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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
I was so impressed by how seamlessly Jodi Picoult wove together ancient Egyptian academics and such an emotional, human story in such a seamless and compelling way.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The best thing about this book was the coverage of dying and the work of a death doula. I appreciated Picoult's rich and insightful coverage of the challenges faced by dying individuals and their caregivers, the physiological process of dying, and the universality of our march toward death. Much less satisfying was the protagonist's inability to decide between her two heart-throbs, her seeming inability to express herself to them, and the redundant sex scenes. I listened to the audio book and found the leaps backwards and forwards in time to be difficult to follow. The leaps in time and location might have been easier to process in a print version of the book.
Okay, Jodi Picoult has gotten wayyyy better. Is this what happens when publishers just continually ask you to churn out books? The story was really interesting, even if not a smidge predictable, but the last chapter or two was pretty disappointing. Great summer read.
I really enjoyed this book! I loved the history behind it and especially getting into the Egyptology because I’ve always found ancient Egypt to be fascinating! However, I can see how many would not like this aspect of the book.
I was interested in the characters and the different timelines but I would often get confused as to what was real, past, or fake timelines. Maybe that’s because I listened to the book, though.
The ending was a let down for me!!! Did not tie it all up enough, in my opinion.
I was interested in the characters and the different timelines but I would often get confused as to what was real, past, or fake timelines. Maybe that’s because I listened to the book, though.
The ending was a let down for me!!! Did not tie it all up enough, in my opinion.
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am a huge Jodi Picoult fan. I really wanted to love this book as much as I have loved all her other books but my interest was lost somewhere on the way to Egypt. This book felt like she was the one that was the big Egypt nerd (I say nerd, as John and Hank Green use the word, as someone who is unapologetically enthusiastic about a topic) instead of her character, Dawn. I appreciate how much research Picoult pours in to every book so that the reader can be fully immersed in the world of her characters. This time, however, I was so immersed that I felt like I was in an Egyptology class, not among the ruins, but rather in a basement classroom staring at the clock waiting for the bell to ring. That being said I did like the premise of the story that there are two ways a person's life can take. It makes you think about the choices made in the past, the what if we opened door B instead of walking through door A.
emotional
reflective
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not my favorite Picoult book, but I still enjoyed it! :)
I am sad I did not like this book. I normally like Jodi Picoult but this one I did not. The Egyptology was hard to connect to as it is foreign to me, even though I did enjoy learning about a different culture it just didn’t all click. Also, the ending was a big disappointment to me. I don’t even know that ended but that the story just stopped, in my opinion.