Jodi Picoult has done it again. She’s masterfully created a beautifully refreshing novel that’s not afraid to get in your face. You probably know Picoult from her New York Times bestseller My Sister’s Keeper, but she has authored many more thought-provoking novels. Perfect Match is one such example.

Nina Frost is a lawyer who prosecutes sexual offenders. She knows how the system works and how it, more often than not, fails the children who have been sexually abused. When her four-year-old son, Nathaniel, becomes mute and it is determined that he was raped, Nina is at a loss. At first no one is sure who was the rapist, but when the offender is determined, Nina is dumbfounded. She does not want the justice system to fail her son, like it has done for so many others, so she takes justice into her own hands.
Picoult is superior at writing novels that make us reason with ourselves. She creates these wonderful characters, for example Nina, and then throws them into demanding and frustrating situations, like her son getting raped. Soon we start to question whether we were right to cheer on this person at all. She is not afraid to dive into the area of uncomfortable questions and answers, for instance are there certain situations where murder becomes justifiable.

Jodi causes us question our morals and our views on issues like murderers and insanity. Perfect Match is a prominent and startling landmark on the often-bland horizon of realistic fiction novels. If you enjoy books that have complex characters, a gripping plot line, and a satisfying ending (who doesn’t?), then this is the book for you!