This was a difficult book for me to read and this will not be a popular review. From the description I expected an evenhanded presentation of both sides of the issue on abortion. Picoult notes having spent time with those on the pro-life side before writing the book, but clearly did not connect with them. Pro-life activists are labeled as "antis" and white men who want to control women's bodies. Out of the ten main characters in the book, only two are shown in the pro-life camp -- one is the shooter and the other has infiltrated the clinic as a spy. The protesters and the folks in the pregnancy center around the corner are caricatures. Their attempts to connect with clinic visitors or convince them to choose life are ridiculed and 100% ineffective. More telling is the author's note giving us statistics on the violence surrounding the abortion issue since Roe v Wade. One violent statistic she overlooks is the number of lives taken by abortion since then which has been verified to be over 50 million sparks of light. A much better book to read on this issue is "The Atonement Child" by Francine Rivers.

I want to thank Random House and NetGally for providing a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
Whether you are Pro Life (like me) or Pro Choice, this book is a very interesting book that includes information and research about both sides of this very controversial topic- When does a human life begin?
The reverse time line was a little hard to follow, but it didn't stop me from reading the book in one day. And except for the profanity, I'd recommend this book. It definitely was one of her best!

The story opens with George, an active shooter at an abortion clinic, and a hostage negotiator, Hugh, trying to diffuse the situation. Why is George so angry? And, will Hugh be able to talk him down?

"Want to clear up a divisive issue? Throw all the parties into the crucible of a hostage situation, and let them simmer."

And, that's exactly what the author tackled in this ambitious and powerful "what if" scenario. The story begins towards the end of the hostage situation and then moves backwards in time as the reader finds out more about each of the characters involved, both inside and outside of the clinic.

In my opinion, throughout the entire book, both sides of this controversial and emotional topic were explored and presented in an equal manner.

"It stood to reason that both life and death began with a spark of light."

Abortion is an extremely controversial topic, and like all of the controversial topics Jodi Picoult explores, it will make you think and consider and think some more. No matter which side you're on, pro-life or pro-choice, I think this book is worth your time. Even if you don't change your stance, hopefully, at the very least, your mind will open a bit, allowing you to find compassion and empathy for BOTH sides.

"But he hoped empathy would spread, an invasive weed of compassion."

"Maybe it was possible to walk in another person's shoes, without trampling his step."

I love the majority of Jodi's books, but while reading most of this one, I was at a 3 star rating. I just didn't find it as gripping as her previous works, especially Small Great Things (5 stars) and My Sister's Keeper (5 stars). But, finally, finally, finally towards the end, I was able to raise it to 4 stars. 4 SOLID stars. She'd finally grabbed my full attention. She'd finally made her points, and I finally felt the power of her words. Kudos to the author for opening a much-needed dialogue about abortion. I also really loved the Author's Note at the end.

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Location: Jackson, Mississippi

Jodi Picoult remains a master at developing a tale about a current and controversial topic which is unwaveringly thought-provoking, emotionally involving, and without judgement. Hugh is a hostage negotiator; his teenage daughter and his sister are two of the hostages in the only women’s healthcare center in the state of Mississippi that offers abortion services. in addition to wellness care and contraception. The perpetrator is a gun-wielding, grief-stricken father who has terrible demons of his own. Surely, this is a recipe for disaster.
No one would expect this story to end well. Innocent people die and those left standing have their lives and values irreparably altered. The question of a woman’s right to choose is presented not as a two dimensional, right or wrong issue but rather as the extremely complex, deeply emotional issue that it is. Each person in the center that day has their reasons for being there, including the shooter. Each has their own individual story and often secrets as well. What makes any of us think we have the authority to judge the actions of others? None of us get through this life without sometimes making the wrong choice.

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

Hugh has been trying to negotiate with George Goddard for hours, asking him to release more hostages, stand down or both. The SWAT team was ready and waiting to move, but Hugh was concerned about the life of the hostages, including his daughter, from being harmed. Wren hadn’t been there for an abortion, she wanted birth control and talked her aunt Bex into to taking her. Bex has been shot and was now fighting for her life inside the hospital. Today was nothing like anyone could have ever imagined. But George felt like the only way to avenge the grandchild the Center took away from him, was to take the lives of those in the Center that allowed his daughter to abort her baby.

A Spark of Light is the story of The Center, the only women’s health clinic in the state of Mississippi that performs abortions, under siege by a gunman. But it’s also an in depth look at the people within the clinic. This book starts at the end. So even though we know who the gunman is, who is still alive and who is injured, we don’t know them. We’ve only seen the result of the trauma. Readers move back in time, to the beginning of the day, to see the full picture. That’s when things start to make sense. That’s when everyone’s motivations come to light and we began to understand how they all ended up at The Center that day, including the gunman. I’ll be honest, I didn’t care for this method of storytelling, not for this particular story. Mostly because I felt like once we found out what the motivations were for each character, the growth of that character ended. It became just a reiteration of their beliefs. Not only that, but in an attempt to cover the wide range of pro-choice and pro-life views, Picoult includes quite a few characters all of which need to be flushed out and not all of which were done successfully.

Maybe that’s the problem I have with this novel. I think Picoult is an amazing writer and I have been a fan of her for years but this book feels like it was an attempt at discussing abortion and the reproductive rights of women in the most provocative way imaginable. The idea behind the plot was extremely interesting, especially when you consider the fact that there have been many incidents of violence, resulting in death by pro-life advocates. I think if Picoult had streamlined the idea and focused on three characters, four at the most, this would have been a much more successful novel. That’s not the case here and there is so much information provided, wrapped up in the lives of these characters that the message almost gets lost. Picoult does a fair job at providing different sides to both the pro-life and pro-choice argument but in doing so, the momentum of the story is lost.

I genuinely don’t know how I feel about this novel. I think it can end up being really triggering because it discusses in depth and in some instances graphically details sexual trauma, abuse, miscarriages and the procedure regarding abortions. But it also discusses consent, sexual education and access to all forms of women’s health care which I think is extremely important. Most importantly Picoult discusses a very important topic in a challenging way but unfortunately, her characters suffer in many ways because the focus feels like it was more about fleshing out the motivations of activist and less about actually developing well thought-out believable characters.

A good book about a topic that is always in he news. As usual, Jodi Picoult tells the story from the perspective of the different characters. Well-written and fair in describing both sides.

Jodi Picoult has done it again! She has taken a very emotional topic, given us both sides of the coin without judging and then allowed us to determine our own thoughts in the end.

A great quote from the book: "We are all drowning slowly in the tide of our opinions, oblivious that we are taking on water every time we open our mouths." Issues are not all one sided and we need to allow ourselves to be open to hearing and listening to others.

I read it in one day and will go back to reread because it demands that I digest it slowly and thoughtfully. I am not a fan of the way it was written - reverse chronologically but I really can't fault Ms. Picoult for anything that she does as I such a fan!!

Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read in advance!

A Spark of Light opens with a hostage situation at a Mississippi women's clinic that also performs abortions named The Center. The story then "rewinds" back through the day, usually jumping back by a few hours, until the very beginning of the day. The book is written from multiple perspectives who are in or near the clinic when the hostage situation develops. These perspectives include the gunman, the gunman's family. a young teen named Wren, Wren's father who happens to be the hostage negotiator, Wren's aunt who brought her to the clinic, a protester, and the nurses.

Jodi Picoult wrote A Spark of Light to make you think. She doesn't try to soften subject matter that is divisive. No matter how you feel about abortion, you will be thinking about this book for a long time after reading it. As Ms. Picoult points out in her author's note, in 2015 the United States had 57 teenage births per 1,000. In Switzerland, there were 8 births per 1,000. The difference is how contraception and reproductive health is taught. I hope A Spark of Light leads to the type of conversations we need to be having as a country.

I didn't necessarily enjoy the style of the story, I think I would have preferred to read the story in the correct order instead of in reverse. I did enjoy the plot and the character development. I have the feeling this book will be read in many book clubs over the next year.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a complimentary advanced copy of A Spark of Light in exchange for my honest review.

Jodi Picoult takes on another hot button issue in A Spark of Light. This time it's abortion. She does it in reverse chronological order which was disconcerting at first, but I came to appreciate her approach in the end. She does an excellent job sharing a myriad of viewpoints.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were well developed. It had an interesting plot. I would be interested in reading more

Her books have become formulaic, but they are always good to spark discussion. She portrayed each side of the debate compassionately.

I've read every single Picoult book- I've been with her since the beginning- and this is my least favorite of the lot. Not for the tough subject matter as she always goes where other authors do not but because of the reverse chronology. The plot, to me, lost its oomph once I realized I already knew more or less what happened. I even figured out, early on, George's back story. I don't know why Picoult chose to do it this way; I don't need things to be forward chronological but don't tell me right up front where it's going to go. The characters, as always, are classic Picoult women, full of contradictions and life. Unfortunately, this time, though, we didn't get enough time with any of them- there were just too many and they hit too many points. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm sure this will be a best seller and that others will like it very much.

Let me start by saying that I think Jodi Picoult is a great author. She is my go to author for an emotional drama book.
That said this was not one of my favorite books. I do not know if it is the subject matter, abortion, or the way in which the story is told in reverse. I finished this book over a month ago and have been trying to figure out what to say in a review. The story will stay with you because it is very memorable. It is a good book but I will say it is not one of her best.

I didn't like the time line of the book going backwards. It really make it not flow well for me. It was a good story though!

Whether you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life in the current battle for women's rights in the United States, you need to read this book. Jodi Picoult presents clear, concise arguments from both sides in this excellent story based on the last remaining abortion clinic in Mississippi. Her author's Note in A Spark of Light should be required reading for ALL Americans.

The basic reasons any woman considers abortion are many. The majority have to form a decision on whether or not this potential dependent can be adequately cared for, fed, and educated as life now stands for the mother. Something as simple as affordable health care and raising the minimum wage could make a great deal of difference in the final decision a woman must make when faced with an unexpected pregnancy. And the education of adolescents on contraception choices too can make great inroads into the necessity of a woman having to make this choice. Whatever label we wear in this battle over women's rights, we would all love to see the number of abortions cut way down. But the most important thing for us to remember is that there have always been abortions. If we take away the possibility of legal, safe abortions, there will still be abortions performed. And there will be many more maternal deaths, as well.

Ms. Picoult points out that seven out of ten woman who terminate a pregnancy make less that $22,000 per year. And though our 2015 statistics for teen pregnancy was 57 out of 1,000, in Switzerland where contraception is taught alongside abstinence that number was 8 out of 1,000. We must do better to prepare our children to face adulthood, and to make mature, educated decisions about sex and family planning.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Jodi Picoult, and Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

I usually enjoy Piccoult's books but this one was a miss for me. The backwards timeline was tedious and I don't think the characters were well developed. I thought a story about an active shooter in an abortion clinic would keep me on the edge of my seat but somehow it was boring.

This book is amazing. It addresses such a divisive topic, and presents the range of opinions without saying any are wrong or bad.

I absolutely loved how the story was told in a reverse timeline. It is a unique way to show how and why all of these characters came to the clinic. It created an emotional journey that had me gasp at a few reveals.

Jodi Picoult does an amazing job at weaving together a story and characters’s lives. It was fun to pick up on little overlaps where characters were connected outside of the shooting at the clinic.

I felt so connected to these characters and i was left wanting more. I wanted to know what happened to many characters and see where their lives took them.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ballantine Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Jodi Picoult, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is the second book that I have read by Jodi Picoult. This book is about a very controversial topic - abortion. The story is told in reverse order and is a little confusing until you catch onto that. It was a very easy read about a tough topic. I liked all of the character development and the different stories. At times, the subject matter was a little too graphic for my tastes.

I recommend this book but it was not an easy summer read.

Anyone familiar with Jodi Picoult’s prolific body of work knows that she loves to write about hot button social issues. Her novels find the human element behind stories that could be ripped from today’s headlines - school shootings, the death penalty, rape, racism - these are all topics Picoult has explored in her books. And most recently, she tackles the ever hotly-debated issue of abortion.

In A Spark of Light, Picoult’s 25th novel, she tells what happens one fateful day when a group of people find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. When George Goddard shows up at The Center, Mississippi’s last-standing abortion clinic, seeking revenge for his daughter’s abortion, an unlikely group of people caught in his crosshairs suddenly find themselves pulling together to survive.

This harrowing tale of life, death, and choice is unconventional in that it is told backwards. The end of this story is Picoult’s beginning, and she wastes no time jumping into the action. Told through multiple perspectives, and scrolling back through the hours, Picoult explores the events and actions that occurred that day, culminating in the incident that sparked deadly rage and violence in one man. While compelling (you’ll want to keep turning the pages to discover what events landed this cast of characters in The Center that day), it is not without problems. I personally found reading a story in reverse order to be difficult, and had trouble remembering what events came before (or rather, in this case, “after.”) Furthermore, Picoult throws us into the backstories of the multitude of characters without much context. It took me several chapters of trying to keep straight who is who before I finally became familiar enough with the names and backstories to keep them straight. The reverse order of the novel also made it difficult to care for the characters because that emotional connection that you get from following a character on their journey to a certain point in time wasn’t there.

A Spark of Light will be of interest to fans of Picoult’s body of work, anyone who has a particular interest in the abortion debate, and those who enjoy reading gripping novels about social issues. Readers should be warned that there is a lot of technical detail, some graphic, within the pages of this novel, and Picoult spends much of the story covering all sides of the pro-choice/pro-life argument, as well as examining the various situations that those seeking abortions find themselves in. For readers who are used to Picoult tugging at your heart strings, you may not find much of that here. It is apparent that the purpose of this novel is more to educate than entertain, which is why I am giving it a 3 star rating. The book was just a little too preachy for me to say that I enjoyed reading it. Don’t get me wrong - it is a worthy read for fans of the genre - but it read almost more like a case study than a story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Picoult never shies away from sensitive topics. One things we all love about her!
In this book, it is a typical day at an abortion clinic before the man with a gun and a chip on his shoulder walk in. The story is told by multiple, and I do mean multiple, viewpoints. It can get a little hard to keep from mixing Joy up with Janine, and I kept forgetting whether Izzy was just a nurse or the nurse that worked at the clinic. I couldn't keep straight which character had the hard childhood. But I can also see the benefit to getting to read through everyone's perspectives on the topic of abortion.
I didn't love the backwards telling of the story. It starts off at the end of the story, and then tells the story backwards until you end up at the ending again. Clever, but confusing at times...or maybe that's just me.
It's nice to read about a sensitive topic like this without it feeling pushy or convincing one way or another. It doesn't try to force you into an opinion. Picoult just lets readers know the facts and perspectives and then lets them come to their own conclusions. But be ready, some lines will make you do some serious thinking--
"...a zygote, an embryo, a fetus, a baby--they were all human. But at what point did that human deserve legal protection?"
"Whether or not you believed a fetus was a human being, there was no question in anyone's mind that a grown woman was one. Even if you placed moral value on that fetus, you couldn't give it rights unless they were stripped away from the woman carrying it."
Timely book on a red hot political topic. Good read.