Virtually Perfect

Author: Dan Gutman

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General Summary and Plot

Who wouldn’t want to design the perfect person? If given the chance to make a person with all of the preferred characteristics, and personality traits- and then if you forgot to add wisdom? This is what happens when Yip designs a virtual actor (or vactor) with his father’s computer program. Victor is handsome, charming, and incredibly smart; so smart he has found a way to leave his virtual computer world and become a walking reality. Yip believes he has made the perfect best friend.

Without wisdom or morals, Victor is wreaking havoc in Yip’s life. He changes his face and age and robs banks. Yip tries find out the scheme and tries to cut Victor short by deleting his file. Victor locks Yip out of the computer and plans to make his way to Washington and change his face into that of the President of the United States.

Yip’s grandfather picks up on Victor’s seemingly “perfect-ness” and plots a way to prove himself right. In proving himself right, he ends Victor’s plot to take over the country.

Positive Elements

A quirky, easy reader. Yip’s grandfather is against the computer age and is disappointed by what it has done to the present generation and often chides Yip to get outside where real life is (as opposed to in front of the computer.)

There is an accepted right and wrong- Victor lying and ditching Yip is wrong no matter what he says. Victor’s lack of conscience is blamed on the fact that books by ancient philosophers were deleted from his files of knowledge. I think the Bible would have helped in the conscience area.

Spiritual Content

None

Negative Elements

Yip’s sister, Paige, is unashamedly boy-crazy. Victor is supposedly the perfect boy but he is quite rude.

Profanity

None

Sexual Content

Paige falls in love with Victor and they kiss while on a date- Victor disregards Paige’s emotions because love and kissing are only words in the dictionary to him.

Violence

Yip’s grandfather was an old time stunt coordinator for films. He pulls a couple of tricks for a home movie like fake guns and fake blood. He pretends to be brutally attached for practical joke’s sake.

Victor robs a bank.

Overall Theme

Perfect is not all it is cracked up to be. Reality and good old fashioned fun- never goes out of style.

Conclusion

A pretty good read, a one-sitting book. A silly concept, completely impossible, and a bunch of stuff jammed into a few chapters. Definitely won’t become a children’s classic.

Suggested age group

3^rd-6^th grade