. Spelbring
The personification of Aryan purity, Ellyssa's spent her whole life under her creator's strict training and guidance; her purpose is to eradicate inferior beings. She was genetically engineered to be the perfect soldier: strong, intelligent, unemotional, and telepathic.
Only Ellyssa isn't perfect.
Ellyssa feels emotions--a fact she's spent her life concealing. Until she encounters the epitome of inferiority: a dark-haired boy raised among renegades hiding since the Nazis won the war a century ago. He speaks to her telepathically, pushing thoughts into her mind, despite the impossibility of such a substandard person having psychic abilities.
But he does.
His unspoken words and visions of a place she's never visited make Ellyssa question her creator. Confused and afraid her secret will be discovered, Ellyssa runs away, embarking on a journey where she discovers there is more to her than perfection.
Publishes in US: July 16th 2013 by Spencer Hill Press
Genre: YA science fiction
Source: Spencer Hill Press
Series? Yes?
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Perfection is a chilling picture of what life could be if selective genetics goes completely wrong. They are trying to make a perfect soldier, and as far as looks and strength and mind reading goes, they have it in Ellyssa. But they consider her emotions her weakness. She learns through her escape that those emotions can really be strength.
This is an alternate history I guess you would consider, because it is basically a dystopia where Hitler's ideals are realized and they are working to eradicate those who aren't of perfect race, and taking it even further with superior intelligence and strength.
She tries to run away from the place she was made/born because a strange for this world looking boy with dark hair being questioned broke through her mental shield and screamed a place at her. And she deletes and changes things in the database and goes on the run. It's so much fun to watch her learn to trust others, feel loss, sorrow, joy, laughter, and most of all, fall in love.
While I understood the choice for a third person pov, I connected most with Ellyssa and wanted to be from her point of view the most. I didn't connect with the other characters, but they gave valuable insight into what is going on while Ellyssa is running and when she finds unlikely allies.
There is plenty of action behind the character development to keep the story going. The ending is pretty good, but the epilogue makes me know there needs to be another book in this series. There are also ingeniously crafted villains that will make you want to wring out their brains.
My question to you, my lovely readers:
If you could select certain genes for your children, would you?
