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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Holy WOW...just wow! Will be thinking about this one for a while! GREAT READ!
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
Oh, how I've missed reading Jodi's wonderful writing recently. She will always be my favourite author I think, not just because of the ability she has to make me question the things that I think I believe in (and being a Philosophy student, and studying Ethics, this is something that I kinda enjoy) but because of her wonderful writing. I can read books by other authors, but the second I read a book by Jodi, I am drawn in by her clever use of phrases, how she can turn things on their head, say the most interesting things without actually saying too much, if that makes sense. Take this, a section from the book from the point of view of the five year old, Nathaniel, who has been sexually abused in this book.
"She picks me up and puts me on her shoulders. "The pond," she says. "Can you see the pond?"
From up here, I can. It is a piece of sky, lying on the ground.
When Heaven breaks, who fixes it?"
And that's why I love her writing so much. I love how I can read from the point of view of the character who I disagree with, and start to see her point of view, until I read another point of view, and wonder why on earth I let myself sympathise with the other point of view previously. I love how I never know quite where I stand with her books.
This book comes under 'early Picoult' I think, when she was still using the formula that she used for most of her books before it. Situation, points of view, trial, outcome. I find these books interesting, even though I think some of her newer ones are better. These ones are interesting because you can see her developing as an author. This book may not be one of her best - at least, in my opinion, having read some of her later ones, but it's also better than some of the ones that came before. But take it as it is, at the time of publication. The writing is amazing. The plot draws you in, with plot twists that I really did not see coming (and I LOVE it when an author is able to do that with me, since I read a lot of books where you can kinda guess what that plot twist is going to be. I've never had that with one of Jodi's books.) The point of view of the five year old was touching and heartbreaking at the same time. Her characters are flawed and sometimes you really want to smash their heads against a wall (and Jodi even said in the interview at the back of my copy that she often felt like that with the main character, Nina, here and she struggled with that while writing her, like an ongoing battle.) But somehow, that makes them more believable to me, because people aren't perfect. People can do things that they never realised they could do before the moment they did it. We can think we are perfect, until the second we do the imperfect thing. I think that's what we have to take away from this book. I can see that some reviewers didn't really like it. But I have to say, for one of the 'early Picoult' books, I really did. The lack of one star in my rating is simply that I know Jodi at her best, and this wasn't it. That didn't stop it from being a great read though.
"She picks me up and puts me on her shoulders. "The pond," she says. "Can you see the pond?"
From up here, I can. It is a piece of sky, lying on the ground.
When Heaven breaks, who fixes it?"
And that's why I love her writing so much. I love how I can read from the point of view of the character who I disagree with, and start to see her point of view, until I read another point of view, and wonder why on earth I let myself sympathise with the other point of view previously. I love how I never know quite where I stand with her books.
This book comes under 'early Picoult' I think, when she was still using the formula that she used for most of her books before it. Situation, points of view, trial, outcome. I find these books interesting, even though I think some of her newer ones are better. These ones are interesting because you can see her developing as an author. This book may not be one of her best - at least, in my opinion, having read some of her later ones, but it's also better than some of the ones that came before. But take it as it is, at the time of publication. The writing is amazing. The plot draws you in, with plot twists that I really did not see coming (and I LOVE it when an author is able to do that with me, since I read a lot of books where you can kinda guess what that plot twist is going to be. I've never had that with one of Jodi's books.) The point of view of the five year old was touching and heartbreaking at the same time. Her characters are flawed and sometimes you really want to smash their heads against a wall (and Jodi even said in the interview at the back of my copy that she often felt like that with the main character, Nina, here and she struggled with that while writing her, like an ongoing battle.) But somehow, that makes them more believable to me, because people aren't perfect. People can do things that they never realised they could do before the moment they did it. We can think we are perfect, until the second we do the imperfect thing. I think that's what we have to take away from this book. I can see that some reviewers didn't really like it. But I have to say, for one of the 'early Picoult' books, I really did. The lack of one star in my rating is simply that I know Jodi at her best, and this wasn't it. That didn't stop it from being a great read though.
Tragic and even more tragic that it’s not far-fetched and can easily happen, and even already has at least to a point.
My gripe is I get children are full of wonder, imagination, yadada. I work in an elementary school, as a social worker. The parts in her son’s POV are an adult trying too hard to write a kid’s POV. It isn’t simple and childish enough.
My gripe is I get children are full of wonder, imagination, yadada. I work in an elementary school, as a social worker. The parts in her son’s POV are an adult trying too hard to write a kid’s POV. It isn’t simple and childish enough.
Too many other books to read for challenges and book clubs
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes