Pre-numbered label used for registration.

great choice of book, thanks for sending it to me, as the 'happy day in july' RABCK winner :D

"To the outside world, they seemed to have it all. Cassie Barrett, a renowned anthropologist, and Alex Rivers, one of Hollywood's hottest actors, met on the set of a motion picture in Africa. They shared childhood tales, toasted the future, and declared their love in a fairy-tale wedding. But when they returned to California, something altered the picture or their perfect marriage. A frightening pattern took shape - a cycle of hurt, denial and promises, thinly veiled by glamour. Torn between fear and something that resembled love, Cassie wrestled with questions she never dreamed she would face: How could she leave? Then again, how could she stay?"

The sypnosis doesn't really give you a clue about the book.

It opens with Cassie, injured and found in a graveyard. She doesn't remeber who she is. The book to start with is about how she rediscovers herself. Then rediscovers the secrets of her homelife.

I have only read 2 Picoult books now, and while this book was ok, I did think of shutting it and moving on about half way through. I'm glad i stuck with it though. There were many times i wanted to scream at the main character of cassie, tell her not to do this, or do do that. But the good thing about this book, it is not predictable, so she ended up doing the things I didn't want her to.

It took a frustratingly long time for Cassie to see the light, but I can appreciate that in situations like this, it's not as simple as walking away.

The characters were well detailed, and you got under the skin of them all, understanding the reasoning behind what happens in this story.

I would give this book a 7 out of 10.

This book is up for names, for a bookray! PM me to join!


Participants so far:

Me (obviously)
PussInBooks, in UK, post to EU
LindyLouMac, in EU, post to EU
lucy-lemon, in UK, post to EU
BOKWORMY, in Portugal, post internationally
allbookedup, in Austria, post to EU
penelopewanders, in Switzerland, post to EU
turnpages, in UK, post to ?
Spartaca, in UK, post international
Cymraegpixie, in UK, post internationally
jadmat, in US, you are then free to do with it as you please! (<------ Book is here)



Rules:

All the normal ones really, PM the next person in line anytime before you have the book, or while you are reading it for their address. Send the book on within a reasonable time, and make a quick journal entry to let everyone know it's arrived. If there are any problems, post on here, and PM me and I will do my best to sort it out.

Enjoy the book, and thanks all for joining!

RELEASE NOTES:

Travel well little book!

On it's way to the first in the bookray!

Received today, many thanks. Will get onto this one asap.

This was very readable, and contained all of Picoult's hallmarks - well threaded storylines, engaging characters, complicated backgrounds. My two complaints would be, firstly, the Native American motif gets overdone a bit at times - I think Picoult needs to realise that writing about a spiritual culture doesn't necessarily make your writing deep and meaningful. And secondly, you do get frustrated with the wetness of the main character and want to bellow 'JUST LEAVE HIM!!!' after a while. Although her inability to see her husband for what he is may be true of many real-life women, it doesn't make it any less annoying to read about.
Still, well worth a read, it'll keep you interested to the end.

Off it goes now to LindyLouMac.

Arrived in the post yesterday with thanks to Pussinbooks for sending on and to Jacksmum2004 for letting me join this ray. Jodi Picoult is an author I only discovered and started reading in Nov 2006 and I have only read four other titles so far. I have already discovered that she tends to write in a very formulaic style, but nonetheless enjoyable. This is I assume one of her first novels as it was first published in 1995, I had no idea she had been publishing so long. I think it was much later she was first published in the UK.
Anyway I look forward to reading this, I have a book to finish and another to read before I can start but I am a fast reader. I will not be holding the books journey up for an unreasonable time.

The fifth Picoult novel I have read and certainly not the best. It was first published in 1995 so I assume one of her early ones. I think that her writing has improved a lot since the, as this lacks the depth of her more recent novels.

Even back then she was already writing in what appears to have become her trademark style about very controversial subjects. In this one the protagonist Cassie is the victim of abuse at the hands of her beloved husband Alex. It takes her the four years that this story covers to actually be brave enough to confront her situation.
The novel starts with Cassie being rescued form a cemetery suffering from amnesia by Will, a half Sioux Red Indian working as a policeman. It turns out that she is the wife of Hollywood superstar Alex Rivers who takes her home to her wonderful mansion and helps her recall her life.
Will seems to have a Sioux instinct that her life is not as ‘Picture Perfect’ as it seems on the surface, promising to help her if she ever needs it in the future. Just as well as gradually memories of Alex’s repetitive abuse return.
At one time he tells her “If he could have found a way to turn the red rage into himself instead of toward her, he would have done it in a heartbeat”. Not true as not once during their marriage did he ever try to seek outside help. The problems within the relationship were always kept a secret, even after she finally left him; he lied about what was happening.
The contrasting lifestyle of Cassie and Alex compared with those of the Native American Indians make an interesting link expanding the story beyond straightforward abuse.

I have already sent a PM to lucy-lemon and will mail this as soon as I hear from her.

RELEASE NOTES:

En route to lucy-lemon in the UK.

This arrived a while ago, but because I've had so much uni work I've kept all the book shaped parcels in a pile in my room! Work (and uni) is all over now, so I can just read and read and read. Looking forward to reading this as a bit of light fiction is just what I need at the moment :-)

01/06 Finished this today a few hours after starting it. Didn't really like it that much, but it wasn't something I could stop reading either. It was really interesting to look at the motives/explanations for domestic violence, but to be honest, I just wanted to scream at Cassie to stop being so stupid!
Thanks for sharing :-)

Just received in the post thanks to lucy-lemon and a big thank-YOU to jacksmum2004 for sharing it with me!

I've got a bookring before this one, I shall try to be quick.

X

Another great book by Jodi Piccoult. It had me hooked from page 1! Looking forward to reading her other books.

PMing next person on the list!

RELEASE NOTES:

On the way to allbookedup in Austria!

I received the book today, thank you BOKWORMY for sending it to me and thanks to jacksmum2004 for starting this bookray!

another good read by Jodi Picoult, but not her best in my opinion. Still I liked the interesting setting, the famous actor, who is everybody's darling and how they met on the movie set, and how it turns out he has a dark side and beats her up and how she was taken in by Will's family.
Now off to the next reader, penelopewanders.

This may have arrived while I was away; I look forward to reading it soon, as soon as I sort through the other rings that came in at the same time. (I'll try to figure out the quickest reads and tackle those first so they can be sent on quickly). This looks like a good one, and based on my other Picoult experiences - all good so far - this will be a quick read. Thanks so much for making it available and sending on.

Yes, well, I guess over the years I've had time to learn not to judge, even when everything seems crystal clear. I finished reading this in the train down to Perugia this weekend, and found this a very moving and credible story of the formidable dependency between the abuser and the abused. As the therapist points out, sure, she could have walked out (maybe), but some part of her needs to take Alex's pain as much as he needs to give it to her. This may sound like I'm condoning it or something - absolutely not!!! but having visited a painting exhibit from the 1500s just yesterday with Saint Sebastians galore, I was reminded how not new this whole theme is! I have the next address and if I can make it to the post office today I'll send it from here in Gubbio, Italy (gorgeous...) otherwise I'll send it from home on Wednesday. Thanks so much for making this available.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Managed to get to the post office in Gubbio, Italy, before it shut. On its way from Italy to England. Thanks so much for making it available.

Thank you for the RING and for sending the book. It arrived safely this morning....

Got the book yesterday and finished reading it this morning!
I agree with what has been said so far: this is not the best Picoult novel, but it is still a compelling read and hard to put down. I also loved the set-up of the famous actor, the half-Indian and the anthropologist caught in the middle. The topic of domestic violence was presented and researched clearly and well. The one thing that was missing for me was the depth regarding the Native Indian culture (in comparison to other books such as Plain Truths with the exploitation of the Amish lifestyle).

Thank you very much for sharing this book, I did still enjoy the read...

I contacted the next reader regarding the address and will try to post the book early next week...

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sent on...

Have just picked this up in the post, I will read it as quickly as I can and send it on. I have read about five of Piccoult's novels so far (was introduced to her books by a friend last year) and it will be interesting to compare this one.

I read this within 3 weeks in September, and can't now remember the plot. This tells you it didn't have a very profound impression on me! You can tell it's one of her earlier novels: she doesn't set any of the later ones outside North America in "exotic locations", and they're about ordinary middle or upper working class people, not showbusiness people. These two things are a bit of a cliche. Her later novels are more authentic.
But the way she depicts an abusive relationship is very real. I take issue with one or two of the other comments here: it isn't that simple for the woman to just walk out. It takes a long time for her to realise that the abuse means the whole relationship is not worthwhile, or not safe to be in. Things don't look that simple or straightforward to the person who is in the the relationship. The man has usually made the woman emotionally dependent on him before the abuse starts.

Cymraeg pixie hasn't answered my PM, so this is now jadmat's.

jadmat, have you got the book now, or is it still with you Spartaca?

Thanks everyone for joining in and making this a succesfull ray!

I posted this on to jadmat within a week of the last entry I made. Hope it didn't get lost on the way.

I am so sorry for the delay. I received this book last year, and honestly, it sat on a shelf for a bit before I loaned it to my sister. I just got it back recently, and it reminded me that I had never journaled. Hope to read it very soon.