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A review by asourceoffiction
Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Oh my goodness this book was a punch to the gut. From so early on it's incredibly difficult to read, and incredibly difficult to put down; particularly if you have children. The fact that I have a child of this age was never far from my mind while reading.
What I found really compelling is the way Nina's parenting is so very far from perfect, even in the face of tragedy. With Nathaniel at his lowest, she still can't muster the energy to always have patience with her child, and the way all parents can identify so clearly with that idea just makes the whole thing more relatable and more heartbreaking.
Picoult's writing from the perspective of the child is so clever, and although we can only imagine how a five year old would feel in the situations she describes, the way she has imagined Nathaniel's perspective feels real and so devastating. She captures how a completely innocent, blameless child interprets the world around him and reaches his own conclusions about the consequences of his actions.
I knew from the start that, as with all of Picoult's books, this would not wrap up nicely for everyone with rainbows and bunnies. But it was still in the back of my mind throughout, wishing for the happy ending life so rarely provides. Another emotional whirlwind that doesn't so much tug at the heartstrings as tie them into knots.
What I found really compelling is the way Nina's parenting is so very far from perfect, even in the face of tragedy. With Nathaniel at his lowest, she still can't muster the energy to always have patience with her child, and the way all parents can identify so clearly with that idea just makes the whole thing more relatable and more heartbreaking.
Picoult's writing from the perspective of the child is so clever, and although we can only imagine how a five year old would feel in the situations she describes, the way she has imagined Nathaniel's perspective feels real and so devastating. She captures how a completely innocent, blameless child interprets the world around him and reaches his own conclusions about the consequences of his actions.
I knew from the start that, as with all of Picoult's books, this would not wrap up nicely for everyone with rainbows and bunnies. But it was still in the back of my mind throughout, wishing for the happy ending life so rarely provides. Another emotional whirlwind that doesn't so much tug at the heartstrings as tie them into knots.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, and Murder