I'm still not sure what I think of this book. I'm reading and reviewing late, but I don't think I would have finished it "during" the pandemic. We are far enough removed to make a bit of sense of it now. But wow. I am in awe and most certainly want to visit the Galapagos. Thought provoking with a twist I didn't see coming, but enjoyed all the same.

Jodi Piccoult never disappoints. Her twists and turns in this novel make one question relationships, their stability when tempted. The first book I read that included the pandemic, Piccoult captures the reaction to the unknown of COVID-19. Excellent book!

Honestly I’m not sure what to think about this one. I went into this book not knowing anything about it. I knew that everyone loves Jodi Picoult. And her her book The Book of Two Ways was fantastic.

But this one well I was not expecting it to be about Covid. For that is makes it a little hard to read. Important massages are great. But when the last couple years have been hard for someone and then read this book and it brings back all those memories. I should have waited to read this so then I could have been in the right place mentality so I could have enjoyed it even more.

I do appreciate Netgalley and Ballantine books for the opportunity to read and review.

Jodi Picoult has a strange hold on me. Her books are hit or miss for me yet she’s one of the few authors that I make it a point to read every book. Because when it’s good, it’s REALLY good. Her previous book, The Book of Two Ways, I gave a 1 star review. I started Wish You Were Here as I always do her novels, with no preconceived judgment or expectations. Picoult really hit all the emotions in this book! We all have experiences during Covid and all the swings of human nature and behavior.

I like how she writes characters. Diana felt genuine and the author doesn’t try to make perfect people or perfect situations. The author is intentionally disruptive so that her readers feel. Finn and his view and experiences in the medical profession. Most of us will never fully understand the sacrifices made by those in the medical field while we were tucked away quarantining at home.

I’ll be thinking about this one for a while. Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC.

Motivated people have a plan for their day, their career and their life. There are even jobs now that teach one how to plan and stay on track for all aspects of life.
Diana O’Toole is someone who has a life plan and so far she is hitting all the marks. She wants, no expects, to be married by age thirty to her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident at a NYC hospital.
Diana, an associate at Sothebys, is sure that Finn will propose on their planned very expensive vacation to the Galápagos Islands.
At the last minute, Finn couldn’t go. The hospital was starting to see a rise in cases of people infected with a virus. It’s a virus that has affected all of us in one form or another. It is Covid!
Finn couldn’t go but tells Diana that she should go anyway. Not sure whether she should go at first, she ultimately decides to make the trek alone.
Hoping that things will be back to normal when she returns, Diana Is not prepared for what happens when her trip of a lifetime turns into a vacation that is a test of her strength and resolve.
Starting with lost luggage, spotty WiFi, language barriers and hotel shutdowns, Diana finds herself now trapped on the island because the world is suddenly under a lockdown due to the Covid pandemic.
Diana’s journey of feeling trapped and stuck are very real to all of us who have gone through the pandemic. For some readers, this book will hit all too close to home with Finn’s story of patients affected with Covid . It is a painful recollection of lives lost to the virus and the toll that it took on healthcare workers.
Jodi Picoult’s , “Wish You Were Here” reminds us of what a great storyteller she is. There are a myriad of issues that Picoult presents in this book that make it multi-dimensional with many complex issues.
This is a great book to discuss and highly recommended for book clubs.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #WishYouWereHere

I'm really conflicted about my feelings towards this book. At first I wasn't a fan. I really liked the characters and the plot seemed like it was going to be really interesting. I really liked the sections where Diane was in the Galápagos, but Finn's e-mails to her about Covid just seemed....preachy. I get that it was supposed to juxtapose what Diane was going through, but I think I mentally still didn't have the distance from Covid to appreciate those sections.

The second half of the book, however, really picked up. While it still contained a lot of Covid references, it felt more natural in the storyline. The second half also contained the big plot twist, which is also why I felt more emotionally invested in the second half. I kind of wish the book was a little shorter and the plot twist happened sooner? I definitely would have read the book a lot quicker.

Then the ending...I just don't know how I felt about it. I see what Jodi Picoult was trying to do...but it just didn't feel complete. I think I just didn't like it. It felt like a cop-out.

Overall, I think I would have liked this book a little more had I had a little more difference from the Covid of it all.

I really enjoyed this book! I was completely surprised by the twist and with me being an avid reader I can be hard to surprise.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.*

I love Jodi Picoult but took a break from her fir a while when my kids were young because my heart couldn’t take it.

Wish You Were Here is the story of Diana, an ambitious young woman in a relationship with Finn, a surgical resident. They’ve planned a trip to the Galápagos Islands and Diana is pretty sure she’s getting the ring she found in Finn’s drawer.

Until COVID strikes and Finn has to cancel because NYC is overrun. Diana goes alone. And gets stuck on a closed island.

A really well written story. Twists I did not expect!

*With thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This one absolutely threw me for a loop! I thought I had it figured out, then Wham! Jodi Picoult did a number on me. When you read this book, and I highly recommended that you do, don’t give up on it! Keep reading to the very end!

Diana O'Toole is perfectly on track. She will be married by thirty, done having kids by thirty-five, and move out to the New York City suburbs, all while climbing the professional ladder in the cutthroat art auction world. She's not engaged just yet, but she knows her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident, is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos—days before her thirtieth birthday. Right on time.

But then a virus that felt worlds away has appeared in the city, and on the eve of their departure, Finn breaks the news: It's all hands on deck at the hospital. He has to stay behind. You should still go, he assures her, since it would be a shame for all of their nonrefundable trip to go to waste. And so, reluctantly, she goes.

This is one of the first books published about Covid and I thought was quite well done. It takes a deep dive into the lockdown, the healthcare workers, and how it effected us all. The characters are well developed and the small town feel of the Galapagos village was appreciated, The ending has been quite polarizing, but I myself loved how it ended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

While I'm sure that Jodi Picoult fans will love this books--I did not. I was invested in the story only to find out that it was a covid dream--for 1/2 the book I thought I was reading one story, only to discover that it was not the plot of the book. I do think there was some interesting information about recovering from covid, but I think we all were aware how much our hospital front line workers were stressed and how absolutely scary it was living around covid, not knowing what the disease was doing or how to fight it--I don't think we need to be hit over the head with it. I found this book rather disappointing, especially after the good start it had.

First of all, I know that I am way overdue for this review. Life and school for me in this season of my life really doesn't leave much time for reading. But I am trying here!

And with this one, I have some thoughts.

First, I started reading this while I also had COVID. So reading a book about people dealing with COVID while I was also going through it was probably not the smartest. My infection hit me pretty bad and my brain fog didn't allow me to binge it right away so it took some time to finish once I started.

Second, part 2 was a surprise to me! I mean I guess I should have seen that coming but I honestly thought the boyfriend was going to die since he was working with COVID patients all day every day it seemed. The decline of their relationship was also sad to me. They both had different traumas that they were dealing with so I assumed pretty early on that it wasn't going anywhere anymore. I normally don't like books where relationships end because of that but I also am glad this was a second chance for both of them.

All of that aside, the author was really accurate in her portrayal of what was happening in NYC while this was going on. She was really spot on with what happens when someone is on a ventilator and coming off of one. I think her historical accuracy was spot on.

Full disclaimer: once I realized this book had a plot line surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, I immediately didn't want to read it anymore. Like most readers during the past 2+ years, I wanted to read a book to escape the reality of the literal dumpster fire that seemed to suffocate me 24/7. Hence why this book was published in November 2021 and I just now got around to read it. However... once I got past the initial "ugggh I don't want to read this book" feeling, Picoult was able to suck me into the book like she has done in the past and I was fully invested in finding out what happened to Diana. I could completely visualize the escape of being on the Galapagos Islands, scuba diving, etc and enjoyed the book despite my initial hesitations.

Wish You Were Here tells the story of Diana, a woman who works in the art world, has a perfect boyfriend, and has her life all planned out. They plan a great vacation, but then, COVID hits, and nothing is what it seems.

I completely enjoyed this book, and was not expecting what I read. It is a story of life, love, loss, and finding yourself against insurmountable challenges. It is never too late to start over. It started off a little slow but quickly picked up.

I definitely recommend this novel. Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I couldn’t stop reading this one. I loved how it tied in the pandemic in an interesting way. The story shocked me at some points and I was surprised how emotionally tied I got to some of the characters.

I understand what Jodi was trying to do with this book but it just wasn't for me. The main character was so obnoxious and frustrating. I felt like the COVID aspect was way too heavy and while well researched, it was too much for this current time. The story felt so forced with covid being the main character essentially. Diana was just an afterthought it feels like. The first half of the book became boring, I understand wanting to explain the pandemic but I feel like society isn't quite ready to revisit COVID in such a hard way.

I absolutely love every book by Jodi, and this one did not disappoint! I read this in one sitting! Thank you for the ARC and for considering my review!

I am well in the minority here, but this was not an enjoyable read for me. I couldn't stand the main character. She was so self absorbed. Her actions and thoughts just infuritated me. And, I was really not ready for full blown Covid talk and life.

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors! Like many of her other books, Wish You Were Here is thought-provoking and relevant in today’s world. Picoult weaves Covid, feelings of isolation, dementia, love, loss, and hope into a book I found hard to put down. Five ⭐️ for Wish You Were Here! Thanks to NetGalleyShelf for ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was my first Jodi Picoult novel, and I can see why she has such a huge fan base. Her writing is effortless and descriptive.
Wish you were here, follows Diana on her trip overseas at the start of a national pandemic. This book really captures the beginning of covid-19 though a compassionate lens. While Diana is overseas watching from a far, her significant other is on the front line in a hospital. Both perspectives were interesting and reflective.

I will say that Diana was rather an annoying character. Her "self-growth" throughout the novel that led her to make certain decisions, I felt I could not understand. I wanted to feel what she felt when she made these hard decisions, and I just didn't.
This was really difficult to read for me as well. I thought I was really ready for a pandemic book, but I wasn't. I kept picturing my mom on the front lines in a hospital setting and it made my stomach flip. It made me feel angry at our government and healthcare system.


Would really recommend if you feel you are ready for a book about covid-19 and not just a mention of it.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



Ty for the advanced copy!