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harlequins_joker's review
4.0
Really enjoyed it; although I did feel it was a lot like Picoult's other novels (tragic ending, sibling in chaos, detached father etc).
I did enjoy it though nonetheless. I did find the whole 'cheque left in the casket' thing a bit iffy. I would've thought either a) they kept it and lived life to the fullest in memory of her b) donated the funds to OI foundation. That part just didn't feel right to me... felt like all the suffering was for nothing.
The last two bits broke my heart; Willow's ending and then reading Charlotte's part. I felt as though Willow tragically was set free from her pain & suffering and may have intentionally sought it out. Then Charlotte's feelings and regret... I can imagine nothing worse than a child dying (perhaps intentionally as a cause of your actions) and then having all that suffering prior to her death be for nothing. It was just so sad.
I did enjoy it though nonetheless. I did find the whole 'cheque left in the casket' thing a bit iffy. I would've thought either a) they kept it and lived life to the fullest in memory of her b) donated the funds to OI foundation. That part just didn't feel right to me... felt like all the suffering was for nothing.
The last two bits broke my heart; Willow's ending and then reading Charlotte's part. I felt as though Willow tragically was set free from her pain & suffering and may have intentionally sought it out. Then Charlotte's feelings and regret... I can imagine nothing worse than a child dying (perhaps intentionally as a cause of your actions) and then having all that suffering prior to her death be for nothing. It was just so sad.
devonforest's review
4.0
I don't know if I'd give this quite a 4 star rating, but it's more than 3.5. It was good and I enjoyed it, but at the same time was a typical Jodi Picoult book (which I expected from the beginning). It's not my favorite book of hers, but it wasn't bad.
sam_hartwig's review
1.0
Firstly I need to say I didn't actually finish this book. My initial reason for not finishing this is because I was bored and one of the characters frustrated me. But that wasn't my final reason for not finishing.
I've read many Picoult books before so I know what to expect from them but this one felt like she simply used her formula of 'Mum', 'Dad', 'Child with issue', 'Sibling', 'Lawyer' & 'Extra' as her characters and picking something wrong with the child that is confronting and completely devastating.
You find out that Willow (the Child with issue) has Osteogenesis Imperfecta also known as OI or what I liked to call it, brittle bones. She is born with it and will have hundreds of breaks over a period of her life. I wanted to know what someone with OI would look like so I googled it and I was deeply disturbed. The pictures I found on the internet were so horrific I had to stop looking.
Basically, Willow's mother decides that she can sue her obstetrician (which happens to be her best friend) for not picking up Willow's disability in an early ultrasound.
There were 15 discs in this Audiobook and I had gotten to the 6th Disc and was so bored! Willow's sister really irritated me too. I was sick of her always complaining about living in 'the sticks', not being able to go to the mall and many other teenage selfishness because of her sister's disability. While Willow was the one not complaining even if she had a bad break! I just wished that for once Picoult had written about a sibling that was supportive of not only her disabled brother/sister but also her parents. I know a lot of teenagers think of only themselves but it would've made at least one character interesting in the story.
There was a side story with the lawyer being adopted and trying to find her birth mother. So I'm assuming Picoult put that in there to flesh out the story because there wasn't enough in the main story to keep people interested.
So because of these two things (boring & sister was annoying) I decided to skip to the 13th Disc to see how the story was going and found that it was up to the court case and was still boring! I then went onto Wikipedia to read the plot and found out what happens in the end and I was angry! I was so glad I didn't invest my time listening to this just to have THAT happen in the end, I would've felt like throwing the audiobook out the window of the car! People who have read this will know what I'm talking about.
That's when I made the decision to not continue listening, I could've put up with boring and the annoying sister but not that happening in the end. I have read other reviews about this book and some people think the same as me.
Review also on my blog
I've read many Picoult books before so I know what to expect from them but this one felt like she simply used her formula of 'Mum', 'Dad', 'Child with issue', 'Sibling', 'Lawyer' & 'Extra' as her characters and picking something wrong with the child that is confronting and completely devastating.
You find out that Willow (the Child with issue) has Osteogenesis Imperfecta also known as OI or what I liked to call it, brittle bones. She is born with it and will have hundreds of breaks over a period of her life. I wanted to know what someone with OI would look like so I googled it and I was deeply disturbed. The pictures I found on the internet were so horrific I had to stop looking.
Basically, Willow's mother decides that she can sue her obstetrician (which happens to be her best friend) for not picking up Willow's disability in an early ultrasound.
There were 15 discs in this Audiobook and I had gotten to the 6th Disc and was so bored! Willow's sister really irritated me too. I was sick of her always complaining about living in 'the sticks', not being able to go to the mall and many other teenage selfishness because of her sister's disability. While Willow was the one not complaining even if she had a bad break! I just wished that for once Picoult had written about a sibling that was supportive of not only her disabled brother/sister but also her parents. I know a lot of teenagers think of only themselves but it would've made at least one character interesting in the story.
There was a side story with the lawyer being adopted and trying to find her birth mother. So I'm assuming Picoult put that in there to flesh out the story because there wasn't enough in the main story to keep people interested.
So because of these two things (boring & sister was annoying) I decided to skip to the 13th Disc to see how the story was going and found that it was up to the court case and was still boring! I then went onto Wikipedia to read the plot and found out what happens in the end and I was angry! I was so glad I didn't invest my time listening to this just to have THAT happen in the end, I would've felt like throwing the audiobook out the window of the car! People who have read this will know what I'm talking about.
That's when I made the decision to not continue listening, I could've put up with boring and the annoying sister but not that happening in the end. I have read other reviews about this book and some people think the same as me.
Review also on my blog
remia1996's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ashmanzer's review
3.0
Horrible ending. Made me angry and forced me to take a Jodi Picoult book break.
indigoblue777's review
2.0
This isn't the type of book that I normally read. I can honestly say, from reading this book, that Jodi Picoult is a great writer. I think her writing style is enjoyable, her use of perspective and the format was unique and really interesting to read.
This just wasn't the book for me.
Spoiler
She uses recipes at the breaks between sections of the book as a metaphor for what the characters are going through. She also writes from many of the characters' perspectives, but all of the characters are writing from the future as a story/message to Willow.This just wasn't the book for me.
protoman21's review
4.0
I think this is my favorite novel so far by Picoult. The characters were all unique and complicated, but easy to root for in their own way. I'm sure many people will be disappointed with the ending, and I can't say that I'm happy about it, but it was beautifully tragic.
lawrierl's review
3.0
Spoiler
I am a big fan of Jodi Picoult. After having read a few reviews that compared this book to My Sister's Keeper, I have to agree that they seem the same in many ways. I need something fresh and different from her soon...That said, I don't like the need for the children to die in the end like they did in this book and some of her others. It just feels like a huge let down. I want this family to find some answers to their problems and learn to make themselves and each other happy... Just when it seems they will, the child dies. ugh...
mclellan's review
3.0
Right up until the end I would have given this book five stars -- but I HATED the ending!!