Just Not Feeling Less Than Perfect

Surviving the alien takeover by the perfect but evil People, Mikayla has found a small band of fellow survivors trying to stay ahead of the roving band of marauders and the search parties sent to round up the few humans who remain at large. Trying to navigate the desperate and deadly new life thrust upon her, Mikayla tries to cling to all that's left of her former life, her books. When her fellow survivor Reg begins to show more than friendly interest in her, Mikayla is flattered and terrified at the same time. Can she afford to become attached to someone she could lose at any time? Can she afford to give up on love when today may be all she has? 

I chose to review Less Than Perfect because I liked the premise and was intrigued by the blurb. There were many things about this book that I liked. The writing and world building were top notch. The supporting characters were engaging and I empathized greatly with their struggles. The story itself was well thought out and I should have been in reader heaven. It distresses me to no end that this was not the case.

I really, really hate having to write bad reviews. I always feel like a bully snatching the livelihood away from a hard working author. That being said, my personal integrity will not let me slide on telling the truth. Since Less Than Perfect was written entirely in first person POV, my enjoyment of the book was based entirely on my ability to connect with Mikayla's character. I did not connect, I didn't even visit the same airport. My dislike of Mikayla's character is based solely on my own expectations of a heroine, or just as a woman in general. Throughout the book, I kept losing sight of the fact that Mikayla is an adult. Her actions and thought processes struck me as those of a young teen. I don't intend to release any spoilers, but she would not have lasted one episode on The Walking Dead. Her actions were impulsive and selfish. Only after disaster struck the entire group, was there any remorse or thought to consequences. I kept hoping that my feelings for Mikayla would change as there was some character growth, but I'm afraid the damage had already eroded my tolerance levels.

I am extremely glad to see some glowing reviews for Less Than Perfect and I realize that my opinion is entirely my own. I will be open to reading future works from Ms. Jensen and hope for a better outcome.