Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jul 2019
336 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
An exciting new direction for acclaimed author Elizabeth Eulberg, Past Perfect Life is a tense and tender read about secrets and lies, reality and identity, and the ways we put ourselves back together when everything is broken.
Small-town Wisconsin high school senior Allison Smith loves her life the way it is--spending quality time with her widowed father and her tight-knit circle of friends, including best friend Marian and maybe-more-than-friends Neil. Sure she is stressed out about college applications ... who wouldn't be? In a few short months, everything's going to change, big time.
But when Ally files her applications, they send up a red flag ... because she's not Allison Smith. And Ally's--make that Amanda's--ordinary life is suddenly blown apart. Was everything before a lie? Who will she be after? And what will she do as now comes crashing down around her?
Perfect for fans of Far From the Tree, this is the story of one teen's search for herself amid the confusion of a shattered past and a future far from all she planned.
"An excellent choice for prompting discussion, this thought-provoking novel captures the devastating legacy of family lies." - Publishers Weekly
"[Eulberg] shine[s] in her ability to aptly portray family as both imperfect and nebulous." - Booklist
"Family melodrama in theory, genuine identity crisis in execution." - Kirkus Reviews
This information about Past Perfect Life was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Elizabeth Eulberg is the award-winning author of middle-grade novels The Great Shelby Holmes and The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match, and internationally bestselling author of YA titles The Lonely Hearts Club, Prom & Prejudice, Take a Bow, Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality, Better Off Friends, We Can Work it Out, and Just Another Girl. Originally from Wisconsin, Elizabeth now lives outside of Manhattan, but continues to eat cheese and cheer on the Packers because you can take the girl out of the Midwest ...
The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.
The House on Biscayne Bay
by Chanel Cleeton
As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide.
The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
