Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Summary:
On an icy winter night, a terrible accident forces a family divided to come together and make a fateful decision. Cara, once protected by her father, Luke, is tormented by a secret that nobody knows. Her brother, Edward, has secrets of his own. He has kept them hidden, but now they may come to light, and if they do, Cara will be devastated. Their mother, Georgie, was never able to compete with her ex-husband's obsessions, and now, his fate hangs in the balance and in the hands of her children. With conflicting motivations and emotions, what will this family decide? And will they be able to live with that decision, after the truth has been revealed? What happens when the hope that should sustain a family is the very thing tearing it apart. (from GoodReads)

Review:
Unfortunately this is another book from the summer so I can't say too much about. I love Jodi Picoult in general so naturally I enjoyed this one a lot. The information about wolves was extremely interesting, though I read somewhere that it might not be as factual as Picoult suggested. So be cautious when reading but if it's true it's fascinating. I remember not enjoying Cara's character that much - she's a little bratty but I guess that comes with being 14 years old. I'll read any book by this author and know I'll enjoy it so this is the same deal!

Rating: 7 out of 10.
FTC: library

2012/Atria/448 pages.

Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult

Summary:
A handsome stranger comes to the sleepy New England town of Salem Falls in hopes of burying his past: Once a teacher at a girls' prep school, Jack St. Bride was destroyed when a student's crush sparked a powder keg of accusation. Now, washing dishes for Addie Peabody at the Do-Or-Diner, he slips quietly into his new routine, and Addie finds this unassuming man fitting easily inside her heart. But amid the rustic calm of Salem Falls, a quartet of teenage girls harbor dark secrets -- and they maliciously target Jack with a shattering allegation. Now, at the center of a modern-day witch hunt, Jack is forced once again to proclaim his innocence: to a town searching for answers, to a justice system where truth becomes a slippery concept written in shades of gray, and to the woman who has come to love him. (from GoodReads)

Review:
Ah, back to the Picoult I know and love. Reading her first ever novel was definitely an experience and it's interesting to see how far she's come and how much better at writing and plotting she is. This book isn't even that new but those 10 years really helped her out.

The main crux of Salem Falls is what happens during a false rape accusation, especially if the accused is already a sex offender. It's unfortunate that this happens to Jack because he's actually a really good guy. I have a slight problem with these stories because it makes it sound like there are all these girls that just want to ruin some poor man's life by accusing him of rape. In reality those statistics are really small but obviously it does and could happen and that's where Salem Falls comes in.

As always, I love the multilayered plot and revolving points-of-view of several main characters. Jodi Picoult is able to expertly weave backstories and flashbacks amid all the action and I'm constantly amazed by her skill. The ambiguity of the ending is both interesting and frustrating. I don't have too much to say about Salem Falls other than that I really enjoyed it and it remains a classic Picoult novel.

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from the library

2001/Washington Square Press/434 pages.

Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult

Summary:
Sometimes finding your own voice is a matter of listening to the heart.... 

Jodi Picoult's powerful novel portrays an emotionally charged marriage that changes course in one explosive moment....For years, Jane Jones has lived in the shadow of her husband, renowned San Diego oceanographer Oliver Jones. But during an escalating argument, Jane turns on him with an alarming volatility. In anger and fear, Jane leaves with their teenage daughter, Rebecca, for a cross-country odyssey charted by letters from her brother Joley, guiding them to his Massachusetts apple farm, where surprising self-discoveries await. Now Oliver, an expert at tracking humpback whales across vast oceans, will search for his wife across a continent -- and find a new way to see the world, his family, and himself: through her eyes. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I've read so many books by Jodi Picoult and it was super interesting to read the first one she's ever written! While the story was enjoyable for the most part, I can definitely tell it's the author's first foray into writing.

Songs of the Humpback Whale was written in the early 90s and it's pretty obvious - the descriptions of the clothes and the lack of computers/cell phones/GPS. It was weird reading about a road trip in which the characters couldn't use their cell phones to map the route. I'm pretty sure Rebecca and Jane didn't even have a paper map with them and just relied solely on Joley's directions through the mail.

What makes this novel different was the way in which it was written. The reader gets five different POVs and one even goes backwards on the timeline (which I didn't realize until I read the author notes at the very end). This isn't unusual for Jodi Picoult novels except for the fact that sometimes the same scene was written from a few different perspectives. Interesting: yes. Necessary: probably not.

I also didn't really care for the romance in the novel, including the romance between Oliver and Jane, Jane and Sam or Rebecca and Hadley. I had a big problem with the latter because there was a ten year age difference between the two. Rebecca was 15 and Hadley was 25. Sometimes I felt like the only one who saw the ridiculousness and illegality of this relationship. It doesn't help that Rebecca turns 15 about a week before she meets Hadley so she is pretty young. That alone made me dislike the book.

But it's a Picoult novel so it's fairly well-written with good characterization. Overall I didn't mind reading it but her newer stuff is a lot better. So if this is the first novel you read by Picoult definitely check out her other stuff too.

Rating: 7 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from the library.

1992/Washington Square Press/346 pages

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer

Summary:
What happens when happily ever after... isn’t?

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I was so excited that Jodi Picoult was coming out with a YA novel - I love her adult fiction and hoped she would be just as amazing with a younger audience. I didn't know that she wrote this book with her teenage daughter - and it definitely shows. 

Between the Lines is supposed to be YA, but reads more like Middle Grade. Delilah is 15 and is an immature 15-year-old at that. She is obsessed with a fairy tale and is surprised when the protagonist, Prince Oliver, starts talking to her. This story line is something I would have really enjoyed in early middle school or maybe even younger (for those who are advanced readers).

I think that was my biggest problem with the book - that I was nowhere near the target audience but I was lead to believe that I was. Between the Lines had none of the depth, character or plot development that I've come to expect from a Jodi Picoult novel. Delilah falls in love with a book character and while many readers have been in that situation (myself included), I thought it was unrealistic that Delilah would give up everything - her mom, her best friends - for Oliver.

I think Between the Lines would be perfect for the 10-14 age range, especially with the beautiful illustrations. If you're older, you may feel underwhelmed by the simplicity.

Rating: 6 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from the library.

2012/Simon Pulse/358 pages.

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Summary:
One miscarriage too many spelled the end of Max and Zoe Baxter's marriage. Though the former couple went quite separate ways, their fates remained entangled: After veering into alcoholism, Max is saved in multiple senses by his fundamentalist conversion; Zoe, for her part, finds healing relief in music therapy and the friendship, then romantic love with Vanessa, her counselor. After Zoe and Vanessa, now married, decide to have a baby, they realize that they must join battle with Max, who objects on both religious and financial grounds. Like her House Rules and several other previous Jodi Picoult novels, Sing You Home grapples with hot button issues. The novel also includes a CD of songs, each matched with a chapter in the book. Perfect for book clubs. (from GoodReads)

Review:
This is one of Jodi Picoult's newer novels, which is obvious by its subject matter. I think the issue of gay rights and marriage is a very important, so I was happy to see it tackled in Sing You Home.

I enjoyed Sing You Home, just as I do with all of Picoult's novels. What was cool was that it came with a CD to accompany different chapters. Since Zoe is a music therapist, it's supposed to be her singing. I'll admit that I haven't listened to it yet, but I'm gonna pop it in my CD player pretty soon now that I've finished the book.

I thought the commentary on music therapy was very interesting, especially because I've never really heard about it before. Zoe goes to hospitals, schools and nursing homes to play for the ill and elderly. She tries to get them to engage with the music or just be distracted from the pain. If I was more musically inclined, this type of job would be right up my alley. I love music (and I played clarinet for many years) so I definitely believe in the healing properties of melody and lyrics.

Sing You Home will probably be a controversial book for some people, since it involves the hot-button issue of gay rights. No matter what your political affiliation, no one can argue that denying rights to a group of people isn't wrong - and that's what is at the heart of Sing You Home.

This novel switches points-of-view between Zoe, her partner Vanessa, and her ex-husband Max. Zoe's and Vanessa's narration were way too similar and I kept getting confused about who I was reading (I guess that shows why they should be together, though, they're so similar!). I was glad to read about Max, too, even though he's painted as the "bad guy." It shows how he became religious and why he's part of an evangelical church. Since he lives with his brother Reid and sister-in-law Liddy, we also get some insight about other members of the congregation. These characters are likable, even if their actions are a tad misguided.

The only thing I was confused about was Zoe and the way she chose to identify herself as a lesbian. I wasn't sure why Jodi Picoult didn't write her as a bisexual, since she seemed to be attracted to both men and women. I think labels are unnecessary and anyone can love whoever they want, but I was curious why she picked one and not the other. I wish I could ask the author!

Overall, I enjoyed Sing You Home and thought its portrayal of equality and gay rights was spot-on. The ending was not what I expected but I still liked the way everything turned out. Can't wait to see what Picoult puts out next!

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library.

2011/Atria/466 pages.

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

Summary:
Attorney D.A. Nina Frost sees a parent's worst nightmare firsthand--she prosecutes child molesters, and she's seen one too many walk free. But when her own five-year-old son becomes a victim, Nina is determined to do whatever it takes to find the assailant--no matter the consequence. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I am on a Jodi Picoult roll! People at my pool have even been noticing the fact that I keep bringing her books in. It's pretty much a combination of my love for her novels, the accessibility of them (my library has like every copy) and the sheer number of books she has written.

I'm starting to notice themes in Jodi Picoult's novels, one of which is motherhood. There is always a character who is a mother, and usually that's an important part of the story. I'm not a mother, but I always feel like I can relate to them in these books. Jodi Picoult makes me love the children and I start to understand how a woman (or man) would do anything to protect her or his children.

Perfect Match was a tough book to read because it deals with the sexual abuse of a child. This was especially relevant, since the Penn State scandal is still in the headlines, and the Catholic Church is facing similar allegations. I thought that Jodi Picoult did a great job of addressing this issue and everyone's responses and reactions were spot-on. Even reading from five-year-old Nathaniel's perspective was so tough because the author was able to get into his mind and we were able to see how he felt.

What was so sad about Perfect Match is that it highlighted the fact that the U.S. justice system so often fails young children. Sometimes the only evidence of abuse is the child's testimony, and if a child is too young or distraught, they can't be used as a witness. This essentially allows predators to walk free, which is a very scary thing. As a prosecutor, Nina deals with this every day, so as a mother, I can see her frustation and her willingness to do anything for her son.

What I liked in Perfect Match (and many of Jodi Picoult's novels) is that I am usually surprised by the twists and turns. Usually in books I can guess what's going to happen, but I was legitimately shocked by some of the plot points in this book. I love still being able to be surprised by books.

It's funny how I can tell that this was one of Picoult's earlier novels, because there are changes in her writing style. But overall I enjoyed Perfect Match (as much as you can enjoy a book about abuse) and think it was on par with the rest of her novels.

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library.

2002/Washington Square Press/368 pages

Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult

Summary:
Every expectant parent will tell you that they don't want a perfect baby, just a healthy one. Charlotte and Sean O'Keefe would have asked for a healthy baby, too, if they'd been given the choice. Instead, their lives are made up of sleepless nights, mounting bills, the pitying stares of "luckier" parents, and maybe worst of all, the what-ifs. What if their child had been born healthy? But it's all worth it because Willow is, well, funny as it seems, perfect. She's smart as a whip, on her way to being as pretty as her mother, kind, brave, and for a five-year-old an unexpectedly deep source of wisdom. Willow is Willow, in sickness and in health.

Everything changes, though, after a series of events forces Charlotte and her husband to confront the most serious what-ifs of all. What if Charlotte should have known earlier of Willow's illness? What if things could have been different? What if their beloved Willow had never been born? To do Willow justice, Charlotte must ask herself these questions and one more. What constitutes a valuable life? (from Amazon)

Review:
By now everyone should know about my deep love and adoration of Jodi Picoult and all her novels. I feel like it would be a little over the top to gush about yet another one of her books, so I'll try to keep this short.

The summary is a little vague, so I've decided to fill in some of the blanks. Willow was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, which the formal name for brittle bone disease. It's quite debilitating, and people with this disorder can brake bones just by sneezing or knocking into something. I've never broken a bone in my life, so to have sixty plus fractures and breaks by the time you're five (which Willow has) is pretty crazy. I didn't know that much about OI before I read Handle With Care, so I applaud Jodi Picoult for bringing this to my attention and to the attention of her readers.

In Handle With Care, Willow's mother Charlotte decides to file a wrongful birth suit. Essentially, she's saying that if her OB-GYN had diagnosed Willow earlier, she would have terminated the pregnancy. The OB-GYN in question is Charlotte's best friend, which adds another layer of the story. This was a thorny case, especially because Charlotte was pretty much doing it for the money. I agreed with her reasoning, but I think it would be so hard to sit on the stand and say that you would have terminated your daughter when she's sitting right in front of you. Does that make you a good mother to be willing to lie, or a bad one?

The only thing I didn't really like in Handle With Care (except for the ridiculous ending) was its similarity to House Rules, which I just read. Both focus on mothers trying to help their children with a disability, both have another child who feels neglected and starts acting out because of it, both highlight the struggles (financial, physical and emotional) that the families undergo.

Overall, Handle With Care is a nice addition to the Jodi Picoult's body of work. It's not my favorite of hers, but still a good novel in its own right.

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library.

2009/Atria/477 pages.

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Summary:
When your son can't look you in the eye...does that mean he's guilty?

Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. But he has a special focus on one subject - forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he's always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he's usually right.

But when Jacob's small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob's behaviors are hallmark Asperger's, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are directly in the spotlight. For Jacob's mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob.

And over this small family, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder? (from GoodReads)

Review:
I love immense love and adoration for Jodi Picoult and her novels. Her books are always informative, thought-provoking and extremely readable. I have trouble putting them down and even though they are usually long, I can read them so fast. House Rules was no different than this.

Asperger's is not something I'm unfamiliar with. My neighbor has Asperger's and my cousin has autism (though it's very high-functioning). Even with these relations, I still learned so much about this developmental disability. I'm pretty sure Jacob was an extreme case of Asperger's in that he had every trait, but I think it was good to highlight exactly what Asperger's entails. I especially loved getting his point-of-view, and seeing exactly what he thought. I was actually surprised that Jodi Picoult decided to write it, but I'm glad she did.

Throughout the novel, we also get Jacob's mom's perspective, which I loved. She was an amazing woman and you could tell she loved her two sons so much, even though she had to struggle as a single mother. She would do anything for Jacob and it's apparent when she's dealing with his murder charge.

I thought the mystery/court case aspect was very well-done, but it was frustrating that they just didn't ask Jacob what happened, because supposedly he can't lie and doesn't do it very well. The whole time I was wondering who the real culprit was, and we do get an answer to that eventually. I was also disappointed in the ending - it was very vague and I thought that was unfair to readers who invested so much in the story and characters.

Overall, I thought House Rules was an excellent addition to Jodi Picoult's portfolio and it stands up against some of her best novels. Now I can't wait to continue reading her work - she has so many books!

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library.

2010/Atria/532 pages

Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

Summary:
To the outside world, they seem 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 return to California, something alters the picture of their perfect marriage. A frightening pattern is taking shape-a cycle of hurt, denial, and promises, thinly veiled by glamour. Torn between fear and something that resembles love, Cassie wrestles with questions she never dreamed she would face: How can she leave? Then again, how can she stay? (from GoodReads)

Review:
Picture Perfect is the first book I've read by Jodi Picoult that doesn't revolve around a court case or a legal drama. That being said, this novel is a breath of fresh. It was neat to see Jodi Picoult focus on an actual relationship, without all the legal stuff in the background.

Even though this is one of Jodi Picoult's older novels (first published in 1995 - it was funny to see all the talk of VCRs), it's good to know she can still write as well when there isn't a trial going on. What the GoodReads summary doesn't tell you is that the book starts out with Cassie having amnesia. She starts remembering bit by bit and when she finds out that she's married to a famous movie star, she's flabbergasted. But about halfway through the book she remembers everything - how she met Alex, and how their perfect marriage isn't so perfect. This is all told in a flashback which is really interesting because it gets to the core of Alex and Cassie's relationship, and the abuse it involves.

This isn't a normal domestic violence book - where the man is the clear villain and it's all black-and-white. Instead, you get to see the complexities of Alex: his traumatic childhood, his regret and guilt, his love for Cassie, his uncontrollable anger. It makes it easier to see why Cassie would stay with him time and time again (even if you don't agree with her actions).

I thought Jodi Picoult wrote a very interesting novel about abuse, a different take from movies like Sleeping with the Enemy. The characters are complex and well-written, and have rich histories, which is perfect for such a character driven novel. If you want a great story, look no further than Picture Perfect.

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library

1995/Berkley Trade/369 pages.

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

Summary:
June Nealon's life has been a ragged bundle of troubles. First, a drunken driver annihilates her happy marriage in an instant. Then, not long after she weds the police officer who saved her, tragedy reappears on an even larger scale: Seemingly without cause, a day laborer murders her new husband and her daughter. Seven months pregnant at the time of the slaughter, June somehow goes on, and homicidal carpenter Shay Bourne is led off, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. For 11 years, he waits in his cell until, appeals exhausted, his appointed day of doom approaches. Then, strangely, even miraculously, a convergence begins to occur. Strange events unfold, leading many to believe that Shay is a shackled Messiah. Meanwhile, June must confront a crossroads decision: Can she believe or at least forgive this killer even if her only daughter's life is at stake? Jodi Picoult plunges us into another gripping story at women at extremes. (from GoodReads)

Review:
So it's good to know before you start reading this review that I'm obsessed with Jodi Picoult and all her books. Good thing she has like a million and writes a new one every year, so I always have plenty of reading material. I haven't disliked a single one of her novels and they usually get a rating of 8 to 10 consistently. That is the mark of good writing, my friends.

Change of Heart follows the same basic structure as all her other novels: multiple points-of-view, a contentious legal case at the heart of novel, controversial subject. The main case in Change of Heart is that Shay Bourne, an inmate on death row, wants to donate his heart to a little girl named Claire Nealon. However, there are two catches: one, New Hamsphire uses lethal injection, which will make a heart unsuitable for transplant, and two, he has been convicted of murdering Claire's father and half-sister. So there are many things going in the novel, but main question is whether the death penalty is morally wrong or right. As usual, Jodi Picoult deftly provides insightful commentary on the subject without sounding biased or judgmental. She is able to weave the stories of four characters, and include their feelings, hopes and dreams, into this engrossing legal drama.

Change of Heart is extremely readable, and hard to put down. Jodi Picoult always does such a fine job researching for her books, and I felt like I learned a lot from the novel. For example, an important part of Change of Heart are the Gnostic Gospels, which are supposedly stories that could have, but were not, included in the Bible. I found this so interesting because if these stories were included Christianity would be very different than it is today.

If you've read my other reviews for Jodi Picoult's books, you know I love them all, so it should come as no surprise that I highly recommend Change of Heart to everyone!


Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library.

2008/Atria Books/447 pages.

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

Summary:
An intricate tale of love, haunting memories, and renewal, Second Glance begins in current-day Vermont, where an old man puts a piece of land up for sale and unintentionally raises protest from the local Abenaki Indian tribe, who insist it's a burial ground. When odd, supernatural events plague the town of Comtosook, a ghost hunter is hired by the developer to help convince the residents that there's nothing spiritual about the property. Enter Ross Wakeman, a suicidal drifter who has put himself in mortal danger time and again. He's driven his car off a bridge into a lake. He's been mugged in New York City and struck by lightning in a calm country field. Yet despite his best efforts, life clings to him and pulls him ever deeper into the empty existence he cannot bear since his fiancee's death in a car crash eight years ago. Ross now lives only for the moment he might once again encounter the woman he loves.

But in Comtosook, the only discovery Ross can lay claim to is that of Lia Beaumont, a skittish, mysterious woman who, like Ross, is on a search for something beyond the boundary separating life and death. Thus begins Jodi Picoult's enthralling and ultimately astonishing story of love, fate, and a crime of passion. Hailed by critics as a "master" storyteller (Washington Post), Picoult once again "pushes herself, and consequently the reader, to think about the unthinkable" (Denver Post).

Second Glance, her eeriest and most engrossing work yet, delves into a virtually unknown chapter of American history -- Vermont's eugenics project of the 1920s and 30s -- to provide a compelling study of the things that come back to haunt us -- literally and figuratively. Do we love across time, or in spite of it? (from GoodReads)

Review:
Jodi Picoult once again amazes me with her writing and plotting prowess in Second Glance. Unlike most of her other novels, Second Glance does not feature a court case or trial, instead focuses on a decades old mystery that features ghosts. I love mysteries, ghost stories, and historical fiction (the second part of Second Glance is historical fiction) so Second Glance is pretty much the book for me.

What I didn't like about Second Glance was the beginning was quite confusing. In a short span of pages, a lot of new characters are introduced and since it keeps switching point-of-view, I really had to keep track of what was going on. But as the story progesses, I figured out who everyone was and loved seeing the characters interact and weave together because they are all inter-related in some way.

The ghost story aspect was awesome; it was spooky and creepy but was more than just horror. It felt like it could be real. The ghost story ties into the mystery and Jodi Picoult takes us back in time to the 1930's and we get to see the basis for everything that is happening in present day. I was not expecting this blast to the past but felt it added a lot to the novel and made it so much more interesting. The historical fiction part focuses on Vermont's eugenics and sterilization program that I never knew existed. I liked learning about a little known fact of history and thought that Jodi Picoult deftly brought attention to an important, yet little known, subject.

Though there were many characters, it was easy to understand them all and watch them develop throughout the novel. I sympathized with all of them and was glad to see some of them find happiness in the end.

Second Glance is a bit of a departure from Jodi Picoult's usual formula but it works and makes the novel a lot more interesting. If you like ghosts, love, mystery and history I would definitely suggest Second Glance as the book to read.

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library.

2003/Atria Books/432 pages.

Mercy by Jodi Picoult

Summary:
The police chief of a small Massachusetts town, Cameron MacDonald, makes the toughest arrest of his life when his own cousin Jamie comes to him and confesses outright that he has killed his terminally ill wife out of mercy.

Now, a heated murder trial plunges the town into upheaval and drives a wedge into a contented marriage: Cameron, aiding the prosecution in its case against Jamie, is suddenly at odds with his devoted wife, Allie, seduced by the idea of a man so in love with his wife that he'd grant all her wishes, even her wish to end her life. And when an inexplicable attraction leads to a shocking betrayal, Allie faces the hardest questions of the heart: when does love cross the line of moral obligation? And what does it mean to truly love one another?

Praised for her "personal, detail-rich style" (Glamour), Jodi Picoult infuses this page-turning novel with heart, warmth, and startling candor, taking readers on an
unforgettable journey. (from back cover)

Review:
If you've read any of my reviews of Jodi Picoult's novels, you'll already know that I am a huge fan of hers and think her books are wonderful. It almost feels superfluous to continue to gush about her books, since I always like the same things about them. In that vein, I'll try to keep this review short and sweet, because it should be obvious what my opinion is.

I really enjoyed Mercy. I love that Jodi Picoult is not afraid to tackle tough issues, and Mercy is no exception. In this book, a man kills his terminally ill wife to end her suffering, and questions on the morality of euthanasia are brought to the surface. This is a very controversial topic, but as always, Jodi Picoult executes the story flawlessly, with style and compassion. Infidelity is also a theme in Mercy, and I thought that this too was written with care.

Mercy is one of Jodi Picoult's first books, and I could definitely tell. While still wonderful, it just wasn't as good as some of her newer books. The story wasn't as detailed, the book was a little shorter, the writing not as good. Even though Mercy was not on the same level, I think it's a testament to Jodi Picoult's skill as a writer that she has improved over the years.

Overall, I loved Mercy and know that I will love all of Jodi Picoult's book. She takes on tough subjects but writes about them beautifully and her books make you think. And I think that is so important.

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library.

1997/Washington Square Press/400 pages.

The Pact by Jodi Picoult

Summary:

From Jodi Picoult, one of the most powerful writers in contemporary fiction, comes a riveting, timely, heartbreaking, and terrifying novel of families in anguish - and friendships ripped apart by inconceivable violence. Until the phone calls come at 3:00 am on a November morning, the Golds and their neighbors, the Hartes, had been inseparable. It was no surprise to anyone when their teenage children, Chris and Emily, began showing signs that their relationship was moving beyond that of lifelong friends. But now seventeen-year-old Emily has been shot to death by her beloved and devoted Chris as part of an apparent suicide pact - leaving two devastated families stranded in the dark and dense pre-dawn, desperate for answers about an unthinkable act and the children they never really knew. (from back cover)

Review:

I think my love for Jodi Picoult and her novels should be apparent by now. I've read six of her books and absolutely adored every one of them. They are all adult novels, which even comes to a surprise to me, but often her characters are teenagers so it reads like YA. The Pact is no different.

What intrigues me the most about The Pact is the relationship between Chris and Emily. When I say that these two teens have known each other since birth, I am not exaggerating. Their families are next-door neighbors and Chris's mom even helped to deliver Emily. They grew up together in every sense of the word and all their parents were secretly rooting for them to get married one day. Everyone has read books of undying love between high school sweethearts, but this love was different. I can't imagine being in a relationship with someone who was like family and that you've known your entire life - I think it would be pretty cool but at the same time it could be a little stifling. Jodi Picoult wrote the relationship between Chris and Emily very well. They were like soulmates, but it wasn't cheesy or corny at all. The couple had their issues but their love and trust in one another just seemed so real.

That's why I love Jodi Picoult's novels. The characters, the situations, the dialogue, it all seems real to me. The characters are complex, they have their secrets, their insecurities, their own thoughts and feelings. Every character is totally different and reacts to each situation differently (and even if it's not how I would act, everything makes sense in context). The Pact was no exception, as Chris goes on trial to see whether he was the victim of botched double suicide or the prepretrator of the crime. Jodi Picoult is wonderful at going back in time and revealing little bits and pieces of information, first about the Hartes and the Golds and Chris and Emily's burgeoning relationship, and later about that fated night. You learn everything in increments and you can't put the book down because you have to see what happens next.

There is so much I would like to say about this novel, but I don't really want to give away any of the plot. It's another crime/court case drama, which I love, but a lot of it isn't even about the trial, but about Chris and Emily. I kind of guessed the ending, but it didn't take anything away from story, which is a sad one. Thinking about Chris living without Emily, his complete and utter soulmate, makes me kind of upset. With their relationship, I can't even imagine what I do. Luckily for me, Jodi Picoult has written a riveting novel about this kind of situation.

The Pact has everything that I would want in a book: love, mystery, secrets, complexity, tears, heartbreak, family. If you've never read a book by Jodi Picoult, I suggest that you read one immediately. They are extraordinary and will leave you thinking long after you've read the last page.

Rating: 10 out of 10!

FTC: borrowed from library.

1998/Harper Perennial/389 pages.

Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult

Summary:

One of America's most thought-provoking novelists, New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult brilliantly examines belief, miracles, and the complex core of family.

When the marriage of Mariah White and her cheating husband, Colin, turns ugly and disintegrates, their seven-year-old daughter, Faith, is there to witness it all. In the aftermath of a rapid divorce, Mariah falls into a deep depression - and suddenly Faith, a child with no religious background whatsoever, hears divine voices, starts reciting biblical passages, and develops stigmata. And when the miraculous healings begin, mother and daughter are thrust into the volatile center of controversy and into the heat of a custody battle - trapped in a mad media circus that threatens what little stability the family has left. (from back cover)

Review:

By now everyone should know that I absolutely adore Jodi Picoult and her novels so I'm sure you will not be surprised when I say that I thought Keeping Faith was an amazing book. I'm sure there will be some Picoult books that I don't like that much, but out of the several I have read, I have loved all of them.

I picked up Keeping Faith even though, like Faith, I do not come from a religious background. Since Picoult is such a seasoned writer, I knew she wouldn't be preachy, but instead would just examine and discuss the story. I liked that there was room for interpretation in Faith's case, even though it heavily leans toward the divine intervention interpretation. Another connection I felt with Faith was that even though she was seven years old in the book, the novel takes place in 1999, so I would have been the same exact age then. Which is pretty awesome, in my opinion.

Keeping Faith has many themes: faith, belief vs. non-belief, broken families, Christianity vs. Judaism (this comes into play because technically Faith is Jewish, but she exhibits Christian visions, like stigmata), depression and mental health, some romance, the love of a mother. Even though there is a lot going on, including flashbacks and different points-of-view, everything is still seamlessly weaved together to create a convincing story. All of the characters are completely fleshed out and have many complexities. Mariah, for example, has a history of suicide and depression, however by the end of the novel she is strong and loving and a great mother to Faith. I loved watching her progession and seeing the changes that people can achieve. Another awesome character was Millie, who was Mariah's mother. She was the grandmother you always want - tough, but funny and also very kind and loving. She reminded me a little of my grandmother, but Millie has much more spunk and sass, which I love.

Overall, I think Keeping Faith accomplished a lot - it was a story about faith and belief, and I think people of all religions or non-religions will enjoy this book. Jodi Picoult picked a tough topic but she did a wonderful job and Keeping Faith turned out to be a very thought-provoking book.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

FTC: borrowed from library.

1999/Harper Perennial/432 pages

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Summary:

In this emotionally charged novel, Jodi Picoult delves beneath the surface of a small town to explore what it means to be different in our society.

In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the harassment. One final incident of bullying sends Peter over the edge and leads him to commit an act of violence that forever changes the lives of Sterling’s residents.

Even those who were not inside the school that morning find their lives in an upheaval, including Alex Cormier. The superior court judge assigned to the Houghton case, Alex—whose daughter, Josie, witnessed the events that unfolded—must decide whether or not to step down. She’s torn between presiding over the biggest case of her career and knowing that doing so will cause an even wider chasm in her relationship with her emotionally fragile daughter. Josie, meanwhile, claims she can’t remember what happened in the last fatal minutes of Peter’s rampage. Or can she? And Peter’s parents, Lacy and Lewis Houghton, ceaselessly examine the past to see what they might have said or done to compel their son to such extremes. Nineteen Minutes also features the return of two of Jodi Picoult’s characters—defense attorney Jordan McAfee from The Pact and Salem Falls, and Patrick DuCharme, the intrepid detective introduced in Perfect Match.

Rich with psychological and social insight, Nineteen Minutes is a riveting, poignant, and thought-provoking novel that has at its center a haunting question. Do we ever really know someone?

Review:

When I first picked up Nineteen Minutes, I actually did not know it was about a school shooting. The synopsis on the back of the paperback I had was very vague and I thought Nineteen Minutes was going to be about a suicide. I was almost pleasantly surprised when I found out the real topic of discussion because school shootings are a fascinating subject to read about. I was too young to really remember Columbine, but I was a freshman in high school during Virginia Tech so this awareness has been in the back of my mind and its something that can be really scary to consider. I know that if I was ever in this situation, I would be terrified out of my mind, so the fiction is a way to deal with the reality. If you are familiar at all with Columbine, you will recognize some eerie similaries (which I'm sure are written about on purpose). It actually seemed like a fictionalized Columbine, except we get to see what happens when the shooter has to go to trial, which is usually a departure from the norm (it appears that many of the shooters commit suicide).

In addition to the linear telling of the story, like with all of Jodi Picoult's novels, the audience gets to see flashbacks and the events leading up to this tragedy. Since the books are written with a bunch of different POVs (but somehow manages not to be confusing at all), we get to go into the head of Peter, the shooter. On the outside he seems almost normal; not one you'd except to go on a killing rampage. But what the book deals with what might drive someone to this extreme and it examines the role of the parents and schools (if any) in the incident. Those are some tough questions. Do you solely blame the shooter? Do you blame the parents for raising the shooter? The bullies who are part of the reason the shooter came to school with guns? The school for not having a stricter bullying policy? Nineteen Minutes touches on all of these but doesn't answer them, which makes sense, because nothing in life is black and white. I like that Picoult's books discuss the gray area, but don't make any conclusions, because, really, there are none.

There was a bit of a twist ending that I was not expecting at all and made the story really interesting. Nineteen Minutes is extremely sad and tragic but one that I think is important to read. It was a summer reading book for a school district in my area, and I think it's a perfect choice to discuss in class. The novel calls to the bullies, the victims, the bystanders, the school administrators, the parents and hopefully helps bring awareness to such an important topic.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

FTC: I borrowed this from my library.

2007/Atria/464 pages.

Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

Summary:

The discovery of a dead infant in an Amish barn shakes Lancaster County to its core. But the police investigation leads to a more shocking disclosure: circumstantial evidence suggests that eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher, an unmarried Amish woman believed to be the newborn's mother, took the child's life. When Ellie Hathaway, a disillusioned big-city attorney, comes to Paradise, Pennsylvania, to defend Katie, two cultures collide -- and, for the first time in her high-profile career, Ellie faces a system of justice very different from her own. Delving deep inside the world of those who live "plain," Ellie must find a way to reach Katie on her terms. And as she unravels a tangled murder case, Ellie also looks deep within -- to confront her own fears and desires when a man from her past reenters her life.

Moving seamlessly from psychological drama to courtroom suspense, Plain Truth is a fascinating portrait of Amish life -- and a moving exploration of the bonds of love, friendship, and the heart's most complex choices. (from Amazon)

Review:

I don't read many adult novels, but Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors in that genre, and in general. And what I like about her novels is that they cross boundaries: they read like YA and since they switch point-of-view so much, there's often a teenager who has a voice in the story. In Plain Truth we get the perspective of Ellie, the powerful Philadelphia lawyer and Katie, the 18-year-old who is accused of murder. Since Katie is still pretty young, it's practically half YA.

Regardless of its genre, I loved Plain Truth. For me, it was really interesting because I live near Lancaster, which is where all the Amish live. My aunt lives in Lancaster and she's even had some Amish (well, they might have been Mennonite) over during a family party. Even though I live so close, I still didn't know that much about their culture and lifestyle, and I learned so much from Plain Truth. The fact that the accused was Amish made the book a different type of legal drama, because Katie has no idea how our system works and it just makes the story that much more interesting. A lot of the novel takes place in the courtroom or is about the trial, which is why I picked it up because I love these types of books.

One thing I love about all Jodi Picoult's book are that they have these amazingly complex stories. There's different POVs, flashbacks, and then the main plot and somehow everything is intricately weaved together so you're not confused at all, just engaged in this completely rich story. Honestly, read one of her books, and you will see how complicated the story is but at the same time not difficult to read at all. I could not put Plain Truth down because it was so honest and true and was filled with all these great characters, relationships, details, and themes. The ending was very satisfying and I would recommend this book to all ages, to fans of all genres.

9 out of 10.

FTC: I borrowed this book from my library.

2001/Washington Square Press/432 pages

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

Daniel Stone seems like a normal middle-aged man: he has a wife, daughter, and is a comic book artist. He doesn't like to talk about his past, where he was the only white boy in a small Eskimo village and was bullied for the color of his skin. The anger he has so carefully controlled has only been expressed on the page...until now. When he learns that his fourteen-year old daughter Trixie has been raped, Daniel must fight to keep his anger inside, while also holding together his family that threatens to fall apart.

Jodi Picoult is an amazing author, and even though this book would be catergorized as Adult, all teens should read some of her work. Although, the book switches point-of-view and you get to read from 14-year old Trixie's eyes, so you could say that parts of this book are YA. It doesn't matter though because Picoult's books are so good that any age could read them. This one wasn't as good as the other two I've read by Picoult (My Sister's Keeper and Vanishing Acts), but the story was still really interesting. What I love about Picoult's books is that the plots are so complex, and things aren't always what they seem to be on the outside. This book lagged a little throughout the middle, but then there were other parts that made me want to keep reading. Another cool part of this book is that Daniel Stone is a cartoon artist and there were real pages from his (albeit imaginary) comic book.

7 out of 10.