By: Jodi Picoult Publisher: Atria Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: Atria Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 464 Publication Date: March 04, 2008
The acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author presents a spellbinding tale of a mother's tragic loss and one man's last chance at gaining salvation.
Can we save ourselves, or do we rely on others to do it? Is what we believe always the truth?
One moment June Nealon was happily looking forward to years full of laughter and adventure with her family, and the next, she was staring into a future that was as empty as her heart. Now her life is a waiting game. Waiting for time to heal her wounds, waiting for justice. In short, waiting for a miracle to happen.
For Shay Bourne, life holds no more surprises. The world has given him nothing, and he has nothing to offer the world. In a heartbeat, though, something happens that changes everything for him. Now, he has one last chance for salvation, and it lies with June's eleven-year-old daughter, Claire. But between Shay and Claire stretches an ocean of bitter regrets, past crimes, and the rage of a mother who has lost her child.
Would you give up your vengeance against someone you hate if it meant saving someone you love? Would you want your dreams to come true if it meant granting your enemy's dying wish?
Once again, Jodi Picoult mesmerizes and enthralls readers with this story of redemption, justice, and love.
Not her best, but it works out by the end I have mixed feelings on this book. I will start by saying I am a huge Jodi Picoult fan. At first this book felt a little predictable (even given her normal book formula) and was on a subject that has been way overdone. I was even having 'The Green Mile' flashbacks. The end is what turned my mind around; it put a nice twist on a not super great book making it just okay in my eyes.
Timley and Thought-Provoking I can't think of a better compliment than to say this "ripped from the zeitgeist" exploration of the death penalty and belief. Who would the Messiah appear as if he were to return? That is the question.
Another hit for Picoult! I love Jodi Picoult novels. In reading her novels, from the beginning, you can tell that she has progressed to become a better writer. Her stories are always fantastic, heart wrenching dramas, that make you just obsessed (for lack of a better word) with the novel. Anyone who has read a Picoult novel knows what I mean by that. The best thing about her novels, Change of Heart included, is that they are not clear cut and predictable. There are so many twists and turns, making the novel that much more interesting. Change of Heart is about the unusual situation between a man on death row and the mother of a child in need of a heart transplant. Picoult weaves the tale beautifully, as usual. Another hit for Picoult!
Not the best...but certainly a contender I have read each and every one of the 15 books written by Jodi Piccoult. With each one I become more and more enthralled. I have to admit that this actual book was a bit on the predictable side (and as others have said...a bit "Green Mile") but Jodi Piccoult is an author who can hold my interest like no other.
I applaud her skill and ability to tackle the tough issues. I feel guilty only giving this a 3 because, as with her others, this was another book I could not put down. But comparing the story to one of my favorite's ("Mercy" or "Nineteen Minutes")....it lacks in comparison.
I am a Jodi Piccoult fan through and through -- I just hope the next one ventures down a path less traveled...
So Many Issues to Tackle..... Shay Bourne is the first man on New Hampshire's Death Row for over 69 years. He was convicted 11 years ago of killing a police officer and his 7 year old step-daughter. A jury of his peers found him guilty and sentenced him to die by lethal injection. But now that the execution has been set and Shay has been moved to the I-Tier, "miracles" seem to be following him around. A dead bird is "resurrected", a dying AIDS patient's disease seems to disappear, and a tiny piece of gum seems to be stretched to feed all the inmates of the block. Now, people are lining up outside the prison to see the "Death Row Messiah".
June Nealon knows better than anyone about Shay Bourne. It was her husband and daughter that were killed. She holds an amazing amount of hate towards Shay. But will she be able to get past all that hate to accept a gift from him that could save her OTHER daughter, Claire?
Maggie Bloom is an ACLU attorney that would like nothing better than to do away with the Death Penalty altogether. But in her quest to shed light on this issue, she takes Shay's case about HOW he is going to be executed. As much as she would like to have Shay's case reopened for fear that an innocent man will die, she has to follow her heart and the things Shay is asking her to do.
Father Michael has been called in from St. Katherine's Church to be a spiritual advisor for Shay Bourne. But is Father Michael as interested in saving Shay's soul as he is his own? Because before Father Michael was a priest, he was a college student that sat on the jury that sent Shay to Death Row.
One of the things I love about Picoult's writing is her amazing ability to see all sides of a situation. In this book, she writes from numerous perspectives, so you can see what many of the characters are feeling. And as with all of her previous books, she tackles tough issues. In this one, namely the death penalty. And if she had just stuck with one, it probably would have been a 5 Star review. But instead, she hit on some other topics that kind of muddied the point of view. Reminiscent of The Green Mile with "miracles" performed by an inmate, she also choose to touch on religion, which is another subject all together. Bringing in topics like the Gnostic gospels, while interesting, took away from the main storyline a little.
Don't get me wrong. I still loved the book. And I still cried in the end, as I usually do when I read a Picoult. But I had figured out the "Twist" long before it was actually revealed. And unlike a lot of Picoult's books, this actually left me with questions to ponder, even after the book was finished. No clear cut ending for this one. Still, it was a page-turner and I'm glad I read it. Just not her best work to date.
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