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Though we want to believe that the criminal justice system works, it often fails—whether it fails to convict the guilty or it convicts the innocent instead. And in Perfect Lives by Amber and Danielle Brown, a daughter of a man who was unfairly convicted will stop at nothing to clear his name.
The story searches for the truth with Simone ten years after her mother was murdered and her father was convicted of the crime. Each Sunday, Simone visits her father in prison, trying to stay upbeat about his chances of proving his innocence. But the money is running out, and now a documentarian is working on a movie about the case—one that will make Simone’s dad look like a vengeful, cold-blooded killer. But when Simone runs into her childhood friend, Hunter, their chance encounter renews her determination to find out what really happened to her mother.
As she reconnects with Hunter, he reveals some things that she hadn’t known before—and it changes her whole perspective on her mother’s murder. She becomes convinced that Hunter’s father was the killer—and she sets out to prove it. And as she returns to the place she once called home to search for new information, Simone recalls her years on Asher Lane, a rich white neighborhood where the residents seemed all too eager to convict the one Black man on the street.
The case is a fascinating one—a story of love and passion and long-buried secrets, as well as one woman’s almost obsessive dedication to uncovering the truth. Unfortunately, though, too much of it just doesn’t feel right—starting with Simone’s close childhood friendship with the boy next door, who was several years older than she was. It just seems unlikely that a 13-year-old girl would be best friends with a popular 17-year-old boy. And when they finally reunite, 10 years later, she does nothing but lie and mislead and use him—and the others around her, too—only to be left wondering why everyone is so upset with her later. Though readers will want her to get the answers she needs to clear her father’s name, they may struggle with the character and her methods.
Perfect Little Lives takes readers through the secrets and prejudices of the residents of one wealthy neighborhood. But while the setup is intriguing, the character and her story may leave readers feeling frustrated.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
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