I did not like the way this story was presented - from the end to the beginning. I found it confusing and the story left me wanting more. The characters arc's did not seem full to me in. A lot of it was somewhat cliche'd.

I have only read a couple books by Jodi Picoult and each and every one of them is amazing. A Spark of Light is such a controversial book because of the subject matter, abortion. I believe that people who are pro-life or pro-choice would still enjoy this book. It's insane to me that people would kill people because they want/have an abortion. Jodi Picoult, again, what a great book. Just read it.

Jodi Picoult is a literary giant of our times. Like all of her other novels, "A Spark of Light" tackles a complicated and timely issue in a way that's easy to read, yet still exploring the complexity of the world we live in and the warring views that compose it.

As a native Mississippian, it was also neat to read a story set in my state. I went into this book expecting another wonderful, poignant story from Picoult, and I wasn't disappointed.

Page turner of a plot, tightly written prose, characters who leap off the page, a highly topical debatable centre to the story : is this a Jodi Picoult novel? Why yes. However did you guess?

This was another solid book by Jodi Picoult. It is obvious that she took the time to research all sides of a controversial topic.

The subject matter of abortions wasn't exactly at the top of my list to be reading about. The book starts with a shooting at an abortion clinic and then moves backward as to what happened leading up to this event. It was hard for me to follow. I normally love anything that Jodi Picoult writes, but this was not one of my favorites.

I do not believe we, as a society, will ever agree on this issue. The stakes are too high, and both sides operate from places of unshakable belief. But I do think that the first step is to talk to each other and more important to listen. We may not see eye to eye, but we can respect each other's opinions (and beliefs which in my opinion translate to religion)and find the truth in them. Perhaps in those honest conversations, instead of demonizing each other, we might see each other as imperfect humans doing our best. Jodi Picoult

Disclaimer: I AM PRO-LIFE. Going into this read and reading Jodi in the past, I know she is on the left side of and I am on the right side. No pun intended. The narration is emotional, personal and highly intense. Was there a bent on the glorification of abortion. Yes! Was there demonizing on pro-life, a bit of jab. The setting is Mississippi all centered in a Women's health care facility that performs abortions among other women health issues. The narration starts in the intensity of a father seeking revenge by violence. Another father Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, is on the scene with his own daughter to protect. The patients, doctors and nurses, have their narration as this unfolds. Each on different sides and each with their own reasons.

Dr. Ward a Christian doctor that performs abortions. A personal reason relating to what happened to his mother, he desires for women to have a safe alternative.

Hugh a father first. A single father that has a few things in common with the gunman George. He uses what they have in common to talk George down. Knowing his own daughter is in the closet hiding from the George, he is determined that he is the only one that end this. Will his personal stake make him a hero or will it cause the death of more innocent people.

The Pro-Life protesters that keep guard and give "gifts" to each woman that walks into the center. I felt this group had the jab. No real indepth characterization so easy to dislike.

Wren Hugh's daughter is 15 and has her aunt Bex to accompany her to the center for birth control. The relationship between father and daughter is endearing. However, Wren is making her own decisions and her aunt Bex is supportive to her younger brother and niece.

Aunt Bex takes a hit protecting her niece and reflects on the relationship with her brother and niece. She has a great secret that you are not aware of until the end that to me proved heroic and redemptive. She is the real hero of the story however, the narration paints a different hero, the woman who decides to abort and the reasons why.

Of course there is more characters that bring out the pragmatic issue of abortion. A unwanted child is easy for society to abort and made easier by calling said child a fetus. The demonizing of men who want to protect the unborn. Here is what is hypocritical. We want fathers to be involved in parenting but only if the child is wanted by the mother. The stats of Planned Parenthood of not receiving federal monies and the issue of a baby not feeling pain as it is aborted. There was a bent that abortion is not as terrible as pro-lifers make it out to be. That abortion does not have any known health issues such as cancer or infertility. All these issues was given a positive light on the side of abortion. No stats on choosing life.

So the 4 star rating is maybe confusing for some of pro-life friends and the reason being is that I thought the human struggle is real and to the point of why we are here. Why there is such on outcry on both sides. Did Picoult cause me to reconsider my beliefs - no but she confirm that there are real women that do not have choice and as a Christian we need to be ready to make other choices that they can live with.

A Special Thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I was on a Jodi Picoult hiatus for quite a while and I am ok with rounding back to her with this new novel. I thought the framework of going somewhat backwards in the hostage situation was interesting. The story is really just a day, a gunman who storms a clinic that performs abortion and the women/girls inside is the type of story that is very realistic.

Not only do I live in the same neighborhood as Dr Bernard Slepian, my son went to school with his children. As PJ entered third grade, there was a letter at his desk from the child who had been in that seat the previous June. This class assignment, in this particular case, was bitter sweet, since the welcoming words were from a boy whose parent had only recently been murdered by a sniper out to destroy another abortion doctor. His beautiful home with the large picture window in the normally crime free town of Amherst, outside Buffalo, NY, was the perfect site for a certain type of target practice. While the perpetrator was caught, the damage was done and those three boys and loving mother lost a dedicated father, husband, and doctor.

No matter how many clinics are closed or doctors are castigated, abortion will never be eliminated. If it can’t be done legally, there will be those who find illicit means to get the job done. We are currently at a crossroads, with the nomination of a Supreme Court Justice whose vote might finally overturn Roe vs Wade or severely limit its reach. I have watched as the rights of women to find affordable reproductive care (which goes way beyond the topic of abortion) have been eliminated along with the planned parenthood centers who provide Pap Smears, mammograms, prenatal and postnatal care, treatment for symptoms of menopause and other women’s health issues. There are other uses for hormone treatment besides birth control, yet, for some, the right to life of a fetus takes precedent over everything - even the life of the doctor who works in the field. With this mindset, it is no wonder that the maternal mortality rate (death of the mother in childbirth) has actually doubled over the past twenty years, especially in the minority community. Shocking!

That is why A Spark of Life by Jodi Piccoult is such a timely piece of literature. Here is an issue which has dogged the country for years without coming to a full resolution with both sides continuing to fight for what they feel is justice. This is also a concept where there is no legitimate compromise, since each side is firmly committed to their opinion which literally represents life or death. Where, to some, even birth control or the morning after pill to prevent pregnancy and the hated abortion, is unacceptable.

Piccoult attempts to present both sides of the issue via the story of a hostage situation at a Woman’s Health Clinic, where the authorities are trying to garner the release of the captives before anyone else gets hurt. To complicate matters, the chief negotiator discovers his daughter is amongst the prisoners, and he must do everything in his power to keep the situation from escalating including keeping the SWAT Team at bay. This is one of those backwards stories (with the ultimate conclusion as an epilogue) where the ending is the beginning and we count down the hours to slowly discover what motivated the events to unfold in this manner. There are a lot of “whys” to be discerned as the countdown begins.

While the topic is fascinating, the characters interesting, the issues compelling, I find this writing mechanism confusing. Perhaps it’s because I’m directionally challenged, but I like my books to be mostly chronological. The backwards recitation also requires alot of repetition which I find annoying at best. While I understand the desire to apply a new approach, this topic is too important for games.

However, I don’t want to dissuade you from reading this book. Piccoult has a way of bringing important issues to the forefront and this is a dialogue which remains vital for our society, especially with so many visible cases of misogyny and the resulting Me, Too Movement.

While for me this was a three and a half star book, I’m giving it a four star rating due to its relevance to upcoming legislative events. I’m looking forward to some interesting discussions. Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review also appears on my blog, Gotta Read:

https://ellenk59.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/a-spark-of-life-by-jodi-piccoult/

Jodi Picoult is simply fearless when it comes to writing controversial subject matter. You can tell she really did her research with this one... definitely well-written!

The book takes place in The Center - a woman's health clinic that provides birth control, exams, and abortions. Right from the first chapter we already know the ending since the book is written in reverse order. I didn't have a problem with the order reversed, but I did feel like it was choppy and a bit drawn out... about halfway through I was getting bored. But, I have to say, I really liked the little twist at the end... it was like a light bulb moment.

I do applaud Picoult for taking on such a risky topic, not many will do that these days. I also love how she didn't preach or have the reader take sides in where they stand on abortion. This most likely isn't a book for everyone, but if you do decide to pick it up you will see that it's very well-researched. And for that alone it is worth reading.

*Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for providing me with an ARC.

Not my favorite book. I have loved some of her previous book. This is just not my cup of tea. I couldnt finish it. Thank you netgalley for tgs gift of the arc, the opinion is my own.

A balanced look at abortion - a topic that doesn’t always receive a treatment that respects both sides, but Piccoult does it masterfully. Another hit for this author.

I am a fan of the writer's work and always enjoy how she blends charcters and life situations in such a realistic manner. This book brought life to the forefront of a women's reproductive clinic taken over by a gunman . The story is told backwards from the night of then throughout to the event. The author truly captured the moments of such a horrific event. All the emotions, fear are here as well as the stories of those held hostage who want to talk to their loved ones to say goodbye. I was not prepared for such a shocking book but once i started reading was unable to put it down. its a real emotional ride throughout and will have you biting your nails and reading into the night.
Thank you to Net Galley and to the Publisher for such a amazing opportunity to read such a phenomenal book.
I do recommend this book as another amazing body of work by the author.

A teenager with her aunt, an abortion clinic & an active shooter combined with the teenager's father being the hostage negotiator makes for an explosive read! Unfortunately, in our world today, this story could be any one of our reality.

This book should definitely be on your to read list for 2018. I have read many of Jodi Picoult's books, and this one is by far my favorite!! This one will be hard to put down once you open the first page!
This book deserves more than 5 stars!!

This is my first Jodi Picoult book. However, I came in already knowing what to expect. A lot of pain and to be confronted by differences. This book leads to you thinking about what you believe, what others believe and why we have all come to that conclusion. And why misunderstand and willingly ignore each other. The characters were realistic and done with such care. Thank you for this opportunity to read this.

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 to 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 crosshairs 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.

One of the most fearless writers of our time, Jodi Picoult tackles a complicated issue in this gripping and nuanced novel. How do we balance the rights of pregnant women with the rights of the unborn they carry? What does it mean to be a good parent? A Spark of Light will inspire debate, conversation . . . and, hopefully, understanding.

Jodi Picoult has been a long time favorite author of mine and this book does not disappoint and although I enjoyed the book immensely, I found the authors note in the back to be even more fascinating. Wow, who knew all that history of violence against abortion clinics? Regardless of your view on abortions, Spark of Light is certainly an eye opening book. It has a slower pace than most of Jodi Picoult's other books but it is a good read and I would recommend it.

This was such a fantastic book and on a subject from different points of view which make it thought provoking as well as an enjoyable read! Jodi Picoult's work is perpetually entertaining and A Spark of Light is no exception.

This book took me forever to get through. I didn’t care for the reverse timeline and the many POVs.

However, as always the book felt impeccably researched and thorough.

Throughout her career, but particularly in recent years, Jodi Picoult has proven herself a fearless author, willing to fictionalize any controversial topic. A Spark of Light may well be her most risky, ambitious, and successful endeavor to date because she at last tackles the issue of abortion.

The setting is a women’s reproductive health services clinic where the staff offers services to anyone who comes through the door. In a story that could all too easily be ripped from any morning headline, it is a gunman who enters. He opens fire, immediately killing some and taking others hostage.

Hugh McElroy is the police hostage negotiator who initiates communication with the gunman and soon discovers that Wren, his own fifteen-year-old daughter is inside the clinic, along with her aunt, Hugh's sister. Also inside with the gunman is a nurse who calms her own panic in order to save the life of a wounded woman; a doctor who work at the clinic because of his faith; a pro-life protester who entered disguised as a patient but may now be a victim of the rage she has experienced herself; and a young woman who is there to terminate her pregnancy.

Picoult employs an unusual and highly effective technique to relate the day's events: They are set forth in reverse chronological order, hour by hour. Thus, the book opens at the point of the story's dramatic climax, and then the events that led up to that moment are revealed in reverse order. As Picoult traces the action back through the morning, showing how each individual came to be at the clinic, the characters' secrets and motivations are revealed. Heart-breaking, jaw-droppingly ironic details are explored that demonstrate how beliefs, assumptions, demands, fears, and, indeed, bravery converged to fatefully deliver each person to the clinic on that particular day.

Employing her signature style, through the thoughts, beliefs, and actions of her characters, Picoult asks readers to ponder the most difficult questions. How should the rights of a pregnant woman to autonomy and privacy be balanced against the rights of her unborn child? Can laws imposing absolute boundaries ever be workable? How do one's past experiences and upbringing undergird and inform one's opinions on the subject? And given the wide range of beliefs, values, and experiences Americans hold, is there any possible way that, as a society, consensus can ever be achieved?

A Spark of Light is a compelling, demanding, and thought-provoking story that provokes a deeply visceral reaction. The subject matter and story are timely, controversial, and provocative. In the hands of a less-skilled writer, the story could have become mired in preachy, judgmental rhetoric. But Picoult approaches the topic with sensitivity, and compassion and respect for all of her characters. Thus, she manages to tell the story in a balanced, understanding fashion. Picoult's extensive research on the topic is evident in the way she portrays the fragility of her characters and the monumental impact of beliefs and actions upon their own lives, as well as upon the lives of their loved ones.

For fans of Picoult's work, as well as those who have never read her previous books, A Spark of Light is, along with Small Great Things, a book that simply must be read by anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the competing viewpoints on abortion, and why those on opposite sides of the issue must find a way to peacefully co-exist.