Customer Reviews

Torchwood: Almost Perfect

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book, to put it bluntly, is gayer than Christmas. I found this delightful, of course, but lesser fans (of the not so horrible fangirl variety as myself) might find themselves dizzy after being repeatedly bludgeoned by James Goss' not so secret gay agenda. (Protip: When the terrible alien plot involves marching in the Pride Parade, you do need to stop and ask yourself just how very much your suspension of disbelief can stretch. Mine, where Torchwood is involved, stretches to encompass the whole South Canada Sea, so I laughed, shrugged, and carried on.)

All in all, this book is an excellent read. It's on par with The Twilight Streets, from the fantastic Gary Russell, in terms of characterization and plot. James Goss uses internet networking sites - Facebook, namely - as plot device and brings the ever-popular fandom's 'Five Times' fanfiction to life in print. It's obvious from the way the book reads that James Goss is a fan of Torchwood, which makes the book all the better, written by a fan for the fans.

One supposes that a review also has to touch on the fact that Ianto Jones spends the entirety of the book, save for a chapter-long flashback scene, with (as the character puts it) "a surprising lack of cock." Goss uses this plot device - the old science fiction stand-by of a supposed body swap, taking a male character out of his element by changing his sex - with expert grace. From Ianto's perspective, one can really imagine what it's like for a man who spontaneously wakes up as a woman, complete with hormonal changes and the scary prospect of being stuck. The author explores this strange situation in typical Torchwood fashion, without lingering on the strange and unusual, but also giving the character an edge of humanity as he deals with it.

That said, I'd definitely recommend this book to fellow Torchwood fans. It's an accurate representation of the characters as portrayed on television, a wonderful companion novel, and great read. James Goss shines brilliant and does the show great justice. :)

"...Ianto Jones woke up this morning in the body of a woman...." It works for him. Finding the right dress and matching shoes is horrible, especially when it's your first time. Ianto has to do that and more. This character is far and more engaging than he ever was as a man. I would love to see role made a regular and expanded.

The other central character is Emma. She is lonely, bored, and insecure. However, she's met the perfect person? Then, to her great disappointment, she finds that first flaw. Unlike the rest of the world, she can change it and make him perfect again -- almost.

The chapter arrangement is a bit unusual. It is more like an adaptation of a script than a book. However, I found it refreshing. It gave the book a quick pace and fun twists. The book is carried along by the events rather than character change, so be forewarned.

I read the book in day so I guess you could say that I enjoyed it. I hope more books of this sort come out.

I want to marry this book. It's not only a good read in and of itself, but it's fun and quirky just like the show itself. A lot of tie-in novels for TV shows and movies, while they might be well-written, don't seem to capture the spirit of the source material or of the fanbase, but Almost Perfect does both. I get the feeling that James Goss is actually a fan of Torchwood, and I love that he seemed to have so much fun writing this book. This is the first tie-in book I've contemplated buying two copies of - one to keep and one as a loaner for friends. I hope to see more TW novels from Goss.

...in Torchwood. Aliens, advanced science, gender switching. Well, maybe more like a Japanese anime but still with Torchwood things can get wild. Outside of the alien Gods confusing me a tad - were they real Gods, pretend Gods, or just Gods because of the machine - the rest of the book was a hoot. I loved the total lack of normal chapters, the feeling that you were moving back and forth in space and, sometimes, yes time. The character development was right on target and the flow was of the story was great. I could not put the book down once I picked it up.
Loved the very last scene. Anybody who is a fan of Torchwood will read this. Oh yes, it is a tad heavy on the gay but not so much as to take away from the plot. There are no lectures or messages, it is just in there, as it should be. Enjoy!
Jack-Jack-Jacko!

OMG. Captain Jack being himself, Ianto Jones transformed into the `perfect' woman, Captain Jack, lots of gay sex, and (did I mention?) Captain Jack. If you're even a casual watcher of Torchwood, then you have to pick this book up! I stumbled across it in a bookstore one weekend, then ignored everyone and everything around me as I devoured most of it on the train ride home.

As the book begins, we learn that Ianto Jones has awakened with a gap in his memory, no clothes, and the body of a `perfect' woman. Thanks to the alien device responsible (no spoiler here - this is Torchwood, after all), he is physically perfect. Mentally and emotionally, however, he is still the same shy, awkward, loveable young man he's always been. He has to learn how to walk, how to dress, how to talk, and how to respond to the opposite sex. His struggles and grudging acceptance of the situation are beautifully handled, complete with generous doses of humour and sweetness.

Meanwhile, single men are disappearing from speed-dating nights all over town, victim of another `perfect' woman. How she became so perfect, and what's happening to her unfortunate dates, is all inextricably linked to Ianto's situation - if only he could remember his last night as a man.

On top of all this, the solution to all of Cardiff's problems involves Captain Jack literally diving into the gay community, which itself has become strangely `perfect' over the past year. I won't go into too much detail here, but the scenes at the gay dance club are absolutely priceless. The ending gets a little dark, but Torchwood is all about the interplay between light and dark, good and evil, hope and despair.

Well-written and thoroughly entertaining, this is not only a book that lives up to its promise, it's a book that lives up to its inspiration. James Goss completely captures the tone and spirit of the TV show, and I cannot wait to see what he does next. Absolutely recommended!

This is the first Torchwood tie-in novel that I've read, and I'm so glad that I started with this one! It's an absolutely engrossing story of "perfection," with a canny wink and a nod to the current climate of body-consciousness and the endless strive for physical perfection (which is, of course, a myth). Anyone who is looking to sate their desire to revisit these familiar characters (Jack, Ianto, Gwen and Rhys are all present, and Tosh and Owen are referenced) in a story that utilizes both their strengths and their weaknesses would do well to pick this book up. As always, there are aliens behind all of the troubles in Cardiff, but the alien threat has never been the selling point of Torchwood - if you love it, it's because of the characters, and the characters shine here, in nearly-equal measure (Rhys and Ianto both made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions, while I appreciated Gwen's reactions to the fantastic things that happened, and Jack alone remained characteristically elusive). It's one of the few books that I've gone back to re-read specific parts, just because I thought the characterization was so right, and fit so well, and the ending is both satisfying and little bit heartbreaking, at the same time. A definite recommendation, it had me laughing like mad in places.

If you love Torchwood and Ianto Jones, then this Torchwood tie-in book is for you. If you don't like the Jack/Ianto relationship, then I'd skip "Almost Perfect" as it features heavily in this one.

The reason I bought this book was to see if one of the authors in the Torchwood tie-in series could finally capture the Jack/Ianto dynamic that has come across on screen: playful, loving and oh, the amusing banter. Mr. Goss gets a B+ for effort, but by allowing Ianto to be stuck in the body of a woman for the entire book, he goes wimps out on the potential romantic homoerotic leanings that could have happened.

While I enjoyed the Captain Jack and Ianto banter I would have preferred Ianto to have regained his male form much sooner. And the subplot of the aliens (The Perfection) I found to be worse than any D plotline on Dr. Who, it nearly had me laughing becuase it was so lame.

So, good points: Jack/Ianto banter and chemistry. Rhys is in the book and he's just lovely. Just enough Gwen, not too much to annoy you, but she's not too underused to feel like she's being slighted.

Bad points: Alien subplot and the fact that Ianto is stuck too long in the female body (that could have been played for more humorous laughs, it wasn't, which is a shame).

Overall, its a enjoyable read if you like Torchwood and I liked this book more than the other Torchwood tie-ins I've read.

This book is absolutely hilarious. My hubby actually had to politely ask me to keep it down while I read it because I went far beyond simply chuckling, practically falling out of my seat I was laughing so uproariously. I really could not put it down. Too many Torchwood books are simply grim or nihilistic, so this book is quite refreshing. It's wonderfully queer, gay as Christmas I think another reviewer called it, and I wholeheartedly appreciate that. I mean, how many science fiction books feature a dramatic climax in the middle of a gay club? (No, not THAT sort of climax! Although, actually...)

Yeah, it's that sort of book.

One of the things I really loved was that it focused on the relationship between Jack and Ianto in a way that is perfectly in character, but with a really fresh viewpoint. If you're a fan of their relationship, it's a must read, and if you're an Ianto fan in general, this book is written for you. He's really quite adorable here, trying to deal with being a woman in his usual collected, stiff upper lip sort of way, all dry humor and bashfulness, while Jack tries very hard to be supportive in his own clueless, lecherous way. If you're looking for something refreshing and fun, check it out.

The book was fantastic and engaging and as much as I wanted to slap Gwen all I could do was laugh at her.

This was more interesting than I originally thought. The story line itself was intriguing though there were several points, as the story went on, that should have been clearly stated than just assumed. This happened in the last chapter as well and was extremely confusing. The character, Ianto, seemed to be completely fitting and though many have said he was seen as a little too emotional, I thought it was quite refreshing.

And while this isn't so much as a review for the book itself, I missed the dynamic of Owen and Tosh being active. This is definately something that should have happened while Owen was around.

Essentially: Well written, but a few loose ends should have been tidied up and/or stated more clearly.


For all the Janto fans: while there were glimpses of the couple there wasn't as much as you'd think.