Review: “Everybody’s Perfect”

July 11, 2026 / July 11, 2026 by nikatichi | Leave a comment

I can’tlie, this book definitelyhad a rough start. It wasn’t exactly a page turner, but I read that the author generally has some pretty dense prose, and was a recipient of a Hugo award, so I put my personal taste aside and dug in.

Every chapter is told through a point of view an entirely different character. I would be more into that if the first 50 pages had a plot point or two, but no. We dont even get a taste of plot until around pages in. But read on. And Im glad I did. You see, time in the Serenissima (the mythical realm in which the story takes place) is a mystery, and time progresses through an exchange of each character’s point of view.

It’s an interesting way of telling a story: communal. But a few personal encounters are more riveting than others and I found myself wanting more from particular characters rather than backtracking through a new pov. Im not saying that the story is retold through chapters. The author definitely moves the plot along chapter to chapter (eventually), but it always feels like a bit of a reset.

All-in-all, the story telling works in the end. The novel’s themes include overcoming social plight as an unwanted community and demanding answers from the gods. Each account wholly aids in pointing them out, especially since each chapter is told in a completely different voice. The author does an incredible job differentiating between each unique voice and even prefaced each chapter with tarot like qualities that represent the owner of the story.

I still recommend the book despite my negative criticisms, especially to those that need a little hope during a time where overcoming adversity as a community has become essential in a world riddled with adversity. “Everybody’s Perfect” tells the story of a melting pot in a world between worlds.