Books : Change of Heart: A Novel

Rating: - Not the best...but certainly a contender
I have read each and every one of the 15 books written by Jodi Piccoult. With each one I become more and more enthralled. I have to admit that this actual book was a bit on the predictable side (and as others have said...a bit "Green Mile") but Jodi Piccoult is an author who can hold my interest like no other.

I applaud her skill and ability to tackle the tough issues. I feel guilty only giving this a 3 because, as with her others, this was another book I could not put down. But comparing the story to one of my favorite's ("Mercy" or "Nineteen Minutes")....it lacks in comparison.

I am a Jodi Piccoult fan through and through -- I just hope the next one ventures down a path less traveled...

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Rating: - So Many Issues to Tackle.....
Shay Bourne is the first man on New Hampshire's Death Row for over 69 years. He was convicted 11 years ago of killing a police officer and his 7 year old step-daughter. A jury of his peers found him guilty and sentenced him to die by lethal injection. But now that the execution has been set and Shay has been moved to the I-Tier, "miracles" seem to be following him around. A dead bird is "resurrected", a dying AIDS patient's disease seems to disappear, and a tiny piece of gum seems to be stretched to feed all the inmates of the block. Now, people are lining up outside the prison to see the "Death Row Messiah".

June Nealon knows better than anyone about Shay Bourne. It was her husband and daughter that were killed. She holds an amazing amount of hate towards Shay. But will she be able to get past all that hate to accept a gift from him that could save her OTHER daughter, Claire?

Maggie Bloom is an ACLU attorney that would like nothing better than to do away with the Death Penalty altogether. But in her quest to shed light on this issue, she takes Shay's case about HOW he is going to be executed. As much as she would like to have Shay's case reopened for fear that an innocent man will die, she has to follow her heart and the things Shay is asking her to do.

Father Michael has been called in from St. Katherine's Church to be a spiritual advisor for Shay Bourne. But is Father Michael as interested in saving Shay's soul as he is his own? Because before Father Michael was a priest, he was a college student that sat on the jury that sent Shay to Death Row.

One of the things I love about Picoult's writing is her amazing ability to see all sides of a situation. In this book, she writes from numerous perspectives, so you can see what many of the characters are feeling. And as with all of her previous books, she tackles tough issues. In this one, namely the death penalty. And if she had just stuck with one, it probably would have been a 5 Star review. But instead, she hit on some other topics that kind of muddied the point of view. Reminiscent of The Green Mile with "miracles" performed by an inmate, she also choose to touch on religion, which is another subject all together. Bringing in topics like the Gnostic gospels, while interesting, took away from the main storyline a little.

Don't get me wrong. I still loved the book. And I still cried in the end, as I usually do when I read a Picoult. But I had figured out the "Twist" long before it was actually revealed. And unlike a lot of Picoult's books, this actually left me with questions to ponder, even after the book was finished. No clear cut ending for this one. Still, it was a page-turner and I'm glad I read it. Just not her best work to date.

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Rating: - Jodi Picoult is amazing but...
As a huge Picoult reader/fan, I was a little dissapointed in this book. Although the twists and the plot was interesting, I for some reason couldn't connect with the characters in a way that I usually can when reading a Picoult novel.

I was surprised when I saw that alot of people couldn't put it down, because I found myself easily distracted while reading it. It was almost a struggle to finish.

Some may disagree on this, but I feel like June and Claire's characters were not as defined as most characters Jodi creates. I never really felt June's pain throughout the story. I think if I had, I would have liked the book much more.

Though I was somewhat dissapointed, Picoult is still my favorite author and I would recommend her books to anyone and everyone. I just wouldn't recommend starting with this one.

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Rating: - It's time to ask yourself some tough questions....
That's what a Jodi Picoult novel forces you to do; to think, to question what is around you or your beliefs. This is what I love about her books! That being said, I never know what to expect with a Jodi Picoult novel. I was taken by surprise, once again. The topic of the death penalty, a the possibility of a modern day messiah, the lost books from the bible and whether you'd grant your enemy his dying wish if it meant giving you what you needed...a lot to take in!

I enjoyed all of the characters in this book, and Picoult seamlessly intertwined each of their perspectives through-out each chapter. While Maggie did get annoying, I was fascenated with June and Claire. I couldn't help sympathizing with not only Father Michael, but even with Shay! Once again, Picoult has made me as a reader empathize with a very morally questionable character- and I LOVE it. I love being forced to think outside of the box so to speak. To examine my own personal beliefs on religion, capital punishment and even just basic right and wrong. How can you measure the worth of one human being against another? Or one persons beliefs with anothers?

I am a little undecided about the final ending, but overall was happy with how she tied things up. The reading went by too quick as I squeezed in every spare moment I could to read this book. It had me that wrapped up. I'm sure it will do the same for you! I also just have to say if you haven't read Nineteen Minutes or My Sisters Keeper- you MUST get these. They are fantastic!

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Rating: - I HEART Jodi Picoult
From the prologue, I was immediately hooked. I felt so much compassion for June and the loss she suffered. So much so, that I couldn't stop thinking about it the next day. For me, this book is about redemption and finding a way to move forward despite past choices and facing each day knowing that someone is forever missing from your life.