readingqueen83's review against another edition
5.0
Wow!!!! I really enjoyed this book!!! It posed some deep ideas about the paths we choose in life!!! Definitely things to think about in this book!
booksbeccareads's review against another edition
3.0
I had a hard time following the story listening to it as an audio book, it was hard to know where the story was chronologically. I also felt the book was too long, I listened to it while I was up nursing my baby and I fell asleep a few times, it just didn’t keep my attention. I enjoyed the Egyptian history and scenes, but I really couldn’t wait to get through and would’ve DNF if I was reading so I just needed something to listen to
lpip's review against another edition
2.0
I can’t bring myself to pick this book up and finish it. The idea is compelling and i’d even be into learning a little bit of Egyptian history but let’s not sit down and have a post-graduate lecture about it? 1/2way and giving up!
macneill___rae's review against another edition
1.0
Jodi Picoult has always been my favorite author but this one didn't cut it for me. I really had to push myself to get through it. I found that the storyline never caught my attention.
paigemirsky's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 ⭐️
Death isn’t something I tend to allow myself to think about often, so I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the occupation of a death doula. Dawn’s work in Egypt was just as interesting, but the amount of historical information was a bit bland at times. Dawn’s character was well developed and very complex.
I understand the idea behind presenting second chances, but it was tough to finish out once I realized how the book was going to end. Towards the ending of the book, I didn’t enjoy Wyatt’s character as much. He wasn’t as compelling, more overbearing and cocky.
Overall, I would recommend this book to others. It perfectly reflected the idea of the Book of Two Ways, seeing how your life can turn out differently just based off of one decision. I just thought this book would end in more of a “the grass is always greener” lesson.
Death isn’t something I tend to allow myself to think about often, so I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the occupation of a death doula. Dawn’s work in Egypt was just as interesting, but the amount of historical information was a bit bland at times. Dawn’s character was well developed and very complex.
I understand the idea behind presenting second chances, but it was tough to finish out once I realized how the book was going to end. Towards the ending of the book, I didn’t enjoy Wyatt’s character as much. He wasn’t as compelling, more overbearing and cocky.
Overall, I would recommend this book to others. It perfectly reflected the idea of the Book of Two Ways, seeing how your life can turn out differently just based off of one decision. I just thought this book would end in more of a “the grass is always greener” lesson.
evaelyn's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
+ excellent character development including concepts of re-hashing one's past
+ lovely incorporation of Egyptology--- a nice blend of fact within fiction
+ romance driven plot
+ somewhat slow paced, yet difficult to stop reading!
+ lovely incorporation of Egyptology--- a nice blend of fact within fiction
+ romance driven plot
+ somewhat slow paced, yet difficult to stop reading!
sammiebellofatto's review against another edition
3.0
3.5★
the egypt stuff was BORING and hard to get through but i think that's just my tastes honestly. the story itself was good like i wanted to know more about them and what was gonna happen and everything but the in depth egypt stuff made me want to stop
the egypt stuff was BORING and hard to get through but i think that's just my tastes honestly. the story itself was good like i wanted to know more about them and what was gonna happen and everything but the in depth egypt stuff made me want to stop
indoorg1rl's review against another edition
4.0
Dawn Edelstein survived a plane crash landing. While bracing, it was not her husband Brian who flashed through her mind, but a man she last saw fifteen years ago: Wyatt Armstrong. Where should she go after the miraculous survival? Back to Boston to her husband and daughter, her work as a death doula, and her familiar life? Or to Egypt where Wyatt was on the verge of unearthing ancient burial sites, a job she had to abandon early in the past, and discovering the part of herself that she had lost?
While not the most popular Jodi Picoult book, the plot in this one was truly signature Jodi - it took the challenging topic of finding self identity, mixed it with the controversial topic of choosing oneself vs. family, and then threw in the multiverse theory of Schrodinger’s cat. Voila.
There were so many quote-worthy dialogues in this one, such as “Relationships aren’t about photo ops. They’re about scaling mountains and crossing deserts, about getting to where you think you belong, about having your partner’s arms around you, and realizing that you don’t fit into them. That’s why it was art.”
I loved this book. I understood Dawn’s dilemma and contemplations. I understood her struggle in choosing. And while the ending might not be satisfactory to other readers, I thought it was befitting and I understood the beauty of it.
Let me leave you with another quote:
Life asked death, “Why do people love me but hate you?” Death responded, “Because you are a beautiful lie and I am a painful truth.”
—Unknown
julkakulkax's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5