Each Wednesday I am featuring a guest post by a book blogger detailing which books they think are the “best” and “worst” by the author of their choice. Visit the series page for more information about the guest bloggers, the featured authors, and the sign-up form.
Please welcome today’s guest blogger: Florinda from The 3 R’s Blog, who will be discussing the best and worst of Jodi Picoult.
(Yes, skeptics, there really is a “best” of Jodi Picoult, and in just a minute, I’ll tell you what I think it is.)
I’ll admit that I haven’t read her last couple of books (yet), but for a long time–back in my pre-book-blogging days–Picoult was one of my “go-to” authors. Her fiction may be perceived as a bit formulaic these days, but her strengths lie in applying that formula to well-researched stories that explore charged issues from multiple perspectives. And even if she can’t get the attention of the New York Times Book Review, she can still reliably stake out a spot on the bestseller list.
I appreciate why authors might want to deviate from their formulas well-known patterns and stretch themselves, but I have to confess that I haven’t especially enjoyed the books where Picoult has done that. My least favorite of her novels is Second Glance (2003), a blend of mystery and ghost story that incorporates an exposé of a 1930s eugenics project that nearly eradicated a Native American tribe in Vermont. The novel moves back and forth in time and between several narrators, but there’s just too much plot here, and I found it to be a rather annoying mess. If you’ve never read Picoult, don’t start here.
I count Vanishing Acts (2005) as one of Picoult’s “worst” because it’s just generally weak and unmemorable. The plot involves a long-ago kidnapping and questions of identity…I think. It doesn’t have a strong hook and it’s not particularly topical…but it is, frankly, easily skippable. In all honesty, I questioned whether I’d be reading much more Picoult at all after this one.
Fortunately, Picoult came back from that one with Nineteen Minutes (2007), which found her back in her element. It has a very strong hook: a high-school shooting in a small New England town. The scenario is probably one of the most common nightmares of modern parents (my son was a high-school freshman in a very similar school and community at the time of Columbine, so don’t think it wasn’t mine), and Picoult not only portrays it from the viewpoint of a victim’s mother–Judge Alex Cormier, who will also be the one to hear the case in court–but also that of the shooter’s parents. Alex’s daughter Josie and Peter, the shooter himself, are also major characters, and Picoult has a good handle on the cliques and personas of high-school life–good enough to make most readers glad to have it behind them, and worry about their kids heading into it. The plot unfolds well–aside from the wrinkle that in the real world, it’s highly unlikely that someone as close to this incident as Alex would have been the trial judge–and the characters are distinct. There’s plenty of suspense, and I didn’t see the twist at the end–one of the trademarks of the Picoult formula–very far in advance, which was satisfying to me.
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I’ll have to grab Nineteen Minutes sometime. I’ve read just one book by Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper, which I really liked and I have Plain Truth on tbr pile. But Nineteen Minutes sounds like it might suit me.
I’ve read all of Picoult’s novels and enjoyed most of them. My least favorite was her first novel: Songs of the Humpback Whale. I’m currently reading her 2/28 release Lone Wolf, and liking it a lot.
I have a weird relationship with this author. The books I have read always grip me, make my heart palpitate, make me feel ill sometimes. I haven’t read the “worst” ones, but her norm starts to feel like she is changing the names and topics but the underlying current is the same. I really don’t like that kind of predictability.
I have read a few of her novels and enjoyed them – she is one of the authors my Mom and I both like so we trade her books back and forth.
I’ve only read 2 or 3 of Picoult’s books and I enjoyed them all. She’s coming here on March 17, so I’ll be reading her newest book soon.
As I’m taking part in the Picoult Project Book Challenge this was a particularly interesting and informative post for me to read, thanks Florinda.
I’ve only read two of Picoult’s novels and one of them was Vanishing Acts, which did make me decide to stop reading her. Now I’m thinking I should perhaps give her another chance!
I’ve read most but not all of Picoult’s books. My first and still probably the “best” in my mind was My Sister’s Keeper. I actually really liked Vanishing Acts too. The “worst” for me was Picture Perfect.
Thanks for writing this guest post!
I haven’t read any of Jodi Picoult till now and I have been meaning to pick something by the author for a long time now.. This post is indeed helpful in making my choice.
I think I read Vanishing Acts, but remember very little about it. That tells you something, doesn’t it? Nineteen Minutes was one of my favorites of her recent ones.
Terrific idea for a feature, and excellent guest post! I have read a few books by Jodi Picoult, but not the ones mentioned here. Florinda, I hope you’ll add a link to this post to my reading challenge, The Jodi Picoult Project.
Thanks so much for writing this post Florinda! This is yet another author that I haven’t read, and have in fact actively avoided because of the reputation her books have. The book club I am in read one of her books (Plain Truth) during a month that I missed, but I remember that most of them didn’t like it. I hadn’t heard of Nineteen Minutes before, but out of the books I’ve seen by her it appeals to me most. School shootings are so horrific and incomprehensible that they give ample subject matter for novels. Which reminds me that I’ve been meaning to read We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.
Jodi Picoult is easily hit or miss for me. Sometimes I really like her books, but then other times I really really don’t…
It is a shame that she seems to tied to her formula as she really can write. I agree with you on her weakest books — yet I appreciate that she wasn’t tied into her formula at that point.
The first Picoult I ever read was ‘Second Glance’ and I loved it! I like dual timeline novels and I really enjoyed it (despite not expecting to!) I have also read ‘My Sister’s Keeper’ which I enjoyed too, I have several others of her’s on my ‘to be read’ shelf! I recently read ‘We Need to talk about Kevin’ and I hope that ‘Nineteen minutes’ isn’t as harrowing as that one, despite that I did love the book, I reviewed it a week or two back on my blog. Great idea for a post,x.
I haven’t read Picoult in ages, but I’ve joined Suko’s challenge, so I’ll be reading another one soon. I think I have Second Glance, and now I’m not so excited about it. Ah well. I did enjoy Nineteen Minutes, though.
I haven’t read any of her books, but thank you for your opinion.
I like this feature, its so interesting.
Picoult is a bit of hit and miss for me too
Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out
I’ve never managed to read a Picoult, which isn’t to say that I won’t ever, but don’t have any immediate plans to read her work, although I must be one of the very few adult women not to have read at least something by her….
I’ve enjoyed the few I’ve read by her,even Vanishing Acts. I’ve heard really great things about 19 minutes so I’ll have to make sure to read it. Even if it may make me worry about Gage’s future!
It’s been awhile since I read a book by Picoult even though I have a few of her books waiting patiently on my shelves. My favorite read by her remains My Sister’s Keeper which was also my 1st book by her. I really enjoyed Nineteen Minutes as well so I’m glad to see that it was mentioned. My least favorite was Salem Falls which I just didn’t care for all that much. Overall, she is an author that I will continue to read (and hopefully enjoy!) Great post!
Alyce you have no idea how relieved I was to read this post and discover I am not the only one disappointed with Vanishing Acts! I just published my review today.