Perfect Match

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2002
368
Novel • Fiction
•
Mystery & Crime Fiction•
Realistic FictionContemporary York County, Maine, United States
2002
Washington Square Press
Paperback • 2003
Adult
18+ years
760L
Nina Frost is an assistant district attorney in Maine who prosecutes crimes that tear families apart while keeping her emotions at bay. That professional distance collapses when she and her husband, Caleb, discover that their five-year-old son, Nathaniel, has been sexually abused. Suddenly caught between her legal expertise and a mother’s anguish, Nina confronts difficult questions about justice, protection, and vengeance.
Dark
Emotional
Challenging
Suspenseful
Informative
92,963 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Reviewers praise Picoult’s meticulous research into the legal system and her ability to make fraught questions of motherhood, justice, and morality compelling. Her present-tense prose and shifting viewpoints also earn admiration from some readers. Criticism is substantial, however: Kirkus calls the novel contrived and unconvincing, while another reviewer finds the perspective changes confusing, the central characters unsympathetic, and the outcome unsatisfying. Overall, responses suggest an absorbing, thought-provoking book whose plotting and characterization may strain credibility.
Perfect Match will appeal to readers drawn to emotionally intense family drama, morally complex suspense, and difficult questions about justice, vengeance, and parental responsibility. Its opening situation—an assistant district attorney learning that her five-year-old son has been sexually abused—places professional convictions in direct conflict with a mother’s anger and helplessness. Readers who enjoy fiction that challenges assumptions about right and wrong may find it compelling, but its sustained focus on child sexual abuse makes it best suited to those prepared for disturbing material.
92,963 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Nina and Caleb’s five-year-old son, whose trauma and disclosure of sexual abuse propel the family’s opening crisis.
Nina’s husband and Nathaniel’s father, whose family is thrown into crisis by the discovery of Nathaniel’s abuse.
A police detective, Nina’s close friend since childhood, and an investigator involved in the case surrounding Nathaniel.
The Frost family’s priest, whom Nina comes to regard as the suspect after Nathaniel communicates that a priest hurt him.
A social worker who supports Nina, plans to inform Caleb, and helps those involved navigate the case’s emotional strain.
A professional who works with Nathaniel, guiding him as he uses signs to communicate what happened to him.
Nathaniel’s Sunday school teacher, whom Nina initially assumes helped him after an apparent accident at church.
368
Novel • Fiction
•
Mystery & Crime Fiction•
Realistic FictionContemporary York County, Maine, United States
2002
Washington Square Press
Paperback • 2003
Adult
18+ years
760L
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