Picture Perfect

Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult
Fiction/Literature

Cassie is found with no memory in a graveyard by Will, a half breed. As she slowly recovers her memory Cassie discovers she is a physical anthropologist and married to Alex Rivers, the movie star every female is in love with. Her life is not picture perfect, Cassie and Alex love each other but Alex is filled with rage and frequently it is directed towards her.

Their life from initial meeting to present day is told. Cassie has been suffering abuse a long time. Will she have the strength to leave a man she loves?

Picoult focuses on the abuse and tells it from the point of view of the abused woman. A woman who loves a man who hurts her, who believes it is her own fault and knows if she leaves it could be the death of her as well as if she stays. This book made me understand a little why the abused often stay.

Where I felt the book was missing was in the establishment of the story. What intelligent cop would have put her back into the abuse without more investigation into the cause of the amnesia. Also when she was checked out why was she not told she was pregnant. The book was written and the story was made to fit. This causes holes which disturb the reader.

Definitely not one of my fav Picoult books

First Line: "Long ago on the shores of the Atlantic there lived a great Indian warrior called Strong Wind"

Rating:

(3.5/5)