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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
At first I was a bit dubious about the supernatural element but it ended up being an absorbing read. Also the parts about the American eugenics movement were very informative - I hadn't realised this took place.
I don't believe in ghosts. Sorry, I just don't. You could put in a haunted house or whatever and at the end of the day I still wont believe in ghost. Even if I die and become a ghost and haunt all the people that did me wrong in my lifetime - I still wouldn't believe.
Admitting all of that - I can't say that I was hesitant about reading this book nor did I have high expectations for it. I've said this countless time but I really do have a love/hate relationship with Jodi Picoult.
Second Glance wasn't my favorite book of hers because nothing will ever beat my first love: Vanishing Acts. I didn't really connect with the characters or the story line while reading. I didn't really care about what was happening. I was entertained enough that I read the book start to finish without stopping. I feel like I just kind of wanted to get this book over with so I didn't let myself really stop reading or even think about another book.
I guess if you believe in ghosts or into that sort of scene then I suggest you try out this book. I'm not really into because I don't believe in ghosts or anything but I've also read other paranormal books with ghosts or evil spirits that were a lot better than this book.
I'm sorry - I tried, it just didn't work out with me.
Admitting all of that - I can't say that I was hesitant about reading this book nor did I have high expectations for it. I've said this countless time but I really do have a love/hate relationship with Jodi Picoult.
Second Glance wasn't my favorite book of hers because nothing will ever beat my first love: Vanishing Acts. I didn't really connect with the characters or the story line while reading. I didn't really care about what was happening. I was entertained enough that I read the book start to finish without stopping. I feel like I just kind of wanted to get this book over with so I didn't let myself really stop reading or even think about another book.
I guess if you believe in ghosts or into that sort of scene then I suggest you try out this book. I'm not really into because I don't believe in ghosts or anything but I've also read other paranormal books with ghosts or evil spirits that were a lot better than this book.
I'm sorry - I tried, it just didn't work out with me.
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is not what I thought it was going to be. From the beginning, I was a little surprised by the subject matter, but having read many of her other books, I trusted her to take me on a journey. It was written differently than many of her other works. It reminded me of the movie Babel - a bunch of disparate stories that eventually are all connected. I don’t normally like this kind of storytelling, because there are often too many strings to track. In this case, it worked well, though there were as many surprises as there were anticipated plot points.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
It took me about a hundred pages, before I realized that I was really enjoying Jodi Picoult’s “Second Glances.” I think it was because I really couldn’t see where everything was going to tie together, but ultimately, that is what made the story so strong.
A good chunk of the book is a ghost story. I am a complete skeptic, but I loved how this part of the story was handled. It worked. It’s imaginative and even a tad creepy.
The other part of the story that worked was how Picoult weaved in the History of Vermont’s eugenics studies. In the author’s notes, she explains the real history of it and why she put it in the story. The whole thing is horrifying.
I could go on, but I don’t want to leave any spoilers.
A good chunk of the book is a ghost story. I am a complete skeptic, but I loved how this part of the story was handled. It worked. It’s imaginative and even a tad creepy.
The other part of the story that worked was how Picoult weaved in the History of Vermont’s eugenics studies. In the author’s notes, she explains the real history of it and why she put it in the story. The whole thing is horrifying.
I could go on, but I don’t want to leave any spoilers.
extremely unexpected, each story is intricately woven separately, but falls together in the end. Tearjerker, sad, and touching.