823sisi's review against another edition
5.0
This is a Netgalley ARC review. All opinions are solely my own.
WOW!! This book is packed full of content. Having read all of Jodi Picoult's books I was not concerned by the reviews about how this book ends. I know that she likes to make her readers become introspective regarding her topics.
Jodi Picoult is an author that I don't need to read the blurbs for because I know I'm going to fully be immersed in her world. The Book of Two Ways is no different. This book was amazing.
This book is packed with content and told from a single point of view. I feel like it overall stays true to her style but she does veer from her usual patterns. This book has so many messages that it was intense but in the most delightful way.
At 73%, I thought I knew where the author was taking us and I was wrong.
WOW!! This book is packed full of content. Having read all of Jodi Picoult's books I was not concerned by the reviews about how this book ends. I know that she likes to make her readers become introspective regarding her topics.
Jodi Picoult is an author that I don't need to read the blurbs for because I know I'm going to fully be immersed in her world. The Book of Two Ways is no different. This book was amazing.
This book is packed with content and told from a single point of view. I feel like it overall stays true to her style but she does veer from her usual patterns. This book has so many messages that it was intense but in the most delightful way.
At 73%, I thought I knew where the author was taking us and I was wrong.
booksinbama's review against another edition
4.0
Not sure about the ending but enjoyed the life vs death and info about Ancient Egyptians
megs004's review against another edition
2.0
This was so painful to read. It felt like I was reading a dry history textbook and I could not help to skip pages. As someone who is into history, I am disappointed that it it felt like I was forcing myself to finish this book. I was bogged down with Egyptian history that I had a very hard time enjoying this book. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this.
mmmbakes's review against another edition
4.0
There was definitely a lot of Egyptology in this book, but you can easily just skim those parts if you don't care. I didn't feel like it was too textbook-y.
I was definitely fooled by the timelines.
The ending is a bit unrealistic, but it's what I wanted to happen so I was happy with it.
I liked the examination of not only what makes a good life, but what makes a good death.
I was definitely fooled by the timelines.
Spoiler
I thought the water/land stories were the parallel universes based on her choice at the beginning, as was hinted at with all the quantum physics talk. I'm glad that's not what it was though!The ending is a bit unrealistic, but it's what I wanted to happen so I was happy with it.
Spoiler
ALSO, her husband admitted to throwing out letters from Wyatt after her mother died and no one really seemed to care that that's a big deal? v rude of himI liked the examination of not only what makes a good life, but what makes a good death.
peegereads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
openmypages's review against another edition
4.0
"In every fairy tale, the only way out is to keep running forward. To never look back."
"Love isn't a perfect match, but an imperfect one. You are rocks in a tumbler. At first you bump, you scrape, you snag. But each time that happens, you smooth each other's edges, until you wear each other down. And if you are lucky, at the end of all of that, you fit."
"When you lose someone you love, there is a tear in the fabric of the universe. It's the scar you feel for, the flaw you can't stop seeing. It's the tender place that won't bear weight. It's a void. But the universe tends toward ma'at, toward order, so even though there's a rip, it gets camouflaged. The edges overlap, and after time, you might even forget that this is the spot where something went missing, the spot where - if you push - you'll fall through. And then there's a scent or a thought or a heartbeat and suddenly it's clear as day: the light behind that ragged tear, so blinding that you cannot imagine how you ever mistakenly believed it had woven itself back together."
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Wow, I'm not sure what hurts more after reading this one, my brain or my heart. This was not the Jodi Picoult novel that I was expecting. There was so much packed into this story, Dawn is revealed to us through two timelines in two relationships; one where she is an Egyptologist and one where she helps dying people find peace. I'll admit, initially I was way more invested in one version of Dawn than the other but as the truth of the story reveals itself everything made sense.
I will say that there is a ton to swallow intellectually in this novel. I now know more about the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, particle physics and death rituals than I could have ever imagined. This is not your light touch rom com where the characters happen to be scientists and you get a slight toe dip into their worlds, this is a deep dive to the Marianas trench of their lives. I enjoyed that immensely but I can imagine for some readers it will be overwhelming.
Also, I feel like ever love story these days has infidelity or potential infidelity as a story line, I'm not sure when that became so normalized and something to swoon over but I suppose I have to get over the fact and stop ranking stories based on my feelings about those story lines. I adored the characters and really hated all the pain they were feeling but it all felt authentic.
Thanks to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for a review copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
"Love isn't a perfect match, but an imperfect one. You are rocks in a tumbler. At first you bump, you scrape, you snag. But each time that happens, you smooth each other's edges, until you wear each other down. And if you are lucky, at the end of all of that, you fit."
"When you lose someone you love, there is a tear in the fabric of the universe. It's the scar you feel for, the flaw you can't stop seeing. It's the tender place that won't bear weight. It's a void. But the universe tends toward ma'at, toward order, so even though there's a rip, it gets camouflaged. The edges overlap, and after time, you might even forget that this is the spot where something went missing, the spot where - if you push - you'll fall through. And then there's a scent or a thought or a heartbeat and suddenly it's clear as day: the light behind that ragged tear, so blinding that you cannot imagine how you ever mistakenly believed it had woven itself back together."
---------------------------------------------
Wow, I'm not sure what hurts more after reading this one, my brain or my heart. This was not the Jodi Picoult novel that I was expecting. There was so much packed into this story, Dawn is revealed to us through two timelines in two relationships; one where she is an Egyptologist and one where she helps dying people find peace. I'll admit, initially I was way more invested in one version of Dawn than the other but as the truth of the story reveals itself everything made sense.
I will say that there is a ton to swallow intellectually in this novel. I now know more about the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, particle physics and death rituals than I could have ever imagined. This is not your light touch rom com where the characters happen to be scientists and you get a slight toe dip into their worlds, this is a deep dive to the Marianas trench of their lives. I enjoyed that immensely but I can imagine for some readers it will be overwhelming.
Also, I feel like ever love story these days has infidelity or potential infidelity as a story line, I'm not sure when that became so normalized and something to swoon over but I suppose I have to get over the fact and stop ranking stories based on my feelings about those story lines. I adored the characters and really hated all the pain they were feeling but it all felt authentic.
Thanks to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for a review copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
shalanna's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a bit of a mixed bag for me. I do not usually DNF books. It's something that bugs me that I think I need to get over, but right now, I don't do it. I was so close to DNFing this book & moving on. The beginning, slogged. I was literally falling asleep, not enjoying it in the least. The problem? Not Picoults beautiful, lyrical writing, but the nonstop information overload with Egyptology & physics & even death. Although, I truly enjoyed the death doula stuff to be fair. It was just boring! I wanted to know about the characters story, not get a history lesson.
I guess the truth is, all that history truly was the characters though & while it seemed unnecessary, it really did add to the story. I pushed through & I'm so glad I did. I think once I got to AFTER I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I can't remember how far that is into the book because I did ebook, but it might have been 70% in. I don't know if that would be worth it to most readers, but I gave Picoult the benefit of the doubt because she is one of my favorite authors. In that respect, this book put me in mind of some of her earlier works, which I truly loved, not so much her later novels, which I'm not so into. Overall, I'm glad I stuck to it & I did enjoy it.
I guess the truth is, all that history truly was the characters though & while it seemed unnecessary, it really did add to the story. I pushed through & I'm so glad I did. I think once I got to AFTER I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I can't remember how far that is into the book because I did ebook, but it might have been 70% in. I don't know if that would be worth it to most readers, but I gave Picoult the benefit of the doubt because she is one of my favorite authors. In that respect, this book put me in mind of some of her earlier works, which I truly loved, not so much her later novels, which I'm not so into. Overall, I'm glad I stuck to it & I did enjoy it.
suzannahslibrary's review against another edition
1.0
Sadly a DNF for me. I might try it again in the future though. I enjoyed the first part but after a while it started to get boring and i just didn’t want to read it anymore.
bookworm126's review against another edition
3.0
The first half took me awhile to get into... the second half I couldn't put it down!