I wanted to read this book because I loved, My Sister’s Keeper. I read Leaving Time and felt that book was average. I was disappointed to find The Book of Two Ways was average and not the tearjerking drama I loved with My Sister’s Keeper.

The useless history lesson on Egypt was boring for me and not what I expected.

I received this book from NetGalley.

I have been a fan of Jodi Picoult for years and was excited to read this one. However, I felt like it didn't pack as much punch or intrigue as some of her other ones. There was a lot going on here and it was overwhelming at times.

Moved at a decent pace, kept my interest and was entertaining till the end. I’d recommend if you’re looking for a new read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This was not a favorite. It is easy to tell that because whenever another interesting book came along I had no problem reading the new book and putting this one on hold. It took me two months to finish, and most of it was just because I was DETERMINED not to completely abandon it. But it was not very interesting to me and I can't quite put my finger on WHY. I think so many of the set-ups are preposterous and not necessary, for one thing. This could have been a MUCH better book with a lot of editting.

Dawn was an archeology student, on a dig in Egypt when she got word that her mother was dying - and soon. She was romantically involved with another archeologist, but she didn't share the news with him, she dropped everything and flew home to be with her mother in hospice. The days and weeks just went by in a blur and she befriended another visitor to the hospice. When her mother died, she turned to her new friend, Brian, for comfort and fell into a relationship. When she realized she was pregnant, she stayed with Brian and made a family, In time they married and had a good life, raising their daughter Meret.

Because of her experience with her mother's death, she became a "death doula", helping people to die the way they wanted and have a "good death". But one of her patients sends her on a journey to London to deliver a letter to an old flame and when Dawn is at the airport for her return flight, she changes her destination to Egypt and finds the old boyfriend.

I am a big Piccoult fan, but this book just wasn’t for me. I had trouble getting into it and there was SO much information within and nothing that really broke it up. Looking forward to her next book!

Picoult has mastered parallel storylines over the years, this book being an example. We follow Dawn, a married woman with a young daughter who is at a crossroads in her life. Should she stay or should she go? There is a lot happening in this novel, with a timeline that jumps back and forth between years and continents and what feels like chaos for most of the book, but the different storylines open up as an onion does when you peel it, one layer at a time.

Dawn, by profession, is a death doula. She assists those who are dying in any possible way that you can conceive. Before she got into the business of the dying, she researched them as an Egyptologist, studying the entombed in middle Egypt.

We are introduced to two concepts early on in the story. One, found in the Ancient Egyptian Book of Two Ways, and the other, the idea of parallel universes, thanks to Dawn's quantum physicist husband, Brian. Both of these broadly look at how making one choice over another can catapult us in a new direction in our lives. But what about the life you leave behind? Does it keep going for all who were part of it? Both of these concepts are intricately strung through the multiple substories that are being told on these pages.

There is a lot of criticism for the textbook quality of this novel, that they struggled to know Dawn outside of the nerdy scientist or hospice aide, but the nerdy science IS the scientist and hospice aide. That's how she is so good at her job, because she looks at life through the lens of science and history, not emotion. In fact, the only character who brings any emotion to this story is Dawn's daughter, Meret. Even Dawn's client, Win, looked at her imminent death with a no-nonsense attitude, and she's supposed to be a passionate artist, for goodness sake. Picoult writes in a lot of metaphor and simile, which brings an emotional quality to the story where it is lacking in the characters themselves.

I was not a fan of most of the characters in this novel, feeling that the plot, itself, was the best thing it had going for it. Brian was the one I connected with the most. For as brilliant as he was, he was able to see his world in simple black and white, and oh, how he loved Dawn with every ounce of his being. I enjoyed reading about how he and Dawn met and fell in love. It felt familiar and real. Contrarily, I didn't care for Wyatt. I thought he had some problems with consent and that bothered me, but he brought the passion that was required for this story to happen.

Another interesting concept that is explored in this book was the idea of love being the fifth dimension. Specifically, loving people who aren't here (alive) anymore, loving them through and in death. It's a topic that has been discussed in other books and films that I've consumed, but the way it's framed in this story really made me stop and think about it for quite some time.

I would encourage other readers to finish this book because it really does come full circle at the end, and all the textbook content about mummies and science that felt unbearable at the beginning of this novel, is tied into the story in some way. I am so moved by this story and all the different ways it got me thinking, and it's one that I will continue to ponder as time goes on.

*Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I struggled to finish this as the beginning really got me but then it seemed like it dragged with all the Egyptian history. A lot of research went into this story and while I do find Egyptian history interesting there was a lot. Dawn had so many careers that I got sidetracked by some, along with the jumping around in the timelines. The ending left me with too many questions.

Too much going on in this book...

The story starts off with a bang - and a crazy good one at that - and the entire concept is great. However, the execution was horrible. It is very textbook heavy, with too much information that frankly should have been cut down by about half. I really wanted to get invested in this story, especially because I loved the characters, but I just couldn’t. I ended up skimming numerous pages just to get to the actual story, which was all I wanted. I usually love Jodi Picoult books, but this one was just not for me.

I normally enjoy Jodi Picoult books for their interesting take on some of societal issues. But this new book just did not hook me. I tried to dive in but I did not enjoy all the death. Too much back and forth. I just could not get into this book so I did not finish it.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine as well as Netgalley for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying that I am a HUGE fan of Jodi Picoult's work so requesting this ARC was a no-brainer for me and I was absolutely ELATED to have it approved. Her books are always so well researched & beautifully written, and this one was no different.

Less about romance and more about the evolution of relationships of varies kinds, The Book of Two Ways explores the "what ifs" and second chances of life, which piqued my interest immediately. Pair that with the study of Egyptology - which has fascinated me for 30+ years - and the deal was clinched (as if being penned by Jodi Picoult wasn't enough on its own!)

To briefly summarize: Dawn Edelstein is on a plane that's about to crash and thoughts race through her mind - not of her husband & daughter as expected but of Wyatt Armstrong, a man she hasn't seen since her studies in Egypt some 15 years prior. Dawn manages to survive the crash and when the airline offers its passengers transportation to wherever they want to go, she chooses to go not back to her family & career as a death dollar but rather back to Egypt and her unfinished business with Wyatt.

While The Book of Two Ways refers firstly to the ancient Egyptian map of the afterlife, it also refers to the concept of deciding between two options, and how each decision could adversely effect one's life in both positive & negative ways. In Dawn's case, the plane crash has made her question so many of her life's decisions to the point where she knows she has to see this through and find Wyatt one last time to get the answers she seeks.

I'll admit that throughout this book, I toggled back and forth between the way I thought Dawn's decisions should go; there were times I agreed with her 100% and other times where I was yelling at her for her actions. The world-building and character development - even of secondary characters - was excellent, keeping me engaged and invested throughout the story.

My one small criticism is that while the detailed descriptions of ancient Egypt were very interesting & helpful, the amount of information was at times too plentiful, which made it confusing.

Overall, this book was STELLAR and I can't stop thinking about that ending!! 5 well deserved stars, for sure.

Picoult is one of the authors that I always have to read. I will say this was not one of my favorites, but it filled the void that I was missing from Jodi's writing.

3 stars

I am so torn on how to rate The Book of Two Ways. On one hand, I absolutely loved the story, I loved the dual time line and the writing was excellent. But on the other hand, there was way, and I mean WAY too much Egyptian history and Egyptology.

At first I thought Picoult was just setting up the story and the Egypt story line, but it ended up being as much of the book as anything else. And for me, it was boring and did not hold my interest at all. If I had wanted to read a book on the tombs and the interpretation of hieroglyphics in Egypt, I would picked up a book on that subject. I found myself skim reading and skipping these sections altogether so that I could actually get back to Dawn, Wyatt and Brian.

I suppose I will settle on 3 stars, right down the middle. The actual story was a 5 star to me, but all of the filler information most definitely knocks down a couple of stars. I have read so many books by Picoult, but this one didn’t hit the mark for me and is certainly pretty low on the totem pole.

Thank you to Random House Publishing for my copy of this book via NetGalley

This was a DNF at 50 percent. Though I have always enjoyed this author’s books in the last, I found this title to be very tedious and I could not manage to keep reading it.

Did not finish. I normally really like Jodi Picoult's books. This one I just could not get into it. It felt too much like a history class.

This wasn't my favorite of the bestselling contemporary-genre books of 2020 because the choice faced by the main character after a near-death experience--go home to her husband and family and try to make things better, or leave them for the unknown of a past non-relationship--seems capricious to me. But I'm in the minority on this one, as most Goodreads users loved it. I also didn't like it in part because it ended in what I would call a cliffhanger. To me, cliffhangers are clickbait.

I have to start this with, I usually love Jodi’s work and this one sounded great. However, I found it very difficult to get through. More like I was reading a textbook on ancient Egypt.

I found the protagonist super difficult to know and root for. This was a tough one for me.

I look forward to Jodi’s next book.

Thank you for the arc.

As one of my favorite authors, Jodi Picoult delivers another amazing book! The book opens with Dawn surviving a plane crash and making a decision about where she wants her life to go from there...with her husband and daughter in Boston or back at archeological site with Wyatt, an Egyptologist. While some reviews claim that this book is too heavy on information, I found it very interesting and enjoyed learning about ancient Egyptian customs. In true Picoult fashion she throws in a twist that leaves the reading wondering.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine Books for providing me with a copy of Jodi Picoult’s latest novel, The Book of Two Ways, in exchange for an honest review.

While working on a dig in Egypt, graduate student Dawn Edelstein receives a call that her mom has terminal cancer. Dawn rushes back to the United States, both abandoning her dreams of becoming an Egyptologist and leaving behind a new, yet very passionate relationship with a fellow student named Wyatt.

While her mother is in hospice, Dawn meets Brian, a physicist whose grandmother is dying. Responsible and thoughtful, Brian is the polar opposite to the charming and adventurous Wyatt. Dawn realizes that with her mother’s death, her life has changed; she can no longer afford to complete her degree and she must assume guardianship of her underaged brother. Rather than reach out to Wyatt and explain her situation, she simple moves forward with life, marrying Bryan, and soon discovering that she is pregnant.

Dawn’s interest in Egyptology centered around death and the afterlife, so it wasn’t surprising that she found purpose in her new career as a “death doula.” A bit different from a hospice worker, a death doula provides emotional and spiritual support to the dying and their loved ones. Dawn helps fulfill final requests to allow the terminally ill to end their lives in peace.

Brian and Dawn settle into their routines and their relationship suffers. Dawn has trouble relating to her teenage daughter, Meret, who has more in common with Brian. Often, it feels as if Meret and Brian have teamed up against her.

After being involved in a plane crash, and having her own life and death experience, Dawn realizes that she must return to Egypt to take care of her own unfinished business. She calls her family to tell them she is okay, but rather than catching the next flight home, she hops on a flight to Egypt, where Wyatt is now the professor in charge of the dig site. Can Dawn fix the past? How will her past influence her present?

I’ve read many of Picoult’s previous novels and I’m a fan. I was thrilled for the opportunity to read The Book of Two Ways. It’s a beautiful story about love, loss, and the choices that we make.

The passion between Dawn and Wyatt is electric. I was blushing from what I was reading and it almost felt like I was intruding on their privacy! I don’t generally read romance novels, and The Book of Two Ways is more literary than romance, yet the love story aspect of it is one of the most passionate that I have ever read. I’m just going to admit it, I was crushing on Wyatt!

The other primary relationship is between Dawn and Meret. Meret is having a difficult time making friends in school and she embarrassed that she is overweight. It’s not easy that Dawn is effortlessly thin and cannot relate to her daughter. Picoult does a fine job at creating the dynamic between mother and daughter, but also having them work through their issues in a realistic way. Dawn has complicated relationships with all of the characters, but none are without love.

Prior to reading The Book of Two Ways, I had never heard of a death doula and I found it fascinating. I have been the primary caregiver for several family members who have passed, in fact, I have no close blood relatives alive, and I would have loved to have had the guidance of a death doula. It is such a compassionate and lovely way to help the dying and also to aid their loved ones with grieving.

Overall, I loved The Book of Two Ways. My only small complaint is that Picoult sometimes bogged down the story with explanations of Egyptian history and mythology. It was a bit too much and detracted from Dawn’s story. It was interesting, but it certainly slowed the pace and felt like a different novel entirely- more history textbook than novel.

That said, if you are a fan of Picoult, this is a must read. It’s a raw and honest story of how our relationships and the choices we make impact not only our life, but the way we feel about transitioning to our next life.

I received this book exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. I usually love this author and was excited to read her latest offering, but unfortunately I could not finish it and I abandoned it less than 10% of the way through. As other reviews state, this book is full of Egyptian history and facts and reads much like a textbook with pieces of women’s fiction thrown in.

While some other readers felt it was worth it to slog through and others have stated that they learned a lot about Egyptian history in the process, I just was not in a place to wade through such a book.

This was an excellent book, which an interesting take on a common plot line of "parallel lives" or 'sliding doors'. The author's research on Egypt was impressive and thorough. Overall, a wonderful read!