This New York Times Bestseller and Random House Reader's Cicle book had a lot to live up to. It was one of the top five books of 2010 and was a debut novel for author Tom Rachman. The novel reads more like a series of short stories, each highlighting a different person who works at a Rome newspaper. As the title suggests, the characters all lead no-so-perfect lives despite having careers that strive to reach perfection.

Overall, the book was good. The chapters are quite long because each holds its own plotline. I was left disappointed at the end of the book, wishing that I knew what happened to many of the characters. I did not like the ending at all.