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devynkeith's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Personally the romance aspect was unnecessary and a little cheesy. I usually like Jodi Picoult for her amazing court cases that she portrays so well. This story had a great legal aspect, but the romance was too much for me.
karinreadsalot's review against another edition
1.0
This book just gave me a bad taste in my mouth- beginning to end. The writing was good. The story was ok. I didn’t find any of the characters likable. The sexual assault and rape allegations aspects were just not an enjoyable subject to base a book around in my opinion. In the book’s defense, this wasn’t a book I would have picked to read, it was the book chosen by my book club.
bookish_diane14's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
roseawall's review against another edition
4.0
Finally, a Jodi Picoult book where the ending doesn’t feel like it’s been rushed.
mflynn4's review against another edition
2.0
I LOVE Jodi Picoult. This one feels predictable, though I don't know yet if I'm correct in my predictions. I reading slowly, which is rare for her novels.
I gave up. Reminded me too much of the movie The Craft, though no one I talked to has seen that movie...
I gave up. Reminded me too much of the movie The Craft, though no one I talked to has seen that movie...
mbkarapcik's review against another edition
4.0
I fell away from Jodi Picoult’s books because I never felt awed by her novels, but my interest is renewed (I wrote this in April 2019, and, if you read my other reviews, have since read a few more of her books).
Former teacher Jack St. Bride tries to escape his past, which included a prison term for allegedly engaging in a relationship with a female student, by rebuilding his life in a tiny New England town. He claims that the student harbored a schoolgirl crush on him that she built up to be more to his utter detriment. Now he’s trying to get his life back by working in a small diner and possibly exploring an adult relationship with the owner Addie Peabody.
This book could seem slow at times, especially the science examined in the court case and even some of the courtroom scenes (despite enjoying my work as a legal marketing copywriter), and definitely could use a few updates, but it drew me in with the diverse characters and plot twists. Some you saw coming, others needed more in-depth information to catch. It delves into some aspects of witchcraft, which drove the story in a different direction. Ironically, another book I read this year brought up witchcraft, too (review soon to come)! Some of the relationships needed some more passion and chemistry because they appeared somewhat forced. One of the endings I suspected but was chilling.
I read The Crucible in my freshmen year of high school, which was (gulp) over 30 years ago, so I didn’t really associate the book with the play. I was not a fan of the play and could not stand the teacher who taught the book because he was a bitter, sarcastic, old man. My mom told me after she started working at my school that they spent years trying to get rid of him but couldn’t because he had tenure. Did I dislike the play because of the teacher and his bad attitude?
Anyway, I think I’m going to pick up more of Jodi’s books (yes, I did)! And, btw, her books are ideal for book clubs because she invariably appears to write about controversial subjects and incorporates all different points of view, so there is plenty to chew on and discuss.
Former teacher Jack St. Bride tries to escape his past, which included a prison term for allegedly engaging in a relationship with a female student, by rebuilding his life in a tiny New England town. He claims that the student harbored a schoolgirl crush on him that she built up to be more to his utter detriment. Now he’s trying to get his life back by working in a small diner and possibly exploring an adult relationship with the owner Addie Peabody.
This book could seem slow at times, especially the science examined in the court case and even some of the courtroom scenes (despite enjoying my work as a legal marketing copywriter), and definitely could use a few updates, but it drew me in with the diverse characters and plot twists. Some you saw coming, others needed more in-depth information to catch. It delves into some aspects of witchcraft, which drove the story in a different direction. Ironically, another book I read this year brought up witchcraft, too (review soon to come)! Some of the relationships needed some more passion and chemistry because they appeared somewhat forced. One of the endings I suspected but was chilling.
I read The Crucible in my freshmen year of high school, which was (gulp) over 30 years ago, so I didn’t really associate the book with the play. I was not a fan of the play and could not stand the teacher who taught the book because he was a bitter, sarcastic, old man. My mom told me after she started working at my school that they spent years trying to get rid of him but couldn’t because he had tenure. Did I dislike the play because of the teacher and his bad attitude?
Anyway, I think I’m going to pick up more of Jodi’s books (yes, I did)! And, btw, her books are ideal for book clubs because she invariably appears to write about controversial subjects and incorporates all different points of view, so there is plenty to chew on and discuss.
reikista's review against another edition
4.0
Highly educated Jack served a prison term on the accusation of sexually assaulting one of his soccer team players and, when he gets out, moves to a new town where he serendipitously gets a job as a dishwasher. As he begins building a new life, he is accused again, and now risks losing his freedom and the fledgling relationship he never thought he would have.
xeyra1's review against another edition
3.0
I haven't read much Jodi Picoult yet. As a matter of fact, this one is my second one. It's, as usual, a very interesting and gripping read (I stayed up very late finishing the book this night and really wanted to know what would happen in the end). Although the initial sucession of different points of view with only a page each annoyed me, after a while, especially during the trial, it worked for me and the story. And although I couldn't put this book down, especially at the end, I thought the ending implausible. I should probably learn more about the court-of-law and how jurors work and give sentences, but after reading the trial and the final allegations, I doubt a jury would go for the veredict that ended up being decided... I just thought it too predictable and improbable. Otherwise, the book entertained me, Jodi Picoult proved to be a masterful storyteller, but it didn't have the same beauty "Second Glance" had (the only other Picoult novel I read).