Picture Perfect

Jan 13, 2008 Merelyn rated it 1 of 5 stars

Alas, I always tout Picoult as an authur of "good reads" but this one is BADD....It can be compared to the paperback grocery store "bodice-busters". The story idea is OK, but the writing is? ? ? Where was the editor? The only good part was when the Native Americans were in the read. Don't go for this one. Sorry Ms. Picoult.

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Jun 27, 2007 Lira rated it 5 of 5 stars

this book was absolutely my favourite of jodi picoult's, something opposite from the other readers. even though the indian folklore were pretty boring, the exposure of marital physical abuse is more than real. it may be a "perfect fairy tale" type of story, but maybe that's because i'm one of those younger readers.

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Sep 06, 2011 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Sara by: Marilyn, (my mom)

Shelves: audiobook

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

7 likes · like · see review

May 25, 2008 LindyLouMac rated it 2 of 5 stars

The fifth Picoult novel I have read and certainly not the best. It was first published in 1995 so I assume one of her early ones. I think that her writing has improved a lot since the, as this lacks the depth of her more recent novels.

Even back then she was already writing in what appears to have become her trademark style about very controversial subjects. In this one the protagonist Cassie is the victim of abuse at the hands of her beloved husband Alex. It takes her the four years that this s...more

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Apr 09, 2008 Xeyra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2006, fiction

I finished this book a few days ago. As every Jodi Picoult book I've read, I couldn't help but feel immersed in the story, unable to put it down for most of the time, wanting to read just one more chapter so I could learn what was happening or had happened to certain characters. It was the first book by this author I've read that had no lawyer or courthouse events, which was a bit of a breath of fresh air, but it did touch on a delicate situation: abuse and violence, a subject matter that's trul...more

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Jan 26, 2008 Britta rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Before you decide what you want to be,... know where you want to be."

"[He] let himself fall into her, grasping at her words and the electric feel of her skin against his. He did not know what to say to her; He never knew what to say... 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."

"...the sky overhead was the color blue the world had been invented for."

"His eyes started slowly at the hairline and traveled down...more

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Nov 13, 2007 Laurel Osterkamp rated it 3 of 5 stars

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...more 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.
(less)

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Oct 12, 2008 Stacey rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: not even my worse enemy

This was, by far, the WORST book I ever read. Like many, I have this stupid rule about finishing every book I start, otherwise I would have put this book down after the first chapter. I had a hard time getting into the previous Jodi Picoult book I read but after I got into it I enjoyed it. I kept thinking to myself, maybe the next chapter will be better--it never was.
The story line was extremely slow and in the beginning bounced back and forth between present day with Cassie's amnesia to her pat...more

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Aug 23, 2007 Phoebe M rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's a page turner, thats for sure. this was my first Jodi Picoult,and it came highly recomended.

Although I would have loved for the description of characters and places to be in depth-i couldnt actually visualise them.
How plain is Cassie Barret, how dead gorgeous is Alex Rivers excatly. and Will, I just cant see him - and maybe that just me.
The indain tales were good, the first person narrative in the second part is a good tease. I recomend.
although, i would still want to find a book that wil...more

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Aug 18, 2007 Alcy_girl rated it 3 of 5 stars

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...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Deborah added it

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...more

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Dec 15, 2008 Dana rated it 4 of 5 stars

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...more

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Dec 13, 2008 Christina rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008-reads

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 fe...more

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May 10, 2013 Writing Goddess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: domestic-violence

Picture Perfect is an older book (1995) and some of the details that worked then are dated now, Everyone would have a cellphone, for instance, making it much harder to disappear, and the airport scenes would be very different, post 9-11.

Nonetheless, the book blew me away. I was not expecting it to be a story about dysfunctional families, true love, and domestic violence (with a bit of native American mythos woven in as well).

Cassie Barrett begins the book with amnesia. (Yeah, I know, that premis...more Picture Perfect is an older book (1995) and some of the details that worked then are dated now, Everyone would have a cellphone, for instance, making it much harder to disappear, and the airport scenes would be very different, post 9-11.

Nonetheless, the book blew me away. I was not expecting it to be a story about dysfunctional families, true love, and domestic violence (with a bit of native American mythos woven in as well).

Cassie Barrett begins the book with amnesia. (Yeah, I know, that premise has only been done about a billion times.) She is found and cared for by a native American LAPD cop, new to the force. As her memory begins to return, it turns out that her loving, doting husband is a big time movie star, who was out of the country on a shoot and didn't even realize she was missing.

Her memory begins to return in bits and pieces. We see her childhood, with an alcoholic mother and an enabling father. Her close friendship with Connor, a neighbor boy who might eventually have become a lover and a husband, if he had not been killed in a murder-suicide by his depressed father. We see her struggle to get acknowledgment and tenure as an anthropologist at UCLA, and then fate throws her into the path of movie star Alex Rivers.

We watch as Cassie remembers and replays her whirlwind romance with Alex, the deep emotional connection of two wounded souls. We see how much he loves her, how much he depends upon her, and she on him, how very happy they are together. The happiness, the joy, the sense of belonging, of finally finding a kindred spirit, a soulmate, from two somewhat damaged people who have been alone in the world.

And then Cassie remembers that he hit her.
That it happened not once, not twice, but countless times.

The first time it happened, she was in shock, and denial, and Alex was so sorry. And things were better, were great, for a very long time after that.

If you have never been in a domestic violence situation - I'm happy for you (and perhaps a tiny bit jealous). But the reality is, many, many people have grown up in dysfunctional homes, so far away from normal we don't even know what normal tastes like.

Could you describe a taste to someone who'd never sampled that flavor? Fresh cut strawberries; chocolate gelato, garlic butter sauce? You could put a lot of words together, show pictures and videos of other people eating these foods, but there's really no way someone who has never tasted a strawberry, could understand the flavor without putting one in his/her mouth.

Picture Perfect gets the flavor (if, perhaps, not all the details) right. The overwhelming love, soul connection, followed by confusion, betrayal, pain. The difficulty and deep shame of allowing oneself to be abused. The leaving, the coming back, after he has "changed" and gotten help.

For a fictional book, it expresses the truth of the mixed emotions in a way that many more clinical non-fiction books can't quite detail. I highly recommend it if you are trying to understand why you, or anyone, stays with an abuser. (less)

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Jan 03, 2013 Marieanne Fabiano added it

Picoult is usually hit or miss for me, but I wanted to give her another try and this book did not disappoint. While it was a bit long-winded (there were parts of the story that just seemed drawn out and unnecessary), the story was captivating and I found that I was unable to put the book down! This is the story of Cassandra Barrett, an anthropologist and Alex Rivers, an A list movie star. We meet Cassie at the start of the story, suffering from amnesia, which we later learn came from a blown to...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Basma Naiisseh rated it 4 of 5 stars

As always, Jodi Picoult excels in pitching unusual but easily relatable scenarios to her readers. In this particular story, the reader follows the charmed life of an anthropologist who winds up married to Hollywood's shining star after working on the set as the actors' guide. The reader is introduced to the girl as suffering from amnesia, and as she regains her memory, she slowly realizes that she is Hollywood's First Lady, living out every girl's fantasy. And yet, to the chagrin of readers who...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Beverly Diehl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Picture Perfect is an older book (1995) and some of the details that worked then are dated now, Everyone would have a cellphone, for instance, making it much harder to disappear, and the airport scenes would be very different, post 9-11.

Nonetheless, the book blew me away. I was not expecting it to be a story about dysfunctional families, true love, and domestic violence (with a bit of native American mythos woven in as well).

Cassie Barrett begins the book with amnesia. (Yeah, I know, that premis...more Picture Perfect is an older book (1995) and some of the details that worked then are dated now, Everyone would have a cellphone, for instance, making it much harder to disappear, and the airport scenes would be very different, post 9-11.

Nonetheless, the book blew me away. I was not expecting it to be a story about dysfunctional families, true love, and domestic violence (with a bit of native American mythos woven in as well).

Cassie Barrett begins the book with amnesia. (Yeah, I know, that premise has only been done about a billion times.) She is found and cared for by a native American LAPD cop, new to the force. As her memory begins to return, it turns out that her loving, doting husband is a big time movie star, who was out of the country on a shoot and didn't even realize she was missing.

Her memory begins to return in bits and pieces. We see her childhood, with an alcoholic mother and an enabling father. Her close friendship with Connor, a neighbor boy who might eventually have become a lover and a husband, if he had not been killed in a murder-suicide by his depressed father. We see her struggle to get acknowledgment and tenure as an anthropologist at UCLA, and then fate throws her into the path of movie star Alex Rivers.

We watch as Cassie remembers and replays her whirlwind romance with Alex, the deep emotional connection of two wounded souls. We see how much he loves her, how much he depends upon her, and she on him, how very happy they are together. The happiness, the joy, the sense of belonging, of finally finding a kindred spirit, a soulmate, from two somewhat damaged people who have been alone in the world.

And then Cassie remembers that he hit her.
That it happened not once, not twice, but countless times.

The first time it happened, she was in shock, and denial, and Alex was so sorry. And things were better, were great, for a very long time after that.

If you have never been in a domestic violence situation - I'm happy for you (and perhaps a tiny bit jealous). But the reality is, many, many people have grown up in dysfunctional homes, so far away from normal we don't even know what normal tastes like.

Could you describe a taste to someone who'd never sampled that flavor? Fresh cut strawberries; chocolate gelato, garlic butter sauce? You could put a lot of words together, show pictures and videos of other people eating these foods, but there's really no way someone who has never tasted a strawberry, could understand the flavor without putting one in his/her mouth.

Picture Perfect gets the flavor (if, perhaps, not all the details) right. The overwhelming love, soul connection, followed by confusion, betrayal, pain. The difficulty and deep shame of allowing oneself to be abused. The leaving, the coming back, after he has "changed" and gotten help.

For a fictional book, it expresses the truth of the mixed emotions in a way that many more clinical non-fiction books can't quite detail. I highly recommend it if you are trying to understand why you, or anyone, stays with an abuser.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 12, 2012 Shelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Let me start by saying, I'm a huge Jodi Piccoult fan! As in, can't wait to break in the binding as soon as it's released from the publisher. This book failed to impress in everyway possible!!!

In the first third of the book, there are essentially two main characters, Cassie who has amnesia, and Will Flying Horse a police officer who has just arrived in LA to start his new job. Will and Cassie are equally profiled in the first third of the book, but then in the second third it's all about Cassie a...more

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May 25, 2012 Amanda Goguen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the book "Picture Perfect" by Jodi Picoult for two reasons the first being that the outline of the book was very creative, I also enjoyed the concept of the book it was quite interesting. The book starts off by introducing a woman from L.A., suffering from amnesia, who was found by a police officer wandering around a graveyard. Finally days later her husband who turns out to be Alex Rivers, a well known actor in Hollywood. Cassie, the main character, is so stunned to realize that she i...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Leah Kautz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, read-in-2011, stayed-up-all-night-reading

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...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Sandy Vaughan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: listened

Narrated by Sandra Burr and Bruce Reizen

Unabridged 14 hr, 19 min

A policeman from the reservation moves to LA. He discovers a woman who has lost her memory. Turns out she is an anthropologist married to a well known Hollywood star. The couple looks "picture perfect". But all is not perfect. Her husband sometimes goes off and becomes abusive. She stays with him. Why does he suddenly become violent when he loves her? Why does she stay with him? Why does she leave him? Why...so many 'whys'. I fear s...more

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May 08, 2011 Kaytie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have just finished this book, and my golly what a treat it was!

Picture perfect is all about a women (Cassie) who was rescued by a police officer. She is taken to the police station and to her surprise (remembering nothing) her husband shows up to collect her, and he is a famous movie star. Cassie had lost her memory and couldn't think or remember of who he is!

Eventually she gathers her thoughts together and had some treasured moments in her life with Alex (her husband) but Cassie feels that th...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was another wonderful book by Jodi Picoult. It took longer to get into than others I've read by her, but near the middle it started to engross me, and the end was addictive. This book studies abusive relationships and the effect on the woman and man. One of the main characters, Cassie Barrett, is in love with a man who is beating her, but each time he does, she reaches out to comfort him. She has the classic women stereotypical mind-set that everything is her own fault, and it is her job to...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book's theme focuses on domestic abuse and what fuels the mental and emotional gears of it. In this book we're introduced to Cassie, a noted anthropologist whose married to Alex Rivers, a well-known and loved actor. From the outside their relationship seems "picture perfect" but as we delve into Cassie's memories we learn the disturbing, sad truth.

Jodi Picoult does an awesome job of evenly portraying both sides of this dysfunctional relationship. She showed how a sweet, unloved little boy g...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Hayley Leonard-Paige rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Any Picoult fan

Shelves: read-2011

Whenever I have bought a Jodi Picoult book, I have been burning with excitement and passion before I even read the first page; her books are always so articulately written, creatively woven, wonderfully researched, deep and emotional. However, I think it was precisely this expectation and my past experiences of Picoult's writing that left me disappointed in this instance.

Of course, not every piece of work can be a masterpiece, and there always has to be one that is the 'worst of the bunch'. For...more

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Dec 24, 2009 Linda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: no-thanks-i-ll-pass

Some popular writers can be relied upon to produce consistently good (or bad) quality fiction, and other cannot. Jodi Picoult falls into the latter category. While most of her novels that I've read have been compelling, topical and intelligent, Salem Falls and Picture Perfect could not be more cliched. Picture Perfect tells of the marriage between an anthropologist and America's most popular matinee idol. The book opens during the immediate aftermath of an unspecified incident that leaves the wi...more

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Oct 05, 2009 Jeni rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I would say that this book is a bit unlike other Picoult books, in that there is not really a mystery. I find that most of her books have a mystery-a secret, a whodunit-some sort of something that the reader is trying to figure out (and usually can't).

Cassie Barrett is married to Alex Rivers. Alex Rivers is like . . .Brad Pitt? Maybe Alex has the charm and fuckability of Brad Pitt, but the talent of Johnny Depp. Not that Johnny Depp isn't fuckable or charming, but more people are attracted to th...more I would say that this book is a bit unlike other Picoult books, in that there is not really a mystery. I find that most of her books have a mystery-a secret, a whodunit-some sort of something that the reader is trying to figure out (and usually can't).

Cassie Barrett is married to Alex Rivers. Alex Rivers is like . . .Brad Pitt? Maybe Alex has the charm and fuckability of Brad Pitt, but the talent of Johnny Depp. Not that Johnny Depp isn't fuckable or charming, but more people are attracted to the classic looks of Brad Pitt (and I am soooooooooooo NOT one of those people-I deplore the man). Anyhow . . . The character Alex Rivers is one famous and talented guy. And he married Cassie-a non-famous, everyday anthropologist.

The books skips back and forth a bit. It begins with Cassie having amnesia and being found in the cemetery, only to be rescued and discover: Ta-Dah! You are married to the sexiest man alive! Towards the end of the first part, she begins to remember what caused the amnesia. The sexiest man alive, also has a mean right hook. Her uber famous husband beats the shit out of her.

In the next section, we learn all about their romance and how the abuse began. I found it very hard to read this, because I could be Cassie. She loves Alex so much-a very pure love. All she wants is to be there for him, take care of him-save him. She is willing to take the pain, so that he doesn't have to. I feel that kind of love (although, let's clarify-I am not being abused).

The biggest discovery is Cassie is pregnant. Which is the reason she left (before her head wound cause amnesia) in the first place. Once she realizes this, she leaves. Well, she disappears. She calls on Will-the man who found her in the cemetery-and he takes her to South Dakota to live with his family. She assimilates and has her baby. Meanwhile, back home, Alex (who has just won 3 Oscars) is in a downward spiral. He can't explain where his wife is, rumors are rampant and his latest film is a flop.

Eventually Cassie comes back and believes he will do whatever it takes to change. He doesn't change. She leaves him and tells the whole world the truth-not out of spite. She tells them because it will make him hate her-the only way he will finally let her go. The ultimate sacrifice because she will still love him and have to deal with the pain of the hurt she caused.

I have to say, this is definitely one of my favorite Picoult novels. You can really see that she understands the complexity of relationships and writes them well-not text book, lifetime movie. (less)

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Jul 09, 2009 Annie rated it 3 of 5 stars

A story about a woman archeologist professor at Standford who is hired by a producing company to be the archeology expert on the set of an upcoming Hollywood movie. She ends up falling in love with the famous, dreamy lead actor. They get married and seem to lead the most perfect Hollywood romance until influences from the past lead the actor to take on the role of his characters and beat his wife. She becomes pregnant and in order to protect her baby tries to run away. In her first attempt she i...more

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May 20, 2009 Patty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: advisoryreading

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Picture Perfect starts off with a police man finding a woman on the side of the road who claims she doesn't know who she is or how she got anywhere. Caassie, which is her name, is taken to the police station by the cop and is, a few days later, taken back home by her husband who ends up being the movie star and hollywood heart throb Alex Rivers. She later learns that she is an anthropologist and met Alex on the site of one of his films after being cajoled into being the anthropologist on set. Th...more

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Sep 16, 2012 SK rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A memorable and entertaining ride,written with great skill and
rich detail.Describes the phases of her life from childhood to motherhood,a complex relation with her husband,very popular actor,talented,loyal yet so human when it came to a flaw.Although both shared pains from the past,their childhood.

A para that describes the complex relationship,

"To act the role of the son would mean
bringing even more anger to the surface. To work through the confrontational
scenes would mean facing his own rage. A...more

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Jodi Picoult Book...: Picture Perfect	3	41	Feb 04, 2013 08:02pm
Open discussion of the theme of the book Domestic Violence	5	31	Dec 30, 2012 02:31pm

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