Review of Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

Nina Frost is an assistant district attorney who loves her work. She also loves her five year old son, Nathaniel, and when a series of behavioral changes point to sexual abuse, she is devastated. Perfect Match is the story of how she sets out to find vengeance and protect her son.

What is the Storyline of Perfect Match

Perfect Match is a story that will make parents hold their children a little closer. When Nina and Caleb Frost discover that their son has been sexually abused, their world falls apart. As an assistant district attorney, Nina is well aware of the weaknesses in the American legal system. Foreseeing a future where Nathaniel is traumatised on the witness stand and where the chances of a conviction are very slim, she takes justice into her own hands.

As events unfold, Nathaniel loses the ability to speak and Nina teaches him basic American Sign Language. When he is able to communicate again, he indicates the abuser was a priest. Nathaniel's underpants are found stuffed behind the church boiler and a small stiff stain is confirmed as being semen. Forensic testing shows that the blood of the accused priest - Father Szyszynski - is a perfect match to the genetic material in the semen. The chance of a perfect match is approximately 6 billion to one. But what if an unexpected factor comes into play? Is the priest really guilty of abusing Nathaniel?

The Main Characters in Perfect Match

Nina Frost is the main character in Perfect Match with Caleb and Nathaniel playing key roles. Patrick Ducharme is a policeman and a close friend of Nina since childhood. He is secretly in love with her and appears throughout the book in the role of supporter, friend and more as her marriage disintegrates. Fisher Carrington is a brilliant Harvard-trained attorney and acts as Nina's defence lawyer. Quentin Brown, an imposing African-American at 6'5", is the prosecutor.

What Feelings are Evoked by Perfect Match

Joid Picoult is a gifted writer and tells the story of Perfect Match through the eyes of various characters. The strongest emotion that comes through is the shock, rage and helplessness that parents feel on discovering that their child has been sexually abused. Picoult explores these feelings in Perfect Match and gives readers a glimpse into what causes rational law-abiding citizens to suddenly snap and take the law into their own hands.

Perfect Match is a gripping story that hits home as it mirrors the truth of what happens as vulnerable young children are dragged into the legal system. While vigilante behavior is not the answer, Picoult presents a thought-provoking tale that will cause parents to hold their child a little closer and be aware of who is around them.

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult, Washington Square Press, 2003, ISBN 0743418735