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    Picture Perfect
    Picture Perfect
    Picture Perfect
    Audiobook15 hours

    Picture Perfect

    Written by Jodi Picoult

    Narrated by Brian Hutchison and Amanda Leigh Cobb

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    To the outside world, they seem to have it all. Cassie Barrett, a renowned anthropologist, and Alex Rivers, one of Hollywood's hottest actors, met on the set of a motion picture in Africa. They shared childhood tales, toasted the future, and declared their love in a fairy-tale wedding. But when they return to California, something alters the picture of their perfect marriage. A frightening pattern is taking shape-a cycle of hurt, denial, and promises, thinly veiled by glamour. Torn between fear and something that resembles love, Cassie wrestles with questions she never dreamed she would face: How can she leave? Then again, how can she stay?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateAug 26, 2016
    ISBN9781501934636
    Picture Perfect
    Author

    Jodi Picoult

    JODI PICOULT is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-six novels. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the New England Bookseller Award for Fiction, the ALA’s Alex Award, the New Hampshire Literary Award for Outstanding Literary Merit, and the prestigious Sarah Josepha Hale Award in recognition of her distinguished body of written work. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband. They have three children. You can visit her website at wwww.jodipicoult.com  

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    Reviews for Picture Perfect

    3.5/5

    740 ratings36 reviews

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    • 1/5
      Not her best work by far. The Lakota storyline was the best part.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      Very sad to write this about a Picoult book but wow, I did not like this one at all. The heroine was not one at all and I just wanted to throat punch her until the last page.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      I am one of this author’s biggest fans. But I just could not have any respect for Cassie. Allowing herself to be a punching bag and then endangering her very sick baby by removing him from the hospital and giving him over to superstition and folklore. In the real world this child would have died. I thought it took something away from the narrative because her books are usually honest portrayals of real people and real issues. That was science fiction.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      Disappointed… story wasn’t well developed and ends abruptly. Wouldn’t recommend

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      I have liked and rated highly every single Jodi Picoult novel I have listened to.

      This one left me cringing in a few places. Sorry, this is going to reveal the ending to this book, so if you haven't read the book and don't want a "spoiler," move on.

      Among them: the only cause for divorce one can list in California since way back in the '70s is "irreconcilable differences." This book is "staged" in the '90s, so... In addition, CA's "no fault" divorce law -- at least when I was getting divorced back in the '70s -- meant that the person filing for divorce did not have to list any specific cause of action, and while the other side could contest matters such as property division (more on that in a minute) and child custody, if one person in the marriage wanted out and stuck to it, that was it. Doesn't matter what the other person wants. So your spouse may drag their feet about the property settlement, and contest spousal and child support, but they cannot prevent you from getting a divorce.

      As for the property settlement, CA divides marital property -- property obtained after the marriage -- evenly, but for two exceptions: 1) if one of the partners has been profligate with the shared property, the other person may obtain a greater part of the property based on what its value would likely have been had the spouse been less of a spendthrift; and 2) all properties owned by each member of the couple at the time of the marriage remains personal property. Unless of course, the funds have been co-mingled and there is no way to establish ownership free and clear.

      Now, that is a technical issue. What's even worse than that:

      2) The plot depends on one's belief in the plausibility of a very smart, independent woman with her own career getting so deeply caught up in a relationship with a film star and director that she would stay with him despite frequent beatings. This is the 1990's. The domestic violence hotline and shelter movement began in the very early 1970s in California. I should know. I was communications manager for one of the oldest shelters in the country, in the farthest east area of LA County, just over the line from San Bernardino County. It would be hard for anyone in the tv/movie industry not to know about these shelters, since several tv and movie stars were involved in "Stars for Shelters," a fundraising effort for shelters/hotlines established by an actress who starred in a TV movie about domestic violence. Many stars were involved. The shelter I worked for was assisted by Katherine Helmond and Robert Mandan of the oddball tv show "Soap" popular in the early 70s. So by the 90s the battered women's movement was well established beyond its original "by the seat of our pants" feminist centered movement, which began with domestic violence hotlines.

      While I know that many victims of domestic violence come from economically advantaged families, and I know that sometimes even strong women end up in such relationships, this particular character simply does not seem credible to me, suddenly and hopelessly falling in love with a movie star/director. That a woman as educated as the main character here would not have at least vaguely known about such things strains my credulity.

      Later Picoult novels are much stronger in their character and narrative development than this one. It's ok, passably worth reading/listening to, but not her best quality.

    • 3/5
      I was able to skip large parts of this book and still keep up. I don’t usually do this with Jodi Piccoult books. The ending was good.
    • 2/5
      Tough to get through this. Plot lines just weren't working
    • 2/5
      This is the first book I've read by Jodi Picoult. I was hoping for something different from the typical chic lit/romance genre.

      I was left disappointed. It read exactly like many other romance books out there - I can see why other readers have compared it to Danielle Steele. It was basically an overly-long Mills and Boon.

      What I will give credit for is the portrayal of domestic violence in the story. Cassie's experience and attitude towards her husband's behaviour seemed very accurate and well written, even to the point where none of the other characters noticed anything was wrong, or didn't speak about it. I also liked Will's character and his development through the story: his was the most well written and interesting of all characters in the story.

      Sadly all other characters in the book were too one-dimensional and flat to be convincing, and there were many stereotypes. Cassie, a typical chic-lit protagonist: unnoticeable, introverted, with an"I don't know what he sees in me" attitude, meets Alex, a typical good looking, dominating male. Ophelia was shallow and uninteresting. Other characters I have forgotten, with the exception of the people Cassie meets on the reservation (my favourite bit of the book). Alex's appearance was described to death throughout the book, to the point of irritation. And every single character had an extremely flawed past: every time a character was introduced I grew to expect an explanation of what their troubled history was.

      The story was far too long, and would have benefited from some tighter editing. There were also a few writing habits that got a bit tiresome for me. Eyes darkened a lot. Arms were placed firmly by sides a lot. And the worst was how words and thoughts were given form: my thoughts puddled on the floor. His words drifted over me/drifted away/He whispered words up my arm etc. It wasn't good writing. It was enough to put me off reading another book by this author, unless she has grown out of this habit in later novels?

      I expected more from this book, but didn't find it to be anything special.
    • 4/5
      Relationships and the issues of domestic violence and what keeps women going back the perpetrator. Well written and insightful.
    • 3/5
      Not as engaging as most of Picoult's writing. At times I had a hard time wading through it.
    • 3/5
      Female anthropologist meets famous Hollywood actor on a movie set in Tanzania.They fall in love, get married. He is an abusive husband and she stays with him in LA for three years and then disappears to South Dakota until their baby is born. She returns with the promise that he will get help. Of course he doesn't and she files for divorce. The book is about 200 pages too long.
    • 4/5
      Amazing book. The author truly captures what happens in most spousal abuse situations. Having lived through it myself, there were times that reading the situations were extremely hard and I had to sit the book aside and come back. Well worth the read and very realistic as far as the thought process of an abuse victim.
    • 3/5
      (14 hours: 26 min. )Cassie Barrett, a world-renowned anthropologist, marries a Hollywood heartthrob, Alex Rivers who turns out to not be what he seems. I found it having boring patches but paints a useful picture of spousal abuse if you need that help. Even though it starts out with her being found in a graveyard with amnesia, this exciting beginning doesn't seem to have bering on the rest. Without giving anything away, she chooses to use Native American ritual medicine instead of a modern hospital when she has access to millions of dollars and the best medicine. Not believable. I think Picoult has written better.
    • 4/5
      I liked it. Finished it last night. Finally not a book by Jodi Picoult with a court case. I constantly expected it but thankfully it did not come.
      This is a book which I consider an easy quick read. Wish there was a part 2. ;) What to read now?
    • 3/5
      The Lakota Indian background was what drew me to this book, and I found every part of it fascinating. There were a lot of descriptive scenes about rituals, understanding a more instinctive way of life, and for some reason I always get sucked in when Jodi Picoult is writing. Emotional, but funny, it made me want to know the characters in real life.
    • 4/5
      Really enjoyed this, Classic Picoult for me, could hardly put it down once I started it. I was surprised by the lower ratings. She is such a great story teller.
    • 2/5
      Jodi Picault's books depict extreme and obsessive love, and other emotions. Though they make a good read, one is left feeling unsatisfied at the end, mainly because one has to suspend too much of disbelief. This book was particularly disappointing...
    • 4/5
       I hadn't enjoyed the last couple of Jodi Picoult's I read, so I was pleased to find myself enjoying this one. [Spoilers ahead, as always...] It is the interesting story of a woman in a relationship which in many ways is better than many - her husband worships her, they are passionate, he is a world famous movie star and they are extremely rich - and yet is so much worse - her husband physically abuses her. JP did well here to make Cassie intelligent and self-aware, with her own career and at least one close friend, which makes her role as victim much more interesting and nuanced. The story is grippingly told, starting with Cassie with amnesia, so we discover Cassie's life at the same time she does. [I'm not sure what to think about the Native Americans - it does feel a bit broad brush, stereotyped 'natives on a trailer park, who reject conventional medicine for magic and woo', but then I don't know very much about Native Americans at all, so perhaps stereotyped minority characters are better than none at all?]
    • 4/5
      An early Picoult which I listened to abridged. Her subject is spousal abuse and dysfunctional marriage. Cassie is married to an actor who abuses her. She eventually stops putting up with it. Only three discs. Would have loved to hear it unabridged.
    • 3/5
      Jodi Picoult's books always deal with very real and difficult matters. This one deals with domestic violence. Usually her books really tug at my heart but this one failed to do so quite possibly because I have never been a victim of domestic violence. The only character I liked a little happened to be the main character, Cassie. But I found her very weak. I didn't like Alex Rivers although I did feel sorry for him. As a child, Alex was also a victim of abuse at the hands of his father. This abuse turned him into the man he became, a man full of so much rage which he takes out on Cassie. I didn't particularly care for Will either. In fact, I thought it was sad that he was embarrassed by his Indian Heritage. I did like the book but I don't recommend reading it since there are so many other GREAT Jodi Picoult books.
    • 3/5
      Cassie wakes, injured and experiencing amnesia, in a graveyard. She’s later identified by her husband Alex, a famous movie star. She returns to what seems an idyllic life, but there’s something disturbing lurking under the surface. Both characters are portrayed sympathetically, but it’s still a horrifying story. Bits of this felt disturbingly realistic, while others didn't work quite so well for me. Just an aside, I really liked Cassie’s imaginings of a different world where an anthropologist returning with a new discovery could draw crowds at an airport (cf. a movie star).
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. As usual, Jodi Picoult grabs me from the first page and I can't put it down. I enjoyed the characters very much and thought she once again chose a topic that needed attention and showed it with her usual grace and talent.
    • 2/5
      Picoult's weakest yet. It's a lucky thing Picoult is such an engaging writer; otherwise I don't think I would have finished this one, the story of Cassie Barrett, an archaeologist married to an abusive celebrity, Alex Rivers. He beats her, she comforts him; she tries to leave, he makes extravagant promises of good behavior; they stay deadlocked for a long time. That's pretty much the story. I liked her surprisingly compassionate take on the abusive husband (don't worry, she does not excuse it in ANY way); I didn't like Cassie's burgeoning relationship with Will, a character who, in his own way, is just as controlling as abusive Alex. And I didn't like that Picoult didn't seem to notice that about a character she herself created.
    • 2/5
      I feel a bit mean giving this only two stars, as it's readable and has a good go at trying to say something meaningful. It just annoyed me though - I didn't enjoy the style of writing at all, many of the characters seemed cardboard cut outs - which is a bit of an issue on a character driven story, charting the development of an abusive relationship,. Not a book I'd recommend to anyone, though I'm sure it's in part a matter of personal taste and some people would get a lot of enjoyment from this.
    • 2/5
      Not one of my favorite Jodi Picoult books. It wasn't a book that I couldn't put down. It was to predictable and the characters were not memorable.
    • 3/5
      This book is a little different to Picoult’s usual style of writing. For starters, there was no court case in the book, which she usually uses to get all the facts out. Instead, there was a long flashback to the past that the main character, Cassie, is trying to remember.However, having read quite a few of Jodi Picoult’s books, I would have to say that this wasn’t one of my favourites – it was a little predictable, where most of her books have an interesting twist at the end.All the main characters had interesting back stories, but this made all their actions a little predictable.It’s kind of hard to get a summary without giving away the key parts of the plot, and it isn’t as well written as some of her more recent books, but the story idea was good, although the ending was quite predictable.
    • 5/5
      This was another great book by one of my favorite authors. I like how things ended, though Alex's reaction was not very realistic at the end. It took me just a little bit of time to get into this one at the beginning, but it didn't take very long to hook me until the very end.
    • 4/5
      This book was honestly a hard book to read, but not because it was bad. The book was very well written. And hard to put down a bit. Alex Rivers and Cassie Barrett are a Romeo and Juliet pair. Alex Rivers is the handsome sweetheart of Hollywood he meets Cassie on a movie shoot..and its a whirlwind from there. They seem to be the perfect couple, and all goes well. But..there's a secret..Alex beats Cassie, and she takes it, and as many do blames herself. Picture perfect was a good emotional read, and it goes through many things. You will love some characters and want to throttle others. If you are ok with the emotions of it, I do recommend this one.
    • 4/5
      -A woman, suffering from amnesia, must rediscover her marriage to a movie star, and figure out why she ran away before suffering the injury that caused her amnesia. Upsetting, reminded me of Here on Earth, and nobody writes as beautifully as Picoult about falling in love. Not as good as Second Glance, My Sister’s Keeper, or Plain Truth, but still an excellent read, and beautifully written. I love how she weaved in Native American characters and ideas, as she did in Vanishing Acts.
    • 3/5
      This book was really eh. I am actually surprised that I found it in me to finish it. I have never read any Picoult before, but based on the many recommendations I received regarding her work, I expected it to be much more engaging. One of my issues with this book had to do with the subject matter. It is yet another novel that casts in among its main characters a hollywood movie star. I am up to here with Hollywood books and movies. I feel like there is very little fresh to be said about all that - and in this case - there was a small spin on the norm - but much of it was same old same old.I think the ending was a little bit of a let down. but I guess I should applaud her restraint in not making it more sensational and less hard to believe than it already was.The first half to 2/3rds of this book is a real snooze. The last third or so was a little more interesting - enough so that I plugged on to the end.