A near-flawless novel of emotional truth. Joyce executes this story with precision and flair… Its unputdownable factor lies in its exploration of so many multilayered emotions… It is her clever did-I-read-that-right twist at the end that really got to me and had me scrabbling back through the chapters, open-mouthed.

The power of Joyce’s prose lies in small, astute observations… [her] subtle touches give the book an intense, slightly mesmeric feel. Tense and engrossing… readers who loved The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry will not be disappointed.

Joyce’s faith in the essential goodness of humanity and her observation of the comedy in the everyday shine through… This is a darker, more complex novel than Joyce’s first but readers will find other points of comparison. Not least a twist that few will see coming and will leave you reeling; and a redemptive ending that is perhaps the sweeter given all the pain that goes before. An instant classic, Perfect confirms Rachel Joyce as a major new British literary voice.

Diana herself is faultless. She is to Perfect what Harold Fry was to [The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry]: a fully rounded hero, someone to fall in love with and argue about, cherish and admonish, as though she were real… If only there were more novelists like Rachel Joyce

What’s right with it? You’ll fall in love with the characters. They’re kind, anxious, flawed, funny and wonderful. Also, knowing that the two stories will have to meet builds a wonderful sense of tension. What’s wrong with it? Nothing. It’s brilliant. Even the fact that Byron is convinced that scientists tried to slip an extra two seconds into time is a wonderful hook for all the decisions he goes on to make. Verdict: Uplifting, engaging, sad and funny. A perfect follow-up to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.