Reviews

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

jordan_elizabeth_rose's review against another edition

3.0

For some reason I always gravitate towards books that have heavy or controversial topics and this was no exception while i enjoyed picoults writing and was engaged throughout the story it was a bit difficult to keep up with all the characters in the novel especially since some had similar names (Bex and Beth Joy and Janine etc) and while I understood the purpose of having so many characters I felt that some of their stories were incomplete. Also even as someone who is pro choice I found this book very biased if you really wanted to open the eyes of people that may not agree with your position I don’t think referring to them as antis or portraying them all as super religious zealots is the way to go I felt this book lacked nuance. While it wasn’t a bad read overall it definitely wasn’t one of my favorites

cantandoroxy's review against another edition

2.0

Ugh. I think the author meant well, but it just wasn’t good. First, I literally knew what the plot “twists” were the moment the involved characters were introduced. Didn’t make for a very exciting or anticipatory read. Second, it was just way too sympathetic toward the anti-choice terrorists. No kind light should be shed on people that make it their life’s work to harass and intimidate women, period. Skip it!

ncintoronto's review against another edition

2.0

I love her books. I just had a difficult time following this book. Maybe I'm not in the right head space. I had a hard time with the switching from one time to another.

kyles520's review against another edition

4.0

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. I have always enjoyed Jodi Picoult’s books and this is no exception. She pushes the limits, test the boundaries. This story takes you in reverse through a hostage situation at an abortion clinic. It made me think about my own beliefs and opinions, but more than that, it reinforces that every situation has more than one side to it, and maybe it we weren’t all set in our rigid ways, we might begin to understand each other.

sespahbodi's review against another edition

5.0

As always, simply brilliant.

essi_hollister's review against another edition

3.0

This was my first Picoult book where I wasn’t like amazed and shocked by the ending, but it was still fun while it lasted. I think if I *wanted* to enjoy it fully, I would have read the paperback, but I just needed an audiobook to get me through the moving process, and I chose this one. The switching timelines were very confusing, because I kept hearing about people meeting each other when in other chapters they already knew each other, and I just didn’t care enough to sit down and draw out a chart. The one tiny twist at the ending I could see coming the whole book, and it was so tiny and with such a minor character that it didn’t even feel twisty.

nweem218's review against another edition

4.0

Wow. Couldn't put it down. Weird reading it "backward" - tough subject, but very well done - as I have come to expect from Jodi Picoult.

elisability's review against another edition

3.0

Hugh is the hostage negotiator during an active shooter scene at a woman’s reproductive centre in the American South. This particular situation is special, because his teenage daughter and his older sister are two of the hostages. The story is told backwards, hour by hour going from the end of the standoff to the beginning of the day. In typical Jodi Picoult fashion, the story is told from multiple points of view, sometimes overlapping: the cops, the hostages, the shooter, and some random (at first) girl in the hospital.

I always admire Jodi Picoult for tackling the hard topics and expressing unpopular points of view, but this one was not one of my favourites. The backwards timeline often left me confused, thinking, “wait, shouldn’t this character be bleeding here? oh right that happened in the last chapter, so next hour...” I feel like there’s only one reason why it was written this way, one fact she wanted to keep hidden until the end, but there must have been other less confusing ways to do it. Plus I’d guessed the whole thing a few hours before we got there...

Another thing I felt a bit meh about was that we didn’t get a conclusion for everyone. We know physically where they end up because the end is in chapter one, but then we spend the book getting to know the characters in reverse, but in the epilogue we only get Hugh and his daughter. I would have appreciated getting a conclusion for everybody.

All in all, I love Jodi Picoult, but this was not my favourite.

pattijo54's review against another edition

5.0

A very interesting perspective on the abortion debate from a number of angles. A thought provoking book.

lindseyaeick's review against another edition

5.0

I received an e-galley of A Spark of Light fro, NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. First of all, I love Jodi Picoult's novels. I love them because they tackle difficult issues in our society, and this one is no exception. Jodi tackles the issue of abortion head-on with truth and grace. Abortion remains one of the most controversial and misunderstood issues in the United States and Jodi addresses many facets of the issue intervowen in a wonderful story that is set at an abortion clinic in Jackson, Mississipi. With all of her novels, each character is integral in some way that is important to the plot. This novel is one that I am glad that I got to read because it was an excellent story that left me more educated and informed about this issue.