A review by somewheregirl7
Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult
3.0
From the publisher: "When the marriage of Mariah White and her cheating husband, Colin, turns ugly and disintegrates, their seven-year-old daughter, Faith, is there to witness it all. In the aftermath of a rapid divorce, Mariah falls into a deep depression -- and suddenly Faith, a child with no religious background whatsoever, hears divine voices, starts reciting biblical passages, and develops stigmata. And when the miraculous healings begin, mother and daughter are thrust into the volatile center of controversy and into the heat of a custody battle -- trapped in a mad media circus that threatens what little stability the family has left."
I really loved Picoult's My Sister's Keeper and I keep hoping to find a similar interest in her other books. So far I've been disappointed. I managed to make it through The Pact, but I abandoned Keeping Faith soon after picking it up. The main character, Mariah, was too weak and annoying. I didn't feel sympathetic for her and she came across as a wet rag. None of the characters sparked any interest in me. The plot and pacing were slow and labored and many of the characters, dialogue and situations felt forced. The way the narrative, at least in the early part of the book, swings from present day to flashbacks felt clunky and choppy with poor transitions. Despite being very interested in the premise of the book and the outcome, I just couldn't make it through. I read for enjoyment and I was not enjoying this book at all.
I really loved Picoult's My Sister's Keeper and I keep hoping to find a similar interest in her other books. So far I've been disappointed. I managed to make it through The Pact, but I abandoned Keeping Faith soon after picking it up. The main character, Mariah, was too weak and annoying. I didn't feel sympathetic for her and she came across as a wet rag. None of the characters sparked any interest in me. The plot and pacing were slow and labored and many of the characters, dialogue and situations felt forced. The way the narrative, at least in the early part of the book, swings from present day to flashbacks felt clunky and choppy with poor transitions. Despite being very interested in the premise of the book and the outcome, I just couldn't make it through. I read for enjoyment and I was not enjoying this book at all.