Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 5 days

Pages - 402

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Number One bestselling author Jodi Picoult returns with her compulsive new novel - about the lengths we go to for those who have left us behind; about the staying power of love; and about how three broken souls might have just the right pieces to mend each other.
Jenna Metcalf was with her mother the night she disappeared in tragic and mysterious circumstances, but she remembers nothing.

Over ten years have passed, and still Jenna reads and rereads her mother's journals, hoping to find some clue hidden there, in the meticulous recording of her scientific research with elephants.

Desperate for answers, Jenna uses all her savings to recruit the aid of a private detective - and a psychic.

Jenna knows her mother loved her. She knows she would not leave her. And she will not rest until she finds out what happened that night. In her most gripping mystery since House Rules, Jodi Picoult brings us a powerful story of a young girl's determination to uncover the truth, however shocking and life-changing it might be.


My Review

Another Jodi Picoult with an animal theme/focus, remember like with the wolves? But this time it is elephants and I know not everyone likes that but I do. So the book goes between present day, Jenna wants help to finally find out what happened to her mum Alice. Alice disappeared when Jenna was just a baby, now a teen she hires a psychic, Serenity and an ex cop now PI. Serenity was once famous before scandal reduced her to being the one thing she hated "a swamp with" charging to read peoples fortune by cold reading. The unlikely trio work together to try and find out what happened to Alice all those years ago.

The book flips between characters and when we hear from Alice, Jenna's mum that is where we meet the elephants. She studied them in the wild before meeting Jenna's dad and joining him at his elephant sanctuary.

I love anything with ghosts so the whole psychic thing I was absolutely YES and as the book goes on we find out what happened and why she is so disgraced. Same with the Cop turned PI. The elephants, oh the elephants. There is talk of death/harm and the things these beautiful beings go through and their behaviours, health and care. This won't be for everyone but I love learning about stuff and I love animals so it was a win win for me. At the end of the book she also adds links to check out, you can help out and learn more. There is even a live camera from a sanctuary, three free webcams you can watch elephants, support these fantastic causes and learn about the harm/Ivory trade and what you can do to help.

A few themes that some may find triggering and I can't cover them all without spoilers which we don't do. Elephants well fare and harm, loss, murder, mental health, love, lies, secrets, ghosts/medium, 4/5 for me. I do enjoy Picoults books so this is no surprise that I enjoyed this one but I think it could be a marmite for some.

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Wish You were Here by Jodi Picoult

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 319

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Amazon

Contains an exclusive short story from Jodi Picoult featuring the main character, Diana, available in the first print run only. Pre-order now to guarantee your copy!

Diana O'Toole's life is going perfectly to plan. At twenty-nine, she's up for promotion to her dream job as an art specialist at Sotheby's and she's about to fly to the Galápagos where she's convinced her surgeon boyfriend, Finn, is going to propose.

But then the virus hits New York City and Finn breaks the news: the hospital needs him, he has to stay. But you should still go, he insists. And reluctantly, she agrees.

Once she's in the Galápagos, the world shuts down around her, leaving Diana stranded - albeit in paradise. Completely isolated, with only intermittent news from the outside world, Diana finds herself examining everything that has brought her to this point and wondering if there's a better way to live.

But not everything is as it seems . . .


My Review

Covid has well and truly hit, Diana O'Toole and her doctor boyfriend and meant to be going on holiday. The hospitals are struggling and Finn encourages Diana to go the non refundable trip of a lifetime alone. Paradise has no signal, Diana ends up stranded in a place she doesn't speak the language with only a troubled teen, her angry dad and helpful gran to get through the days. We hear from Finn back home in broken correspondence from the bits of emails/messages that manages to make it across the seas.

So I know this book won't be for everyone because a lot of people don't want to read about covid. Whilst covid does feature in the book in isn't the whole focus or even the main meat of it. Diana goes on a bit of a person journey, self discovery and growth being stranded, very limited communication from back home. I loved the island she goes to, Picoult paints such a vivid picture you could see the places, smells, animals, just serene!

Then we have the aspects of covid, poor Finn, caught in the midst of it, unable to properly talk to Diana, offload, decompress - the things we do with partners during extreme stress. I think if you aren't in healthcare or haven't been affected by covid this is a fantastic book to let you see the devastation, emotional impact that covid can have, on healthcare, on a person, on relationships, there isn't really anything it doesn't impact upon.

Sometimes Picoult can knock the stuffing out of you in some of what she writes or how she constructs parts of her story. I actually uttered the words out loud "No Waaaaaay" during one part and that my friends is a teaser not a spoiler! I really liked this book, I think she wrote a really hard subject and humanised it by creating the characters the way she did. 4/5 for me this time, I do enjoy Picoult's books and have at least one or two more to catch up on so I have read them all. I need to bump them up the tbrm, this reminded me how much I like her writing!

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The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 6 days

Pages - 448

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Waterstones (Goodreads one is so huge)

Dawn is a death doula, and spends her life helping people make the final transition peacefully. But when the plane she's on plummets, she finds herself thinking not of the perfect life she has, but the life she was forced to abandon fifteen years ago - when she left behind a career in Egyptology, and a man she loved.


My Review

The book opens with a plane crashing, Dawn is the main character and survives the crash. As with anyone going through something like this she evaluates her life. Married and with a teenager - job as a death doula, go back to that life, or head back to Egypt to the man she loved and left and her dreams - working on a proper archaeological dig. Her life can go one of two ways, which will Dawn choose?

The book is so busy! There are flashbacks to the past, her life and work in Egypt and of course Wyatt, the one who "got away". We see how they met, clashed, worked together and learn a whole ton of Egyptian stuff which I actually found quite interesting, even if some was a bit over my head. Same with quantum physics, there was a lot to chew over in the book, besides all the relationship/self assessing journey. I Think a glossary would have helped with some of this.

The death doula job was very interesting and emotive, we get to see Dawn in action, what she does for her clients and how hard and special that kind of job is. Examining relationships from her past, present, with her husband, daughter, clients it is a busy busy book.

Really different to what I was expecting, the opening with the plane going down was so well done, my heart was in my mouth. Some of the other topics I found interesting, who doesn't find Egyptian stuff interesting and there was even a picture or two in the arc kindle version. Huge central focus on relationships, many types, if you escaped death - would it change up how you lived your life?
3.5/5 for me this time, I do enjoy Picoult books and have a few on my tbrm still to read.

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A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - over 2 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Ballantine Books

Source - Watersones (I think)

Blurb from Goodreads

The warm fall day starts like any other at the Center—a women’s reproductive health services clinic—its staff offering care to anyone who passes through its doors. Then, in late morning, a desperate and distraught gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage.

After rushing to the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a perimeter and begins making a plan to communicate with the gunman. As his phone vibrates with incoming text messages he glances at it and, to his horror, finds out that his fifteen-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic.

But Wren is not alone. She will share the next and tensest few hours of her young life with a cast of unforgettable characters: A nurse who calms her own panic in order save the life of a wounded woman. A doctor who does his work not in spite of his faith but because of it, and who will find that faith tested as never before. A pro-life protester disguised as a patient, who now stands in the cross hairs of the same rage she herself has felt. A young woman who has come to terminate her pregnancy. And the disturbed individual himself, vowing to be heard.

Told in a daring and enthralling narrative structure that counts backward through the hours of the standoff, this is a story that traces its way back to what brought each of these very different individuals to the same place on this fateful day.


My Review

We open at five pm, in The Center, a place for women's reproductive health (among other things) and very much known for the place where abortions take place. It has seen many things, every day it encounters the protesters, today is different, today we have a gun man, a hostage situation and it is late in the day. Wren is fifteen and contemplating death/dying, something before today had not been in her priorities or mind. We meet George Goddard - the gun man, Hugh McElroy - the negotiator, Janine, Izzy, Bex, Louie Ward, Olive, Joy, Harriet & Vonita - all characters who have been in The Center or are when the gun man changes everyone's lives.

The story has no chapters, we have time stamps as we go back and forth on the day but also prior to the day as we get some back story on the characters. It took me a wee bit to settle to this format, Picoult is a great writer and she does make it work but it did take a bit of getting used to and distracting at some parts. The story captures the reader very quickly as we know from the offset the situation and as we delve in we get a bit more info of the characters and what has transpired prior to five pm.

You know from the blurb abortion features in the book, it is the centre of the attack. I don't think I was prepared for the detail of the abortion parts, I just didn't think it would be as graphic. It isn't a huge part of the book but the parts it does feature it is explicit and I had to put the book down for a wee bit and go back to it so just an FYI for anyone picking it up.

There are so many themes to this one, Picoult always does a great job highlighting prejudices, judging people and showing different sides of the coin. It is a book that gives food for thought and will push on some of the emotive feels for most if not all readers. This is not a book for the faint hearted, anything featuring abortion and extremism, double standards, murder will always evoke strong emotions. It also looks at families, relationships, what leads people to abortion, actions and consequences, life, death, love - it has a lot going on! I always enjoy Picoult books, she has a way of getting under the readers skin and making them question their own opinions/judgements. I felt the ending came to quick and I was left a big hanging and whilst it isn't on any major things I just like to know everything, 3.5/5 for me this time. I have read Picoult before and have a few of hers on my tbrm, I think this will be a marmite book and certainly controversial

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Jodi Picoult Book Launch Small Great Things

You can read my review for Small Great Things here, I was very lucky to get an ARC copy from Netgalley.



Last night me & my beautiful friends and friends eldest daughter went along to the Kelvin Grove Art gallery & museum for the book tour Small Great Things. How stunning is the inside of the gallery! Tickets were £20 which I know some people think is quite steep for a book event however this included a signed hardback copy of the new book and Picoult is a fabulous speaker. Not only that the poor lamb had laryngitis and kept going like a trooper!





You can read the review for the book as above however I just want to reiterate that this is a book that will stay with you, racism, injustice and it will make you question yourself too. Last night someone asked her how she felt about the timing of the book what with everything that is happening in America just now. Her answer gave me goosebumps, she said this book is 200 years in coming, it addresses issues that even now are often skirted around. 2016 and racism is still an ugly but very real issue, more so or certainly more in the public eye with Trumps election, Jodie answered with class and honestly she is just such a classy woman with such a great attitude.







The book cover is not like the one posted on Goodreads and linked on my review, it is beautiful and I know I am not normally one to comment much on covers. The front Is black and white striped with a mild texture to it, the writing is a gold/orange shimer as is the spine cover. I was planning on giving the book away as a competition prize but I may just hold on to it, see the pictures below and Princess Trixie is of course in the picture too!.







If you haven't had the pleasure of seeing Picoult speak and back and fro over going, seriously guys go. It is a great night, really worth it and we all enjoyed it. You come away with a great book and thinking a little bit differently!

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Publisher - Ballantine Books

Pages - 480

Blurb from Godreads

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years' experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she's been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?

Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy's counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other's trust, and come to see that what they've been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.

With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn't offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game.



My Review

Ruth is an experienced nurse of twenty years, helping ladies through their labour and delivery, Ruth is also African American which until now hasn't been an issue. Her latest baby is the child of white supremacists who refuse to have Ruth touch their baby. When short staffing forces Ruth to be the one to check on the child and the child is having a medical emergency Ruth is torn between instinct and following orders. What follows will change Ruth's life forever.

Picoult is known for pushing the reader out of their comfort zones, creating some of the darkest moments human beings can be faced with and the human response. The story is told through three main characters points of view, Ruth of course, the nurse and accused. Turk is the father of the baby, supporter and advocate of white power, thinks nothing of violence and spewing racial venom. And lastly from Kennedy, Ruth's lawyer, Kennedy is by no means racist however after spending time with Ruth and seeing the world through her eyes she realizes she has a lot to learn.

This is no two ways about it, this is not an easy story to read. Not because it isn't well written, it absolutely is and it is no secret I do like Picoult books. It is the subject content, the blatant racism, the enablers of racism, those behind it who promote it, live breath and spread hatred. The absolute horror that whilst this is fiction, much of this hatred and bile still exists in today's society.

This book provokes emotion, thought, anger and the reader to examine if they contribute to this type of behaviour, because one who stands by and allows or ignores actions can be equally as guilty as those who do it. It is a story of passion, love, loss, relationships, family, racism, societal attitudes and human behavior. A story that will stay with you long after you have finished the last page, 4/5 for me this time. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book.

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Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time take to read - 2 days

Publisher - Atria Books

Pages - 477

Blurb from Goodreads

When Willow is born with severe osteogenesis imperfecta, her parents are devastated--she will suffer hundreds of broken bones as she grows, a lifetime of pain. 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, 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 had 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?


My Review

Willow is born with osteogenesis imperfecta, she had broken bones in the womb and more so when she was born. She has over 100 broken bones by the time she is five, she needs lots of care, expenses are running high and her life span is questionable. After a disastrous trip to Disney World the family go to a lawyer, whilst they have no case against Disney, they do have one against their Obstetrician. The only thing is, thats Willows mums best friend in the world, not only would she need to sue her, she would need to admit she would have aborted Willow if she had been told of her condition in the beginning of her pregnancy.

Charlotte is Willows mum, Sean is her dad, Amelia is her sister, Piper is Charlottes best friend. Taking this to court is going to rock all of their world, Charlotte wants to do what is best for Willow and doesn't care how it looks to the outside world. Piper is devastated, Sean is disgusted, Amelia feels invisible and poor Willow, wise beyond her years thinks she isn't wanted.

This is a story that pulls on your heart stings, the chapters are named at the top and each of the characters gives us their point of view as the story progresses. I liked learning about OI as I had never heard of it before, seeing it from the different points of view and how one actions can ripple across and impact on so many lives.

I loved Willow, bless her although I think some people found her a bit unbelievable due to her age, I think she was created and portrayed brilliantly. I really disliked Charlotte after a time and found my views on the others change as events unfolded. I wasn't enamoured with how the book drew to a close but I still thought it was a great story and found it hard to put down, 4/5 for me this time.

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Review - Harvesting the heart by Jodi Picoult

Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Publisher - Hodder

Blurb from Goodreads

Written with astonishing clarity and evocative detail, convincing in its depiction of emotional pain, love, and vulnerability, Harvesting the Heart recalls the writing of Alice Hoffman and Sue Miller. Paige has only a few vivid memories of her mother, who left when she was five. Now, having left her father behind in Chicago for dreams of art school and marriage to an ambitious young doctor, she finds herself with a child of her own. But her mother's absence, and shameful memories of her past, make her doubt both her maternal ability and her sense of self worth. Out of Paige's struggle to find wholeness, Jodi Picoult crafts an absorbing novel peopled by richly drawn characters and explores issues and emotions readers can relate to.


My Review

I love Jodi Picoult novels, they always make you think about how you would feel and what would you do. This book finds us opening with Paige, outside her home watching her husband and little boy through the window. The husband is visibly angry and moves from her line of sight. The book goes back to when Paige and Nicholas first meet and how their relationship begins until we are back to present day. Paige's mother abandoned her as a child and Paige has prior for running too. This all links into what happened to make her husband so angry and why she is outside.

I really enjoy Picoult's writing and I first read this in 2010 and gave it 5 stars. I actually didn't remember any of it, at all, which makes me think I confused it with another book. There were some parts of the book I quite liked. The chapters are split between Paige and Nicholas and usually told from the same time period. Their relationship starts very quickly and they go from zero to committed very quickly.

I had issue with both of their characters and how they behave, Paige you can understand because of her abandonment as a child however she is very selfish. Nicholas has two sides, he is a very good professional but he also comes across very selfish too. The story itself kept me interested and I wanted to know the big mystery with her mother, the explanation was a bit of a let down, for me personally. The ending I didn't like either, it was just too abrupt and I like to know everything, not be left with questions.

That said, this book is loved by lots of people, if your a Picoult fan it is worth reading as her writing is still good. If you have never read Picoult I wouldn't start with this one, I liked it but it is by no means her strongest. I'm a half and half with this one, 3/5 for me this time, I do love Picoult so will be reading more by her.

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Review - Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Blurb from Goodreads

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.



My Review

It starts with a birth in the Amish barn, a young woman giving birth to a child. It then goes to the same barn a little later and the body of a baby being discovered and the police soon arrive. The story unravels with a young girl denying pregnancy and birth despite evidence to the contrary and the police looking to charge her with murder. Ellie, her distant cousin comes in as her attorney, reluctantly, to defend her and finds herself as much a prisoner as Katie, in the Amish farm as she tries to build a defense with no modern technology. Is Katie guilty of killing a baby she denies all knowledge of, will the truth out and can Ellie defend someone she knows is lying to her.

I feel bad saying I enjoyed this book as one of the main events is the murder of a baby however I couldn't put it down. I know very little about the Amish community so it was nice to have a bit of education in that respect. There is also some medical terms throughout the book, not in large parts, but as a student I found this really interesting too.

Katie is a young woman and comes across as a wee girl at times as she is so innocent. The mystery is there from the start as to what happened to the baby and we are teased along as the case progresses and Katie is interviewed by psychologists. Slowly Katie's memory is teased to reveal what she actually remembers whilst the story also focuses on Ellie and how she adjusts to living with the Amish people.

There are so many levels, I felt, to this story and relationships explored and budding. The pace goes along in some parts slowly but always enough to keep you drawn in. There are a few surprises in store and as always I love how Jodi writes so if your a fan this one is sure not to disappoint, 4/5 for me this time.

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Review - Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 1 day

Blurb From Goodreads

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.

My Review

This story is broke into chapters with the 3 main characters, Zoe, Max and Vanessa. After the breakdown of their marriage both Max and Zoe go through some life changing experiences and the story follows it from their views. Vanessa comes into Zoe's life at a horrific moment and from there builds a friendship that blossoms into love. When Zoe and Vanessa decide to have a baby and want to use the embryos from Max and Zoe's previous attempts, Max's new found faith and congregation have a lot to say and fight it.

When you haven't read an author for ages (one of your favs) you forget how good they are and how well they paint a picture. Jodi is an amazing writer, she brings the characters to life as she has done here. You can feel the raw emotions and live the lives of these people for the duration of the book and experience the highs and lows they go through. It is a rollercoaster ride of emotion, hurt, anger, religion, politics and just about everything else that goes with it. What is right in the eyes of the church and the law to what is just human nature. This book provokes a lot of thought and I am sure a lot of opinions.

My only issue with it is with the little girl Zoe teaches I felt we had a few unanswered questions (which you know I hate) and I felt the ended rushed a bit. For example how did the people react after the court case and what happened in the lead up to the end chapter, that would have been fairly explosive and I was a little saddened I didn't get to find out how it got to that actual part (sorry to be vague but I don't do spoilers). Other than that it was a wonderful read that I found hard to put down, 4/5 for me and I will have to bump up the others on my tbr.

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Review - Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(re-read) Time Taken To Read - 3 days

Blurb From Goodreads

Do we love across time? Or in spite of it?

A developer has slated an ancient Abenaki Indian burial ground for a strip mall, and now strange happenings have the inhabitants of tiny Comtosook, Vermont, talking of supernatural forces at work. Ross Wakeman is a ghost hunter who's never seen a ghost -- all he's searching for is something to end the pain of losing his fiancee, Aimee, in a car accident. He tried suicide -- any number of times. Now Ross lives only for a way to connect with Aimee from beyond. Searching the site for signs of the paranormal, Ross meets the mysterious Lia, who sparks him to life for the first time in years. But the discoveries that await Ross are beyond anything he could dream of in this world -- or the next.

My Review

This is another re-read although I hadn't remembered any of it until I got to part two. The first part of the story didn't really grab me and I doubted my original 4 star rating. Ross is our main character and works on a ghost hunter show, trying to find his own loved one he lost and hasn't been able to move on from. Ross has a whole host of issues stemming from his heartbreak and as the story progresses you will understand his character and behavior. The rest of the first part introduces a whole host of characters which makes it hard to get drawn into as your trying to remember who is who and what their story is while trying to figure how they will link in to the story.

Flick to the second part and I couldn't put it down. We visit the past and some of the background of what is causing the haunting and soon the link between all the characters becomes evident as the story pulls you in.

It is a story filled with ghosts, love, loss, heartache and raises a few emotions along the way. I do think for most people you will love or hate it and if you have any interest in the afterlife and ghosts I think you will enjoy this. Certainly different and a slow and fairly puzzling start but stick with it as it is a great wee story, 4 out of 5 for me again this time.

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Review - Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Time Taken To Read - 1.5 days

Blurb From Goodreads

A life hanging in the balance…a family torn apart. The #1 internationally bestselling author Jodi Picoult tells an unforgettable story about family, love, and letting go.

Edward Warren, twenty-four, has been living in Thailand for five years, a prodigal son who left his family after an irreparable fight with his father, Luke. But he gets a frantic phone call: His dad lies comatose, gravely injured in the same accident that has also injured his younger sister Cara.

With her father’s chances for recovery dwindling, Cara wants to wait for a miracle. But Edward wants to terminate life support and donate his father’s organs. Is he motivated by altruism, or revenge? And to what lengths will his sister go to stop him from making an irrevocable decision?

Lone Wolf explores the notion of family, and the love, protection and strength it’s meant to offer. But what if the hope that should sustain it, is the very thing that pulls it apart? Another tour de force from Jodi Picoult, Lone Wolf examines the wild and lonely terrain upon which love battles reason.

My Review

Edward comes home (6 years after he left his family with minimal contact) after hearing of his father and sisters car crash. Dad is in a coma, his sister is recovering and they have to make some difficult decisions, the doctors don't have great news and the decision is whether to end Luke's (the father) life or leave him on life support. Edward wants to pull the plug and Cara wants to give her dad a fighting chance, what would you do?

Luke was an absent father and after taking time away from his family and life as we know it to live wild with wolves he now dedicates his life to taking care of and teaching wolves in captivity. The story flicks between Luke before the crash and his relationship and learning with the wolves and the family present day after the crash and their take on events. We see a family that has been torn apart trying to come to terms with what has happened, what they will do and how they can face the future when they haven't addressed the past.

I really liked this book, it is so very different from anything I have read. For me it split into two, the story of the wolves and how they live and that of a family trying to cope after a tragic event. I think some people may not like the book because of the amount dedicated to the wolves but I loved it and learning about them (I am also going to buy the book written about someone who actually did this) and maybe some of the medical terms but again I liked it. The story stirs up a lot of emotions especially if the reader has been in a position where they have lost someone like this. A great read, something different and as always for me Jodi has written a book that you might find hard to put down, 4/5 for me.

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review - Mercy by Jodi Pcioult

Mercy by Jodi Picoult

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Blurb from Goodreads



Police chief of a small Massachusetts town, Cameron McDonald 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 their 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 another?



My review



A story with a bit of everything. Murder, love, infidelity, friendships and emotional rollercoasters.



Jamie arrives at his cousins town with his wifes cooling body in the car and openly admits he killed her. What follows is a court case against Jamie and wether or not he was insane or not when he did it. As Jamie hits town so also does Mia, a drifter with her cat who soon finds more than a job and causes feelings and upset in the small town.



To be honest I was quite disappointed by this book. I don't think it has the same heart that her other books I have read do and I had a lot of OMG whys.



The Scottish side (the clan history) of it wasn't great either, I didn't find anything of great pull or interest in it.



I did like the glimpses we got of Jamies life with his wife and their love but I didn't find this book a page turner like the others so it is a 3/5 for me and I am being generous as I felt the ending was pretty flat too.



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