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minerva1221's review
4.0
Would you kill someone out of love? That's the main premise of this story. A man confesses to killing his terminally-ill wife. He did it simply because she asked him to. Or is it really that clear cut?
In this book, nothing about love is simple. It posed some interesting questions that had me wondering how I would react in similar circumstances. While I didn't agree with the choices the characters made, I can understand why they made them.
In this book, nothing about love is simple. It posed some interesting questions that had me wondering how I would react in similar circumstances. While I didn't agree with the choices the characters made, I can understand why they made them.
scientist_reading_world's review
3.0
Mercy, Treason, Love, Lies, Forgiveness.
3 stars
This time Jodi Picoult let me a little bit disappointed with this book. It has a good premise, What it means to truly love someone? and What are you capable to do for love? Go against moral standards? but it not so good executed. The writing style is, as usual, amazing being very fluid and simple that made me always feel so good, happy and excited to read her books.
So this story follows Jamie MacDonald who killed his wife Meggie and confesses. He killed her out of mercy cause she is dying of cancer. He murdered in a small city where his cousin leaves, is the police officer and is the chief of the MacDonald clan.
And then you except to be a book about the ethics involving the case the pro-life and euthanasia, but you only get a few glimpses of that during the trial and a specific scene that is never explained.
The story is more about the cousin of Jamie, Cameron (Cam) who betrays his wife for a woman that he instantly falls in love with. There are a lot of problems with Cam, his wife Allie, and the mistress Mia. See spoiler section
The court scene is very good as in a lot of Jodi's books but overall I think that this book could be two different books, one about mercy and killing someone who is dying and euthanasia is not legal and other about betrayal, adultery, and empowerment.
Overall was an enjoyable reading but I was expecting more out of this book but you should read it if you have time for it.
Okay let's discuss a few details and characters of this book
1) Jamie and Meggie's relationship
During the book, we have the chance to see how Meggie arrived at such a state and made Jamie killed her. at the beginning of the book, Meggie asks him a simple question, I know you love me. The question is how much being the first glance of how she used all the love and devotion that Jamie has for her to kill her to end such pain.
Meggie had the idea of killing her self long before the illness. When Jaime is doing the VR for the quadriplegic who wanted to play tennis again, she says to him if I ever stay in such condition I allow you to give me a shot. She had already the mind that she did not want to suffer in life and make Jamie suffering too.
Jamie tries to convince himself that he did that for pure egoism for not wanting to remember Meggie in such a bad way but for everything we see during the book he loves her more as he says to Allie.
In all book, we see a beautiful relationship with a tragic ending due to cancer which is one of the most unfair diseases of all time. For me the last scene when Jamie finally sees and finds Meggie is fantastic.
2) Allie
For me, Allie irritated me a lot! First for being so submissive, focus on a man, with no self-love or self-esteem and when she founds out that Cam betrays her with Mia she grows a bit in respect but still far from the point she gains respect on the relationship.
From the beginning. First, she chooses the shop because is near Cam police office. Then she is always comparing to Cam, he is sexier, taller, etc. She does 100 things just to see the effect does things has on him, leaving the shirts in the laundry without him asking, put tea just to have something to talk with him and treat him like a king while he treats her with no respect (we get at that point later).
When they talk about Jamie's case Allie says that she would kill Cam if he asks for it and then kill herself not because of guilt just because he was no longer with her.
During all the book Allie is treated badly by Cam, not being respected by him and cheated by him. She thinks that he yealing at her when he is angry is a privilege and honor!
She starts opening the eyes during Christmas when she wants to give a small picture of Jamie and Cam together in Scotland and he becomes very angry and violent and she finally says something about it instead saying that he is right. when Valentine Day arrives for them (since she owns a flower shop they celebrate early) he forgets as always, buys things in a rush like be my valentine's Dad, lies to her saying that he has a conference but he is going to do a lover weekend with Mia. Allie in that time gets very angry.
The turning point is when she founds out all the lies and the cheating and decides to sell all his things, and decides to go away.
I was happy but then she comes back and instead of going away since she is very submissive to Cam she decides to go back and after a lot of fighting they finish together after all the things he did to her during all those years.
I wished she could be more emotionally independent from him and made him suffer what she suffered.
3) Cam
The worst man in this book, with no morals, no respect for his wife and no courage to admit that he was so wrong.
At the start, we can see Cameron not caring about Allie always dreaming about traveling, and when he meets Mia that travels a lot he falls instantly in love form her. and the first time Cam is alone in his house with Mia they kiss just like that.
The thing is Mia wants what Cam has a family, love and a home, he wants to travel around the world with her and see the world. So their love is condemned from the begging but they still go on without talking about it and hurting Allie in the process.
Even when we saw his ex-girlfriend older he thought of her in a sexual way with his wife in the same room.
During the rest of the book, we always see Cam getting with Mia, lying to Allie, not treating Allie as she deserves and when Mia decides to leave the first time he hires a private detective to find her and in the second time he is so angry but also finds that Allie knows everything.
Mia is no angel either she plotted a lot of things and situations and even help him to feel less bad about it because of the fantasy. She even says that she wants to be far from him but comes back to the town.
When Allie's angry with him, he starts to see how much he loves her but still with Mia in his mind forever. BUT he does not like the new Allie and wants the old one to come back because with that everything will be easier. He also states that he does not like to be submissive to her like trying to apologize and regretting his mistakes is a bad thing.
But in the end, the love that Allie feels for him is enough to forgive him.
For me, someone with those traits and personalities would need to change a lot not because of cheating but because of everything.
3 stars
This time Jodi Picoult let me a little bit disappointed with this book. It has a good premise, What it means to truly love someone? and What are you capable to do for love? Go against moral standards? but it not so good executed. The writing style is, as usual, amazing being very fluid and simple that made me always feel so good, happy and excited to read her books.
So this story follows Jamie MacDonald who killed his wife Meggie and confesses. He killed her out of mercy cause she is dying of cancer. He murdered in a small city where his cousin leaves, is the police officer and is the chief of the MacDonald clan.
And then you except to be a book about the ethics involving the case the pro-life and euthanasia, but you only get a few glimpses of that during the trial and a specific scene that is never explained.
The story is more about the cousin of Jamie, Cameron (Cam) who betrays his wife for a woman that he instantly falls in love with. There are a lot of problems with Cam, his wife Allie, and the mistress Mia. See spoiler section
The court scene is very good as in a lot of Jodi's books but overall I think that this book could be two different books, one about mercy and killing someone who is dying and euthanasia is not legal and other about betrayal, adultery, and empowerment.
Overall was an enjoyable reading but I was expecting more out of this book but you should read it if you have time for it.
Spoiler
Okay let's discuss a few details and characters of this book
1) Jamie and Meggie's relationship
During the book, we have the chance to see how Meggie arrived at such a state and made Jamie killed her. at the beginning of the book, Meggie asks him a simple question, I know you love me. The question is how much being the first glance of how she used all the love and devotion that Jamie has for her to kill her to end such pain.
Meggie had the idea of killing her self long before the illness. When Jaime is doing the VR for the quadriplegic who wanted to play tennis again, she says to him if I ever stay in such condition I allow you to give me a shot. She had already the mind that she did not want to suffer in life and make Jamie suffering too.
Jamie tries to convince himself that he did that for pure egoism for not wanting to remember Meggie in such a bad way but for everything we see during the book he loves her more as he says to Allie.
In all book, we see a beautiful relationship with a tragic ending due to cancer which is one of the most unfair diseases of all time. For me the last scene when Jamie finally sees and finds Meggie is fantastic.
2) Allie
For me, Allie irritated me a lot! First for being so submissive, focus on a man, with no self-love or self-esteem and when she founds out that Cam betrays her with Mia she grows a bit in respect but still far from the point she gains respect on the relationship.
From the beginning. First, she chooses the shop because is near Cam police office. Then she is always comparing to Cam, he is sexier, taller, etc. She does 100 things just to see the effect does things has on him, leaving the shirts in the laundry without him asking, put tea just to have something to talk with him and treat him like a king while he treats her with no respect (we get at that point later).
When they talk about Jamie's case Allie says that she would kill Cam if he asks for it and then kill herself not because of guilt just because he was no longer with her.
During all the book Allie is treated badly by Cam, not being respected by him and cheated by him. She thinks that he yealing at her when he is angry is a privilege and honor!
She starts opening the eyes during Christmas when she wants to give a small picture of Jamie and Cam together in Scotland and he becomes very angry and violent and she finally says something about it instead saying that he is right. when Valentine Day arrives for them (since she owns a flower shop they celebrate early) he forgets as always, buys things in a rush like be my valentine's Dad, lies to her saying that he has a conference but he is going to do a lover weekend with Mia. Allie in that time gets very angry.
The turning point is when she founds out all the lies and the cheating and decides to sell all his things, and decides to go away.
I was happy but then she comes back and instead of going away since she is very submissive to Cam she decides to go back and after a lot of fighting they finish together after all the things he did to her during all those years.
I wished she could be more emotionally independent from him and made him suffer what she suffered.
3) Cam
The worst man in this book, with no morals, no respect for his wife and no courage to admit that he was so wrong.
At the start, we can see Cameron not caring about Allie always dreaming about traveling, and when he meets Mia that travels a lot he falls instantly in love form her. and the first time Cam is alone in his house with Mia they kiss just like that.
The thing is Mia wants what Cam has a family, love and a home, he wants to travel around the world with her and see the world. So their love is condemned from the begging but they still go on without talking about it and hurting Allie in the process.
Even when we saw his ex-girlfriend older he thought of her in a sexual way with his wife in the same room.
During the rest of the book, we always see Cam getting with Mia, lying to Allie, not treating Allie as she deserves and when Mia decides to leave the first time he hires a private detective to find her and in the second time he is so angry but also finds that Allie knows everything.
Mia is no angel either she plotted a lot of things and situations and even help him to feel less bad about it because of the fantasy. She even says that she wants to be far from him but comes back to the town.
When Allie's angry with him, he starts to see how much he loves her but still with Mia in his mind forever. BUT he does not like the new Allie and wants the old one to come back because with that everything will be easier. He also states that he does not like to be submissive to her like trying to apologize and regretting his mistakes is a bad thing.
But in the end, the love that Allie feels for him is enough to forgive him.
For me, someone with those traits and personalities would need to change a lot not because of cheating but because of everything.
jellokites's review
3.0
If I could rate this a 3.5 I would, but did not feel it was a 4. I liked it but did not love it, and for being one of my favorite authors, I was surprised. But maybe since this was one of her earlier books (this was published in 1996, and the earliest book I read was 1999) it took a bit to get her style down.
I guess I was very disappointed by the decision that Cam made to spend time with Mia. Although I am glad Mia did end up leaving so that Allie and Cam could reconcile their relationship.
As for Jaime killing his wife, I can understand why he did it, but to me, it still does not make things right, as sad as the situation was.
There was reference in the book towards the end that someone "close" was going to die. So then I was trying to figure out who, when it turned out to be Angus, and I was thinking a more central character.
It took me awhile to get into the book, but I did enjoy it for the most part.
I guess I was very disappointed by the decision that Cam made to spend time with Mia. Although I am glad Mia did end up leaving so that Allie and Cam could reconcile their relationship.
As for Jaime killing his wife, I can understand why he did it, but to me, it still does not make things right, as sad as the situation was.
There was reference in the book towards the end that someone "close" was going to die. So then I was trying to figure out who, when it turned out to be Angus, and I was thinking a more central character.
It took me awhile to get into the book, but I did enjoy it for the most part.
ivanbiber's review
2.0
Spoiler alert.
This is the first Jodi Picoult book that I have not loved. The writing, as always, is engaging, but with very few exceptions, I do not enjoy a "make your own story" ending as contained in this book.
This is the first Jodi Picoult book that I have not loved. The writing, as always, is engaging, but with very few exceptions, I do not enjoy a "make your own story" ending as contained in this book.
apasc's review
3.0
A little different than her other books. There was a trial in it and of course an ethical dilemma, but the love story was different. I think I would have liked it better if I read it instead of listening to it on CD.
adenise47's review
3.0
I normally love Jodi Picoult books. This one seemed a little slow to me. I knew what was going to happen before it happened. No surprises in this book.
suvata's review against another edition
3.0
I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars but I wish I could have rated it 2-1/2 stars. I'm a big fan of Jodi Picoult's books but this one just didn't do it for me. Cam was a very unlikeable character and large portions of this book did not hold my interest.
novelesque_life's review
4.0
4 STARS
"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." (From Amazon)
book that definitely makes you go hmmmmmmmmm... I was all over the place on this novel. Picoult's novels really make you question your own morals and feelings.
"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." (From Amazon)
book that definitely makes you go hmmmmmmmmm... I was all over the place on this novel. Picoult's novels really make you question your own morals and feelings.
kcoccia's review
4.0
Seriously the entire time I was reading this I kept repeating "You selfish son of a b****".
But I still loved it.
But I still loved it.
chelslynn5's review
3.0
I felt this book was really slow in the first half, I enjoyed it but was not completely sucked in. By the second half, I was a lot more into it. Not my favorite by her, but still a good book.