Tarnished (Perfected #2) by Kate Jarvik Birch

Tarnished by Kate Jarvik Birch is the sequel to Perfected, a YA Dystopian world where “pet” girls are the new prized possessions.

“Freedom comes at a cost…

Ella was genetically engineered to be the perfect pet—graceful, demure…and kept. In a daring move, she escaped her captivity and took refuge in Canada. But while she can think and act as she pleases, the life of a liberated pet is just as confining as the Congressman’s gilded cage. Her escape triggered a backlash, and now no one’s safe, least
of all the other pets. But she’s trapped, unable to get back
to Penn—the boy she loves—or help the girls who need her.

Back in the United States, pets are turning up dead. With help from a very unexpected source, Ella slips deep into the dangerous black market, posing as a tarnished pet available to buy or sell. If she’s lucky, she’ll be able to rescue Penn and expose the truth about the breeding program. If she fails, Ella will pay not only with her life, but the lives
of everyone she’s tried to save…”

After how the first book decided to drop off (yes, cliffhanger alert), I was really eager to read this sequel.. and it didn’t let me down.

Compared to the Perfected, Tarnished takes on the whole rebellion vibes that help to escalate the plot into a new direction. The main character Ella began to step up in her role as a “pet” which was intriguing to see develop considering she was a bit naïve in the first installment.

This book focuses more on the character development. There is less romance than in Book 1 which I found to even out the series so far. We still get to see more of the societal battle of whether the whole pet-thing is a form of slavery or not. I think the author did a great job in adding more into the development.

I will say that the plot began to take a slower route as we begin to see Ella’s new role. But don’t be intimidated; the story definitely picks up as you go. Ella’s drive turns into a full-forced escape plan which I rather enjoyed seeing develop.

I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. Since there is the final book which just released, I can tell that this is a great leeway between the first book and what will ultimately be the third book. I can’t wait to dive in and see how everything finishes off!

I recommend this series to those looking for a new dystopian to add to their TBR-piles.

Published: 1 December 2015

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Pages: 219

How I Read It: eArc from Publisher

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All of my book reviews contain my honest opinion only and are not influenced in any way.*

I will be participating in Entangled Teen’s blog tour for Unraveled (Book 3) later tonight, so stick around!

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