Reviews with content warning for Suicide attempt - Wish You Were Here

Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

31 reviews

mrsjburgin's review against another edition

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funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book will mess you up and set you back again like Evermore by Taylor Swift. Do not plan anything after hour five.

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coffeekitaab's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Writing this in 2024, it is so strange to have relived Covid-19 through this book. A nostalgia when reading about how life generally, the way we lived it - even if we did not contract the virus itself - and the varying attitudes around the virus around the world, the medical staff who saved us, the loved ones we lost - it was a definite struggle and very difficult to carry on at times (only because of Picoult being a favourite author did I persevere). As always, this one packed a punch. There is a description towards the end, describing life during covid and how it felt everyone was holding their breath - a desperate need for a gasp - which no one released which felt/feels very true in hindsight. I'm not sure if reading this 2-3 years ago would have changed the experience I had today (and in what sense that would be) but in a way, I am glad it has been catalogued by Picoult. It is so easy to forget the time the world shutdown, especially as we are creatures of nature, rushing back to the slog and race of working life, trains now running and borders are now open, the time you spend an hour working overtime is an hour lost spending time with loved ones - the small print should always be highlighted - remember what matters. My love for JP continues to grow with each book I read. Please do check trigger warnings before picking this up.

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_david_'s review

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I think I'm just not a fan of books in which the covid pandemic plays a big role. Nearly everyone currently alive has lived through it and witnessed its horrors or conspired that it wasn't that bad, but this book will not convince them otherwise. The plot twist was well written, but I still didn't like the story after. If you do not like the first half of the book, you will not enjoy the second.

To me personally, the main character was very self-centered and spoiled. A big theme in the book is that she "evolved" on the island to fit in better. She barely did though. She just got lucky with some villagers. The only moments I enjoyed was her making art with Belize, but the rest of the book made my eyes roll.

I think there was still a big clash of what the main character and I find important in life. I would have done the exact opposite of each choise she made in the end, except for perhaps the career choice.

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jennipea382's review

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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dianashadel's review

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tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Good book, well written, but subject matter stressed me out. Felt too soon for COVID, especially with the recent rise in cases and having a newborn at home.

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abicaro17's review

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Diana is a complex and reflective character. Despite doing some choice things throughout the book, her reflection and inner turmoil creates a space to forgive some of her poor decisions. Given that this book basically reflects current and still changing events, it was well written and clearly well researched. It flows with facts and anecdotes from real life experiences. It was a beautiful (if not slightly triggering) book about a fictional person experiencing the trauma of current events.

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danyclarice's review

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emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“You can’t plan your life Finn” I say quietly. “Because then you have a plan. Not a life”

-

Firstly. Wow. This book blew me away. This is the first book I have read by Jodi Picoult and I am in love with her writing. I think she is an amazing storyteller and brought to life the Galápagos so vividly in this book.

This book is a slow-burn with emotions bleeding into every page. It feels so surreal to read a book about COVID when we have all lived through it. Even though I live on the opposite side of the world, I resonated with the raw emotions and stillness Diana felt in her life.

This book won’t be for everyone. The plot is fairly simple and is focused primarily on the complexity of the character’s relationships with each other, and tackles themes of isolation and parent-loss. More than that, I can understand why some people would choose to avoid this book because COVID centres as the main driver for the plot. Although Diana’s story is fiction, Picoult, as shared in the author’s note, complied multiple stories of COVID survivors together to accurately depict lucid dream states, and long-term effects of being on a ventilator, which may be triggering for some audiences.

For me, this book forced me to confront many of the philosophies I live by post-COVID. Recently single, finished with two degrees, ready to move out and get a full-time job, I have constantly measured success academically and have a need to quantify my goals.

This year I will gain three certificates in UX Design and Project Management, I will get a boyfriend by the end of the year, marry by 30 and have children by 35… I think we’ve all been taught to measure our success in this way. In fact, like Diana, Picoult has taught us in the book how to open our hearts, forgive each other, and take COVID as an opportunity to assess ourselves, our priorities, and those that we love and are dear to us. I realise I need to slow down in life and appreciate what is right in front of me. Why am I focused on being happy in the future if I’m not even happy now?

As a happily married American women with three children, I know Picoult’s between the line messages can appear very complex and confusing for a reader such as myself. But right now, this book has contributed to present philosophies I will take going forward. Maybe I’ll revisit this book is 5, 10 years and gain a completely different message from it.

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