Jodi Picoult

A Spark of Light is the newest novel from Jodi Picoult.  What amazes me most about all of Picoult's work is the amount of research that goes into each novel.  If you are not familiar with her work, she tackles a "hot button" issue such as racism, right-to-die cases, suicide, mental health.  In this case, she takes on abortion.  Through the use of her characters, she lets you see both sides of an issue.  You can feel empathy for both sides.  I always look forward to new releases by Jodi Picoult because I know that her research will be flawless. 

However, this book fell short for me.  Perhaps I was too excited for it.  But I felt let down.  It was hard for me to keep my attention on it.  And that could be due to the fact that as the holidays approach I have a million other obligations and things to get done.  But to me, when you have a good book, one that really engages you and keeps you hooked, you are willing to forget about certain things because you just have to know what happens next. 

Unfortunately, while thoroughly researched, her characters didn't feel as real to me as others have.  They weren't interesting enough to make me want to know more and spend more time with them.  They were unsurprising and a bit formulaic. 

If you're looking for a book that presents a hot button issue in a slightly different way, give it a chance.  You won't be disappointed with the research that went into this novel.  If you're looking for the typical Picoult power-house novel, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed like I am. 

If you are a fan of Picoult's work, read this too! And be sure to share your thoughts on this one.