Interview: Kate Jarvik Birch, author of 'Perfected'

Perfected by Kate Jarvik Birch is this delightfully creepy story about "pets" — but not animal pets, human female pets. The government has passed legislation that these genetically altered humans can be kept as pets by the rich and powerful. Ella is one of these pets and has been chosen as a companion to a congressman and his young daughter, but things aren't what they seem … there was a previous pet, and there's a beautiful son who piques Ella's interest, even though she's not allowed. There's also kidnapping, parties, creepy men petting, and a young hero falling in love. The world-building is slow building, and this is because we get to see only as much as the congressman allows Ella to see. Snippets and plotlets trickle in half-formed. Even at the end, readers and Ella are left wondering just how far the conspiracy runs and just what will happen.

I love the idea. It is despicable and eerie, but interesting to read. The kennel scene is so bad, I can't even imagine what type of people would want to own a genetically altered tiny girl. Eck! All in all, though, it's a great first novel in the series, and I can't wait to see how Kate expands on Ella's world and if Ella will ever truly be free.

Jessie: Welcome to HEA, Kate!

Perfected is a fabulous and eerie read. Where did you get the idea for pets?

Kate: I've been an animal lover ever since I saw my first pony at the carnival when I was 2, and I've been a mini zookeeper ever since. At the moment, I have three dogs, two ducks, a bunny and a hedgehog. The dogs are like tiny shadows, constantly in my periphery (if not underfoot or on my lap). I've always assumed that they were happy (even lucky) to have me for an owner to shower love and affection on them, but the writer in me wasn't satisfied with this assumption. She saw a story inside them. So in my mind, the next obvious step between having dogs for pets and wondering if they were happy with their lives was wondering what it would be like to be a pet. Bing! An idea was born. What if people were pets? What if I were given the choice between a life of idle luxury and freedom, which would I choose?

Jessie: Wow! I noticed there only seemed to be female pets. Is there a male counterpart?

Kate: No, I never envisioned a male counterpart. Maybe it's because the pets in Perfected were genetically bred to be smaller than the average person (and smallness and beauty are more often ascribed to women in our society) or maybe it's because I'm easily outraged by discrimination against women, but it was a conscious choice for there to be only female pets in my book.

Jessie: I imagine some would want stronger bodyguard-type pets for the male counterparts. I loved Ella and how her character progressed, what was it like to write her and her evolution?

Kate: It was actually pretty tricky to write Ella as well as her character growth. Because Ella had been so secluded growing up and was only taught very limited things to make her the ideal pet (you can call it brainwashing if you want), I needed to keep her understanding of things minimal, and the progression of her understanding needed to be subtle. It was a balancing act to keep her real, yet give her enough new understanding of the world around her to turn her into someone who would begin to doubt the circumstances she was born into and ultimately dream that she deserved a better life.

Jessie: You had some creeper characters. I hated that guy who won the first bid at the kennel. Tell us about the congressman and why he was so … obsessed? … enthralled? … with Ella.

Kate: The congressman is a man obsessed with his career and his status. He wants to surround himself with only the finest things, the most beautiful things (and Ella fits that bill perfectly). Being involved with the legislation to help make "pets" legal was a new way for him to define his spot in the upper echelons of society. Because he'd been so vocal in his support of the bill, it wasn't just a perk to get to own a pet, it was a necessary step in his political career.

Jessie: What was the hardest part about writing Perfected?

Kate: Keeping the revelation of information subtle was probably the most difficult part of writing this book. Because it's is written from Ella's perspective, I couldn't go into long, drawn-out explanations of how the law to have pets was enacted. Staying inside Ella's head meant that there was a limited view of the world (and this left me a limited amount of world-building). Luckily, as Ella's understanding of the world expands in the next book, I'll be able to share much more of the world that she lives in.

Jessie: I'm so excited! What are you working on right now?

Kate: Besides working on book two in this series, I'm finishing up a middle grade novel that I'm co-writing with a friend. It's about two unlikely friends and the very human desire for magic to be real. I've always got a million ideas simmering in the back of my head and I'm dying to try my hand at writing and illustrating a picture book. Also, I MUST write a screenplay soon before I burst.

Jessie: Thanks for sharing!

Now for some rapid-fire questions…

Salty or sweet? Both, but if I have to choose, SWEET!

Favorite writing snack? Candy! I'm a sucker for anything sour.

If you were any, candy which one would you be? Zots! Sour and zingy and fizzy and sweet.

Current book you're reading? Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

Book you're most looking forward to this year? I WAS really looking forward to We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, but I just read it and LOVED it! I've also been hearing great things about Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith.

Favorite childhood book? I can't choose one. My top three are: Watership Down, Tuck Everlasting and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.

Favorite book boyfriend? Oliver from The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (by Jennifer E. Smith), because I'm a sucker for British accents …

Favorite villain? If I'm being obvious, then I have to say Voldemort from the Harry Potter series. If I'm being a bit more obscure, I'll have to go with Arturo from Geek Love.

Last movie you saw in theaters? The Fault in Our Stars.

Cowboy or Highlander? It must say something about me that I have no idea what this means.

If you were any paranormal creature, which one would you be? A unicorn or a mermaid, but only because this is a leftover fantasy from when I was 10.

Epic one-liner? I wish I could take credit for this, but I can't. Aristotle … he's the man! "We are what we repeatedly do."

Find out more about Kate and her books at www.katejarvikbirch.com.

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Jessie Potts, also known as Book Taster, adores books in all forms. She also does reviews for RT Book Reviews magazine and works in the submissions department at Dreamspinner Press. You can follow her on Twitter (@BookTaster).