As if this series couldn't get any better, they go ahead and drop more bombshells on readers. I was physically unable to put this book down, I just had to know how it ended!

Birch has stole my soul with this series. The first book ended on such a huge cliffhanger for me that I was so excited to get my hands on Tarnished. This book kind of takes rebellion to a whole new level with Ella really coming into her own and stepping up. At times I thought she was crazy and was sure to get herself killed with her out of this world plans, but her naivety really grew on me. She had passion and I loved that.

The storyline has a lot of twists and turns and has a lot of drama along the way. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

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.

it's always hardest to review book 2s in trilogies, because they are the middle of a story, and you can't spend too much time on plot because spoilers.

in tarnished ella continues to fight the pet program and tries to find her way back to penn. we meet another pet missy, technically we met her in book 1, but we spend more time with her here. we see ella grow as a person. she realizes her own agency. she questions things and tries to save others from having to experience her same hardships.

something that isn't easy to do. this book does a lot more world-building and explains the mechanics of the pet program more fully, something that might have been slightly lacking in book one. but this makes sense because we are made aware of things alongside ella. this is ultimately her journey.

and we'll see where it ends up tomorrow.

**tarnished published on december 1, 2015. i received a digital copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (entangled teen) in exchange for my honest review.

a special thank you goes out to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was a bit better than the first one. And the reason that is is because of information. Finally, we are getting info about the Pet program and the secrets surrounding it. I knew things about that program were shady but I just couldn't place what was shady about it. I love it when my intuitions are right. The program still wigs me out and I'm not really keen on humans being Pets but I am more or less intrigued by it now as opposed to just downright disgusted. Well, I'm still disgusted. I'm just confusing, aren't I?

Character development was also much improved. Ella slowly realized she is not just some scared little Pet. She is a fighter and she will fight for the ones she loves. She made some stupid decisions at times and her inner monologue could be slightly irritating especially when it was all about Penn. But I can forgive that because of how she grew up. She didn't understand the feelings she had and how the world works. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing a "weak" character grow. I'm glad Ella has improved from the first book.

I also enjoyed a new side character, Missy. She is another Pet that was briefly in the first book. I would have love to get a POV from her. She was so sassy and didn't tolerate anyone's crap. She didn't tolerate Ella's nativey and let her know it. She has been through some things and she was just so sad and my heart broke for her all the time. I hope she is involved even more in the first book.

Overall, despite the Pet program wigging me out and Ella getting on my nerves a little bit, this series has gotten getter. I am interested in reading the conclusion and I hope it ends on a happy note. Ella and Missy deserve it.

This was an impressive sequel! It seriously elevated this series into new heights!

I found the pacing of this novel was awesome. The story is always moving; new elements are constantly being added but it was never overwhelming. There were some good twists along the way as well. It just had me craving more and seeing how everything would come together.

Ella continues to have fantastic character development. I love good character progression and Ella--though she makes some mistakes along the way--is endearing in her efforts.

I also loved the unexpected friend Ella finds. I don't want to give away who it is but I'll just say that their character is a nice compliment to Ella's innocent approach and brings in some much needed realism (even if it is a little jaded).

Overall, I just loved how this book focused on developing the world and creating that larger picture that I felt was missing from the first novel. I can't wait to see where the finale goes!

Tarnished is the dark and gritty sequel to Perfected. It picks up shortly after Ella had to leave Penn behind at the Canadian border so that she could take refuge. After all of that Ella cannot stand to leave Penn behind especially after she sees him on television and he seemed really dejected and off. So she escapes and heads back to the states where she has no rights and isn't even considered human by most. I definitely didn't foresee her unexpected companion through all of this but was glad that she was not alone. Tarnished definitely got a bit edgier than Perfected, showing more details of what goes on at "The Black Market" and with the mystery of who's killing off the pets. It's pretty cringe worthy thinking of genetically modified humans used as pets and then all of the horrible things we discover in this story, but it definitely kept the story interesting. I was completely caught up in this book and need to know what happens next! I can't wait to read Unraveled.

For some reason I did not receive three separate books but the same book three different times with different covers. Had to give s star rating to proceed

Fantastic read. Well written, with a great plot and characters. It is a bit slow going at first, then a lot of action starts happening and you can't put it down. I was engrossed from start to finish. Tarnished starts were Pefected left off. Ella spends about one week in a Canadian safe house before watching Penn’s suffering on the news and cannot just sit by. Ella plans an escape and the last person she ever expected help from shows up as Ella is escaping. Thank goodness for her unlikely companion (Missy) she helps Ella navigate the darker black market where pets can be bought, sold, or paid very little for jobs. The more Ella discovers about the inhumane conditions these human pets are made to live in, and mutilated, dead bodies of pets are turning up. Which is kept quiet by bribed police departments, the more determined Ella becomes to do something about it.
Don’t miss the trilogy’s conclusion, ‘Unraveled’ available on April 3rd! I know i can't wait to read it! I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley.

"Tarnished" continues the Perfected series with an installment that begins right after the previous book left off. Ella is in Canada and free/her own person. However, all she can think about is getting back to Penn. Enough so that she leaves freedom and heads back to the US, where the Congressman is hunting for her and putting up a large reward to get her back. However, as her naivete and helplessness proves, she must have the help of Missy to get back across the border and into the US.

To be able to get back to Penn in Connecticut, she travels with Missy through the Black Market- where pets go when their masters have tired of them. They do "jobs," which basically exactly what you'd think it is. Missy does double the work to ensure that Ella doesn't have to do any, and Ella is completely naive about what is going on- and it really shows. Eventually, she finds out what's going on, but until then, she seems perfectly OK with the Black Markets, like jobs are no big deal.

There's a bigger problem in the US, where pets are brutally murdered and disfigured, left around town as some kind of symbol or warning. To find out what's going on, Ella and Missy must go back to the kennels to try to get evidence. While the plot moves fast and the writing flows very well, I found Ella even harder to like in this book. She does not value her freedom or that of those around her (e.g. Missy). She reads like a young child making errors which could have huge consequences and only Missy will sacrifice herself to help protect and save Ella (but why?). If it weren't for Missy, Ella would have gotten nowhere. Missy is the true strength of the book, even though Ella is painted as the brave one (with the drawing symbolism, etc.). I wish Ella had been more capable on her own. I will say that she does grow/improve as the book goes on.

I also think there's a pretty big cost problem in terms of how much it costs to grow/raise the pets and how much they charge for them. It just doesn't add up, but that's a really minor point. I am also pretty unhappy with Ella/Penn as a couple- in the first book, it was insta-love, likely brought about by the power differential. Here, it seems like an obsession and carries on too much. It feels very wrong to me, mostly because she was owned by him/his family, he carries the message of his father on TV/does not really fight it that much, and it really feels more like Stockholm Syndrome. Missy also had a crazy, not well-explained change of heart (Ok, I get that she was afraid, but why Ella?)- I guess we needed something to help Ella move forward, and although I like Missy's character in this book, I don't really understand why she's constantly sacrificing herself for Ella, who seems to mostly be a product of her upbringing. Another question I had is why they can read numbers/do math, when it was clear in the first book that they are not taught anything of substance (including reading), but this is another minor point. I won't say what happens later to avoid spoilers, but it all felt way too easy/quick.

Although I liked the pace and found myself reading this book very quickly, I had some issues with the plot and characters (particularly Ella and Penn) that kept me from really liking it overall. I am giving it the rating for "it's OK." Please note that I received an e-copy from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Tarnished (Perfected #2)
by Kate Jarvik Birch
Review: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ❣

Tarnished is the second book in the Perfected series. It's a continuous story and cannot be read as a standalone.

Ella has escaped to Canada and no longer someone's Pet. She lives in a camp with other ex-pet girls. The life isn't glamorous but her life is her own. It leaves her wanting to get back to Penn. She plans to escape but then she sees him on the television. Everything is wrong. The words he speaks, his tone and the way he is acting. Ella wants to save him but it won't be that easy. She escapes her refuge and bumps into an old friend.

Missy is world-wise and wants to protect Ella. She doesn't give Ella the full picture to this dystopian world. As this story unravels Ella gains the determination she needs. This isn't just about her this is about all the Pets.

This is the journey middle book. I enjoyed the storyline and the world gets crazier. I'm enjoying this series.

4.5 stars out of 5. Darker than the first and it can only get worse. I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.



ebook (UK) £4.74, 219 pages
Ebook US $6.59
Published December 1st 2015 by Entangled Teen

When ‘Perfected’ ended, readers were left to wonder what would happen next to Ella -seeking asylum in Canada, and Penn - apprehended on US soil while trying to cross the border with her. Ella spends approximately one week in a Canadian safe house before watching evidence of Penn’s suffering on the news and cannot sit idly by.

In ‘Tarnished,’ we follow Ella and her unlikely companion as they navigate the shockingly darker black market where pets can be bought, sold, or paid meager wages for jobs. The more Ella discovers about the inhumane conditions these human pets are made to live in and that mutilated, dead bodies of pets are turning up but being kept quiet by bribed police departments, the more determined she becomes to do something about it.

Wow!! What Ella will do to get to safety! This second book in the series is suspenseful, and will keep you intrigued the whole time. It has a very unique storyline!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.