Customer Reviews

Picture Perfect

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

This is the story of Cassie, who is found wandering helplessly in a cemetery by a young Indian policeman who just arrived in LA. Cassie suffers from amnesia and we don't know what brought her there, until a hollywood megastar recognizes her as his wife.

This is by far the most disappointing of Picoult's books, and I've read almost all of them and am a big fan of hers. Cassie is amnesic, yet she does remember stuff and it is not clear at all in the book how comes she recovers from her amnesia or actually how it happened. The story goes back and forth between the present, the past, the memories, and leaves readers lost in the middle.

I was surprised by other reviewers who were surprised by the ending. Chapter one gives the ending away in my opinion. What is frustrating is that it takes Picoult 350 pages to make her character realise the obvious.

I also found Cassie to be unreliable and unappealing, let alone her husband Alex, a massive egocentric. The story was very confused, mixing hollywood lifestyle with movie sets in Africa, with anthropology, Indian legends, domestic violence, alcoholism, amnesia - it was just too much for one book and the message was confused.

If you want a superb story of domestic violence, read Black & Blue by Anna Quindlen. If you want a good Picoult book, read The Pact or My Sister's Keeper, but definitely not Picture Perfect.

After some of the not so stellar reviews of this book I was a little wary of buying it. All said and done, I do not regret it. It is a cautionary tale of what can happen to even the most "perfect" couples and the twisted forms that love can take.

Cassie's tale will no doubt frustrate many readers and I felt as though the ending did not quite deliver, but I still enjoyed the book and would reccomend it.

Keeping Faith, The Pact, and Harvesting the Heart are prime examples of Picoult's remarkable talent. I was enthralled by all three of those books. While Picture Perfect was a good read, it lacked the depth and beauty of the others. Still, it was enjoyable.

Now let's take a look at the real world. Wonderfully written as all of Picoult's books are; this one has a lot of heart, and a whole lot of selfless love or so Cassie thinks. Is her behavior selfless or foolish?

Alex Rivers is a mega star in Hollywood and Cassie is the most unlikely of people to grace his arm at a premiere among the Hollywood golden set. She is an anthropologist with her head in the books and her mind on the next dig, happy to be in a bush jacket and jeans as she unearths her latest treasure. Two worlds collide in more ways than one when Alex and Cassie meet and marry.

A study in abuse that will touch your heart, and leave you cheering for both sides because of the love the author so eloquently makes you feel for both characters. Ahhhh but just how much can one person take, and is there a way out, is the question that has to be answered. This book had me guessing till the last 25 pages. Picoult has a new book coming out in May titled PERFECT MATCH. I'll be first in line for that one too. This author has never disappointed me. Kelsana 4/29/02

Jodi Picoult never fails me. This is the 5th book of her that I've read, and despite the fact that it isn't one of her page-turning courtroom drama types, Picture Perfect ranks right up there with my favorite, Plain Truth.

Anthropologist Cassie Barrett wakes up in a cemetary with a cut on her head and wondering how it got there. Will Flying Horse, a Native American police officer for the LAPD, finds Cassie wandering the streets and rescues her. Cassie doesn't know who she is or what she is doing -- a classic case of amnesia. Will aides in finding Cassie's family only to discover that she is none other than famous Hollywood actor Alex Rivers's wife! Slowly Cassie integrates back into Alex's life of fame, fortune, and house help. Until one day, triggered by something she sees, Cassie's memories and the reason for the cut on her head come flooding back to her. Now the only thing left for Cassie to do is escape....

I don't know what it is exactly that made me love Picture Perfect so much. The writing, as always, was exceptional, and the style of the writing was very easy flowing. And the story itself was very interesting, honest and believeable. I am an avid fan of Jodi Picoult's and reading Picture Perfect was a solid reminder of why. Kudos to you, Jodi, for another wonderfully rendered portrait of a novel.

There is WAY TOO MUCH going on in this story..Hollywood glamour, Indian mythology, Anthropology, Domestic violence...rates down with romance novels. This is definately not the author's best. I am thinking of giving up on it. A BIG disappointment!

Jodi Picoult has created characters so multi-dimensional that, days after finishing the book, I still find myself thinking about the characters and the story. Enough background is given on each character that even Alex, the abusive husband, seems sympathetic and it was easier to understand how Cassie could choose to stay in an abusive marriage. I found myself hoping the relationship would work out and I couldn't wait to see how the book would end.

Cassie Barrett Rivers is found wandering around in a cemetery with a case of amnesia. When her picture is published, her husband comes to pick her up, and to everyone's surprise, he is a famous movie star, Alex Rivers. Gradually Cassie's memory returns, although this is not described or explained well in the book. She begins to remember meeting Alex in Africa where she was asked to serve as a consultant on the set of a movie in which he portrays an archeologist, Cassie's real-life occupation. Alex wines and dines her and eventually asks her to marry him. They feel that they are perfectly suited to one another and are very much in love. However, the perfect picture is marred when Alex begins abusing Cassie, as a reaction to his own abusive childhood. In the typical way of battered wives, Cassie covers for Alex and tells herself that things will get better. Eventually she depends on the half/white, half/Lakota police officer who found her in the cemetery to help rescue her from a bad situation. The mysticism of the Lakota culture is part of the book, but somehow doesn't fit well with the rest of the story. Despite its flaws, the book did hold my attention because of the interesting characters created by author Picoult.

I first read The Pact by Picoult and became addicted to her work. Picture Perfect is another fine piece of work by this author. The only problem I could find with her book was the ugly cover (I think she needs to find a new publisher). Her words kept me glued to the page and I highly reccomend her work to any readers.

This book recounts the almost fairytale like romance and marriage of anthropologist, Cassie Barrett, and silver screen star, Alex Rivers. All that glitters, however, is not gold, as Cassie will soon discover. It seems that her handsome husband has a dark side to his personality.

When Cassie undergoes some form of temporary amnesia, she makes the acquaintance of William Flying Horse, a rookie police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. He is immediately attracted to this lovely, though mysterious, woman. He treats her tenderly and, ultimately, falls in love with her. He does not reveal his feelings, however, as she is eventually claimed by her husband, who has been looking for her.

As her memory returns, Cassie recalls what was it that drove her away from Alex. Unfortunately, Alex is the product of an abusive childhood, and the psychological trauma that he sustained growing up rears its ugly head in a way that is not conducive to a happy marriage. Cassie, however, is the great enabler, as she has allowed Alex to continue with this pattern of behavior, rationalizing it to herself.

This is a formulaic story that the author tries to augment with some Native American Indian lore that is somewhat interesting but, ultimately, fails to carry the day, as it spirals into the ridiculous. All of the characters, including the Native American ones, are one dimensional and, consequently, the reader ends up caring very little about what happens to any one of them. Neither of the readers of this unabridged audio book are talented enough narrators to make this book into something other than what it is: a mediocre work of fiction not worth reading.