Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book. A beautifully written, well researched study of death and life. It delves into Egyptology, quantum physics, the process of dying, beautifully intermingling them. I am astounded by the number of reviewers who hated this book. So well done but to each her own.

I’d like to start off by saying I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult’s novels. She is an amazing author and while I worked in the executive offices of one of the largest book retailers in the country, I always sang her praises. Jodi Picoult tackles moral and ethical dilemmas in her works of fiction. She has a way of taking a subject, often a controversial one, and allowing you to play devil’s advocate and see both sides of the story. You are always left to ask the question: “what if”? After reading her books, I have a better understanding of the side I would never have thought I would find myself on. Her novels make me smile and almost always cry and I think that is the sign of an amazing author. How can someone elicit these emotions with words on a page? I just hope I can do justice reviewing her latest novel, The Book of Two Ways.

The Book of Two Ways is the story of Dawn Edelstein who survives a plane crash and questions who or where she would be in life if she had chosen a different path. Should she return to her family in Boston and continue her work as a death doula or should she return to the path she was on studying Egyptology as a student at Yale, completing her research and her unresolved history with Wyatt Armstrong. Once again, Picoult weaves two seemingly different story lines together and really makes you think about what you would do if you were in the character’s shoes.

While the book is clearly well-researched, I have to give it 4-stars because I really got bogged down reading about Egyptology and quantum physics. The middle portion of the book was just too heavy in subject matter that felt more like reading a scientific journal than a book of fiction.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads, Book Club Girls Facebook page, and Amazon once the novel is published.

#TheBookofTwoWays #NetGalley

I was going to give this book 4 stars because there’s a lot about physics and Egypt and kind of drug on. But once I got about 60% through, it really picked up and I needed to know how it ended! I did enjoy how it ended, but I know not everyone will be satisfied. I like books that make me think and leave me wondering.

When Dawn Edelstein is in a plane crash, her last thoughts are not of her husband, but of a man she hasn't seen in fifteen years. When she miraculously survives, Dawn has a choice to make. Should she return to her husband and try to work out their marriage? Or should she run away to Egypt to pursue a man and a degree that she left behind?

If I could describe The Book of Two Ways in one word, it would be boring. I was intrigued by Picoult's split narrative into Dawn's two possible futures (like the famous movie Sliding Doors) and was hoping to have fun trying to guess Picoult's famous big twist. Unfortunately, from the start, Picoult drowns you in information - about Egyptology, Schrodinger's cat, and the history of death doulas. To make it worse, it's not even interesting information.

Each chapter I hoped it would get better, but it only got worse. When it takes two pages to explain, flirting between Egyptologists, is not cute. Eventually, I gave up completely and decided that either way you slice it, Dawn's story was beyond dull.

If you like exploration of Egypt and the language of hieroglyphics, you’ll like this book.

I honestly was bummed out about this one. I normally finish Picoult’s books quickly and find myself savoring the story after it finishes. This was not the case.

I’m still giving it 3 stars, because it was a really interesting premise and I appreciate that the plot was sparked from her son’s life.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! My brain is tired. This book has fabulous characters and you can really get into the what if. I think we’ve all asked that question sometime in our lives be it a career, love or many other Issues. I truly, enjoyed the flash backs to 15 years ago, before her husband choice and 14 year old daughter was born. However, I was overwhelmed by all the research information. It actually lost me a few times. I must say J Picoult is a very through writer. Interestingly enough, the beginning of the book was my favorite it kept me on the edge of my seat. 😊

There is a lot of research & history in this book. So much that I skipped over a majority of it. This is a great book if you're interested in Egyptology. If you are not, you may want to skip on this one. I loved the story line & how it came full circle. I really loved the last 20% of the book. Which helped with the scoring of this. I would give it a 3.5 in total. The ending was a tad bit of a let down, but I did enjoy it. It was heartbreaking & heartfelt. I loved how she focused on a mother and daughter's love.

I really enjoyed this book. The philosophical discussions, the paths taken, the character development were all wonderful. I loved the quote, "We don't make decisions, decisions make us" but know that I can't use that until the book is published. I would probably not want to use it anyway, because it is better read when it occurs in the story.

This was different from the previous books I have read of Picoult's, but I enjoyed it. I was thinking it was going in a few different directions, but was ultimately pleased with the path it led the reader on.

I have enjoyed each of Jodi Picoult's books I have read. Egyptology is a particular fascination of mine, so the combination was irresistible. The Book of Two Ways kept me guessing who and when Dawn was, the paths she would choose and why, where I was in her story, but at each turn I loved her perspective. The Book of Two Ways is her predicament: she has two lives, two paths to take, and though we all eventually reach the same destination, how we get there is the important thing.

Language: Moderate (multiples uses of the f word, occasional other profanities)
Drugs: Mild (alcohol use)
Sex: Moderate (sex, extramarital affairs)
Violence: Mild (no interpersonal violence, plane crash)

This is a difficult review for me to write because I typically enjoy Jodi Picoult's novels but this is my least favorite novel of hers. I felt as though my brain was being bombarded with information I didn't want to know or care for and as a result of that I found myself getting lost over and over again. Egyptology is interesting to a degree but the over abundance of it just left me drained resulting in me putting the book down over and over again. I spent so much time looking up and researching information from this read that I ended up feeling like I was tasked with a project rather than just being able to enjoy a read.

The gist of this book is that a woman named Dawn, survives a plane crash and has some kind of moment and rather than returning to Boston to be with her husband and daughter, she jumps on a plane and goes back to Egypt to met her previous lover.

In typical Picoult fashion the book flips back and forth, telling several stories from the past and current day. We find out that Dawn is a Death Duola, her marriage is on the rocks and has a daughter who is shy and struggles with her weight.

The Death Duola portions were the most interesting part of the book and I wish that it had taken a larger portion of the story as opposed to Egyptology. As the Death Doula is more interesting, makers her character is more likable and is probably more relatable to readers.

The ending was not satisfying to me as a reader but I understand it. I am glad that I read this book because I have enjoyed so many of Picoult's other reads and am a long time fan but I would not recommend it to a first time reader of Picoult's.


* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oops, somehow I forgot that I hate Jodie Picoult books. This wasn’t an exception to the rule unfortunately.

It's well written, well researched, un-put-down-able, and in typical Picoult fashion, ends in such an infuriating way that I wanted to throw the Kindle across the room. That's how I usually end every Picoult book -- by patching a wall.

This book is incredibly beautiful and moving. The book centers around Dawn and her present, past and future. The first reality is Dawn and her husband trying to repair a fractured 15 year old marriage and the second reality is Dawn with the man she was in love with before her world turned upside down. The book explores loves, happinesses, death, a lot of Egyptology (perfect for the nerd inside me) and how a single moment can forever change your life. I honestly didn't know much about this book going in and i'm glad for it because it took me on a fantastic adventure. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I've never met a Jodi Picoult book that I didn't learn anything from; as a reader of hers for more than a decade, I know what type of format and characters I can expect. My favorite part of The Book of Two Ways is the interconnectedness between the topics she chose to focus on and the way their fields connect with the circumstances they're currently experiencing. The concept of a "death doula" was previously unknown to me, so that was fascinating, but the Egyptology and physics portions had me struggling at times. The primary reason I think I struggled was due to the fact that neither of these fields are ones I had foreknowledge about (as compared to her novels revolved around animal sanctuaries, racism, abortion, and organ donors, etc.). The other part that threw me off was the prologue; growing up, no one ever mentioned to me that readers are expected to read the prologue -- it's not an extra "acknowledgements" section. Once I finished the novel, I went back and read the prologue again (because now I'm a librarian who dutifully reads prologues) and couldn't *quite* see how that part figured in, but I would still wholeheartedly recommend this book. It's one that I can see myself reading again soon and getting something different out of it. Ironically for a book that focuses on the dead, The Book of Two Ways is very "human". Dawn's personal struggles with her career, aspirations, family, and love will keep you reading this one all the way through!

I was absolutely blown away by The Book of Two Ways! I’ve been a huge Jodi Picoult fan for years, and although I haven’t loved every single one of her books, I’ve read them all, so when I got approved for this ARC I was ecstatic. I was lucky enough to meet her on her tour for the paperback publication of A Spark of Light and she mentioned this new book, but all she could say was that it combines the concepts of how to die a peaceful death and ancient Egypt. I’m really fascinated with ancient Egypt and had loved her precious book that touched on that topic, Picture Perfect, so I was intrigued, but WOW, The Book of Two Ways was even better than I had expected. It made me so grateful for my life and made me think hard. I also loved a few twists (no spoilers!) which maybe I could have seen coming, but didn’t. I will definitely be reading this book again and again!

Having read everything by Jodi Piccoult, I would say this is my favorite so far. Woven together is the exploration of Egyptian tombs, and the culture behind them, with the modern day look at how we look at dying. The layers of how this effects our lives and what we learn from the lessons of love, loss, regret gives the book a deeper look at the decisions we make and where the path takes us. To lighten the intensity of the subject matter, a love story unfolds, with all the complications to keep it sharp.

When I think about my high school years and reading, one of the authors that first comes to mind is Jodi Picoult. From The Pact, to Salem Falls, and Nineteen Minutes, her books have had a lasting impact on my reading journey.
I was so excited to receive The Book of Two Ways as an ARC (advanced reading copy) for that reason.
Let me tell you, this book is a remarkable journey.
From the first page, I was captivated by Dawn’s character and her work as a death doula. I find that in a lot of novels where one is in a love triangle, as a reader I find myself gravitating towards one of the two. With Picoult’s character development, I found myself connecting with all three characters and wanting to see them fulfilled at the end. This was a difficult read in our current climate of death and uncertainty and at times the storyline was confusing and went back and forth between different periods of time. Overall, I loved this book and would recommend reading!
Publication Date: September 22nd
Thank you NetGalley, Jodi Picoult, and Random House for this early release.

I received an Advance Readers Copt from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This was not one of my favorite stories by Jody Piccoult as I felt it had way too much history in the book. This book was hard for me Yo read considering we are living in the middle of a pandemic right now and dealing with lots of unnecessary death. Unfortunately this book is being released at the wrong time to no fault of the author. I had a very hard time finishing this book and you would not recommend if you were looking for an uplifting read.

Jodi Picoult's new novel, The Book of Two Ways, will pull at your heartstrings while examining the possibility of second chances and the paths we choose in life. This novel, while I respect the amount of research that the author has compiled, often felt as though I was reading a textbook for a class I never signed up for. As for the love triangle between Dawn, her husband Brian and her former lover Wyatt, I was also finding myself in love with each man. I can see how torn Dawn was between the two as both of the their relationships had value. The relationship with Wyatt being cut short due to her mother's illness was left unfinished, while Brian filled the hole during her grief. Brian's contribution through his in depth explanations of quantum physics (almost lost me) and how you can exist in two places at once mirrors Dawn's desire to take both paths, her husband and former lover.
This book explores all the endless ways that one can love and be loved. If you can get through the heavy and sometimes daunting information of Egyptian history, hieroglyphics and quantum physics without your brain wanting to shut down, you will find a beautiful story of life, love and loss.
I am so thankful to have received an ARC through Netgalley. All my opinions are my own.

I was overjoyed to receive this because I am a huge Picoult fan. It breaks my heart a little to say I didn't love this. As always, this book is extremely well-researched and brings to light a topic I'd probably never myself learn about. That being said, I feel this one may be too clinical. I know some of the information was central to the story, but I found myself glossing over so much of the Egyptology (and a good amount of the quantum physics) that it took away from the central plot. I had a pretty good idea how the story was being weaved and I can't say I'm all that surprised by the twist. In all, I enjoyed this more than I didn't, but in comparison to Picoult's other works, this wouldn't be anywhere near the top of a favorites list.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.