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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
The story itself is compelling. But the timeline is tricky to follow at times, and there is not much that ties it all together until the end. All in all, still a good read, but not the tightly woven, step by step tale that usually comes from Picoult.
At first I thought this book was going to be a dud. In fact, it took me several months to pick it up again after starting it and putting it down. Glad I tried again. The more I read the more I was taken into the synergy of dead and dying, past and present, old and new. By the middle of the book I was completely taken in. The last third I couldn’t put it down. Now I’m still pondering...
I have to agree with other reviewers. If you decide to read The Book of Two Ways you’re going to learn a LOT about ancient Egypt, tombs, hieroglyphics, and death. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, in my opinion, but you should be prepared.
I actually found the Egyptology interesting, but was most drawn to Dawn’s job as a death doula. What a difficult and amazing job that would be; helping terminal patients and their caregivers prepare for death, helping them finish things left undone, arranging for the exact funeral they want, etc. There is something sacred about acknowledging death and helping people work through it. And I found a lot of the conversations Dawn had with her patients enlightening and thought provoking, which I loved.
The ending. I’ll try not to give anything away but there was a point when I thought I knew how this would end and I was devastated. Even though that ending would have been heart breaking, I would have closed the book feeling like the author made a bold choice and respected her for it. And then that all went out the window and the remainder of the book felt weak and whiney to me. In the end, I was left feeling dissatisfied and a little irritated because the author took the easy way out.
Long review short, you could remove half of the Egyptology references and it wouldn’t take anything from the story. I obviously had issues with the ending. But if you’ve enjoyed other Jodi Picoult books in the past, I think this ones a safe bet for you.
I actually found the Egyptology interesting, but was most drawn to Dawn’s job as a death doula. What a difficult and amazing job that would be; helping terminal patients and their caregivers prepare for death, helping them finish things left undone, arranging for the exact funeral they want, etc. There is something sacred about acknowledging death and helping people work through it. And I found a lot of the conversations Dawn had with her patients enlightening and thought provoking, which I loved.
The ending. I’ll try not to give anything away but there was a point when I thought I knew how this would end and I was devastated. Even though that ending would have been heart breaking, I would have closed the book feeling like the author made a bold choice and respected her for it. And then that all went out the window and the remainder of the book felt weak and whiney to me. In the end, I was left feeling dissatisfied and a little irritated because the author took the easy way out.
Long review short, you could remove half of the Egyptology references and it wouldn’t take anything from the story. I obviously had issues with the ending. But if you’ve enjoyed other Jodi Picoult books in the past, I think this ones a safe bet for you.
This book grabbed my attention from the moment I started it! It is definitely an imitating read for someone who wants to dabble in Egyptian culture and learn a lot about the afterlife. As you can guess from the title, there are two paths that the main character, Dawn, discusses throughout the book. From her midlife crisis to her imminent and eventual death, Dawn comes to the realization that her forever career and her current life status are one in the same as she ventures into her past life to pick up the pieces she replaced over the years. Overall, the story doesn't really come full circle until toward the end, so it could seem a bit strung out. Otherwise, interesting read!
Be wary, I should note there should be a trigger warning about death and all aspects of it, which are discussed in length.
Be wary, I should note there should be a trigger warning about death and all aspects of it, which are discussed in length.
Great concept but too heavy on Egyptology and disappointing ending
Dense. I found myself skimming through the long explanations of egyptology and explanations. Although I did enjoy the Wyatt storyline.
Libby audio. I loved this book. I loved the concept of The Book of Two Ways/quantum physics. I loved the Egyptology aspect and really admire the author for all her research on that subject and being a death doula. I loved the characters. This book was a delight for me.
I enjoyed it! It might’ve been a little predictable but it was woven together in a really interesting way that made for an interesting read. It felt like a real and complex love story.
One of my 2022 goals is to read my TBR “pile” on my kindle and not to buy too many new books.
So I started with this one - I had this book on my kindle since it was released because Jodi Picoult is one of the few authors that I pre-order each book. However the reviews put me off to pick it up until now.
The book is about second chances and takes you from Boston to Egypt. Yes there is a lot of information about Egyptology and physics in it, often too detailed and not relevant to the plot. But I didn’t mind that too much. I found it interesting to read about it and you can trust Jodi Picoult to do her research well, esp after reading the author’s note at the end where she highlights how she came about to write this book and went to Egypt as part of her research of this book.
3 stars is a good and solid book for me.
So I started with this one - I had this book on my kindle since it was released because Jodi Picoult is one of the few authors that I pre-order each book. However the reviews put me off to pick it up until now.
The book is about second chances and takes you from Boston to Egypt. Yes there is a lot of information about Egyptology and physics in it, often too detailed and not relevant to the plot. But I didn’t mind that too much. I found it interesting to read about it and you can trust Jodi Picoult to do her research well, esp after reading the author’s note at the end where she highlights how she came about to write this book and went to Egypt as part of her research of this book.
3 stars is a good and solid book for me.