Jodi Picoult

I went to look for Jodi Picoult books after watching My Sister's Keeper -- a story of a girl who was essentially born to donate her blood, cells and more to save her older sister with leukemia. Salem Falls caught my attention first, but I couldn't find it at the library. Found these three instead:


Vanishing Acts

In short, Vanishing Acts is about Delia, who learned, 28 years later, that she was kidnapped by her own father, Andrew, from her alcoholic mother when she was little. The side plot is: she is engaged to her childhood friend Eric and has a daughter with him, and their other best friend Fitz is in love with Delia. So, Andrew, who raised Delia and told her that her mother had passed away, is arrested for the kidnapping. Eric, who is a lawyer, defends Andrew, and Fitz, who is a reporter, is asked to report the juicy details by his boss.

The side plot to the side plot, however: Eric is also an alcoholic. Also, Delia's mother's addiction is not the only reason Andrew took her away. Turns out, Delia was also sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend when she was a child.

It took me three weeks to complete the first 100 pages. I almost gave up reading it, which would also mean giving up on all of Picoult's other books as well. It feels like reading D*nielle Steel, but with some crime story included. To sum the characters up: all of them love to over-analyze every single thing in their lives, thus confusing themselves every three pages.

VERDICT: I got used to the over-analysis and miraculously finished reading it. I think it was worth the four weeks in the end, the coffee, and calling the library for extension. This is definitely better than my accounting textbooks. After reading three of her books, I think I can tell what Picoult's writing style is: how she'd keep the final, tiny clue of the puzzle towards the end of the books. So if you are like me, who can't live without spoilers, you'll scan for that particular twist first (or, you know, just google the whole summary). Skip this book if your attention span is short and Hallmark drives you crazy.


Nineteen Minutes

Ok, this has a different pace, I almost wasn't able to put this one down.

It's a story of a school shooting and the events that lead to and follow.

I can still remember the few occasions when I felt like I wasn't treated fairly by my peers. On top of the struggle to fit in and being different, I can't imagine how a person endures 12 years of bullying, let alone if the person is a 17-year-old. The plot summary here.

VERDICT: Read it. Huge chance you won't hate it either.


Perfect Match

Thought we'd seen the theme: child abuse. Although it's still a good read, the characters are all a lil' bit, again, annoying. Don't let me stop you, though. I guess I'd take a break from Picoult's books for a while.

VERDICT: I can understand why / if these books are turned into movies.