Perfect Days (Raphael Montes)

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.

This book was INTENSE! And is also going to be extremely hard to review, because if you haven’t read this one yet YOU HAVE TO and I don’t want to give anything away!

I had heard numerous things about Perfect Days by Raphael Montes and had it constantly recommended to me when I was facing a book slump; however, I promised my book blogging pal (Janel) that I would wait and read it in April with the Criminally Good Book Club…so that’s what I did.I cannot believe I waited this long to read this book because it was absolutely unputdownable.  Dark, fast-paced and completely messed up, Perfect Days was a one sitting read that left me thinking to myself “WTF did I just read?!?”

 The novel opens with the introduction of Teo, a loner medical student with a strange affliction for the dead. When he meets Clarice, a free spirit who is writing a screenplay, at a party, he is instantly drawn to her and begins to stalk her. After she rejects him, he kidnaps her and takes her on a twisted road trip across Brazil visiting the places she has described in her screenplay. Convinced they are meant to be together, Teo digs himself deeper and deeper as he tries to prove to her that they are meant to be.

This one reminded me, from the very first pages, of You by Caroline Kepnes. Both narrators are extremely disturbed and living in complete delusions, however, I at least found Joe from You oddly likeable.   Teo was just flat out creepy; he made my skin crawl. From the first pages to the last, I found myself actually in shock at the lengths he would go to live his fantasy; obviously, based on the synopsis, I knew he was going to be a creep, but this guy is a CREEEEP!

I was also shocked regarding the ending; I couldn’t believe that is how the novel ended!! I pride myself on being able to see where a novel is going and I didn’t see this one’s ending from a mile away.

As mentioned, this one is a must read for me. If you haven’t read this one already, please do and then come talk to me about it. Until then, I’ll be catering to my book hangover that Perfect Days has left me with. 5/5 stars.