Name: Katie Squires's review of The Imperfects by Amy Meyerson
Item: The Imperfects
Rating: 4
Author: Katie Squires

Amy Meyerson

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY GOOD MORNING AMERICA · PARADE · OK! MAGAZINE · ELLE CANADA · CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR · PUBLISHERS WEEKLY “A page-turning family saga, this book will entertain readers of all generations.” —Good Morning America “Compassionate, thoughtful, and surprisingly moving… [The Imperfects] will satisfy fans of Maggie Shipstead and Celeste Ng.” —Booklist From the bestselling author of The Bookshop of Yesterdays comes a captivating new novel about a priceless inheritance that leads one family on a life-altering pursuit of the truth. The Millers are far from perfect. Estranged siblings Beck, Ashley and Jake find themselves under one roof for the first time in years, forced to confront old resentments and betrayals, when their mysterious, eccentric matriarch, Helen, passes away. But their lives are about to change when they find a secret inheritance hidden among her possessions—the Florentine Diamond, a 137-carat yellow gemstone that went missing from the Austrian Empire a century ago. Desperate to learn how one of the world’s most elusive diamonds ended up in Helen’s bedroom, they begin investigating her past only to realize how little they know about their brave, resilient grandmother. As the Millers race to determine whether they are the rightful heirs to the diamond and the fortune it promises, they uncover a past more tragic and powerful than they ever could have imagined, forever changing their connection to their heritage and each other. Inspired by the true story of the real, still-missing Florentine Diamond, The Imperfects illuminates the sacrifices we make for family and how sometimes discovering the truth of the past is the only way to better the future.

A Novel

The Imperfects

Karen Shimek

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY GOOD MORNING AMERICA · PARADE · OK! MAGAZINE · ELLE CANADA "A page-turning family saga, this book will entertain readers of all generations." --Good Morning America, One of GMA's 10 Books to Send as Mother's Day Gifts "Compassionate, thoughtful, and surprisingly moving... [The Imperfects] will satisfy fans of Maggie Shipstead and Celeste Ng." --Booklist From the bestselling author of The Bookshop of Yesterdays comes a captivating new novel about a priceless inheritance that leads one family on a life-altering pursuit of the truth. The Millers are far from perfect. Estranged siblings Beck, Ashley and Jake find themselves under one roof for the first time in years, forced to confront old resentments and betrayals, when their mysterious, eccentric matriarch, Helen, passes away. But their lives are about to change when they find a secret inheritance hidden among her possessions--the Florentine Diamond, a 137-carat yellow gemstone that went missing from the Austrian Empire a century ago. Desperate to learn how one of the world's most elusive diamonds ended up in Helen's bedroom, they begin investigating her past only to realize how little they know about their brave, resilient grandmother. As the Millers race to determine whether they are the rightful heirs to the diamond and the fortune it promises, they uncover a past more tragic and powerful than they ever could have imagined, forever changing their connection to their heritage and each other. Inspired by the true story of the real, still-missing Florentine Diamond, The Imperfects illuminates the sacrifices we make for family and how sometimes discovering the truth of the past is the only way to better the future.

Katie Squires

** spoiler alert **
           I enjoyed the overall story of The Imperfects as the Miller family tracked their lineage and the diamond throughout it's history. I love historical fiction and the discovery of the diamond and how it fit into Helen's story is what attracted me to the book. I was disappointed by the lack of character growth from many of the main characters. 

I had high hopes that they would realize their downfalls and work to fix them but up until the end all but Ashley was almost right where they were when the book started. Deborah was the most annoying character to me, you knew with her fixation on men that something was going to happen with Victor. I actually didn't see it coming until they visited the vault so I don't fault her completely but she should NOT have left anyone alone in the vault. If she'd been thinking clearly she would have gone back to make sure it was locked up. 

Beck did grow some and I don't fault her for her relationship with Victor in the beginning. I don't think she did anything wrong in asking a friend who had experience with gems and Jake's accusations of her were very immature. I do wish she would have reached out to Jake after the incident and be the bigger person to try to mend the relationship. 

Jake was completely childish throughout. He was almost as miserable as Deborah and he always complained that she felt everything wasn't her fault but he was just like her. How did he think his family would feel about his first movie? Did he really think Beck sabotaged the diamond by asking a gemologist for help? How could she know he'd steal it? Could he really not forgive his family enough to come back and celebrate his grandmother? I wish we had more of Kristy though, she was his only saving grace from being a complete idiot.

Flora's story is heartbreakingly beautiful. A young girl who is given a priceless diamond, a young mother who makes the ultimate sacrifice to save her daughter. Helen's story is equally sad. I will never attempt to imagine the pain of the Holocausts or WW2 so I do not fault Helen for never sharing her story. I do wish she'd been able to give her daughter more information about her own history but having known immigrants who left a war-torn country, it may just have been too hard to share with anyone.

Renee Blankenship

I read The Imperfects in just a few days, hooked from the opening pages. This story weaves together some of my favorite elements of fiction: history, mystery and family drama (specifically family drama over generations!). An inheritance involving a long lost diamond from Russia, siblings that love each other and also dislike one another in the same breath, mistakes and regrets. All the good family/sibling relationship dynamics thrown together with a mystery! I loved the way each of the characters were written, giving you a chance to get to know them. Unlikeable at times but also honest, I found myself rooting for the entire family by the end of the book! It was easy to see myself and my own siblings in their arguments and hurt feelings too. 

I highly recommend The Imperfects if these story elements appeal to you also. Once I started reading this one, I really had a hard time putting it down.

Karen Shimek &
The Imperfects by Amy Meyerson

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Karen Shimek &The Imperfects by Amy Meyerson

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Karen Shimek &
The Imperfects by Amy Meyerson