Picture Perfect

by Jodi Picoult

A woman with amnesia is found in a graveyard in Los Angeles. No one is more surprised than she when her husband comes to the police station to take her home—and turns out to be Hollywood's leading film star. Bewildered by the perfect life that has been suddenly thrust upon her, Cassie finds herself living a dream, but there is something dark and disturbing behind this glamorous façade. It is only as her memory gradually returns that everything starts crumbling.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Drama, Adult Fiction, Adult

369 pages, Paperback

First published March 21, 1995

About the author

Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-eight novels, including Wish You Were Here, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister’s Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. Picoult lives in New Hampshire.

MAD HONEY, her new novel co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan, is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio on October 4, 2022.

Website: http://www.jodipicoult.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodipicoult

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jodipicoult

Reviews

[Merelyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Women's Fiction. This book has hard hitting topics in it, but I feel the topics are covered very well. The book starts out went a cop finds a woman who does not remember who she is, and the book follows her story. Everyone thinks her life is picture perfect, but what is behind closed doors is not so picture perfect. Great book.

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

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 pathetic childhood; Will's Lakota childhood and why he ran away to L.A.; Alex's lies regarding his childhood to his present day status as a god in Hollywood. I was so confused that by the time the book got to present day with Cassie regaining her memory I almost missed it.

[Ct Lanop · Rating 1 out of 5]

I typically love Jodi Picoult novels but this one was a huge let down. She typically focuses on relevant topics and is able to capture the details of everyday life along with the real emotions her characters are dealing with; but Picture Perfect was nothing but a bad romance novel. Her portrayal of the wife battering is shallow and unrealistic. The little that she touches on Native American issues is interesting, but again, there's no real substance to anything in this novel.

I have chosen Jodi Picoult’s books in the past because she is able to portray the emotions and issues people face when dealing with challenges that have not been part of my world. I have marveled when imagining the in-depth research she must have conducted to create such realistic scenarios and have been amazed at how she can capture the essence of her characters lives. Picture Perfect totally missed the mark for me, so much so that I'm starting to wonder if Jodi Picoult even wrote this novel.

[Lira · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Syndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say Jodi Picoult is not my thing. After I read this book I feel like I am having amnesia just like the main character. Do not remember much of what is going on with this book.

[Jill · Rating 1 out of 5]

Airplane read. Underwhelming treatment of domestic violence with a weak ending. I spent most of the book thinking that it was going to focus on how difficult it is to honestly connect with someone who is constantly acting, or even maybe something about how the romance novels Cassie read during her marriage had contributed to her putting up with abuse. But toward the end I realized that it was basically just a romance novel dressed up to look like something more serious. Disappointing (and a romance novel would have cost less, frankly).

I was especially bothered by how Cassie's decision to "out" her husband as abusive was framed as her realizing that she had to make him hate her, because she would always love him... or something like that.... so that it was STILL about what was best for him, rather than what was best for her. If it had been a better and more nuanced book, I could have accepted that, or taken it as a critique of the effects domestic violence can have (Stockholm syndrome, that kind of thing). But this really wasn't that book.

Also, after awhile all the rapturous descriptions of sex with Alex undermined the storyline. I just didn't believe that Cassie was living in constant fear of him... if she were, that would have showed up in her ability to relate to him sexually. Overall, I was disappointed and finally annoyed with this book.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love an amnesia trope in books and this was really well done.

Cassie’s life is picture perfect, or so she’s lead to believe after being found in a graveyard with no memory of who she is. Turns out Cassie is married to Hollywood’s leading star.

Usual Picoult style, heavy subject matters that make you think. Really enjoyed this one.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jodi Picoult is a favourite author of mine and has been for many years now. Although this one didn’t hold my interest and I didn’t connect with the characters as much as some of her other books I still liked it, I just didn’t love it.

[C · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was initially intrigued by this story: amnesia, a suspicious situation involving a movie star, a hot cop... but what I was left with was a main character who defined herself by the men in her life. I couldn't empathize with her as she rebounded between men while leaving a strong and rewarding career on the sidelines. It was painful to get through. Not my favorite.

[Laurel Osterkamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 truly difficult to read, because you find yourself emphatizing with the one being abused but at the same time feeling some frustration at their seeming inability or unwillingness to do something about it. In fact, the main character keeps justifying the abuse her husband rains on her, which is a well known behaviour of most abuse victims.

I really enjoyed reading this one (I've yet to come across a book by this author I have no enjoyed, some more than others). I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it.

[Chiara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had so many problems with this book. It really upset me that that Jodi Piccoult took the very intense subject matter of domestic violence and set it up through such an unrealistic premise. I mean, c’mon, how many A-list celebrities do you know that fall in love with plain-Jane anthropologists and then go on to win oscars for best actor, best director, and best picture all at once (btw, this has never been done before). It made it really difficult for an average girl like me to relate to Cassie’s high profile relationship which only distanced the subject of spousal abuse when it should have had the opposite effect.

Plus, I hated all the characters, except for the Native Americans. Ms. Piccoult makes it seem like Cassie and Alex found each other because they are the only two people in this world with more than one dimension. All the other women in the book are either brainless crazed fans, slutty whores, or grandmother figures. I guess I’d choose Cassie too if that’s the pool I had to pick from, because other that that I can’t for the life of me figure out what makes her so special. And I had just as many problems with Alex who, abuse aside, goes back-and-forth from being self-pitying to self-entitled and whose obsession with Cassie borders on annoying.

I personally don’t have any experience with domestic violence to determine whether or not Piccoult accurately portrayed it, but based on her completely unrealistic depictions of many other things in the book, I have my doubts.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I'm ashamed. I rant against Jodi Picoult and I keep crawling back to her like a bad habit. Of course, my mom recommended this one to me and I will give it to her- I probably liked this one the best. I never, ever can get over Picoult's writing style. Her sweeping, dramatic descriptions don't do it for me. However, I liked the way she set up this story. Letting you see the damage first so you knew that Alex was abusive before sweeping you up into their love story. I think Picoult actually did a good job getting into the mind of an abused person. Maybe she's suffered some kind of abuse herself, I don't know, but I did like how she made Alex such a stark contradiction. So loving and charming- the absolute opposite of what most people would think an abusive husband would be like. And how she made Cassie intelligent and self-sufficient (not relying on Alex for a living). I think stereotypes of abusive relationships being only for drunks, lower class, uneducated people is part of the reason why some people shy away from getting the help they truly need. But I'll hop off my soap box now.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was hard to read. This is a story that happens everyday to millions of women all over the world, though most of them are under less dramatic circumstances. I give it three stars though, because the Will Flying Horse character felt incomplete and tangential. If he’d been removed altogether, the story would’ve still worked. Felt like he was only a plot device so that Cassie had somewhere to go. The fact that he was Sioux was completely irrelevant (he could’ve been Franciscan priest, and the story would’ve still been the same). He needed more fleshing out, and he needed more purpose.

[Gabrielė|Kartu su knyga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skaitydama stengiuosi Jodi knygų nepadauginti, nes šios autorės knygos nėra iš lengvųjų. Autorė mėgsta pasirinkti skaudžias bei dažnu atveju nepatogias temas. Kaip ir šį kartą.

Antropologė Kesė Baret dirbdama sutinka žymią Holivudo žvaigždę Aleksą Riversą. Nuo tos akimirkos Kesė supranta, jog pagaliau gyvenime viskas stojo į savo vėžes. Aleksas - mylintis bei rūpestingas, protingas ir žavus. Atrodo, jog gyvenimas tiesiog tobulas.. Jie iškelia nedideles vestuves Afrikoje kurioje abu dirbdami ir susipažino. Po jų pora nusprendžia grįžti atgal į Kaliforniją. Tuomet jų abiejų gyvenimas pasikeičia kardinaliai.
Kesė suvokia, jog ne viskas yra auksas, kas auksu blizga. Namuose viskas pasikeičia vos per akimirką. Taip po truputį tobulos santuokos paveikslas ima skilti į mažas daleles..
Moteris supranta, jog taip tęstis daugiau nebegali. Bet tikriausiai lengviau yra pasakyti nei padaryti. Tiesa?

Prieš šią mano skaityta knyga didelio įspūdžio man nepaliko, tad norėjosi tikrai geros knygos. Nors teko girdėti, jog ši knyga ne visiems patiko, tačiau ji man buvo būtent tai, ko šiuo metu man reikėjo.
Toli gražu dar nesu perskaičiusi visų Jodi knygų, bet galiu pasakyti, jog ši tikrai skyrėsi nuo pastarųjų skaitytų jos kūrinių. Truputį kitoks rašymo stilius ir kitaip pateikta pati istorija, bet mano akimis tai nebuvo blogai. Pritarčiau tiems, kuriems ši knyga pasirodė ne pats stipriausias Jodi kūrinys, bet ir šiuo atveju galima įžvelgti pliusų. Bent aš jų įžvelgiu daugiau nei minusų 😊
Šioje knygoje autorė subtiliai, tarsi pro durų raktų skylutę pažvelgia į santuoką, bei ją supančius paslaptis. Ir smurto šeimoje problemą. Skaitydama stebėjausi Kesės stiprybe ir tai, kaip ji su viskuo susidoroja.. Aš jau tikriausiai po pirmo smūgio būčiau trenkusi durimis ir išėjusi.. Nepateisinu tokio elgesio visiškai.
Tad man ši knyga tikrai patiko. Sudorojau ją per du vakarus.. Negalėjau padėti į šoną šio skaitinio kol nesužinojau koks likimas laukia Kesės bei Alekso.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 wife with amnesia (cliche #1). The police officer who rescued her is a Native American struggling to survive in the racist atmosphere of LA. He is inexplicably drawn to this woman, and can't get her out of his mind (cliche #2.) As the plot unfolds, it is instantly apparent that all is not well within the marriage. The worried but narcissistic husband has a penchant for flying off the handle, and we suspect that he is abusive (cliche #3.) The back story centers upon how and why the Native American became a cop, and is fluffed out with several native legends, which are the highlights of the novel. Supporting characters tend toward types, such as macho cops, the bimbo best friend, and the sleazy agent from Brooklyn.

The story plays out all too predictably, and is little more than a soap opera, or a romance ala Nora Roberts or Danielle Steel. Which is fine if that's what you're looking for, but it's not a genre that I enjoy.

[Deborah Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time reading Jodi Picoult. I had picked up several of her books at used book sale because they sounded interesting. I mentioned them to my sister who said she heard Jodi Picoult's topics could be heavy, but had not read her books either. I've kept the books on my back burner, not wanting to read more upbeat books. Once a year, my mother and sister and I each choose a book we want the other two to read, and this year my mother chose this book. I am so very glad she did.

This book was so well written and got harder to put down the farther I read in it. I was fascinated by the main character, especially her archaeology career and her experiences with native americans. I loved her courage at different points in the story. I loved the character Will, but my favorite characters were his grandparents! I seesawed between liking and hating Ophelia throughout the book. As much as I hated Alex, the author developed the character so well, I felt sympathy for him many times. Even though the topic of this story is heavy, it is so well written, that most of the book is much lighter. It is a wonderful read with Native American folklore and current culture, archaeology in Tanzania, Africa, several love stories and romance, magic, descriptions of clothing and food, Hollywood, Los Angeles, the Black Hills of South Dakota, and on and on. I will be reading more of Jodi Picoult in the future.

#abookwiththesametitleasamovieortvshowbutisunrelatedtoit

[Britta · Rating 4 out of 5]

"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 the bridge of my nose, my cheeks, my neck, and my shoulders. He left a physical warmth in his wake, as if he'd acyually touched me."

"...I could no more stop him than reverse the flow of my own blood."

"He ran his fingertips gently over my body, the way a sightless person learns another's face, and as I opened to his touch I started to think that maybe I was as he believed."

"...I stared at the lines of his body. I realized it was like looking into the sun - you shouldn't do it, because you'd turn your face away and be blind to everything else."

"You're just the one to make it all better... Don't you see that? That's what you do best... You collect other people's problems the way come people collect rare coins."

"...[he] stitched himself so neatly into the weave of my heart that letting him go would mean unraveling myself."

"I did not tell her that he was so gentle he sometimes made me cry. I did not tell her that afterward, he would hold me so tightly the breath was driven from my lungs, as if he were afraid I'd disappear. I did not tell her that every now and then, as he prayed to me with his hands and his heart and his mouth, I felt as cherished and as blessed as a saint."

"I held his face in my hands. I was filled to bursting now that he was standing in front of me, wondering how I hadn't noticed how very empty I had been."

"...[his] hand pressed against my stomach, as if he could help me to carry our child."

"You put your arms around me, giving me the simple beat of your heart to measure time."
"I close my eyes, lean into your faith, and I let myself go."

"...looking fresh and clean shaven and just as he did every morning when he came out of the bathroom and took her breath away."

"It had taken [her] years to understand, but now she was a firm believer: love was that way - you could not render it in black and white. It always came down to the strange, blended shades of gray."

"He looked at her, his lashes dark with tears. 'You're too much a part of me,' he said. 'If you cut yourself free... then I bleed to death.'"

"He could smell detergent from the diaper, and powder, and something unnamed that he could only thin of as what pink would be, if it had a scent."

"[She] slipped her hand into [his], trying to memorize the temperature of his skin, the smell and the very sense of him lying beside her in the night. These were the things she would let herself keep."

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, lawd, this book was awful. Let me start by saying that I *think* I know what Ms. Picoult was doing here: as the protagonist of the book had a dirty little secret of enjoying seedy romance novels, the book was written as such. But, for the love of all things literate and holy, Jodi - put a disclaimer on the cover of this book, or maybe just Fabio, so those of us with a weak stomach and gag reflex will not be so quick to pick it up just because it has your name attached to it! With lines like "He held his palms up to the smooth white wall, hoping to feel some of the heat her gifted hands had left behind." and "only Cassie had pressed her hands to his chest and felt the skin stretched over a heart swollen with rage.", I would have thrown the book across the room if it weren't on my breakable and indispensable Kindle.
As far as the subject matter - I have been in an abusive relationship, I know how it works (well - doesn't work, I guess). I understood why she kept going back, and those were the only parts of the book I felt that Picoult got right. The Indian angle was all over the place, the celebrity angle was completely unbelievable (biggest movie star's wife goes missing TWICE and no one notices until the Oscars?)...and the best friend was not a friend at all, yet ended up being her closest ally in the end?
This book was written in 1995 and Ms. Picoult has written some incredible works since then, but I am not happy with this book and if it were the first book I had ever read by her, I would never pick up another.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mais uma vez Jodi Picoult aborda um tema pesado e com cenas chocantes que tem feito aumentar a já enorme legião de fãs.
Em Ilusão Perfeita a autora conta-nos a história de Cassie uma antropóloga inteligente, que trabalha para a UCLA, e de Alex Rivers, um conceituado actor de Hollywood, lindo de morrer, o sonho de qualquer mulher.
Pelo meio conhecemos também o seio da comunidade dos índios Sioux, uma comunidade fechada, mas deslumbrante.
Quando, ainda amnésica que lhe dizem que é casada com o famoso Alex Rivers, Cassie nem quer acreditar. Mas será a sua vida um conto de fadas? A violência doméstica é aqui relatada ao pormenor e não escolhe estratos sociais. E o facto de, muitas vezes, a vítima voltar ao local do crime e desculpar o agressor, é aqui justificado muito bem. Gostei.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

After I read "Leaving Time", I set a goal to read every Jodi Picoult book. This book has caused me to rethink that goal. I can't believe I finished this book. It was so painful. It really comes down to 3 characters: Cassie, Alex and Will Flying Horse (yes, Flying Horse). First, we start with the amnesia theme. I should have tossed it as soon as I realized amnesia was happening. Amnesia books always suck. So we have the long, drawn out process of Cassie realizing who the f she is while Will takes her to his apartment (seriously?) instead of right to the police station when he realizes she is a missing person. Will is supposed to be this mysterious Native American knight in shining armor, but he's just a dick in his own way. He is annoyed with Cassie for talking after just a few hours together at his apartment and he blows up at her when she starts unpacking his stuff to "help" him get settled after his move to LA from South Dakota (to be clear, no you shouldn't unpack somebody else's stuff. Fine.)

Will finally does bring her to the police station and then a missing persons case has begun. Her husband Alex, the movie star, immediately stops production of his current film in Scotland, "Macbeth", because he's such a sophisticated actor, comes back to LA to claim her. And because of the AMNESIA!!! she doesn't remember all the abuse and it takes another 150 pages or so for it to come back to her. Even though you, as the reader, can see it coming from 1,254,894 miles away since he gets into a fight at a restaurant and breaks glassware in the home when he becomes slightly irritated.

When she finally remembers the abuse she gets a hold of Will and he spirits her away to the Reservation in South Dakota, where she will now live among the Lakota people. At this point she is 3 months pregnant and has only been to the doctor once to confirm the pregnancy. Apparently she receives no prenatal care for the duration of her pregnancy and ultimately delivers her baby outside with the tribal elders (not sure if I should get into all the Native American stereotypes heavily present throughout the book, because that could be an entire chapter unto itself. The names alone-Marjorie Two Fists, Joseph Stands In Sun. It feels incredibly heavy-handed. Of course, I know very little about Native American Culture so maybe all of these descriptions were spot on: I'm not in a position to say one way or the other.) She also has no contact with her job during this period of time other (but don't worry, she can just pick up where she left off when she comes home more than half a year later-oops, spoiler alert!) So she uses the kind people of the Reservation and as soon as she has the baby she notifies Alex of her whereabouts and he comes to claim her. He promises never to beat her again and she's all, "Ok, great." She tells Alex she wants to stay in South Dakota another 2 weeks before returning to LA and he's like, "No, now," and she goes, "Allright."

Back in LA, Cassie is soooooo relieved all that battering is behind her. Alex is totally fine with the fact that she left and lived with another man for 6 months. They go to therapy once. Alex is supposed to go to group therapy (um ok yeah right) but he doesn't go, then he beats Cassie again, she bleeds from the ears, then has a press conference to tell the world she's leaving him, he shows up very calmly in sunglasses to watch the press conference and lets her go because NOW he gets it, and he totally won't track her down and murder her.

The End! I hate this book!

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am always impressed by Jodi Picoult. This is my 4th book by her, but - unfortunately - my least favorite. But she still grabs my attention and interest and holds on to it. Another thing that amazes me about Picoult is how she can make a subject matter that I do not want to read about engaging and entertaining.

Also, her characters - even the ones that are ostensibly villains - are all complex. You have sympathy for them all. Whether it is a former Nazi (as in The Storyteller) or a skinhead (as in Small Great Things) or an abusive husband in this book, they are not two-dimensional.

I will definitely have to read more of her work.

[Alaina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty sure I've read this before but I just couldn't remember when which is why I never put it on my read tab until now. After reading Picture Perfect I kind of feel nothing. I'm kind of numb and no, not numb in a good way. I'm numb because I barely remember what I just read. The characters weren't memorable to me and I have no idea how I feel about that! I feel like I didn't even read this book ...AGAIN!

I don't want to bash this book to pieces because of my love/hate relationship with Jodi Picoult books. So, I'm just going to say it left me numb in a bad way. I wish I could remember what I wrote or what the characters did throughout the story. But I can't because that would be lying and this would be a terrible review.

I apologize to every book I've read this week. I apologize to all of the previous books I've read by Jodi. I hope this never happens again to me.

[Paula K · Rating 1 out of 5]

Forget any of her earlier novels. I read Humpback Whales, tried to read Mercy and couldn't get thru it. Ditto for Picture Perfect. Gave up on it. This one is like a cheap romance novel you get at a dollar store.
Don't bother with this one. Stick to her more recent stuff.

[Dem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Suz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book did not hold my attention, the native Indian stories were interesting but did not seem to really fit.

[Leah Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Makella · Rating 3 out of 5]

oh picture perfect; there are so many reasons why I wanted to give this book a better rating, but I just couldn't do it for the following reasons; the book was a drag. although intricate descriptions and background knowledge is appreciative in trying to develop more of an insight into the characters you are reading about, there was just so much of it in this book, which consequently made it rather tedious to read. as a result, I just didn't get that feeling resonated within other Picoult books, whereby I literally could not stop reading, or stop thinking about the book when I'm not reading it. The story plot had such great potential, but I feel as though Cassie's slow realisation of what was clearly obvious in the middle of the book, only fuelled my frustration of how everything in the book was dragging. I feel, Cassie herself was a rather conflicted character, and although this usually evokes sympathy for me, the pace in which she dealt with her predicament made it harder for me to like her as a character. Alas, I realised that this is the experience that many people go through when they're in the same situation as Cassie. Although the 'read' and the flow of the book wasn't necessarily amazing, as with all Picoult novels, I learnt so many things of value to life. It made me further my understanding of the painfully excruciating experience that women like Cassie go through, and how it affects their decision making. My heart really went out to her, but ultimately, I feel as though she never really moved on, and that she never WILL move on from her continuous unconditional love for Alex, regardless of everything he had done. Overall, a decent read, and although I gave it 3 stars, it's a book I will never forget.

[Andreia Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cassie acorda no meio de um cemitério! Ferida, sozinha e sem memória, é encontrada por um policia recém-chegado a Los Angels até ser identificada pelo marido, através de um anuncio de jornal. O marido, Alex Rivers, é o Brad Pitt do momento e mostra a Cassie uma vida que não é aquela que Cassie viveu. Até que a memória regressa!

Neste "Ilusão Perfeita" falta o típico dilema moral que Picoult me habituou noutros livros. Não temos de escolher ou de ponderar sobre quem é a parte culpada e quem é a vitima. Não temos de nos pormos a escolher entre dois lados de uma balança. Neste livro, já a sentença está definida desde o inicio. Não diria que o livro é previsível, mas simplesmente, não tem o suspense de outros livros da autora.

Por causa disso, e não significa que não seja um livro extremamente bem escrito e construído, fiquei um pouco decepcionada! O livro é bom, só não é um livro à Picoult. Falta qualquer coisa nesta história e mesmo o final sendo mais próximo àquilo a que é habitual suceder nos livros dela, não é totalmente fechado nem conclusivo o que, na minha opinião, este tipo de enredo merecia.

Não digo que não irão gostar do livro. Porque a história é original e interessante. Mas, os fãs de Picoult não vão encontrar nestas páginas a sua marca, o seu cunho!