Picture Perfect, by Jodi Picoult, tells the story of Cassie, an anthropologist who’s married to the famous Alex Rivers, a movie star as talented as Daniel Day Lewis, as desired as George Clooney, and as handsome as both of those guys put together. However, things are not as great as they seem, because soon Alex begins to beat Cassie. Of course, there are reasons why he beats her (he suffered abuse as a child, his parents never loved him) and reasons why she puts up with it (she had an alcoholic mother who depended on her, her first love was shot and killed), but ultimately, Cassie must decide if love should be as forgiving as she has spent her life being. When she can no longer handle the punishment that loving Alex brings, she turns to Will, a Native American cop who has his own demons to battle. A love triangle is established that will ultimately test the power of their love and the strength of their own identities.Jodi Picoult, as always, is an excellent story-teller, and one of my favorite writers. Reading her books is like taking a class on how to write fiction that’s at once compelling, entertaining, and moving. There are some extremely effective passages in this book that demonstrate her mastery with words, and I would recommend Picture Perfect to anyone who enjoys a good story about the complexities of love and the imperfections of the human race.That said, there was one thing that bugged me. I started to get really annoyed with Cassie for staying with Alex as long as she did, to the point where I almost didn’t care anymore about what happened to her. Also, I failed to understand what both Alex and Will saw in her, why they both were so hopelessly in love with this woman.Yet, despite my complaint, I still think Picture Perfect is a great story. I have read other books about abuse, and I’ve seen movies as well, and in each one the abuser is always the ultimate evil bad-guy, the woman is the martyred victim, forced to find her strength, and the other guy (the guy she finds once she leaves her husband) is nice and predictably perfect for her. Picoult never stoops to such cliché’s. All of her characters have strengths and weaknesses, no one is a true sinner or a saint.
I have only read a few Jodi Picoult books but they never cease to please me. This was a thrift store score that I hadn't heard of and didn't know what it was about, and it did a great job keeping me guessing.The story centers on Cassie and Alex, an intelligent but naive anthropology professor and a Hollywood star, and their "fairy tale" love and marriage. They seem perfect and say they are "made for each other" but in reality have a troubled and abusive relationship that no one would believe if they actually did tell anyone, without actually seeing the proof.Through the storytelling, you feel as though it's autobiographical, as it seems so knowing and insightful that you wonder how anyone could make this up. I also found myself cheering for Cassie and Alex to make it, despite him being abusive. You get to know the good in him, the damaged childhood that he truly seems like he wants to overcome, that he truly does love her, and you want to say "give him one more chance, maybe he really won't do it again..." when you know logically that you should be telling her to run for it. Picoult's imagination and formidable skills at weaving an amazing story make you feel as though if, having never been in an abusive relationship, you are given a while new insight and appreciation for the situation, and why even the strongest of woman have had difficulty leaving such situations. It is an eerie feeling - there were so many times that this novel made me incredibly uncomfortable admitting what I was feeling about what was going on but never able to stop reading. I have never hesitated for a moment to help a friend get away from an abusive situation, but also never had nearly so clear and idea of how they may have felt as I do after reading this novel. Once again, Picoult asounded, intrigued and educated me.
What do You think about Picture Perfect (2002)?
So...A little slow to start in my opinion. It was a good book and I liked the ending. It was a different type of book by Picoult, with no courtroom scenes. This was my 8th Picoult novel and the first I've read with no courtroom drama. The story is very well developed and the characters, even Alex, are easily sympathized with. While I have never in an abusive relationship as portrayed in this book, I imagine this is very close to real life. I used to wonder why women would stay in such blatently abusive marriages and this book gave me a new perspective that I had never actually thought of before. This is a must read Picoult, even if it is slow in the beginning. The story, characters, cultures and back stories were well researched and developed giving the reader the feel that you are actually a part of the story, enduring all the hardship, love and emotion each of the characters are enduring themselves. Picoult always leaves you wanting more and for that reason, I completely recommend this book!
—Deborah
I tried really hard to like this book. I usually love Picoult’s books but I had a hard time getting through this one.I did like her use of Indian folklore as a background but I felt like it could have been explored more, that Will’s life was more interesting.Like all Picoult books, I did manage to find quite a few quotes I liked. “How come people don’t do things like that nowadays? You group around in the back of a sedan in high school and you think you’re in love. Nobody gets swept off their feet anymore.” {pg. 23} “He did not know what to say to her; he never knew what to say; he was used to speaking what others had written. He wished he’d learned long ago how to put into words the feeling that if she was gone, if she ever left, he would cease to exist. But he couldn’t tell her, so he did what he always did: he slipped into the character, the first one that came, willing to do anything other than face the limits of himself.” {pg. 65} “Imagine: A world without grudges. A world free of guilt. A world where o weren’t condemned for the consequences of your actions.” {pg. 81}I didn’t have any connection to the characters. I wasn’t pulled in like I am in any other book of hers I’ve read. The kick in the gut at the end wasn’t there, although some might say there is nothing wrong with that.
—Christina
This book was not like others of Jodi's. I think that is what I like about her, nothing is ever the same, she is not predictable in her style of writing.In this one, I really wondered where the ending was going as I know that Jodi sometimes puts in little twists. I was almost expecting the worst! It was a satisfactory ending though.The only thing that bugged me about the book was the second part of the story being told to someone else, not the actual events as in the first part. It was a little confusing and it took me a while to realise it. It wasn't a major problem, just a little annoying.
—Alcy_girl
