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A review by fireflyhollow
Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult
4.0
Salem Falls is not exactly what I initially thought the book would be about from reading the synopsis on the back cover; however, it was a very interesting and mostly enjoyable read. Jack St. Bride was a history teacher at a private school who was falsely accused of statutory rape. Jack accepted a plea bargain when his lawyer advised him of all the circumstantial evidence against him and spent eight months in prison for a crime he did not commit. Upon his release, Jack knows that he cannot return to the town where he once lived and randomly chooses a new town when he sees a 'help needed' sign in a local diner. The owner, Addie Peabody, has a broken past of her own and has shut out every man who has dared to try to crack the tough exterior wall that protects her heart... that is until Jack walks into her life. The secret of Jack's former imprisonment doesn't stay a secret for long, however, and before Jack can fully realize what is happening, a modern day witch hunt has bloomed in Salem Falls with Jack the center of everyone's suspicion. When the daughter of a local wealthy business owner accuses Jack of rape, the townspeople immediately assume he is guilty, but Jack is determined to not once again take the fall for something he claims he did not do.
Pros:
• Jodi Picoult is an amazing storyteller who is able to spin tales that keep me wanting to turn the page to see what happens. This is my fourth read from her, and she has never disappointed me.
• The story is told from multiple characters which allows the reader to see how different perceptions are and why people can see the same story in so many different ways.
• Jodi Picoult did a very good job of showing the hurt rape causes while at the same time showing that everyone who is accused isn't always guilty and how those lives can be destroyed as well.
• In typical Picoult style, there is a twist at the end that you don't see coming but makes perfect sense when you think about all the hints she drops along the way.
Cons:
• I really wasn't a fan of all the witchcraft in the book. This was the detail the cover synopsis was missing; however, I should have assumed it from the title of the book. Witchcraft was portrayed as something that is more or less harmless and is a simple connecting of oneself with nature (even though the characters keep referring to gods and goddesses).
• The 'g-d' word is used a lot in this book from just about every character.
Pros:
• Jodi Picoult is an amazing storyteller who is able to spin tales that keep me wanting to turn the page to see what happens. This is my fourth read from her, and she has never disappointed me.
• The story is told from multiple characters which allows the reader to see how different perceptions are and why people can see the same story in so many different ways.
• Jodi Picoult did a very good job of showing the hurt rape causes while at the same time showing that everyone who is accused isn't always guilty and how those lives can be destroyed as well.
• In typical Picoult style, there is a twist at the end that you don't see coming but makes perfect sense when you think about all the hints she drops along the way.
Cons:
• I really wasn't a fan of all the witchcraft in the book. This was the detail the cover synopsis was missing; however, I should have assumed it from the title of the book. Witchcraft was portrayed as something that is more or less harmless and is a simple connecting of oneself with nature (even though the characters keep referring to gods and goddesses).
• The 'g-d' word is used a lot in this book from just about every character.