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torielizabeth's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
3.25
matildaholden's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
itsfreelancer's review
4.0
Picoult's first work may not be as good as her later ones, but this is another powerful story. Loved it to bits
mcdubbs1188's review
3.0
I've read a handful of Picoult's other books and went into this one knowing that it was her first book and that other people have said it is slower or not as rich as some of her other novels. It usually takes me about halfway through her books to really get into them (once I figure out all the different voices and how they are all related), but I had the opposite experience with this one. I enjoyed the story to begin with but as I got towards the end, it felt slower or maybe I just started realizing things about the characters that I did not like.
It was an okay read. Not my favorite Picoult book, but it was still better than some of the other books I've read recently.
It was an okay read. Not my favorite Picoult book, but it was still better than some of the other books I've read recently.
gabmc's review
2.0
For me, to have a successful book told by multiple narrators, the voices have to be more different than just the typeface used. The narrators are Jane, Rebecca (mother and daughter), Joley (brother), Oliver (husband) and Sam (Joley's boss) and, with the exception of Oliver, they all sound the same. Sometimes I even had to check the chapter title to make sure I was reading who I thought I was reading. The idea of a cross country road trip of discovery is a good one but I didn't feel that any of the characters really had the growth they needed. And I was disturbed by the affection Joley had for his sister Jane - bordering on being in love with her. I believe this was Jodi Picoult's first book and I think that if it was the first of hers that I'd read, I wouldn't read any more.
gretchen3's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mrsbrewcrew's review
4.0
I really like how Picoult uses different fonts & language for the different voices of her characters. This novel was a story told from 5 different perspectives. All 5 main characters had some sort of personal struggle that made me sypmathetic towards them. The author did a great job of allowing me see life from each person's point of view. Even though the characters made mistakes, I could still see where they were coming from & easily understand & forgive them.