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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I actually forgot I had read this book years ago, until about a quarter of the way through it. Regardless, I couldn't put this book down the second time around. Readers will 100% fall in love with five year old Nathaniel... emotions and reactions of all the characters are so raw and real. Another winner of Picoult's.
challenging
tense
medium-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
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
(*Trigger Warning* Sexual abuse of a child is the main conflict. It's not described in what I would call graphic detail, but it is still unsettling.) Lots of twists and turns. I was only able to predict one, and even that one turned out to be not exactly right. I do agree with some reviews saying it dragged on a bit through the middle, but I found most of the characters likeable. Most of the parts that seem to drag on or feel unnecessary made sense at the end. The very last twist had me flipping through the book, looking for what I missed. I love a book that can make you say "I didn't see that coming", without leaving it on the dreaded "cliffhanger".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Gun violence
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
The story was very powerful, the characters felt very real and it was easy to get to know them. My only complaint was that many of the sections in which the story was told from Nathaniel's point of view were awkward and didn't seem like an accurate depiction of the mind of a 5 year old. It is incredible how much her writing style has changed over the years and yet stayed the same. Great story, as expected, but not the quality I am used to with Picoult.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I quite enjoy Jodi Picoult as an author in general, and I quite enjoyed this book as well. I listened to it on audiobook so that I could still take time to read it while I was at work - it was a story I couldn't stop listening to. Per usual, the premise is a very heavy subject matter (child molestation) and then follows the characters through the fallout. Picoult never disappoints in her ability to explore an unbelievably heartbreaking story with characters that seem true to life. Twists and turns abound even through the very last few pages. I highly recommend this book to Jodi Picoult fans, but also to anyone who likes to be challenged with different thoughts and points of view.