Diana and Finn live together in NYC when COVID hits. They have a vacation planned to the Galapagos right when the first cases of COVID-19 hit the US. Finn, being a doctor, doesn't feel he can leave for their trip but tells Diana she can go without him. She gets out of NYC, and into the Galapagos, just before the island goes on lockdown. With little cell service she occasionally gets emails from Finn explaining what works is like and how he misses her, and she writes him post cards. Diana meets a local family and connects with a young girl, Beatrice, who is also trying to cope with the changes the pandemic has brought.

So, I started this book on 9/3 and just finished it yesterday. The first 40% of the book was hard for me to get into. Since we are still living through the pandemic, and I work for a health system, it was hard to want to read a book about COVID when it is still happening so I couldn't consume it easily. When a friend reached out to me and asked if I read it and asked if I got to the good part yet, I picked it up and went from 46% to 100% in half a day. I don't want to say much and give away the second half of the book but if you are struggling with the first half, I suggest you power through it. This is my first Jodi Picoult book and it did not disappoint. 1 star loss here for a few slow parts that were hard to push through (unless you love art). If not for the slow start it would have been a 5 start read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the e-Arc!

Wish You Were Here comes out 11/30!

Diana is an art specialist at Sotheby's and her boyfriend, Finn is a doctor. in New York City On the eve of their planned vacation to the Galapagos, New York City heads into the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Risking losing the money already spent on the getaway, Finn urges Diana to take the vacation while he works the front lines. Upon her arrival on the tiny island off the coast of the Galapago, DIana realizes the town has gone into full lockdown however, instead of fighting all the fleeing tourists to get a flight back to New York she decides to stay despite having lost her luggage and the hotel being shut down. She is taken in by a family who will alter the course of her life during the pandemic.

It goes without saying that this book comes with a big COVID trigger warning. It is one of the books main characters and will definitely draw tears.

At first I found Diana to be a bit off-putting and selfish by traveling and staying on "vacation" however, by the end of the book my opinion of her had shifted. With Diana's background in the art world we learn that her father was a n art restorer and her mother a world reknown photographer who now suffered from dementia.

As she gets accustomed to the town she is staying in she begins to trader her art for goods. This was one of my favorite scenes in the book and felt like one of significant moments of character growth for Diana.

Was I prepared for the plot twist? Absolutely not! But if you are reading this and stuck wondering "where is this going??" just...hold on tight because it's not what you're expecting.

None of us saw the pandemic coming. Even though it was headed towards us with the force of a freight train. But thinking back on how life was upended suddenly over the course of days, it's fascinating to think of what could have been if we'd made different decisions that week. Wish You Were Here examines such a scenario. There were plenty of people that still got on planes even as we hurtled towards lockdowns, we just didn't know any better.

Diana is type A. She's responsible, she plans everything out, and she has found her Mr. Right. Sure, they aren't married yet, but they will be in good time. It's all part of the plan. They'll have successful careers, 2.5 children, a dog, and everything will be just perfect. Every move in her life has been calculated. Right up until she gets on a plane as the pandemic hits NYC, and finds herself stranded in paradise.

Stuck in a tourist town that's completely shut down, she struggles to communicate with those around her and doesn't even know how she will survive two weeks of lockdown. A maid from the hotel she was going to stay at takes pity on her and brings her home. She finds herself right in the middle of their family drama and surprisingly, she forms tight bonds with the maid's family.

It's strange to me that we've been in this pandemic long enough that books are now coming out that take place during the lockdown period, which still feels so surreal to most of us. And yet here we are. And while some may say it's too soon, Jodi Picoult was the writer to do it. Writing about an event that is so recent can feel a bit hokey. Just look at last season's TV lineup if you need evidence. But Wish You Were Here was written so masterfully that it didn't feel one bit hokey. It was an incredible story from one of America's most incredible authors.

I wholeheartedly recommend Wish You Were Here to just about anyone who likes a good novel. It's a masterful story that examine what happens when our lives go off track. 'Special Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out November 30. Get your copy!

Wow! Just wow! This book had me from the beginning.
Diana and Finn are a couple who have planned a not so cheap trip to the Galapagos that just so happens to coincide with the start of Covid-19 pandemic. Finn is a surgical resident and is informed that it is all hands on deck at his NYC hospital, thus encouraging Diana to go without him so as not to waste their money.
Diana gets to the island only to find out that the island is shutting down for two weeks due to the pandemic. Diana's options are to stay on the island or head back to the airport and try to find a flight home. Finding a flight does not sound promising as countries are starting to close borders so Diana chooses to stay on the island. Her hotel is shut down so she stays with Abuela and meets her son Gabriel and his daughter Beatriz.
As Diana adjusts to vacation alone, she begins to explore the island and in turn herself. About 60% into the book things take a turn that wasn't expected at all.
This book was a great journey and portrays what Covid life was like in other parts of the country. Not your typical Jodi Picoult heart-wrenching story but good in a different way!

Thank you for the ARC NetGalley and Ballantine books. I didn't know much about this book before starting and haven't read Jodi Picoult books in quite some time. This is about COVID and it's HEAVY. I had a hard time reading at the beginning because it brought back the beginning of the pandemic for me in a very real way. Fair warning, before jumping into this book in case you are looking for something more uplifting or not so real. Jodi Picoult is a wonderful writer, but I found the main character pretty unlikeable especially for the first half of the book. There is a huge twist at the 60% mark. I was not expecting it.

Overall, I give this book 3.5 stars but rounding up to 4. I am sure many will enjoy this but it was too heavy and too real for me.

OH MY GOODNESS!! Best book I've read this year, and the first novel, of many, I predict, about an experience with COVID. Jodi Picoult has crafted a story, through her own research, of what happens in the lives of many COVID patients, as well as the first line healthcare workers. Her characters, Diana and Finn, experience both the horrors, and unexpected the delights of the COVID 19 pandemic. I cannot recommend this book enough - would give it 10 stars if I could!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this incredible book!

Diana, an associate specialist in art for Sotheby’s, works hard. Her boyfriend Finn, a surgeon in a major New York City hospital, does too. A trip to the Galapagos is planned and well-deserved. COVID hits; the world stops; plans are disrupted. Diana goes on the trip alone and finds herself stranded on the island while Finn battles along with his medical co-workers trying to save lives. Her experiences are visually beautiful and romantic; his are graphically painful to read. Reality breaks through and we learn that Diana never left the city; rather, her time has been spent in an ICU unit fighting COVID. Was her vacation a coma dream or on some level did she escape to a whole new life? This is not an easy read. It evokes painful memories of death, grief, isolation and fear. From past experience I trust Jodi Picoult to research and present as a master storyteller. My trust is well-deserved. Despite my reluctance at times to continue, I finished her novel and was rewarded.

It felt too soon to be reading a book set during the pandemic--since it's not over. But this book was actually very moving and satisfying. I truly couldn't put it down and thought about it for days after I finished it.

Selfishly, I would have wanted a few extra paragraphs to finish the story...

I have read Jodi Picoult before, so I had a feeling that this was going to be a well-written, emotional, heart wrenching read. And it certainly was all of that! Unfortunately, I just wasn’t a fan of the storyline. I loved the first half of the book with its descriptions of the island of Isabela. I enjoyed the letters to and from home mixed in alongside Diana’s time on Isabela.
(Mild spoilers ahead)

What I really didn’t like was the big twist, which made Covid act specifically as a plot device, a surprising choice in a book that takes place during Covid. I still enjoyed reading, but the second half of the book made me angry more than anything.

This book was nuts. I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel that takes place present day and is so powerful and (sadly) relatable. Sure, I looove contemporary fiction, but those seem to be generic present day, while this had a specific start date of March 2020, a month no one will forget soon. It was sort of traumatic re-reading the events of that time of year, but the story that unfolded was so beautiful. The descriptions made you feel like you were right there, whether it be in a COVID hospital unit or the gorgeous-sounding Galápagos.

This story taught me a lot about the aftermath of people who have had extreme cases of COVID, were placed on ventilators and survived. It also broke my heart but made me have even more respect for the healthcare workers who were, and still are, treating patients while learning about this virus in real time.

I could go on. It was beautiful, hopeful, interesting and unforgettable. Please read it.

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorites (dare I say my favorite) author, so I was so excited to receive Wish You Were Here. This book follows Diana O'Toole, an associate specialist at Sotheby's and her boyfriend, Finn Colson , a surgical resident at New York Presbyterian Hospital as they plan to take their trip to the Galapagos. The night before their departure, Finn tells Diana that he has to cancel the trip due to the pandemic and anticipated cases in New York but that Diana should still go. The first part of this book is told back and forth, from Diana's perspect being stuck in the Galapagos to Finn's perspective, dealing with a rising number of cases of Covid-19 in New York. Without giving too much away, there is a twist that happens in this book that brings them both back together, physically but has them questioning what they want, emotionally.
I loved this book but did struggle to read it a bit. I remember what the early days were like in the pandemic, the fear, the not knowing... ... the washing down of everything, including groceries. This book brought me right back to that place. It is amazing the research that Picoult did that gave us insight into those who were on the frontlines during the early days. I am so thankful to NetGalley for the copy of this book but would caution anyone who isn't ready to read about the pandemic against picking up this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the Arc of Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult.

Was very excited to get this arc and enjoyed the read. Picoult did a fabulous job of describing the early times of the COVID-19 shut down when we all thought it was going to be for two weeks and things were going to go back to normal.

I think for me reading this story was a little too soon and brought back a ton of memories from March 2020 both good and bad. However, I really enjoyed the writing style and the character development.

I give this book 3.5/5 stars. Would recommend to friends but for-warn about COVID-19 discussion and thoughts and feeling surrounding the shutdown. Could bring back negative memories for people.

I appreciated the research and symbolism of so much of this book yet it wasn’t a win for me…bummer. It was a bit too predictable and simple despite the fun plot choices. I didn’t like the main character. I didn’t like her boyfriend. There weren’t any characters that I felt invested in, unfortunately. It was all too, too much. For me. Heartfelt thanks to Ballantine for the gifted copy. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have read it.

Jodi Picoult has an absolute gift for bringing us flawed, real characters in the midst of experiencing the hottest of hot-button issues of our time – school shootings, abortion, white supremacy – so leave it to her to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic head-on in her newest novel, “Wish You Were Here.” Diana and Finn are on the cusp of the best days of their lives, soon to be engaged and about to embark on a bucket list trip to the Galapagos Islands. Except it’s March 2020 and New York is becoming the newest epicenter of the global coronavirus pandemic. Finn is a surgical resident and about to be consumed by round-the-clock shifts as hospitals fill up, but he encourages Diana to go on to the Galapagos as planned.

Once there, Diana finds herself stranded – the island is closed, her hotel is shuttered, and there are no ferries or flights in or out. An elderly woman offers her a place to stay, and before long, Diana is finding herself accepted by native islanders and exploring new relationships with a local man and his troubled teenage daughter. The descriptions of the Galapagos are mesmerizing, drawn in incredible beauty and detail; it’s clear Picoult thoroughly researched her setting.

Picoult’s books nearly always have a twist, and this one is no exception. It comes at about 60% and completely changes the trajectory of the storyline, and not for the better. It’s still a really good read, but pretty frustrating after getting so invested in the first half of the book. Ultimately, we still come back to Diana examining the direction of her life, and whether the plan she’s laid out for herself is really what she wants. This is where Picoult really shines, peeling back the layers on emotions to reveal the vulnerable core.

If you’re wondering if it’s too soon for a novel about COVID… well, maybe. It’s extremely well-depicted, the early horrors of the pandemic communicated in Finn’s emails to Diana without being too dry or (overly) preachy. There’s no one better than Jodi Picoult to bring us a heart-rending story like this. That said, if you lost a loved one or otherwise feel raw about the pandemic, you might want to skip this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Wow.
I started this book right after finishing one that was just average. Right after I started it, I was already breathing a sigh of relief because Picoult's writing was SO good-I had missed what good writing feels like. I was there for the journey-then I realized that it was about COVID. The beginnings of the narrative made me feel all the anxiety, fear and sadness that the spring of 2020 had brought to me all over again. I said to my husband-'I'm really not sure if I can hang with a book about COVID.' I am SO glad that I did.
Diana O'Toole is preparing to take a trip to the Galapagos Islands with her boyfriend around her 30th birthday. Diana and Finn (a surgical resident at a hospital in NYC) have their lives planned out. Diana is expecting a promotion at Sotheby's where she is an art specialist. She's seen that Finn has a ring hidden in his drawer and she's ready for marriage at 30, children before 35 followed by a move to the suburbs.
Right before they are ready to leave on their trip, Finn tells Diana that he can't leave because the hospital needs all hands on deck to fight Covid. He encourages Diana to go by herself so that they don't lose the money that they invested in the trip. Diana gets to the island of Isabela and has lost her suitcase, her hotel reservation and her hopes for the trip as the island is shut down for 2 weeks for quarantine. She is left to figure out what she's doing with limited money, supplies and no wifi connection.
Diana's journey in the Galapagos becomes one of introspection and renewal. Finn occasionally checks in with horribly sad stories from the hospital front line but Diana is unable to reply due to wifi issues. Both are suffering from feelings of incredible isolation. Diana meets and befriends a local family-a grandmother, a prickly single father and a teenaged daughter hiding a secret.
Then Picoult turns the story on its head with an ingenious twist. I was left with all of the feelings that the last year has given me-sadness, anxiety, and even hope and joy.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy! I didn't request this ARC because of the content so I was surprised to see it land in my inbox. That being said I love this author and should have known this would be a great read.

I am giving this one a 3.5 star rounded up to a 4. I absolutely LOVED the first half of this book. I kept telling people that I just couldn't put it down. I was so sucked in. Then at a certain twist in the storyline it started going down hill for me. Jodi is still an amazing author that always does her research and tells a compelling tale. I still wonder if I would have enjoyed this book, twists and all, a bit more several years from now. It's all too fresh I think. Overall a good read so be sure to pick it up if you're a Jodi Picoult fan!

I have read a few books and seen a few shows that have used COVID in the story. But none of them hit me quite like this one, this brought all those feelings from March 2020 right back to the surface. When it was just the beginning but felt like forever. When the numbers were increasing so drastically daily it was mind-scrambling. When all you could do was watch what felt like a tsunami heading straight towards you. Those feelings are all still so raw, it was easy to be back there with Diana and Finn. I will say, especially at the end I thought Diana was being very selfish and I kind of couldn't stand her. But it's hard. Everyone dealt with the pandemic in their own way. Overall, this was good. It was easy and fast to read. Jodi Picoult always delivers well-written books so that was never a worry.

"Wish You Were Here" was a very entertaining book. Despite the pandemic still being in progress (I am reading this in October 2021 as an early NetGalley reviewer), I was not at all distracted by the setting admitting to the reality of Covid. Picoult's typical great-writing skills and ability to create relatable characters made this an enjoyable read for me.

I typically like to go into a book not knowing too much about the plot, because the act of discovery is half the pleasure of reading the book.

As seems to be the case more recently, there is a really good twist to the book. It was much less unlikely than in her last one (Book of Two Ways), so that was a big plus.

I find fault with a few of her side characters being a bit one-dimensional (thrown in to move the plot forward, and not as fully-developed characters in their own right). But given the length of the book I'm giving her a bit of a pass.

What I really appreciated was her ability to use the main character to help the reader ask some of the deeper questions about life (specifically, "What do I want out of my relationships?" and "What fulfills me in my career?")

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

What can I say other than JP has done it yet again! Another well researched book.. this time the subject being Covid.
JP has written her story to be able to incorporate different points of view.. those of the front line workers, family members who have loved ones in long term health care facilities, partners of the front line workers, and patients themselves. JP’s book strikes so many emotions throughout the book that the reader will feel like they are on an emotional rollercoaster. JP is a storyteller like no other who weaves a tale so vivid that the pages of the book are savored one by one. Truly magical! Although we are still in the midst of the pandemic, and many lives have been lost JP gives us the silver lining in her story that so many readers need at this time, that makes this book so beautiful, and therefore a must read!
Many thanks to Netgalley and The Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

"Life happens when you least expect it…"

I didn’t think I could handle reading a book about COVID-19 while the world is still technically dealing with the implications of the pandemic, but I should have known better than to ever doubt the great Jodi Picoult. From the moment I started reading Wish You Were Here, I was hooked, and I devoured the entire thing in less than 24 hours!

"Did you actually believe that when the world is falling to pieces, it’s better to be apart from the person you love, instead of together?"

This pandemic-based novel tells the story of Diana, who finds herself stranded in the Galápagos Islands at the very beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. Meanwhile, her boyfriend, Finn, is fighting to save lives back home in New York City, where he is a surgical resident. Diana’s pandemic experience is rather limited, viewed from afar through her infrequent email exchanges with Finn. But Finn’s emails show an entirely different experience happening back home: the fear, despair, and utter exhaustion of frontline medical workers who are endlessly running, but never catching up to the destruction wrought by the virus.

"Finn is drowning in reality and I’m in a holding pattern in paradise. Be careful what you wish for, I think. When you’re stuck in heaven, it can feel like hell."

Trapped for months with no way to return home and few opportunities to even contact loved ones, Diana chooses to embrace the freedom, beauty, and new friendships she discovers on the island. Diana’s days are filled with reflection and self-discovery, and as her time there draws to a close, she is surprised to find that she might not be ready to leave the Galápagos Islands behind…

"When you’re in the thick of living your life, you don’t often get to push pause and reflect on it."

I absolutely adored everything about this book. First, because WOW. I didn’t anticipate the plot unfolding the way it did, and I found Picoult’s unexpected storyline to be absolutely fascinating. Second, I am glad that this book exists as a novelized historical record. Generations from now, when the pandemic that has defined our lives is merely an item on a timeline, this book will be a reminder of the vast array of experiences and emotions that our collective consciousness endured.

"Of all the horrible things about the masks everyone has to wear, this must be worst: it is so hard to tell when someone is smiling at us."

But most of all, Wish You Were Here was such a validation, for me, in the way it acknowledged the consequences of the pandemic & our response, that go beyond illness: basically just the inhumanity of it all . The way our medical workers and first responders were thrown, unequipped and often unprotected, into circumstances far beyond what they ever signed up for. The way that people vulnerable to the consequences of loneliness and isolation were ignored, their needs entirely forgotten. The way that so many were forced to make sacrifices that they weren’t ready, willing, or able to make. The way that loneliness, despair, financial strain, and restrictions brought unintended consequences & destruction in parallel with the virus itself.

"These days I am thinking a lot about loss. Because of this pandemic, everyone feels like they’ve been robbed of something… but that doesn’t keep us from feeling cheated when it’s yanked away."

I expected a book about COVID-19 to be triggering, but instead, Wish You Were Here was cathartic. Picoult managed to give voice to so many of the things I have thought and felt over the last 18 months. It did my heart good to read a book that sat comfortably with two seemingly-divergent truths: that to lose quantity of life is a tragedy to be mourned, and that to lose quality of life is also tragic and also worthy of mourning. Despite the fact that there is much to mourn surrounding COVID-19, the book has a hopeful tone throughout, reminding readers that we have some level of control over our own destinies, and that we don't have to be mastered by our circumstances. A phenomenal read!

"We are battered and broken, but we’re all small miracles."

——

A huge thank you to Jodi Picoult, Ballantine, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!