This book's theme centers on domestic abuse and what drives its mental and emotional mechanisms.

In this book, we are introduced to Cassie, a renowned anthropologist who is married to Alex Rivers, a famous and beloved actor. On the surface, their relationship appears "picture perfect," but as we explore Cassie's memories, we discover the disturbing and sad truth.

Jodi Picoult does an excellent job of evenly depicting both sides of this dysfunctional relationship. She shows how a sweet, unloved little boy grew up to be a man who directed his pain into rages, and how the little girl who cared for her drunk parent grew up believing she could be there for someone no matter what. It would be wonderful if all abusive relationships could be as sweet and flowery as this one turned out to be, and that violent men only lashed out when they were hurting. However, anyone who has been in such a relationship knows that it is not so simple. Nevertheless, this book is a page-turner that, for me, has a very satisfying ending and is one that I highly recommend.

Grade: A

Cassie is discovered in a graveyard by Will, a half breed, with no memory at all.

As time passes and she gradually recovers her memory, Cassie realizes that she is a physical anthropologist and married to Alex Rivers, the movie star whom every female adores. However, her life is far from perfect.

Cassie and Alex love each other, but Alex is often filled with rage, and unfortunately, it is frequently directed towards her.

Their life, from the initial meeting to the present day, is vividly told. Cassie has endured abuse for a long time. The question is, will she have the strength to leave a man she loves?

Picoult focuses on the abuse and presents it from the perspective of the abused woman. A woman who loves a man who hurts her, believing it is her own fault and knowing that if she leaves, it could be the death of her, just as staying might be. This book made me understand a little why the abused often stay.

Nevertheless, where I felt the book was lacking was in the establishment of the story. What intelligent cop would have put her back into the abuse without conducting more in-depth investigations into the cause of her amnesia? Also, when she was examined, why wasn't she informed that she was pregnant? The book seems to be written in a way that the story is made to fit, which creates holes that can disturb the reader.

Definitely not one of my favorite Picoult books.

This book was truly annoying.

The characters within it were completely unsympathetic, lacking any redeeming qualities that could make the reader care about them.

Moreover, the plot line was way too predictable. From the very beginning, it was easy to anticipate how the story would unfold and what the ultimate outcome would be.

I really don't know why I bothered to finish it. Perhaps it was out of a sense of obligation or a hope that it would suddenly take an unexpected turn and become more engaging.

However, those hopes were quickly dashed as the story continued along its dull and foreseeable path.

In the end, I was left with a feeling of disappointment and wasted time.

This is definitely a book that I would not recommend to others.

2.5 stars

I'm truly ashamed. I find myself constantly ranting against Jodi Picoult, yet I keep coming back to her books like a bad habit that I just can't break.

Of course, it was my mom who recommended this particular one to me, and I will surely give it to her. I have to admit that I probably liked this one the best out of the ones I've read so far.

I simply can never get over Picoult's writing style. Her sweeping, overly dramatic descriptions just don't appeal to me. However, in this story, I did like the way she set it up. She let us see the damage first, so we knew right from the start that Alex was abusive, and then she swept us up into their love story.

I think Picoult actually did a really good job of getting into the mind of an abused person. Maybe she has suffered some kind of abuse herself, I really don't know. But I did appreciate how she made Alex such a stark contradiction. He was so loving and charming, the absolute opposite of what most people would expect an abusive husband to be like. And how she made Cassie intelligent and self-sufficient, not relying on Alex for a living.

I think the stereotype that abusive relationships only occur among drunks, lower class, and uneducated people is part of the reason why some people are afraid to seek the help they truly need. But I'll stop my little rant now.

I now come to the realization that I have unfortunately mixed this one up with Perfect Match. It seems that for me, some people tend to overuse the word "perfect". It can be quite overwhelming at times. The constant repetition of this word makes it lose its true meaning and significance. I find myself questioning whether there really is such a thing as absolute perfection. Maybe in some aspects, things can come close, but to label everything as "perfect" seems a bit of a stretch. I think we should be more cautious in using this word and reserve it for those truly exceptional and rare moments or things that truly deserve such a high praise.

I had truly high expectations for this book, but unfortunately, I was left feeling deeply disappointed.

The synopsis had sounded extremely interesting, yet the actual story turned out to be so predictable. I found myself getting quite bored in the middle, and it took me a considerable amount of time to get through this book.

The last quarter of the book was marginally more interesting than the rest, but I was infuriated by one thing Cassie said. She stated, “I never would have left because of you Alex. I only left because of the baby.” This statement truly left me speechless! She is essentially suggesting that she wouldn't have left Alex for abusing her if she hadn't been pregnant. How could she think in such a way? That's such a ridiculous and unacceptable statement! No person, whether pregnant or not, deserves to be abused or should ever tolerate it. Moreover, she admits that she left for the baby's sake and then decides to go back to him! Why on earth would she do that? It makes absolutely no sense. She has left twice, she knows exactly what he is like, and she even admitted that she needed to leave for the baby's well-being, yet she still goes back to him. Ugh, it was incredibly frustrating.

Also, the Will plot-line seemed to be leading towards a romance, but it never actually materialized. I was confused as to why the author even bothered to write the scene where Will kisses her out of nowhere or explain the fact that they both have feelings for each other when nothing comes of it. It seemed that he could have fulfilled the same role for her by simply being a friend. Or at least, if it was supposed to lead to a romance, it should have ended in a more conclusive manner. But I don't know; I just wasn't feeling it.

The time jumps were quite annoying as well. I already hated Alex from the beginning, and then having to delve back into Cassie's and Alex's life together was something I couldn't care less about. Since I already despised him, I couldn't appreciate the moments where they fell for each other, and a lot of that was difficult to get through.

I think there was a good underlying idea here, but it just wasn't executed well enough for my liking. However, I'm still willing to give other books from this author a try.

\\n  Rating: 3.5 Stars\\n


'I know you don't understand, and I can't explain any better than this: I loved Alex so much that it was easier to let him hurt me than to watch him hurt himself.'


For all the bad reviews that have been trending for this book, I feel compelled to offer the unpopular opinion. While Picture Perfect wasn't exactly...picture perfect (geddit geddit okay I'll show myself the door), it also didn't deserve all the negative views it received.


The story follows Cassandra Barrett, who is trapped in an abusive relationship with Hollywood big shot Alex Rivers. I understand what you might be thinking, perhaps it sounds like something out of a ridiculous fanfiction. But I have to disagree with the common perception. This book does not lack depth. Experiencing the cycle of abuse that they put themselves through was irritating, of course, but they felt more real than words can describe.


Even though Alex is the abuser, he is actually more hurt than anyone else. And although Cassie seems to willingly be his punching bag, she is stronger than any other character in the book. I admit that I didn't get to know Will well enough, but these characters, all created by the same author, were so diverse and different. The way everything came together in the end was both heart-wrenching and powerful, and I admire the author for being able to handle such a sensitive topic so well.


However, there were some things that prevented me from rating this book higher. The unnecessary drama and backstories detracted from the main narrative. I appreciated the author's attempt to incorporate Native American culture, and anthropology is indeed interesting. I could even overlook Alex's superstar brattiness. But when the main focus is the struggle and release from an abusive relationship, were all these complications really necessary? I believe that this story would have been more effective with fewer distractions, and perhaps these backstories could have been saved for another book.


Overall, I did think that Picture Perfect was worth my time. It may not be the best book from this author, but it is still as emotional and complex as her other works.

Alas,

I have always been a vocal advocate for Picoult, hailing her as an author of "good reads." However, this particular offering is a major disappointment. It can be likened to the paperback "bodice-busters" found in grocery stores. The story concept itself has some potential, but the execution in terms of writing is highly questionable. One不禁 wonders where the editor was during the process. The only redeeming aspect was when the Native Americans were featured in the narrative. I would strongly advise against picking up this book. My apologies to Ms. Picoult, but this one simply doesn't measure up to her usual standards.

I was given this book and started reading it last summer.

The initial few chapters were quite captivating. An anthropologist named Cassie is discovered by a LAPD officer named Will, who incidentally is half Sioux. Cassie has amnesia and is promptly identified as the wife of a movie star named Alex. She is a professor at UCLA.

Then the story flashes back four years and remains engaging as Cassie and Alex meet in Tanzania. He is shooting a movie there while she is preparing a site for students to come and work. She is hired to be a consultant on his movie as his character is an anthropologist. They fall in love and get married on location.

Subsequently, the central story unfolds. Alex is a great guy most of the time, but both he and Cassie come from dysfunctional families. If Alex loses his temper, Cassie endures the abuse. Had I known that spousal abuse was the main theme, I would not have begun the book. I deliberated whether to continue reading as I assumed what the ending would be, and I was right. However, two things kept me going. One, Will is from Pine Ridge, South Dakota, an Indian reservation where my brother worked as a dentist after dental school to repay his student loan and a place I have visited. Two, I was curious about how Jodi Picoult would depict abuse therapy. The part of the story set in Pine Ridge was interesting to me, but I was not impressed with the therapy section. Nevertheless, Picoult does provide an open ending that offers hope for two of the characters. Overall, it's mostly a "don't bother to read" from my perspective.

One interesting Picoult story is about the perfect family image, with the "blind eye" to the invisible flaws of the image.

When I went to Goodreads to mark that I was starting to read this book, I was shocked by the large number of very poor reviews, so I expected a rather disturbing work. Unfortunately, I got and didn't get what I expected, so let's start from the beginning:

Kasey is a quickly famous anthropologist who, in the course of her work, gets acquainted with a very popular actor that every woman in the world dreams of. He is handsome, talented, rich - a complete package. However, he also has a flaw: he can't control his temper and hits his woman.

Her husband, a world-renowned actor Alexander, is a shining and charismatic personality, hiding his true nature and his not-so-sweet past. To some extent, from the very beginning, he allows the reader to understand what demon lurks in him: he doesn't know how to love. His love lies in narcissism, in possessing another person, not in that love when you want the best for the other.

I was surprised at how easily I read this book: the text just flowed and I easily "slid" through it. However, in the last 100 pages, Kasey's personality became annoyingly soft. Imagine yourself in her place: you have been with a sadomasochist for 3 years, and during his tantrums, you don't even feel the second child you are carrying. What do you do? Do you gather your things and leave? Yes. What does Kasey do? She goes back to him. Because... if he hits you until you lose consciousness for 3 years, it doesn't mean he'll hit you the fourth... SAD.

Despite the really very engaging character of Kasey and the already becoming the "author's business card" - the unusual ending of the book - this is really not a bad story that, perhaps contrary to what Kasey did, will make the reader think that violent people don't change. At least I hope so.

Before you decide what you want to be,

it is essential to first know where you want to be. This fundamental understanding serves as a guiding light in the journey of life.

He let himself fall into her, grasping at her words and the electric feel of her skin against his. He was at a loss for words, for he never knew what to say.

He wished he'd learned long ago how to express the feeling that if she were gone, if she ever left, his world would cease to exist.

The sky overhead was the color blue the world had been invented for, a breathtaking sight that added to the beauty of the moment.

His eyes slowly traveled from her hairline down the bridge of her nose, her cheeks, neck, and shoulders.

He left a physical warmth in his wake, as if he'd actually touched her.

She could no more stop him than reverse the flow of her own blood, succumbing to the intense connection between them.

He ran his fingertips gently over her body, the way a sightless person learns another's face.

As she opened to his touch, she began to think that maybe she was as he believed.

She stared at the lines of his body, realizing 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.

He told her, "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 some people collect rare coins."

He had stitched himself so neatly into the weave of her heart that letting him go would mean unraveling herself.

She did not tell her friend that he was so gentle he sometimes made her cry.

Nor did she mention that afterward, he would hold her so tightly the breath was driven from her lungs, as if he were afraid she'd disappear.

She also didn't disclose that every now and then, as he prayed to her with his hands, heart, and mouth, she felt as cherished and as blessed as a saint.

She held his face in her hands, filled to bursting now that he was standing in front of her.

She wondered how she hadn't noticed how very empty she had been before.

His hand pressed against her stomach, as if he could help her carry their child.

He put his arms around her, giving her the simple beat of his heart to measure time.

She closed her eyes, leaned into his faith, and let herself go.

He looked fresh and clean shaven, 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 think 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.

Please provide the article that needs to be rewritten and expanded so that I can help you.