This was an excellent book. Some heavy topics, as the story surrounds a shooting and hostage situation at an abortion clinic, but the story is really just about human lives, and the parts of us that people can't see just by looking at us. It's told in reverse chronological order, so there are some surprises along the way. This story didn't have the usual courtroom drama that many of her books have, which I liked, as they aren't my favorite aspect.
This is probably my favorite Jodi Picoult book that I've read.

I enjoyed this book. Told from the perspective of many characters you are given insight into how each of their worlds have brought them to this moment together. Unlike the typical Jodi Picoult book I felt that there was a more predictable closure at the end.

Jodi Picoult has again wrapped a story around current news. The story is told from all sides, differing points of view and beliefs delivered honestly with feeling all wrapped up in a story that keeps you turning pages. What a brilliant idea to tell the story in reverse!

A classic Picoult book, which means I greatly enjoyed it. There was cliche moments, twists, and I was there for all of it. What disappointed me was the fact that the "main character" was a virgin in search of birth control pills. Why did there have to be a "pure" character for the reader to care? While I'm certain both sides of the issue were presented, I feel like fetuses were called babies more than products of conception. I read more about "killing babies" than termination, at least it felt that way. Also, there are women who don't mourn their abortions, who aren't haunted by their choices. It's not always a "last choice" for some women. If I got pregnant right now, if my methods of bc failed me, I wouldn't question my options because I would simply get an abortion. And I'm lucky enough to not only live in a state where I have choices, but in a city where there are multiple clinics that perform the procedure. I almost wish Picoult had made her epilogue her forward. It explained the importance of everything, her research, and so much truth. I was glad it was there.

Every spring, I look forward to the newest Jodi Picoult book. She has covered topics that people feel very strongly about - in this case , abortion. A Spark of Light tells the story of a man who takes hostages at an medical clinic and kills some of the people he found there. The story is told through the viewpoints of the shooter, some of the hostages and the hostage negotiator, who discovers his daughter and his sister are among the hostages. As usual, Picoult saves the twists that further humanize her characters for the end of the book. A Spark of Light shows us that the issue of abortion is a complicated one and one that does not have a one-size-fits-all answer. This us a thought provoking, must read novel.

I received an e-galley of A Spark of Light fro, NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. First of all, I love Jodi Picoult's novels. I love them because they tackle difficult issues in our society, and this one is no exception. Jodi tackles the issue of abortion head-on with truth and grace. Abortion remains one of the most controversial and misunderstood issues in the United States and Jodi addresses many facets of the issue intervowen in a wonderful story that is set at an abortion clinic in Jackson, Mississipi. With all of her novels, each character is integral in some way that is important to the plot. This novel is one that I am glad that I got to read because it was an excellent story that left me more educated and informed about this issue. #ASparkofLight #JodiPicoult

Wow! Another amazing read from Jodi Picoult! I read it in just three days (would have been less, but you know--work gets in the way).

This book could not be more topical. Like most of Jodi's books, this novel deals with issues "ripped from the headlines" that affect many people. I've read books of hers in the past that involved race relations and anti-Semitism. This one is about abortion.

Jodi is one of the best at weaving together characters and plot lines--people with different viewpoints and life circumstances that make the reader fully comprehend the different sides of the controversial issue she's covering in that novel. And "A Spark of Light" doesn't disappoint. Whether you pro-choice or pro-life, you will enjoy this book and learn something about all the possible viewpoints. After all, as the book points out, it doesn't really matter whether you believe life begins at conception or at any other point along the path to birth. Even if you consider an embryo to be a "person" at conception, you still have to balance the rights of that "person" against the full-grown adult woman who is, without question, a "person" under the law.

This book is oh-so-important because of the current political situation, with the choice of a new Supreme Court justice likely to be imminent--one that is also likely to be pro-life.

Of course, no novel would be complete without a surprise ending, and this one does not disappoint.

I can't wait until Jodi's next novel!

This book is due out in October so be sure to add it to your Goodreads list or pre-order on Amazon. When I see a Jodi Picoult book, I get excited. Rarely has she written a novel that doesn’t glue me to the pages until I close the covers.

In A Spark of Light, she tackles a hugely controversial topic, abortion. I was slightly confused at first- the book begins presently then moves backwards in time. The setting is an abortion clinic where women there is a shooting. Some are dead, some are injured and some women are trapped inside with an unstable man.

The hostage negotiator brought in has a specific tie to the horror going on inside the clinic, his daughter is inside. As usual, Jodi has done amazing research and developed a tightly woven story.

Here’s the official synopsis:

The warm fall day starts like any other at the Center—a women’s reproductive health services clinic—its staff offering care to anyone who passes through its doors. Then, in late morning, a desperate and distraught gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage.

After rushing to the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a perimeter and begins making a plan to communicate with the gunman. As his phone vibrates with incoming text messages he glances at it and, to his horror, finds out that his fifteen-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic.

But Wren is not alone. She will share the next and tensest few hours of her young life with a cast of unforgettable characters: A nurse who calms her own panic in order save the life of a wounded woman. A doctor who does his work not in spite of his faith but because of it, and who will find that faith tested as never before. A pro-life protester disguised as a patient, who now stands in the cross hairs of the same rage she herself has felt. A young woman who has come to terminate her pregnancy. And the disturbed individual himself, vowing to be heard.

Told in a daring and enthralling narrative structure that counts backward through the hours of the standoff, this is a story that traces its way back to what brought each of these very different individuals to the same place on this fateful day.

Jodi, Jodi, Jodi. Where do I begin? I love your writing. You have an incredible gift of character development. Your stories are riveting. They are personal. They are compelling. They are, in many instances, beautiful.

So why take this great story and tell it backwards? It goes from a full five stars to four because your experiment kind of failed. I hope you're not getting bored and branching out into experimentation with new ways of telling tales. I so wish you could re-work this and go from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM in chronological order. Such a pity.

That said, this is a really good story. I disagree vehemently with JP's liberal views on most things, but love the fact that she isn't shy about tackling tough topics. Sometimes the fairness gets fuzzy, but I digress.

"A Spark of Light" is a typical Jodi Picoult novel. It has strong, identifiable characters. It has a story that keeps you on the edge of your sofa (except she tells you the ending in chapter 1).

AnywayMs. Picoult, I beg you to keep writing great novels with rich characters and spellbinding drama. But please, please tell them from front to back and not vice versa.

Jodi Picoult always does an amazing job of presenting difficult subjects in a realistic way that reflects different points of view. Her writing is as usual strong and is very timely with what is happening right now in many parts of the U.S.. The only comment that I have personally is that the topic of abortion has been covered so much that it was hard to find anything "new." The back nonfiction facts were more impactful to me.

Jodi Picoult always writes such thought provoking books. I am always amazed at the depth of the research and the breadth of information and presented opinions in her books. Although I enjoyed the book very much, I expected a bit more insight into the opposing sides of the abortion debate and found the story to be a bit lacking in that aspect. In true, Picoult fashion, the last couple of chapters contained surprises and ah-ha moments that left me flipping back through the book to see how the pieces fit together.. Warning to the reader, the book takes place in reverse chronological order, with each chapter taking place an hour before the previous chapter, so pay close attention at the beginning. :)

Jodi Picoult tackles another hot-button topic in A SPARK OF LIGHT, abortion. I’m not sure why she upended the timeline and jumped back and forth so much, but it wasn’t too difficult to follow. I’m just not sure it added to the book in any significant manner. She did a good job of getting in multiple points of view, but probably won’t change anyone’s mind on the subject. As she stated in her notes at the end, she doesn’t think we will ever bring everyone together on this issue. She left us hanging on a couple of the characters, but that is pretty realistic. This country is in such a mess, we can’t tie everything up with a pretty little bow and have happy endings all around.

Big ol’ damn! Once again, absolutely floored by the content, the structure, the characterization...all of it! You do amazing things with words, Jodi Picoult. I have never finished one of your books without a sense of wonder for all that I learned and all that I FEEL! There’s a reason I have read every book you’ve written and it is just that. Perfectly researched and written stories which are important, heart-breaking, beautiful, sad, smart, and glorious! 🤓💜📚

Jody Picoult does it again. I was unable to put this book down (except at one point where I became so emotional I had to). A Spark of Light hits on the very sensitive subject of abortion, and does it without forcing any opinion on to the reader. I felt for all the characters and at the end was left wondering what the future holds for each. The relationship between fathers and daughters was portrayed wonderfully and honestly.

Everything seems normal enough at the Center. A women's reproductive health facility not affiliated with Planned Parenthood, but trying to give the best care to Mississippi's women. Whether that is birth control or abortions. When the bell rings and a man with a gun enters and begins killing people. 

The story is told from the moments after and then backwards in time. This is a sometimes risky way to tell a story and for this story I wasn't a fan of it. I would much rather have learned more about the women and girls. 

This is a touchy subject. And Jodi has done her research on it. There were the pro abortionists views, the anti abortionists views and the physician's views. Every person struggles with their decisions. All aspects of this subject are tackled and felt.

No matter your stance on the issue, this book will make you think long and hard about your position and what legislation means for the poorest of the poor in our country.

This was a hard read but the research she put into it was solid and I appreciated that.

Well Done!

Netgalley/October 2nd 2018 by Ballantine Books

I have read every one of Jodi Picoult's books,
I was excited and looking forward to reading this one.

The Center for Women and Reproductive Health; The Center for Women, to now The Center
keeps changing names to try to blend in and stay open. It is now barely open. It is attempting to serve women who have run out of choices and time.
This book shows the multiple viewpoints on women issues mainly abortion.

To be human- is to be a canvas for our scars

This book should be read and shared and discussed- Jodi has again written so deeply that she gets to the marrow of an issue like no other author can. This book puts into words what our society should understand.

In SPARK OF LIGHT, Picoult tackles the troubling issue of women's reproductive rights through the eyes of an anti-abortion gunman, nurses who work in the clinic, the doctor who performs abortions, a teenager who has gone to the clinic for birth control and the hostage negotiator trying to keep the people inside the clinic alive. As usual, Picoult creates realistic and relatable characters and a good strong plot. Although I enjoyed the book, I found it to be less though-provoking than some of Picoult's other novels. She just didn't seem to dig deep enough. The fact that she reaches such a wide audience, however, may provide people from opposing sides of the issues to carefully examine their positions and perhaps even appreciate those who do not think as they do. I can think of a few legislators on both sides who should read it!

“You don’t know what you don’t know,” but damn, you’re going to walk away from this one with much more than you bargained for.
In classic Picoult style, a timely, multifaceted story that hits home with the fact that one decision can have permanent and life altering effects. Told from each & every side imaginable, Picoult paints an in depth picture of one of the hardest and most controversial decisions a woman could ever face. Filled with compassion, violence, racism, politics, and intelligence, Picoult weaves the lives of her characters through one another in a plot that is full of wisdom and surprises that will leave you shaking your head and saying aloud,” Oh my God!”
The differences of head and heart, of truth and emotion, of religion and science, of belief and hypocrisy all have a place here in this masterpiece of modern times.
“.. both life and death began with a spark of light.” and this book is going to spark a whole lot more; conversation, passion, faith. People will be talking and arguing over every aspect and character belief, then calling into question and fact their own, because this book is just that all encompassing, it’s that important, it’s just that good. Wow.

"Violence from one angle looks like mercy from another."
This quote from the book easily presents the debate on abortion. Both sides feel strongly and act with great emotion and dedication for their beliefs.
Jodi Picoult describes quite well the painful doubt-filled thoughts of the women having abortions : was the decision the right one? Were her reasons questionable? Did punishment from God await her? These reflections elicit sympathy or at least understanding unless you are anti-abortion.
As the story begins as told in flashbacks, a shooter is in the abortion clinic and has already killed or wounded some. As the standoff continues we learn the stories of each of the hostages- very compelling.
Jodi Picoult very capably shows the dilemmas. "For some the fetus is a person, for others it is a potential."
There is no real answer, yet there is no doubt of the sincerity of both sides. Pregnancy brings about a strictly personal reaction. A joy or a problem?
Excellent novel!

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I had anticipated, but I still recommend it to both reading groups and to women’s study programs.

This is a novel wrapped around the thorny issue of abortion. I felt it was often too preachy, and too little novel and too much political treatise.

I found it contrived, looking for a starting point for the author to deliver her views. Those views will lead to rich discussions, but I would have preferred a more nuanced novel which was more interesting than political.