Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors so it's no surprise that I loved this book! She has such a way with making you feel the emotions in the story and relate to the characters. Heavy topic especially since we are currently still living through the pandemic but beautifully written. Definitely recommend! Thanks to netgalley, Ballentine books and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

Thank you Penguin Random House, Ballantine books my NetGalley for the complimentary digital galley!

Jodi Picoult’s writing has immense depth and leads you to pause and think about your priorities in life! She is one of my favorite author!! I loved reading ‘The Book Of Two Ways’ and was super pumped to get an advance copy of my most anticipated read this month!

Wish You Were Here is her best books ever! It’s so aptly written and first book that I read which was set during the time of pandemic and how it affected our lives and thinkings, that we had taken so much granted for!

Diana O’Toole is my new favorite character, with so much love, resilience, getting to the core of her beliefs and belonging during the tough time of COVID-19 that has affected the world. This book was a true page turner.

I enjoyed switching between ebook and audiobook and the narrator Marin Ireland has done a marvelous job of narrating this masterpiece!

I highly recommend this realistic, grounding beauty to be added to your TBR as soon as it releases on November 30, 2021

All the applause to Jodi Picoult for writing such a thoughtful, provoking and difficult novel. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a Jodi Picoult novel as much as I have with Wish You Were Here. I could absolutely not put this one down. She took such a tough and relevant topic and wrote it beautifully. I learn so much from her novels and Wish You Were Here is no exception. You can really see how much love and work was put into this book in such a short amount of time. & don’t even get me started about that twist. I have so many thoughts and emotions about it.

Thank you to Jodi for writing this novel. I’m sure writing about COVID while we are still living through it was incredibly difficult as well as risky as an author. But, Jodi has done this topic justice. I believe she took what we are all going through and wrote this topic perfectly. I know some readers aren’t ready for it and that’s okay. But, don’t pass this novel up friends. Add it to your tbr’s for a date far far in the future. It’s so good, you won’t be disappointed.

I love Jodi Picoult so it was no surprise that I loved this book! This story was beautiful and heartbreaking. Covid is such a sensitive topic and I think Picoult executed it perfectly.

I think this was the first book I read that was set during the pandemic. It was an emotional read, but also so relatable to all the feelings I experienced in early 2020.⁣
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Diana and her fiancé Finn are living a great life in New York and preparing for a once in a lifetime trip to the Galapagos. Their plans are derailed when the virus hits the city hard and Finn’s hospital needs all hands on deck. He insists that she should still go- the trip is paid for and what better time to escape than now. Diana is hesitant to leave, but in the end decides to go and make the best of it. ⁣
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As soon as Diana arrives, the island and the world goes into lockdown. She’s now stranded on this island and not even able to check into the hotel. Luckily Diana meets a local family who generously offer her a little apartment to stay in. There is very little Wi-Fi connection but Diana can still occasionally access her emails from Finn describing the horrors he is facing at the hospital. She feels overwhelming guilt for leaving New York and not being there for her fiancé, but also believes this place will forever change her life. ⁣
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I can’t say too much more without ruining this story for you so instead I insist you pick this one up for yourself. This book was heartbreaking and therapeutic to not only remember the early days of this pandemic but to see how far we have all come since then. I felt like I was experiencing the Galapagos with Diana and loved the unexpected direction this story took. ⁣
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Thank you Netgalley for this advance reading copy. Wish You Were Here will be available 11/30/21.

I wasn't sure if I was ready to read a book about the pandemic, and this brings you back to New York City in March 2020, but because it's Jodi Picoult I decided to give it a go. Overall it's not a favorite by the author — I didn't love the main character, Diana, as she felt very selfish, and the story had a lot going on that didn't totally feel relevant.

My feelings are mixed and at times it felt like two different books. It was hard to connect the dots between the Galapagos, Diana's job in the art world, and the NYC shutdown. I appreciated the tribute to the medical community who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, but this will be hard to pick up if you lost someone to the virus.

It's a unique story that reminds us how an experience can change our perception of what's important in life, and I definitely recommend reading the author's note to hear what inspired her story.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and PRH Audio for my early copies in exchange for an honest review.

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult is a look at the pandemic and how it changed lives. Diana is on track for her life plan when the virus hits New York City. Her boyfriend, Finn, is a resident at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and cannot get away for their long-planned dream vacation to the Galapagos. He encourages Diana to go on her own, as there have only been a handful of cases at this point, and she does, ending up in the shut down a world away from but safe from the virus. Or is she?
This story is well-written and researched. The author delves into the deeper issues of what happens to those on ventilators who survive Coronavirus and also those who are left behind when loved ones do not survive. Also, what the health care workers endure as the virus seems to win and take over the city. The issues are handled in straight forward and sensitive ways that do not diminish the full impact this pandemic has had on our country. I feel this is an excellent book and highly recommend it. I give it 5 of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

“Wish You Were Here” by Jodi Picoult is heavy and triggering. While certainly a story of personal growth, it is entirely about COVID. I feel like the synopsis was misleading—or I didn’t read into it thoroughly enough. Had I known that this book would immerse me in the nitty gritty details, most dire and depressing situations and moments of the pandemic, I likely would have passed on it. I currently turn to my books to escape anything pandemic related, the memories of those first dark isolation days, my own time with the virus and the loss of my own family member who went on a ventilator and never came off of it. I’m still battling daily with seeing the pandemic effects on how people treat each other, how I have to navigate it as a mother and dealing with how it pivots on us almost daily to the point of feeling paralyzed. So reading this book was a bit like nails on a chalkboard for me personally—to the point I had to only scan the emails she was receiving from Finn because it was information overload in my already information overloaded brain. I think that’s important to share (even though it already seems like an unpopular opinion from the reviews I’m reading) but just in case there’s anyone out there like me, be warned. With that disclaimer and separating myself from all of that as best I can, I think it was an excellently written and compelling book.

Diana O’Toole has her life all planned out—career, marriage, babies and the cute house in the suburbs by age thirty five. She’s right on target and certain her boyfriend Finn is proposing to her on their upcoming vacation to the Galapagos. Then Covid hits and Finn has to stay behind and work at the hospital. He encourages Diana to go and despite her hesitation, she gets on the plane. As the pandemic worsens, Diana finds herself literally trapped on the island due to quarantine orders. Without her luggage, her Wi-Fi or her boyfriend, she must immerse herself in the culture and go from tourist to islander. Despite her initial struggles, Diana soon realizes the island is clearing her mind and forcing her to take a difficult look at her life—at the choices she’s made, at her perceived happiness, at her future.

I enjoyed my time with Diana on the island most. The moments were visceral, emotional and relatable. I loved the personal growth and change she eventually embraced and I think she was courageous for reasons beyond the obvious. Change is hard. Change is scary. Picoult captured that two-fold relating to both Diana’s personal journey but also the whole need to change due to the pandemic. I thought the characters were rich and well-developed and had I read this a few (hopefully it will be different in a few years) later, I probably would’ve been much more receptive to diving into and rehashing the reality of what Covid did (and continue to do) to all of our lives. As of right now though, for me personally, it was too soon. I was sad almost the entire time—even the ending was left as open-ended as the timeline for the end of this pandemic. All in all, if you aren’t as triggered by these things, then it is definitely one you will want to pick up. Just be prepared for a heavy, emotional journey with just enough hope to keep you from drowning in the bleak reality of it.

I loved this book. I disliked the ending because I needed more but I think that was the entire point, to gather my own interpretation what happens. This was so beautifully written, devastating, heartbreaking, but also so inspiring. I thought reading a book set during COVID times would bug me, but it didn’t at all. This was powerful.

This is one of those books that took me a while to get into, but I am so glad I stuck with it. I found myself immerses in this world even when I wasn't reading, and fought not to stay up too late reading. With a twist I did not see coming this was exactly what I needed to break out of a slump. The only thing I wished for was that the epilogue was a bit longer- it seemed a bit rushed. A great read, one I will recommend.

I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews on this one.

So let me start of by saying if you are sensitive to the current pandemic in any way this may not be the read for you.

I enjoyed this read. I was a little weary about the fact that I was reading a book about the current state the world seems to be in currently and wasn’t sure if I’d end up enjoying it since it can be a heavy and controversial topic. But I feel Jodi did a great job with sticking to facts and not full out opinionated the story. I will say for me the part that got me was the huge twist at the second half that I didn’t see coming maybe because I didn’t put enough thought into it before hand. But I felt it was perfect for the story to keep the reader engaged. I was a little sad at the abrupt ending because I feel like I needed a little more since it left a huge question of, was it who it led us to believe it was or not. Overall I think it took some guts writing about a current issue that’s taken the world by storm and doesn’t seem to be letting go any time soon.

Jodi Picoult does it again as I couldn't put down Wish you Were Here! The novel is a heartbreaking account of a couple living through the COVID crisis. Hard to read at times, as it hit so close to home, the novel follows Diana and Finn as they navigate this new way of life. The pandemic showcases the anxiety of the country, the relationship between Diana and Finn, and truly highlights what is important.

This was the first book I read that took a hard look at the COVID-19 pandemic. Whatever your beliefs or understanding is of what is occurring, there is no doubt that this pandemic has changed peoples' lives drastically over the past 2 years. Picoult begins this tale with Diana, a young woman working with an art auction house in New York City in March of 2020. Her plans are to take a vacation to the Galapagos with her boyfriend, a resident at a hospital in the city. However, the beginning stages of COVID become clear as they are about to embark on their trip, and she is forced to take the trip alone.
Aside from the beautiful descriptions of the Galapagos Island and the complete remoteness of the setting, I found myself wanting to go there. The writing evoked absolutely breathtaking views and made me hope for a vacation soon. It also did a wonderful job of portraying the emotions of those first few weeks of COVID when we really had no idea what a long haul we were in for, and how it would affect everything.
The tale has very serious twists and turns that in all honestly, I did NOT expect. It also took us down a road which we have all been before, and helped me to see it with new eyes. Picoult has gained a new level of respect in my eyes with this novel, because it was so well-crafted and described a very harrowing time in our recent history with grace and knowledge. I highly recommend you pick this book up, because it was compelling and beautiful.

This was a hard one for me to read, which is common for this author. Jodi Picoult is well known for tackling the issues that we face in our society, and she shoves a dose of reality in our faces. It can be hard to handle, but it is so worth it!
In this story we are following along with Diana, who is a young woman working at Sotheby's in New York and is living the life of her dreams. She has everything planned and down to a science. She is right on track with her career and perfect boyfriend, Finn. Everything is going fantastic, until she gets COVID, and nearly dies.
The story follows her showing what her body goes through, and what her mind goes through; all as a result of COVID. Frankly, this book broke my heart for her, and for all the people who have gotten COVID; whether they lost their battle or won.

Story starts the day after the lockdown started for me on that faithful March day. I looked at Times Square one last time before I got to the subway station, feeling bit anxious to see the tourist trap to be so empty. I’m sure everyone had one like this they will always remember before starting to watch news everyday to look at a tracker on the right side of the screen goes 0 to 100 in 5 seconds while trying to pay attention to their meeting on Teams or Zoom. Story starts right there where we were all “You know nothing Jon Snow”.

After that point, we all had our very personal traumas to tell next generations as our great grandparents probably told our parents about 1918 pandemic. At some point during our lockdown, we wished we were stuck somewhere else (possibly sunny shores with turquoise waters) with other people (or with people) instead of places where we were. None of us wanted to be in position where we had to go to hospital forget about having to go there for getting what shall not be named. But can you imagine being stuck at those “heavenly” places when you don’t have an option to get out?

Diana was in that position. She had to leave her boyfriend back in NY to work as a resident at NYP. Galapagos trip was their dream; she was hoping to get that ring on there. Finn, the BF, asked her to go without him and she didn’t protested to her own surprise. But when she got there, the lockdown started and she thought it would be her little adventure to be stuck there. Only if she knew it would be for this long… Having magical days on that beautiful island with locals, one day Diana found herself getting sucked deep into waters. Was she drowning or was it absolutely something else?

Since the early days of “My Sister’s Keeper” and “19 Minutes,” when Picoult’s plots were of the ripped-from-the-headlines variety, she has developed a new strategy: choose an intellectual interest, and write a book where the expert heroine takes a deep dive into that interest: wolf packs in Lone Wolf, elephant behavior in Leaving Time, Egyptology in The Book of Two Ways, and now, the Galapagos Islands in Wish You Were Here. The difference with her latest is that Picoult has also returned to the device that made her most successful (in my opinion) books and taken a plot straight from the headlines: The characters in Wish You Were Here all grapple with the destruction of COVID-19, to varying degrees.
When signs of the pandemic begin to appear, Diana decides to go ahead on the nonrefundable dream vacation that she and her fiancé Finn have planned, even though as an ER doctor, he must stay behind in New York City. His devastating emails about the escalating sickness and death he sees daily ring true and emphasize the complete inadequacy of our efforts to support healthcare workers. Why would they want sufficient PPE when they could have five minutes of applause at 7 p.m. instead? Picoult contrasts Finn’s pandemic experience with Diana’s on the Galapagos, where lockdown means being trapped on a small island and bartering for food.
It would be spoiler-y to reveal much more, but Picoult is a master at working readers’ emotions, particularly when our heroine is caught between two relationships. Many authors used their lockdown time to try to make sense of the pandemic, and Picoult’s novel is one of the best COVID-themed works I’ve read, and one of her best in recent years.

This is an interesting and thought-provoking novel. Diana's life is all going according to her longstanding plan -- she has a successful career and loving doctor boyfriend who seems on the verge of proposing on an upcoming dream trip to the Galápagos right before her 30th birthday in March 2020. When COVID hits, her boyfriend is stuck in New York to help respond to the pandemic, but encourages Diana to go on the trip without him. Diana is able to get to the islands, but then is stuck there -- cut off from her boyfriend and all other aspects of her life. She soon develops a tentative, and then stronger, relationship with a local family, and settles into her temporary life. Her time there, and her interactions with the family, cause her to question some of her previous life choices, whether she is in fact on the right path, and what she wants whenever she is able to return home.

This was a really interesting premise. I was fully immersed in this book from beginning to end. Highly recommended!

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult. How do I rate a book like this? With a Covid storyline and so many
trigger warnings it's kind of hard. A compelling, emotional storyline. A total Wow Factor rollercoaster ride.

First of all, I am incredibly grateful for an advanced copy of this book! Wow. This was an amazing piece of literature that I still feel stunned from. It's very hard to write a review without spoiling the story, but I imagine this book will be on many "best" lists for 2021 and into 2022. The Author's Note was heart wrenching, and this story made me feel so much gratitude for humankind.

Thanks again, NetGalley and Jodi Picoult!

This was the first pandemic book that I've picked up and when I read the emails Finn was sending to Diana it was emotional. It quickly brought me back to those early days where everything seemed to change each day, there was so much unknown and it was a very scary time. At the 30% mark I ended up testing positive for COVID and I had to put the book down because I was not in a mental space to read about what front line workers were experiencing. You can tell Picoult takes her research seriously and she has a way with her words that brings you right into the moment. That being said, there are a lot of topics that are touched upon in the book (some more in depth than others and more than just COVID) so readers should be aware going in. While this was a very timely story that was interesting to read, it wasn't my favorite Picoult book.
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Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.