Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed---again
Review: The last good book of Jodi Picoult's that I read was "The Pact", and even that was somewhat flawed. But her last few have gotten progressively more contrived...examples : the word "Father" was first interpreted wrong, then there was the contrivance of the way the little boy pronounces a name wrong (and the names being so similar), and then the remarkable coincidence of the transplant and how it affected the DNA. GROAN !!!!!Ridiculous scenes, inconsistencies, and mistakes in these books make me wonder if any editor was ever involved in them. Her writing and her plots have become so formulaic...she just plugs in new characters and voila! A new book, albeit one with little originality. In "Perfect Match" she once agains brings characters into a courtroom. It is my humble opinion that non-lawyers should either not write about the law and courtrooms or should have a really good consultant who will re-write these scenes or else give worthwhile advice. It is also my opinion that authors should not grind out a new novel every year. The character of Quentin Jones was so underdeveloped.....we hardly knew this character who played such a big role. And for someone who has children of her own, I find Picoult's depiction of children/mothering to be very off the mark. I have been reading this author for many, many years and hope that someday she will realize that a well-developed and original novel is not one that can be churned out so quickly. It makes me sad that a writer with so much talent is turning into a Danielle Steele.
Rating: 
Summary: It is astounding book you can't put down!
Review: But I have to confess that it took me several times to pick this book up. The subject matter hits too close to home ~~ a young boy gets molested by an adult and his mother is wracked with guilt and sorrow that she wasn't there to protect him from the evil ones of the world. But once I got through the first chapters and really started digging into the story, I started empathizing with the parents, Caleb and Nina, especially with Nina. Nina is a prosecutor who knows how the judical system fails the young ones by oftentimes slapping the offenders on the wrist and the young ones are the ones who suffer years of nightmares. And she was determined that it wasn't going to happen to her son. And the story gets better. With the complex weaving among the characters, the reader gets a sense that not just Nathaniel is affected by the abuse, but every one close to Nathaniel is affected by it and how they choose to react to the abuse is what makes this story tick. It is very well-detailed and well-written from different perspectives on how to handle something this monstrous to your child. It is not an enjoyable read ... it isn't something that you can just pick up and say, ah. Perfect for the beach. No, it's perfect for a rainy day inside and with time to experience the reactions of every character in this book. It's also a time-consuming book ~~ you don't want to rush through it ... you want to know exactly what Nina and Caleb and others are thinking about ... and you still get surprises after surprises. This is not my favorite Picoult book, but it is one that you won't forget easily! 6-7-02
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect book!
Review: My now almost perfectly healthy husband had a bone marrow transplant for chronic myelogenous leukemia (Thanks, donor, wherever you are!!!), and this book piqued my interest as a result. I was amazed at how much I enjoyed this book--not only was it interesting on a technical/medical level, but the pacing and character development were excellent! And the ending was worth the cost of the book AND SHIPPING!
Rating:
Summary: Too similar to all the others
Review: I have to preface this by saying that anyone who has not read many of Picoult's works might love this book. But having read almost all of her books the minute they were released, I was sorely disappointed by this one. The writing, as always, is eloquent, gripping and excellent. However, this book follows the same sequence she has used in her past few books. And it has become too formulary for me. It is almost as if her editors are pressuring her to get the books out so she follows a similar style for all of them. And although each story is different, they read the same after a while. A plot develops at the beginning with a life changing event, there is a court case, and then a surprise at the end. This particular book lost its appeal to me as soon as a Priest was drawn in to the mix. Having been prevalent in the news of late -- reading about church scandals is hardly something I wanted to do for pleasure. Perhaps that was a part of the problem. The subject is worn down. That said, Picoult is amazingly talented, there is no doubt about it. And I will read all of her books that follow because I have faith that she will work originality back into her writing. The character development is fantastic, as is the dialogue and writing, but its the story lines that all develop similarly regardless of how different they initially seem. Plain Truth, Keeping Faith, Harvesting the Heart and The Pact are four of my all time favorite books. And I cannot wait to add another of hers to that list.
Rating:
Summary: Jodi Picoult, a treasure of an author!
Review: Assistant District Attorney Nina Frost has seen the pain and humiliation children go through when they are sexually abused. She has tried - and won - many cases. Never in a million years did she expect to be on the other side of a child abuse case, but when her five-year-old son, Nathaniel, suddenly stops talking one day, it is discovered - through therapy and medical examination - that he has been sexually molested. Through sign language, Nathaniel is able to identify his abuser as the family priest, and Nina finds her life turned even more upside down. Faced with an attorney's knowledge of how sex abuse cases often turn out, Nina does the unthinkable and takes the law into her own hands. Since 1992, with her debut of Songs of the Humpback Whale, Jodi Picoult has written a string of gripping novels about the gray areas of life. She portrays both sides of a story without pointing a finger at once side and labeling it as "bad." Her characters are engaging, complicated, and realistically flawed. In Perfect Match, Jodi Picoult takes a story that has dominated the headlines recently and gives it an altogether different spin. The things left unsaid in the story encourage the reader to think and question just exactly what is right and what is wrong. The courtroom scenes, as in all of Picoult's past novels, are well-written - realistic, but never boring. Perfect Match keeps you guessing to the very last page, and leaves you gasping in surprise.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect Game and Set, Maybe Not Quite So Perfect Match
Review: The tv show "Law and Order" advertises its episodes as "...ripped from today's headlines". With today's current scandal of priests molesting young boys, Jodi Picoult's novel is right on the mark with the NBC series. Nina Frost, an assistant DA, who's job it is is to put these kinds of molestor's behind bars, experiences the nightmare of having her own 5-year old son sexually molested by a priest. Nina, who should be a defender of the system, sees all too frequently, how it breaks down. So, it probably is no surprise when she, literally, takes justice into her own hands, and shoots the priest. Nina's - or maybe Picoult's - rationale is how often do we see the victim, once on the stand, turned into a defendant. And all of this happens in the beginning of the book. As in previous novels, we see what we might expect to be the climax of the story take place in the beginning. What Picoult does is take these cloudy issues of right and wrong and run with them with characters that struggle left and right with the issues themselves and with one another. The issues here very strong. It's these characters that I have somewhat of a problem with. Nina's husband is a stoneworker - nothing wrong with that as it is a fine profession. But, for some reason, I felt throughtout the story that they are obviously and totally mismatched. It's almost as if the child that they have is their only bond with one another. He seems cold and distant to her. On the other hand, there is a police officer who has known her for years and he comes across as absolutely adoring her. Yet, either Nina never sees it or her own sense of morality won't allow her to even consider leaving her husband for a more supportive partner. This was sort of an unusual book in that the story itself and the game that is afoot will have you turning pages, but when you're done, you might have wished for a little less hijinks and a lot more character development.
Rating:
Summary: Astounding, tumultuous, outstanding
Review: The new book out by Jodi Picoult is all I was hoping for and more. The writing is exquisite, layered in textures presented from several points of view, including that of a five year old child, and unfortunately in this case, pertinent to the world around us. I don't think this woman can write a bad book and her subject matter always touches on the relevant subjects of the day. Nina Frost has spent a lot of time on the front lines in court with child molesters. Nina is a prosecutor for the State of Maine, a difficult job, and damaging to all who have to take part in it, especially the children who find themselves face to face with the accused when testifying. Nina's world is about to take an about face when her own son Nathaniel is the victim of a molester. The lengths she takes, and the insanity her life becomes, is expressed brilliantly by the author who writes of Nina's inner turmoil so deftly. 'This isn't something I can get over, it is an atmosphere I need to learn to breath.' There were times in this book where my mouth literally fell open and the expected became the unexpected. To tell you more would give away the plot and this is one that surprised me till the very last page. I wouldn't want it to do anything less for you. Another great book by this author includes THE PACT which broaches the subject of teen suicide in a unique and wonderful story of love that will leave you wanting more.
Kelsana 5/21/02
Rating:
Summary: Another Great Story from Picoult
Review: We begin Perfect Match with the main character of Nina Frost, a hard working attorney who prosecutes child molesters. In a wicked twist of fate, she soon finds her only child, five-year-old Nathaniel, has been sexually molested by someone. Stricken mute by his terrifying ordeal, Nathaniel cannot outright name his abuser. As the cards slowly unfold, Nina begins to think the legal system isn't good enough for her son and takes matters into her own hands. The Frost family, with Nina and her husband Caleb, is thrust into a situation no parent ever wants to confront. Disbelief and denial turns to resignation, truth and ultimately revenge. Caleb, a stonemason by trade, is used to building with his own hands out of brick and mortar, erecting walls and gates to keep the outside world where it belongs. The intrusion into his personal life is almost more than he can bear, yet he keeps his sanity while his wife seems to be losing hers. But, as the novel forces us to ask, what else can a mother do? The novel takes us through the process of a family unraveling, of the court proceedings that follow the trauma, and the aftermath of what a desperate mother chooses to do in the moment she sees no other way. Picoult pulls no punches. The twists and turns of the story will astound you and it's quite hard to put the book down for a second. A secondary theme runs throughout, of Nina's oldest and closest friend Patrick, now a policeman. He is deeply in love with Nina, and while her husband can sense it, she seems somewhat unaware. Between the two stories, Picoult weaves together a seamless tale of love, loss, a mother's relentless fight for the truth and punishment (however it's dealt out) and redemption. As always, Picoult delivers a finely written novel that doesn't disappoint.
Rating:
Summary: A parent's worst nightmare
Review: I work with abused children as a volunteer advocate, and this story rings true. The author did her homework. What she also did was create wonderful, complex, layered characters who are not predictable or "pre-fab." Only one thing about it was a little disconcerting, and that was the change of narrator (from first person to third) throughout. The "large print" pages were obviously told from a child's perspective, which was nice, but they weren't well integrated into the flow of the narrative for the most part. These things are minor--very minor--in light of what a great job Picoult does painting the textures of one family's moral and emotional journey into hell when their only child is sexually abused. The ending is hard to take, but appropriate. When a tragedy like this strikes, the crack it leaves may eventually close, but the fault line never goes away.
Rating:
Summary: Hard to Put Down!
Review: I could not put this one down. I felt everything the characters felt, totally engrossed in the story. And it stayed with me. A great book! Readers of Jodi Picoult novels will love Shade of the Maple by Kirk Martin, similar to The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
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