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Perfect Summer Paperback – March 21, 2013

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 130 ratings

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Set in the future in a society obsessed with perfection, 15 year old Morgan can't help being a bit envious of her best friend, Summer. Summer is beautiful, rich and seems to have an effortlessly perfect life. Whereas Morgan isn't so rich, or beautiful and her younger brother Josh has Down's syndrome, which according to the government, and society in general, is a crime. Then Josh is kidnapped and the authorities aren't inter-ested, so Morgan and Summer decide to investigate. They, along with another teenager Jamie whose sister, Holly, has also been kidnapped, uncover a sinister plot involving the kidnapping of disabled children and find themselves in terrible danger. Can they find Josh and Holly before it’s too late?
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Karen King has been writing children's books since the mid-eighties. She's written for many children's magazines too including Sindy, Barbie, Winnie the Pooh and Thomas the Tank Engine. Some of her short stories were featured on Playdays BBC and some of her poems on the BBC One Potato, Two Potato website. She writes for all ages and in all genres but Perfect Summer is her first YA novel.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Createspace Independent Pub (March 21, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 148 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1482720639
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1482720631
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 10 - 12
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.37 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 130 ratings

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Karen King
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Karen King is an Amazon international bestselling author currently writing psychological suspense for Bookouture and women's fiction for Boldwood. Her sixth psychological suspense, Girl Next Door, was published on 9 July 2024 and her first 'golden years' novel for Boldwood will be published in March 2025.

Karen has also had 120 children’s books, two young adult novels, and several short stories for women’s magazines published. Her early writing career was spent working on various teenage and children's magazines. Her suspense novels The Mother In Law, The Perfect Stepmother and The Stranger in my Bed and her romantic novel The Cornish Hotel by the Sea all became International Amazon bestsellers.

Karen is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors, the Crime Writers’ Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. She now lives in Spain where she loves to spend her non-writing time exploring the quaint local towns with her husband, Dave, when she isn’t sunbathing or swimming in the pool, that is.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
130 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2013
    As a sci-fi fan I found this tale to be a real page turner. The tension between the characters builds at a even pace with a couple of rabbit trails well placed and all leading up to a shocking revelation that tips the balance of favor between the two main characters. This is any easy read in that the text flows readily. The author addresses the underlying theme of social bias in core values in a tactful but straight forward manner without being preachy. I enjoyed this adventure action tale so much that I read it in one sitting.

    A definite 5 star rating without reservation. I look forward to other great tales by Karen King.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2013
    Fifteen-year-old Morgan envies her best friend, Summer, because Summer is beautiful and rich with great parents, while Morgan isn't beautiful and her family depends on both her mother's and her father's jobs just to keep going. In addition, Morgan has a little brother, Josh, whom she loves, but who has Down's Syndrome, something that is considered criminal in this futuristic society obsessed with physical perfection. But when Josh is kidnapped, Morgan, Summer, and their new friend Jamie work together to try to rescue Josh as well as Jamie's sister, Holly.

    Karen King has created a richly detailed society which is all too believable and definitely truly horrible. The government ministry keeps tabs on everyone, even supplying physical perfection surgery to the entire population at age sixteen. There is an E-center in everyone's home which monitors their weight, sending reports to the doctor at the local medical center if anyone's weight falls above or below the ideal. The Ministry is always making laws for the good of the people and they try repeatedly to get Morgan's parents to have Josh committed to a Residential Learning Center.

    Morgan is a typical fifteen-year-old girl, worried about makeup and boys, but she truly loves her three-year-old brother. She is grateful to Summer for protecting her from a lot of the teasing at school by those who think that all disabled people should be institutionalized or worse. Morgan is smart and determined. I like the way she doesn't allow her brother's kidnapping to be minimized and swept under the carpet. I also like Summer, who could easily have walked away from her friend when Morgan's brother was born, but she sticks by Morgan in spite of all the social pressure to do otherwise. And then there is Jamie, whose sister Holly has cerebral palsy and who was kidnapped a couple months before Josh. Jamie is a very lonely boy with great skills in technology. His mother died before Holly's kidnapping and his father is grieving so badly that he has no time for Jamie.

    These three young people are engaging and determined. They fight the system and do their best to solve the mystery of the disappearance of disabled children. They fight against tough challenges and they refuse to give up. I found myself caught up in their search, fighting along side them every step of the way, as the mystery surrounding the kidnappings deepens.

    Perfect Summer is a real coming-of-age story with a heroic quest. Fans of fantasy will assuredly enjoy following Morgan and her friends as they race to find the kidnapped children. This is an action-packed adventure from start to finish.

    Originally posted at Long and Short Reviews
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2014
    Perfect Summer is a YA Thriller. The story opens with your normal teenager stuff with Morgan and her friend Summer. Summer seems to have the perfect life and perfect family. The author hints that there may be danger ahead. Then Josh, Morgan’s brother that has Down ’s syndrome goes missing. My stomach was in knots worry about what they were doing to Josh and was he still alive. I was holding my breath as Morgan and Jamie were running from the LEF. Morgan appeared to be a normal teenager. I felt her character was authentic (worrying about boys, makeup and her image). Then you see her realize how trivial those things are when her brother is missing. She meets Jamie who’s sister with cerebal palsy has also gone missing. Jamie was very resourceful and I loved how Morgan’s image of him continued to change throughout their time together. The story line was fascinating and kept my attention. Could also be a good book club discussion book. What role does the government play with the ‘imperfect’ people using the government’s insurance, what is morally right to do in the name of research, etc.
    You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2013
    Karen King's books are always so captivating, and this is no exception. What is different is that this is a particularly hard-hitting story line and one that is so relevant in today's world where how we look plays a massive part in how we're regarded by others. I thought it was a clever title too, which initially makes you think the book will be something very different, when in fact it tells the emotional story of 15 year old Morgan who doesn't quite match up in the beauty stakes to her friend, Summer.
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2013
    Love this book and just could not put it down, very relevant in today's world where everyone seems to strive for perfection. Have read several of Karen's books and haven't been disappointed yet.
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2014
    I received a free copy of this book to read and review for the Wicked Reads Review team.

    I found this book slow going, it could be because I am not used to reading books that are written in first person. So I found the whiny tendency of her thoughts in the first chapter rather annoying, once I got past that first chapter this story started to take off. The more Morgan and Jamie dug around looking for their missing siblings the more I was interested in this. Trying to figure out right along with them why nobody seemed to care about these missing kids.
    This is ended up being a really good story, I enjoyed the ending. The growth of Morgan through out the story.

    With all this being said this story has a lesson in it. Nobody can truly decide what perfect is, that conforming to society is not a good thing.A good lesson wrapped up in a good story with some mystery and danger.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2014
    I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

    amazing synopsis, but I was, I was very disappointed in the end. The book read like a task list and there was no real emotional connection for me between any of the characters. There was no action for over half the book and once the action final got there it was so lack luster. The final just UGH moment for me was that in the end it was all so predictable.

    Wicked Reads Review Team
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Holly.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing and Emotional must read...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 13, 2017
    My Review of

    Perfect Summer by Author Karen King

    Wow what a book! I spend the night reading Perfect Summer after being inspired by author Karen’s reason for writing this book. It’s an emotional and chilling story about perfection at the extreme end of the line. Where the world doesn’t want those who are different, instead they want to change them as soon as possible into a perfect human with perfect family and a perfect life.

    The story itself follows Morgan, Summer and Jamie. Morgan lives with her parents and her brother Josh who has down’s syndrome. Her parents love them both very much, but are being hounded to put him into a home because he doesn’t fit in a perfect world. Whereas her friend Summer seems to have it all, perfect parent and a rich life. However, one day Josh is kidnapped and Morgan soon finds out after meeting Jamie that her brother was not the only one. Will Jamie and Morgan find out what happened to Josh? Will they ever see him again? Read this book to find out.

    I loved Josh’s character. I could just picture him while reading this book. I also thought Author Karen did a great job at highlighting what the need to be perfect could turn our world into. Also how important it is to be yourself and not let other find problems with you or your loved one, to the point it makes you chance because it’s socially expected.

    Also, I found this book very gripping and emotional as well as chilling. Sometimes I could feel myself go cold when reading some of the scenes. I also thought the end was very emotional, unexpected and fitted this story perfectly.

    I would recommend Perfect Summer if you enjoy books with a very strong storyline with great characters that you’ll want to travel with until the very end. Go check out this book.
  • M
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well written, interesting and entertaining.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 29, 2017
    An interesting and entertaining read that is hard to put down.
  • Teresa Jones
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not for me
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 12, 2018
    I felt this was not what I expected. I didn’t even finish reading it
  • Tina J.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book - for any age, but specially for teens.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 20, 2018
    Phew, this is an amazing, and unputdownable book.
    I read it more or less in one sitting and am still panting, now that I have finished it.
    Karen King really understands the way teenagers' minds work and this comes through very strongly in this story which takes place in a future where the only thing that really matters is being perfect.
    Morgan (the main character) has a brother who has Down's Syndrome, and when he is kidnapped, she realises how much she loves him, and gets together with a teenage boy, Jamie, whose disabled sister had also been kidnapped and her best friend, Summer, to find him.
    This is by turns frightening, chilling and totally full of love.
    I highly recommend that you read it, whatever your age.
  • Sonic
    5.0 out of 5 stars Who wants to be perfect?
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2017
    I loved this book set in the future where everything and everyone has to be perfect to fit in, it’s a possibility that could really happen. It’s a story about three teenagers: Morgan who’s little brother disappears from their garden. Jamie, who she meets on her dangerous quest to find him. Her best friend Summer - who she can’t help but feel envious of because everything about her is perfect - gets involved. This book is more for young adults but it kept me hooked and eagerly turning the pages over to find out what happens next. I read this brilliant story in three days, the author has a great imagination; looking forward to reading more of her books.