Book Review: Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

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NOTE: THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS I have known Jodi Picoult to write stories that touch on issues in society. I kind of got blindsided by this one. Here is the blurb from the back of the book: [/i]A woman wakes to find herself lying in a graveyard, hurt and bleeding, her memory wiped clean. She doesn't know what she's doing - or even who she is. She is rescued by a police officer... After days of waiting she is taken by complete surprise when she is finally identified by Alex Rivers, Hollywood's biggest movie star - her husband. Cassie is dazzled and bewildered by the fairy tale in which she suddenly finds herself. But everything is not quite right, and there is something dark and disturbing behind this glamorous facade. It is only as her memory gradually returns that her picture perfect life comes crumbling down, and Cassie is faced with choices she never dreamed she would have to make.[i] Sounds exciting, a great psychological thriller. And it was. It was riveting, intriguing, suspenseful, and we had a heroine to root for. Here is where the spoiler comes in. As I said, Jodi is known for writing about social issues. This book is about spousal abuse. The author goes into very descriptive detail with regards to the abuse. There was also a disturbing flashback from Alex's past with regards to the way his father treated him and his mother. (That's your spoiler) I don't particularly care to read these kinds of stories... perhaps because I lived it myself. So it was hard for me to read, but I did like the story and read it every chance I got. Jodi Picoult is a great storyteller. You can tell she has done her historical research (I am assuming it is accurate). And of course she writes very well. I do recommend this novel as long as you can handle reading detailed abuse. For me it was disturbing and heart wrenching. I gave this book 4 stars out of 5.