A review by mhatfield
Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow. I loved this book. I didn't know what to expect for the first book (that I'm aware of) taking place in the COVID pandemic, but unsurprisingly Picoult did an incredible job. She has a special way of taking complex societal issues and making them approachable, albeit this was a bit different because every single one of us lived it firsthand. I was impressed at her ability to bring both the medicine/death and quarantine aspects of the pandemic into the story.
I remember there were some passages in Part 1 that made me feel so much, they nearly took my breath away. I wish I had highlighted them (in fact, I might've but it was a library rental that I no longer have). Picoult captured what it truly felt like to live in a state of quarantine in 2020 and all the things it made me (and our society as a whole) think about. Like the environment and importance of nature preservation, living in the moment, gratitude for the little things, the meaning of one's career... the question is, what didn't she manage to touch on?
Bravo, Picoult. An absolute masterpiece.
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NOTE / TRIGGER WARNING: I felt ready to read this book because I've reached the acceptance stage of COVID grief, but I would not recommend this book if you've lost someone to COVID, as it's quite triggering.
Spoiler
It caught me completely by surprise when Diana's time in the Galapagos wasn't real. I was stunned to find that she was actually recovering from COVID, and quite honestly felt cheated and gutted by Picoult. But the further I got into Part 2 I realized this was the way the story had to be told. And it made more sense because as much as I fell in love with Part 1 and the idea of Gabriel & Diana, it bugged me that her doctor boyfriend would've sent her away with COVID on the brink of spreading. So at least the one silver lining is her boyfriend wasn't a complete idiot?I remember there were some passages in Part 1 that made me feel so much, they nearly took my breath away. I wish I had highlighted them (in fact, I might've but it was a library rental that I no longer have). Picoult captured what it truly felt like to live in a state of quarantine in 2020 and all the things it made me (and our society as a whole) think about. Like the environment and importance of nature preservation, living in the moment, gratitude for the little things, the meaning of one's career... the question is, what didn't she manage to touch on?
Bravo, Picoult. An absolute masterpiece.
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NOTE / TRIGGER WARNING: I felt ready to read this book because I've reached the acceptance stage of COVID grief, but I would not recommend this book if you've lost someone to COVID, as it's quite triggering.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical trauma, Grief, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt