Diana has a great life working in the art field. She has a boyfriend who is as ambitious as she is, who plans like she does. They have greats to travel the world and their first stop is the Galapagos Islands. However, COVID strikes and her doctor boyfriend has to stay in NYC and face the life-threatening pandemic. He encourages Diana to go alone, though she is unsure since her estranged mother is back in the states with early-onset Alzheimer's. However, she knows she needs a break and goes.

Once she is there, everything begins to fall apart from missing luggage, to being quarantined on the island and unable to return home. Her hotel is closed, she has no service and the local man she keeps seeing is quite a jerk. But the longer she stays there, the more she sees that a more quiet, simple life packs more meaning than the busy, scheduled one. She has to decide at the end of the quarantine what type of life she longs for.

I read Jodi Picoult because I like when she gives me an ethical or moral dilemma and I have to think about what I would do. I didn't get that with this book. I liked the story. I was stunned by the turn of events that I didn't see coming but I was left with that -grappling with my values-piece that I like from her books. Overall, good story but not one of her best.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult. Pub Date: November 30, 2021. Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟. To be honest, I was a little weary to read a book with COVID as a main storyline, but after finishing I am so glad I did. This was the book I never knew I needed. Diana, a young career driven woman is in a relationship with a resident doctor and they live in NYC. This story takes the reader on their journeys through navigating COVID, emotions and reflections of a life they are living and want to live. Personally, this book resonated deeply with me because I found myself in a state of evolution and analysis of my own life during COVID much like Diana in the book. Her story helped to validate my feelings and make me feel a little less alone in my life decisions. Because this book made me feel so deeply, it deserves all the praise and stars. Job well done @jodipicoult. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and netgalley for this free e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #wishyouwerehere #randomhouse #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworm #igreads

Thank you to the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

Wish You Were Here revolves around Diana, a woman who seems to have it all. She has the career, the boyfriend, and the perfect city. She and her boyfriend planned on going on a dream destination vacation to the Galápagos, but he is made to stay home as Covid begins to take off. She ends up going to the island without him, thus following a myriad of difficult experiences for her on the island.

I really enjoyed the interactions between Diana and the islanders because it felt like natural dialogue. The cheating storyline caught me off guard, especially because she thinks the entire time that her boyfriend is out there being a hero and saving lives while she's gallivanting around a tropical island. They seemingly didn't have any issues before she left, so why are they contrived out of thin air now?

I found the parts dealing with Diana's artistic background to be quite boring because I cannot connect to any of that subject matter. Another aspect of the story I couldn't connect with was all the medical terminology thrown out like I should know what it is. If it weren't for my dictionary on my Kindle, I would have had absolutely no idea what it was talking about. However, I didn't think it added to the story in the first place.

I get that Covid has been awful and we have been living in this awful reality for almost two years now, but I don't feel like we're far enough removed from this pandemic for it to be discussed in a novel like an old, timeless tragedy. This has affected all of us, give us some time to heal before you start using it for the plot of your next bestseller.

Another good book from Jodi Picoult. about current topics. This book is about the virus pandemic we are still suffering through including all the different emotions we go through for our current situation as well as future consequences that we perceive, the financial burden, the isolation, and lack of complete control and helplessness we encounter. In the story, Dianna O’Toole and her boyfriend Finn, a doctor, were scheduled to take a vacation to the Galapagos, but the virus keeps Finn on duty at the hospital. Diana goes by herself because the trip is non-refundable. Plus she and Finn has no idea what devastation the virus and it’s complications are going to cause. The vacation goes completely wrong with lost luggage, lack of WiFi, her hotel closed as well as the whole island is quarantined. Then she meets a family on the island that, ultimately, leads to her questioning herself regarding the choices she has made in her relationship as well as her life in general. .

I loved this book! I feel like at this point enough time has passed for me to feel more comfortable in the world we are living in. It was nice to think back on how far we have come since March of 2020 and how devastating this pandemic has been. I really loved Diana and her evolution throughout this book. I didn’t see the twists coming at all throughout this book. The epilogue was fantastic and really summarized the most important things to remember in the current time and to truly appreciate the little things. Picoult always does so so much research on all the little aspects of the book and it always impresses me so much and really allows me to be immersed in the story.

When I first read the blurb for Wish You Were Here, I was hesitant to read it. There is nothing against the author, but a book written about the pandemic’s beginning while we were still in it didn’t exactly gel with me and gave me anxiety. But, I decided to read it, and oh boy, am I glad I did. This book was excellent on all ends.

Wish You Were Here is the story about Diana and how her life is turned around when COVID 19 hit. Diana is an art specialist at Sotheby’s and living with her almost fiance (Finn), a surgical resident at Presbyterian Hospital. Diana is days away from not only closing a life-altering deal with a famous rock widow (based on Yoko Ono), but she is going on a bucket list vacation with Finn to the Galapagos Islands. Life is good for her, but there are talks of a pandemic making its way across the globe. Then things implode. COVID has hit New York City, and Finn is told that he cannot take his trip. Diana, thinking that COVID will blow over (didn’t we all), makes the trip alone. But her once-in-a-lifetime trip turns into something else when the borders close, and she is stuck on the island. Alone, with no cell service, no money, no luggage, and unable to speak the language, Diana thinks it can’t get any worse. But things start to turn around when a local woman takes Diana under her wing, and Diana connects with not only her 14-year-old granddaughter but her handsome but standoffish son. Diana realizes that the life she thought she wanted with Finn in New York City wasn’t what she wanted, and she wants a life with Gabriel. Will she have it? Or will it be ripped from her by COVID?

I wish I could say that I wasn’t triggered while reading Wish You Were Here. But I was. There was a whole section of the book where I cried continuously. Those scenes reminded me of how I felt during the pandemic’s beginning. I remembered the uncertainty and the fear. But, I also remember the small acts of kindness and how people pulled together for the most part. The author beautifully highlighted all of that in Wish You Were Here.

The pacing of Wish You Were Here was between medium and fast. There were parts of the book that were lightning fast. But there were also parts of the book that were medium-paced. The author did a fantastic job of slowing the book down and picking the pace back up. There was a slight lag, but that was right around the surprise of a plot twist, and I expected it.

Diana was my favorite character in Wish You Were Here. I liked her because she wasn’t likable (well, to begin with). She had a horrible relationship with her famous photographer mother, and she wasn’t apologetic about it. But, on the other hand, she loved her career and Finn (in that order). Her personality was set during the first two chapters, and, to be honest, I thought that she would be like that throughout the book. But then she got stranded, and a different Diana started to appear.

The romance angle was there, but it wasn’t a massive part of the book. I liked that Gabriel and Diana’s romance was a slow-burn romance. I liked that I wasn’t sure if they would end up falling in like (notice I said that instead of love) or if they would hook up. But, I also liked that Diana and Finn’s relationship was steady and predictable. Regardless of who she was with, Diana had a good guy.

Wish You Were Here is set in two places: The Galagapos Islands and New York City. I fell in love with The Galagapos Islands while reading the book. For some reason, I never thought of The Galagpos Islands as a vacation spot. But since reading this book, it has been put on my bucket list!! I have been to New York City and plan on going back.

As I mentioned above, a plot twist comes out of nowhere in the middle of the book. I was utterly taken by surprise. It was something I did not see coming at the time. But looking back, I could see the very subtle hints that the author dropped. So, be warned, it is a huge twist and what is revealed on the other side isn’t easy to read.

I want to get into the latter half of Wish You Were Here. But I can’t because of the darn twist. It would lead to spoilers, and I don’t want to ruin the book for anyone. I will say that Diana does go through that transformation I mentioned above, and I do like how she ended up.

I would recommend Wish You Were Here to anyone over 16. There is mild violence, mild sexual situations, and language.

Life is perfect, until Covid his new york---this book addresses the pandemic and how it affects Diana & Finn. if you aren't at a place to read about it i suggest skipping this book. I found it to be a vert moving and timely novel and thought the author did a wonderful job with it. I always enjoy her books and this was no different. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for a review. .

I think Picoult always does a really good job of diving into a topic that most usually don't know much about. While the COVID storylines did feel a bit fresh and tiring, overall I enjoyed this one.

Once again Jodi Picoult writes a book that will have yourself examining your own life and relationships.

I mean wow--Jodi Picoult does it again. She leaves us with a thought provoking and heart wrenching book.
That ending though--like really Jodi, how could you do that to me?

You think this book is going to be about COVID. About Diana leaving right before the virus hits NYC really really badly and her doctor boyfriend is left behind to deal with the incoming tidal wave of sick patients.
Part 1 is set in the paradise of the Galapagos Islands and Diana adapts from a typical American tourist into someone who is accepted and loved by a local family. I truly enjoyed the passages regarding Darwinism and the relation to how humans adapt and change to their circumstances.

Then, just when I thought I knew what was going on in this story--Diana drowns.
The empty chapters were a very nice touch--especially on audio.

Then, Diana wakes up.
And instead of having been in the Galapagos for months on end, Diana has been on a ventilator in the hospital in NY. She hallucinated/dreamed the entire experience.
Part 2 of the story details Diana's life post-COVID 19 and how her dream state unquestionably changed her. She was not the same woman she was before.
This part of the book was heart-wrenching but also extremely inspiring. I also had no idea these COVID hallucinations and near death experiences were actual alternate lives people dreamed they had. That in itself fascinated me in this story.

I absolutely loved this. I think every book club should read because its extraordinarily relevant and had a lot of depth.

Some parts of this book I just didn't really enjoy, like when she was in New York. I don't necessarily need to read about the pandemic just yet and those parts felt too boring and forced to me. Every chance Piccoult could throw in a liberal dig, she did. That's not what I'm here for. Honestly, this may be my last book of hers. I have always loved her but this is the second book of hers that shows her political side and I don't care for it. I'm here to read and loose myself in the words, not feel like the author is pushing an agenda or throwing digs at Trump.

With that said, I absolutely loved the middle when Diane was in the Galaopagos. I lost myself in those moments and was only turned off Finn's emails, though I see why they were necessary for the plot. I was crushed when the Galopagos was over. Those characters were true and well rounded, unlike Finn, who felt too forced.

Overall, this wasn't a book I hated but it is making me see the true colors of Piccoult, when I'd rather see her characters be politically unaffiliated, no matter which side they're on.

Literature about the time during COVID is going to be judged differently, especially since we're still living it. I really liked this book, but there were more than a few moments that it was incredibly sad or uncomfortable to read. That said, I think if I read it 10 years from now (when maybe we'll have less COVID?), I'd be really wrapped up in it. It's really well written and the story is interesting and the twist was completely surprising. The main character is really well developed and overall it was a good read... just had a few moments where I got overally sad and had to take a break... which means it does a good job of evoking the uncertainty we're all experiencing right now.

I have been a little hesitant to pick up anything pandemic-related. However, Jodi Picoult's new book reads like a journal from the first few weeks of the pandemic. This might not be for everyone but I found it to be a good read. Will be fun to pick it up in a few years as well...

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors, and this novel is the latest reason why. The plot could not be more topical or relevant to life today in 2022. The reader is quickly drawn into the plot, which has several plot twists, and the characters are engaging and real. While the story focuses on how life has changed due to Covid, that's really just a backdrop as the main character, Diana, explores her plans for life and ends up reassessing her goals and aspirations as she discovers what's really most important and meaningful to her. I raced through this book in just a few days. A great read!

I understood what Picoult was trying to do with book, however, a major part of the storyline included COVID. In my opinion it was too poignant. Picoult's books do a good job of taking your mind to places it wouldn't normally find itself. Picoult's books inspire hope, change, and love. Her characters are empathetic, inquisitive, and often have a lot of internal struggles that they need to overcome. During the time of COVID many people want to escape the fear, the uncertainty. I felt this book focused too much on all the things we want to escape from.

3.5 stars for this, my 18th book by Jodi Picoult. I received a comp copy from the publisher Penguin Random House through NetGalley.

Is it too soon to read about what the Covid pandemic was like at its onset in early 2020? Me thinks it is, at least for me.

Diana and Finn are a couple in love living their shared dreams in NYC, and about to embark on a trip to Galapagos where Diana is certain they're going to become engaged. When Covid hits and Finn's job as a hospital resident prevents him from leaving, he tells Diana to use her nonrefundable ticket without him. Her memories from this time are beautiful and life changing. Finn's long emailed descriptions of conditions at the hospital were so realistic, I could not bring myself to read them. None of them. This thing is still too real for me to absorb myself in it much further.

Then there's a huge twist, as is typical of Picoult, and I enjoyed the rest of the book much more. But still I kept thinking of getting back to the book as a bit of a chore and it took me weeks to finish. I mean I won't even read emails in my own mailbox about the ups and downs of local cases and deaths, why read a fictional account.

Again, it's too soon for me. But a very well written, imaginative account, to be sure.

This book was unlike many of Jodi Picoult’s other books…..while simultaneously being quite familiar in many ways. The author took a timely topic….Covid….and put a spin on it that makes the reader think twice. The characters in this book were human…..at times so utterly relatable and at other moments- not likable at all. Flawed yet wonderfully real. The twist in this story was a punch….you didn’t see it-until it was there. Jodi Picoult is a master at that. Another great read. Highly recommend!

I really didn't understand when people would say they didn't think they were ready to read a book about Covid...until I picked this one up. I felt anxiety instantly swell. This book was very well written. It takes a bit of a twist that I didn't see coming and I am still trying to decide how I feel about it. Jodi Picoult is an incredible writer and she adequately captured the fear and uncertainty of 2020.

Picoult knows how to write a story that is hard to put down. Diana works for Sotheby’s and lives with her boyfriend, Finn. As they are about to leave for a vacation to the Galapagos, Covid starts to appear on the hospital that Finn is doing his residency. Diana decides to go alone, but doesn’t realize until it’s too late that she will be stuck there. In messages from Finn, the seriousness of the pandemic and the hardships experienced by healthcare workers are expressed. There is a major twist, and much about the longer terms effects of Covid discussed, but at the heart of the book, exists a story of love, family and hopefulness. I highly recommend this book, and thank NetGalley for the ARC.

✨Book Review✨
Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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Wow. What to say about this book? First of all, this is a book about the pandemic, which made it both captivating and horrifying. It sort of felt like the equivalent of watching a car crash and not being able to look away. There were times where it was VERY hard to read, so trigger warning for Covid and all of the things that come up with that. This book brings you right back to the pandemic's early days.
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That being said, this was an extremely good book. I read it so fast and really couldn't put it down. Wish You Were Here tells the story of a couple, Diana and Finn who have a trip to the Galapagos planned for March 14th, 2020. Finn is a doctor and Diana is an artist, and as soon as lockdown begins, Finn realizes that he can't leave. He asks Diana to go on their trip alone so that he won't have to worry about getting her sick when he comes home from the hospital after his sometimes 30 hour shifts. She goes, but when she arrives, she realizes that this island is starting their lockdown, too and there is no where for her to stay, no food for her to eat. When a very kind local who goes by the name Abuela takes her in, Diana starts to live life as a local on the island of Isabela.
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Y'all. The twist in this book was everything. I knew there was a twist from previous reviews, but it still shocked the hell out of me. I thought it was extremely well done, and I really loved the ambiguous ending. This book definitely will not be for everyone, but if you are intrigued after reading the synopsis and this review, I say go for it!