Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perfected | 2014 | Kate Jarvik Birch | Buy |
| 2 | Tarnished | 2015 | Kate Jarvik Birch | Buy |
| 3 | Unraveled | 2018 | Kate Jarvik Birch | Buy |
Kate Jarvik Birch’s Perfected trilogy is a dystopian YA series set in a world where genetically engineered girls are bred and sold as living pets to wealthy families. Perfected (2014) introduces a girl who begins questioning her purpose. Tarnished (2015) and Unraveled (2018) follow her fight for freedom.
The first book establishes a chilling near-future society where these “pets” are groomed from birth to be beautiful, obedient, and silent. When the protagonist starts to develop her own desires, the comfortable world she’s been placed in starts to crack. Tarnished picks up after she runs, forcing her to survive outside the only life she’s known.
Readers who enjoy dystopian YA with a focus on bodily autonomy and consent will find a lot to connect with here. The three-year gap between Tarnished and Unraveled gave Birch time to bring the trilogy to a conclusion that addresses the broader societal problems set up in the first two books, rather than just resolving the main character’s personal story.