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ml28star's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
crafalsk264's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The staff and patients of the Women’s Reproductive Health Clinic welcome a clear, warm fall day but are taken hostage by a man who has been part of the pro-life demonstration across the street from the clinic. The man has a gun and other weapons and some of the other people end up being injured. Hugh McElroy is the police hostage negotiator who establishes communication with the gunman only to find that his sister and daughter are among the hostages. His sister, Becks, is seriously injured and his 17 year old daughter, Wren, are caught up in the vendetta being carried out. There are a doctor, two nurses, and owner of the clinic and a group of patients are swept up into the action. The story follows the negotiation between Hugh and the gunman throughout the day. The story switches between a number of PoVs as we learn about each character’s situation. The book is well paced and rich with characters that I quickly learned to care for. The resolution of the story is satisfying while it leaves the questions open.
I have been a fan of Picoult for some time and look forward to each new title.
Jodi Picoult is one of the most talented authors I have read. She takes on the most controversial topics and explores the emotions with courage , insight, tact and balance. In this book, she examines the rights of pregnant women along with the rights of the unborn. It looks at parenthood , sexual violence, and a small Southern town as the setting and the relationships between the individuals involved in the story. I highly recommend to readers of contemporary, adult, realistic fiction with dramatic treatment of crime, sexual violence, abortion and revenge.
nicamas's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
4.5
A great book, very cleverly written going back in time chronologically from an opening chapter dealing with a current, tense, shooting/hostage situation in an abortion clinic, back through the day, discovering hour by hour each of the main characters (the negotiators, his family members who are amongst the hostages, the hostages who are staff and patients of the clinic) back story and how they arrived to their situation in the shootout.
Interestingly, the story does go into some detail of how/what happens during abortion but this is mostly in the final chapters as you go back to earlier in the day... be warned though, this may be triggering to individuals to read. I imagine there are a lot of people who would avoid this story due to that side of the nature.
But it tells a compelling story of emotional connections, choices that are made for whichever sets of reasons in the moment, and how they affect/may stay with you for life. In this case, it goes into some political depth too as it affects greatly the southern states of America where abortion/termination is greatly influenced by religion and law, making the 'choice' for woman actually very difficult to obtain. In the UK, we are more diverse and I imagine (I've never sought a terminaton) it is easier and safer to access if required, though nonetheless emotional a decision to have to make.
Of course, as well as the emotional aspect of the story, you also have the criminal violence/hostage situation going on.
Overall, a great read. Jodie's books are always a good read though, I've read a few of hers.
Interestingly, the story does go into some detail of how/what happens during abortion but this is mostly in the final chapters as you go back to earlier in the day... be warned though, this may be triggering to individuals to read. I imagine there are a lot of people who would avoid this story due to that side of the nature.
But it tells a compelling story of emotional connections, choices that are made for whichever sets of reasons in the moment, and how they affect/may stay with you for life. In this case, it goes into some political depth too as it affects greatly the southern states of America where abortion/termination is greatly influenced by religion and law, making the 'choice' for woman actually very difficult to obtain. In the UK, we are more diverse and I imagine (I've never sought a terminaton) it is easier and safer to access if required, though nonetheless emotional a decision to have to make.
Of course, as well as the emotional aspect of the story, you also have the criminal violence/hostage situation going on.
Overall, a great read. Jodie's books are always a good read though, I've read a few of hers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, and Abortion
Trigger warning- aborton/termination detailsburlesot's review against another edition
5.0
This book should be a must read for every citizen of the world! This book might not change your opinions but it certainly will educate you and help you be more empathetic toward others and help broaden your perspective.
cattiemo's review against another edition
Was listening on audiobook and couldn't get into it. Will try again with book, story was interesting
lilo23's review against another edition
2.0
I finally finished this book after dnf-ing it twice. The chapters are told reverse order so the book is really choppy and it’s a little confusing and annoying. Also, I already know what happened and I don’t really care about the smaller details. But other than that, I do like the book’s message and I appreciate the author’s open-mindedness.
cl03157's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
promauca's review against another edition
Boring,story goes on for longer than necessary,characters are flat
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion and Racism