Helpful Score: 7
Picoult is a master storyteller. Her writing is superb and she carefully crafts many a surprise within the first 50 pages. Her attempts to ensnare the reader work well and her plots contain a certain "richness" that many writers never achieve.
However, even with the amazing one-two punch of grandiose prose and intriguing subject matter, Picoult sometimes fails to shine. While one desires to connect with her characters, the plot often becomes a bit too absurd and the characters remain a bit out of reach.
I've been reading Picoult since the late 90s, before her popularity increased. While she indeed has more literary genius than Danielle Steel or Nicholas Sparks, her plots are somewhat formulaic. They usually involve a controversial topic and a host of characters dealing with marital upheaval in the midst of raising children. If you have not read any novels by her, I encourage you to pick up one or two. I recommend this one, along with "Keeping Faith"--which is a genuinely spectacular novel.
Give her a chance if you have not read her works before, but if you are looking for a new twist on her old plots, you won't find it in this book.
However, even with the amazing one-two punch of grandiose prose and intriguing subject matter, Picoult sometimes fails to shine. While one desires to connect with her characters, the plot often becomes a bit too absurd and the characters remain a bit out of reach.
I've been reading Picoult since the late 90s, before her popularity increased. While she indeed has more literary genius than Danielle Steel or Nicholas Sparks, her plots are somewhat formulaic. They usually involve a controversial topic and a host of characters dealing with marital upheaval in the midst of raising children. If you have not read any novels by her, I encourage you to pick up one or two. I recommend this one, along with "Keeping Faith"--which is a genuinely spectacular novel.
Give her a chance if you have not read her works before, but if you are looking for a new twist on her old plots, you won't find it in this book.
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