Jodi Picoult Books Reading Group. discussion

Has anyone read it? Did you like it or not so much? I picked up a copy but with Change of Heart's newfound release I haven't had a chance to read the other. What were your thoughts?

I read this last week. I really did not enjoy it. Had it been my first that I read of hers, would probably have not picked up another.

I didnt love it. Probably because it seemed to go round in a circle. Everything At the beginning was retold at the end just from a different persons perspective. I enjoy the novels Picoult does from several points of view, but this particular plot didnt seem to go anywhere. I think it was Picoult first novel. Right?

This is my least favorite of Jodi's books. I felt like I was running around in circles!

Humpback Whale is actually one of my favorites, but I do seem to be in the minority with any other fans I know. For me, I could really relate to the wanting/needing to escape and I loved hearing all the different perspectives on it.

I'm currently reading this book. So far it's ok. I'll update you when I get further along the book.

So far this book is alright. But I dont like Rebecca's point of view. Her point of view is going backwards and it just confuses me.

I have this book, but haven't been able to finish it...so no, I don't like it so much.

This is unusual for me, because I have loved every other JP book that I've read (Change of Heart, My Sister's Keeper, Keeping Faith, and the Tenth Circle.)

I haven't totally given up on it yet...it sits on my shelf, and one day when I'm good and bored, I may pick it up again and actually finish it!

Songs of the Humpback Whale was her first book, and I think that Jodi was still trying to find her voice. I liked it, but it was by no means great. She definitely finds her niche later with all the other great books she's written. It's definitely worth reading to get a sense of where she came from, though.

I had a hard time getting through this book as well. However, I am the type of reader who has to continue on to the end,at least if I enjoy the author in general. I will say it wasn't her best, but I did end up enjoying it once I finished it.

I'm like that too Stephanie. Once I am in the middle of a book, I have to finish it.

I'm reading this now and honestly I find that it's a cure for insomnia. I have no desire to read the book but I'm half way in (because I was hoping it'd get better) so now I figure I should finish it.

If this had been my first Picoult book...I wouldn't have picked up another one of her books.

This was my least favorite! I did finally finish it, just so that I could say I did. As I was reading, I kept thinking...this can't be the same author I love. Just finishing Salem Falls, I'm sure there will be a twist at the end!

I just picked it up last week. I got a brand new copy for only $8, and am determined to own and read every single JP novel.

I read this book maybe a year ago, and to be honest, I couldn't finish it. And I was almost done!! It was just all over the place and I wanted it to end so badly, I just put it down.

I have a 100+ pages left. I'm going to perservere through the book but I can't wait til it's over.

I had to force myself to sit and finish this books just so that I could be done with it.

I am glad that this was not my first Picoult book. If it was, I wouldn't have read any more of her books as I would be afraid that they'd be just as boring.

I think to write a first novel in 5 voices is a very difficult and ambitious task. Although this is my least favorite of all of her books, it is her FIRST so I consider that. I am very glad I started with another of her books before this one because I don't think I would have picked her up again. It seems as her books mature and develop as the years go by she has fine-tuned her style and sharpened her ability to define multiple characters in a more appealing and delicious way....not as choppy and confusing as the first book.

I absolutely love all her novels and usually never put them down, it was the complete opposite with this one, i am half way through i was hoping it would get better. I am glad it was not the first book of hers i picked up other wise i would have missed out on a lot of great reads!

I felt the same way when i started reading Humpback, it was one of the later books that i read of hers. I thought that the book did get better about halfway through.

I finally finished it, after putting it down two times previously. I thought it got better half way through as well, but it also felt just like you were hearing the exact same thing but in a different voice that happened at the start of the book.. i don't know if it was me hoping for happy endings but i didn't see the need for her to kill hadley.. My least favourite book of hers, loved all the others!

Fallon wrote: "I finally finished it, after putting it down two times previously. I thought it got better half way through as well, but it also felt just like you were hearing the exact same thing but in a differ..."

I wasn't crazy about this book either. It was her first, and I think she was still trying to find her voice.

I started to read it but i could not go even close to finishing it. It was the only jodi picoult book that i tried to read and couldnt finish and picoult book that i didnt like. Wouldnt recomend it

Just finished this book and I really like it... But I have a confession - I cheated a little while reading this book. I had read several reviews that this was not a good book and that Rachel's part goes backwards so I read her part in reverse order. I read the story as presented but when it came to Rachel's part I read from the back of the book...I guess I kind of cheated the system a little bit, but this is why I probably liked the book so much better than most people.

I have read every other JP book but I could not finish this book, it's a shame because I am a real fan but tried to read this for over a year and just can't get through it!

I have to agree with Amy on all accounts -- I love JP books and this was probably my 7th book read and I could barely finish it. I had to go back and re-read parts after I was finished to try and understand what was going on -- way too confusing. I agree -- JP's first book and she was finding "her voice" but just not an interesting story when you are following people going around and around while one person is going forward in time (the daughter if I remember) and the others are looking back in time. Again -- way too confusing and not a pleasure to read. And yet some of my other other friends who are JP fans liked the book. So I guess it's personal preference.

My least fave JP book. Took me a whole day to work out the real ending so confusing and repetitive.

I am glad I wasn't alone in not liking this story. It took a lot for me to get through it.

I am currently reading this book. It has been a while since the last time I read JP. I am fine with this style, written by several different characters' perspective. The problem with this book was that some characters (Hadley and Sam) were not introduced smoothly, in my opinion. I understand JP didn't want to give away easily the relationship of him and other characters though. Also, I am usually okay with the story jumping around from the past to current, or from current to some months before. Yet, somehow, this one was a bit hard to follow.

Once I read to page 78, I understood the story better. From here, I'll see if I like this book, the core of this story. I like it so far.

This is one of the two of JP's books that I didn't like. I figured that since it was one of her early books,and read like a romance novel it was excuse able... :D

Betsy wrote: "This is one of the two of JP's books that I didn't like. I figured that since it was one of her early books,and read like a romance novel it was excuse able... :D"

I agree that it does read like a romance novel, much more than her later works.

This is is also one of my favorite JP books. Have any of you seen Jodi in person. The first time saw her was when she did a reading from Salem Falls. At the time i asked her which was her favorite book. She said that would've like if I asked you who was your favorite child. I only have one child and told her so. Then I asked who were her favored writers and she said Alice Hoffman and Luanne Rice. She went on to say that nobody wrote love better than Alice Hoffman. Now how did she know these two authors are among my favorites.

Either gonna buy it myself or ask someone to get it for me as a present