Series: N/A
Genre: Thriller
Publication: February 16, 2016 by Viking
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: ★★★
Synopsis: A twisted young medical student kidnaps the girl of his dreams and embarks on a road trip across Brazil in the English-language debut of one of Brazil's most celebrated young crime writers
Teo Avelar is a loner. He lives with his paraplegic mother and her dog in Rio de Janeiro, he doesn't have many friends, and the only time he feels honest human emotion is in the presence of his medical school cadaver--that is, until he meets Clarice. She's almost his exact opposite: exotic, spontaneous, unafraid to speak her mind. She's working on a screenplay called Perfect Days about three friends who go on a road trip across Brazil in search of romance. Teo begins to stalk her, first following to her university, then to her home, and when she ultimately rejects him, Teo kidnaps her, and they embark upon their very own twisted odyssey across Brazil, tracing the same route outlined in her screenplay. Through it all, Teo is certain that time is all he needs to prove to Clarice that they are made for each other, that time is all he needs to make her fall in love with him. But as the journey progresses, he keeps digging himself deeper, stopping at nothing to ensure that no one gets in the way of their life together.
Thoughts: I was really excited to read Perfect Days because it sounded like such a creepy thriller, and I started it almost as soon as I got my copy. While I did like it, overall, I had a few issues with the writing which I think all have to do with the book being translated from Portuguese to English.
The plot was exactly what I expected, and I was intrigued in the story enough to get through the book pretty quickly, but I lacked any connection with the characters. In all fairness, there is two, and one of them is the kidnapper, so I guess that was okay. I really didn't care much for Clarice for about the first two thirds of the book, but when the last third of the book, the book got a whole lot more intense and creepy. The ending left me feeling a little freaked out, which is the reason why I ended up bumping this to a three star instead of something lower.
I'm not sure if I recommend this to fans of thrillers, because this one isn't such a great one. It's still an interesting book, but the best part of the book is the ending. Luckily the book is pretty short as well.
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