She again touch my heart. This might be a little to close to today's world right now. But what a story. At times I wondered if it was a little to soon to read about 2020 and it scared me at times. But I couldn't put it down.

Only Jodi Picoult could write such a thoughtful and timely book with COVID as essentially a character in and of itself. Her descriptions of the toll and impact on medical staff in particular were heart-wrenching but accurate portrayals. Meanwhile, the surprises and struggles of the main character kept me turning pages. Well-developed and a reflection of our time. A must-read now and for future generations.

Thank you NetGalley for a digital advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was two thirds of the way through when the book took an unexpected turn. At first I was upset but the more I read the more I understood and it all made sense. Diana's realization that it's okay to deviate from career and life goals was a good reminder for all of us.

Diana is making a name for herself in the art world. She has her life planned and is on track to be married by thirty, have kids, move to the burbs and she isn’t even engaged! Her boyfriend, Finn, is busy being a surgical resident in New York City.

Days before her birthday they will leave for a vacation to the Galapagos. Everything is moving along fine.

But the night before they leave, Finn tells her he can’t go. There is some type of highly contagious virus sweeping through the country and he can’t leave. He wants her to go. She wants to stay but in the end, she goes.

On arrival, the island is shut down. Quarantine. With no internet, phone service, or mail service, she is completely alone. Her only link to Finn is an occasional email and she writes on postcards she found in her apartment on the island.

She makes friends with a local teenage girl and ends up making friends with the entire family and she is awfully attracted to the girls' father, Gabriel. Alone, she is looking at every choice she has made and wondering if when she returns she will still be the same.

There isn’t a lot I can say about the rest without spoiling all of your fun. I can say this is a beautiful, timely, and heartbreaking story of love, resilience, and adapting to overcome your circumstances.

I cried throughout the book and I think I needed that.

Well Done!

NetGalley/November 30th, 2021 Ballentine

Jodi Picoult's new book deserves more than 5 stars! This book is FANTASTIC!! Once again, she writes about a timely event - COVID - and she makes the reader truly appreciate family, friends and most importantly - life. She captures the agony of our front-line workers and the patients who have recovered and passed away from this devastating virus. I couldn't put this book down.

From the synopsis, “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.”

And then Covid-19 hits. Finn is unable to go on the trip but encourages Diana to still go. She does take the trip to the Galapagos and immediately, everything goes awry. The airline has lost her luggage and now, the island is under quarantine. Diana is stuck on an island in a country where she doesn’t speak the language, has limit supplies, and barely can get a signal on her phone. She ends up meeting and staying with a native family whom she starts to grow close to. When she does return to New York she will have changed considerably.

I don’t want to say much more than that due to spoilers. This is a book you will want to read on your own, without knowing what will or may happen. I read this in pretty much one sitting. I had to know how the story ended! I admit, I wasn’t too thrilled hearing that this book does revolve around Covid a great deal and I almost passed. But it’s so much more than that and I am glad that I didn’t pass this one up. It gives a voice to those who have been on the frontlines and to those who have battled Covid. As always, Jodi Picoult paints such a beautiful story that will stick with you for quite some time. Now can we please have a movie based on Wish You Were Here?!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

Deeply Moving and Smart

The first part of this emotional novel is a setup. Diana O’Toole, daughter of a famous photographer and artist father, is initially involved in a big sale at Sotheby’s. She is an art historian, an artist and a bright woman. Instead of rising through the ranks as expected at Sotheby’s she is “furloughed,” when she loses a big deal of a masterful work from a Yoko Ono type character.

Diana lives with Finn, a resident surgeon, nice guy. They are planning a getaway vacation. The pandemic is in its infant weeks in New York and Finn cannot leave. Diana takes the journey by herself to the Galapagos Islands and the setup to the author’s brilliant novel begins. She is capable of being on her own and develops relationships on the island and there seems to be a change in Diana’s desires. At this point in the novel, I thought, is this all there is? A bright woman is in a different environment and she has an epiphany?

And then slam, Pocult, shocks me with realism, critical Covid illness and all that it takes to awaken the reader and Diana. Pocult is hands-on with medical realities and her brilliant writing and meticulous research erupts into a vivid novel about resilience, medicine, and the essence of many relationships. The writer’s talent stretched into her philosophy of living. Some of the scenes were sappy and marred the depth of this story. Other than those scenes and a predictable ending, the book entered a different world.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Random House -Ballantine for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Jodi Picoult is my favorite author. I have read all of her books and I was so excited for this book. I was not disappointed at all. Although each of her books tackle a different subject matter they all have their twists and she was able to shock me in this book once again. The worlds she builds are vivid enough to be movies. The emotions of this book are strong as it takes place during the Pandemic. One might be worried that it is too much too soon but the way the story is woven, just when you think you are a the brink of overload you get a reprieve. I could not put this book down. The only reason I didn't finish it in two days is I had an evening commitment last night I couldn't read at! This book has so much beauty in it and power, I have the chills after finishing it. The main characters are so relatable and the subject matter is so fresh in everyone's mind that this book is hauntingly real. It is a little tricky to write a detailed review without giving to much away if this book isn't at the top of the the Best Seller list when it comes out I will we very surprised! In fact, stop reading this and go put the book on your "To Be Read" List!! I'm preordering a copy for my bookshelf because I will read it again.

Wish You Were Here
Jodi Picoult
11/30/2021

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s no surprise that Jodi Picoult’s latest book Wish You Were Here was a 5 star read with so many deep messages woven throughout the story. At first I wasn’t sure about reading a book with COVID 19, reading is my escape from reality but as the story unfolded I quickly realized that I was going to fall deeply in love with the storyline and the characters.

Diane has it all- she’s loving her job as a art broker, she has a wonderful boyfriend Finn, who is on the brink of a wedding proposal. She has her life planned out and it’s all falling into place until NYC is hit with COVID 19.

Diane and Finn save for many years and plan a once in a lifetime trip to the romantic getaway to the Galápagos. The timing couldn’t be worse, they are set to leave and NY is bracing for the worst. Finn, is on the front lines as a surgical resident and is told he cannot travel he’s needed on deck. Finn doesn’t want the trip to go to waste so he convinces Diane to take the trip without him thinking COVID will be under control by the time she comes home. Nothing can be further from the truth.

Diane travels to the Galápagos and the world shuts down. What seems like a once in a lifetime vacation becomes a complete nightmare as Diane is now stuck in another country alone, with barely any money, cell service, bare necessities and clothes- her luggage is missing….

Without giving too much away with spoilers this is a beautiful written story of resilience, love, adversity and strength. The only communication Diane and Finn can have is through heartbreaking emails. Reading the emails though Finns point of view was so realistic and gave such a grave and dire portrayal of the devastation all the frontline workers faced daily. Diane may have been stuck in a beautiful place but adapting to a new life wasn’t easy and was extremely scary. She learns some life lessons and once she leaves the island her life will never be the same!!

This story will stay with me for a long time…. This is a must read 🖤

Sending a sincere thank
you to NetGalley, Random House/Ballentine books for an early edition of Wish You Were Here for my honest opinion.

This review will be posted on my Instagram, Goodreads and Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/12409011-donna-beiderman


#jodipicoult #wishyouwerehere #netgalley #bookstagram #covid19 #booklover #bookworm #booknerds #booksofinstagram #booklife #bookreviewer #bookofthemonth #bookbub #bookclub #bookclubs #bookclubbook #ilovereading #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookadvisor #betweenthechapters #goodreadsgiveaway #100bookchallenge #readacrossinstagram

Wow!! Wish you were here is so GOOD!! Such an intense page turner!!! It was very hard to put down. I wasn’t sure how I felt about reading a book COVID related but Jodi Picoult did it perfectly. The letters from Finn describing handling COVID at the hospital were heartbreaking and so real. It was eye-opening! Jodi really did her research before writing this one. About halfway through the book, Jodi threw in a total shocker and it was so intense and so unexpected! This book kept me on the edge of my seat. A fantastic book!

Thank you Net Galley and Ballantine for an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

Wow! I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This book was SO good! It captured the pandemic and the feelings we felt so well. ❤️

I received this arc from @netgalley , Wish You Were Here by @jodipicoult and at 1st I really didn’t think I would like it. After being in a pandemic, with so much talk about Covid I wasn’t too sure I wanted to read about it. But @jodipicoult proved me wrong . It’s been almost a week since I finished and I still can’t stop thinking about the book. Go in blind as I did and you won’t be disappointed . Thank you @randomhouse . Book will released on November30,2021
#jodipicoult #netgalleyreview #bookstagram #pandemic #booknerd #booklover

Diana and her boyfriend, Finn are about to leave for a two week romantic trip to the Galápagos Islands when Covid hits. Finn, a surgical resident is needed at the hospital but convinces Diana to go anyway. Not long after arriving, the island goes on lockdown and Diana is trapped in a land where she knows no one and is unfamiliar with the culture. This book then becomes a story of Diana’s self discovery.

I have long been a fan of Picoult’s storytelling abilities, but she completely lost me with her last two novels. This one was a definite improvement but still lacks some of the elements that made Picoult the best for so long. Her strength lies in her portrayal of relationships, and while that is accomplished somewhat here, as with her last novel, a lot gets lost in the details.

The Galapagos is an interesting setting and it’s clear Picoult did a lot of research, but I felt there was far too much description and history of the islands at the expense of the story. I did like this book, but felt it could have been so much more. Unfortunately, what I felt with book was that it needed a good editor. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Jodi Picoult is a master of twists and this one has a few. It was a bit hard to read at times because it is such a fresh topic. But I think she does a really good job of writing about COVID-19 and representing what happened during that time. If you aren't ready to read about the pandemic then I would save this one for later. Still it is really well written and the characters have stayed with me.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

Jodi Picoult is Back!! At first I was a little unsure I wanted to read this book... just a little spoiler it has a COVID-19 theme... But MAN!! I am so glad that I read this one. I read through this books quickly. You will love the twist and turns that Jodi takes the reader on. You will think back to what you were doing the same times the characters were experiencing the same events.

The characters are loveable, and relatable. The reader will sympathize with the main character Diana, and understand the twists and turns in her life. This is a quick read, but one I did not want to put down. Totally relatable for today's times and enjoyable.

Diana's life is almost perfect. She is about to make an art acquisition that will earn her a promotion at Sotheby's. And on a planned trip to the Galapagos Islands, she expects her boyfriend Finn to propose. But then, there are rumors of a new novel virus starting to hit the US and Finn, as a surgical resident, is needed in his NY hospital. He urges Diana to go anyway... she'll be safe from the virus on an island. But she arrives on the island as everything is shutting down, and she becomes dependent on complete strangers for her very survival. Meanwhile the messages from home become more desperate and grim as Finn is on the frontlines working directly with covid patients.
I was so excited when I was invited to review this book from one of my favorite authors! A lot of this book hit close to home for me. As a CNA on the rehab unit in a nursing home, I was there when everything started to shut down. We kept Covid at bay for months but then the inevitable cases started to show up. I remember the terror of bringing this deadly virus home to my loved ones, so I was isolated and stressed for months. I worked directly with the covid patients with limited PPE. When I caught Covid, I remember even walking from the chair to the bathroom was exhausting and took my breath away. I was off work for 7 weeks trying to recover. This book covers the most terrifying and depressing details of the pandemic, but also the moments of hope and triumph.
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group / Ballantine Books for providing me this copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book took my breath away, making me terrified, scared, shaking me to the core: I’m overwhelmed because of dealing with complex feelings at the same time: sadness, amusement, excitement, stress, worry, anxiousness…

It’s another Sliding Doors theme: where you could be and what kind of situations you may deal with if you make different choices about your life in the middle of pandemic.

This is philosophical, metal psychical and psychological novel about how human lives evolve, how they change, how adapt in new normal but mostly it’s about how to stay alive and protect our sanity when all hell breaks loose?

Diane O’Toole, associate assistant at Sotheby’s, living with her surgical resident boyfriend Finn in NYC, mapped out her entire life with him: the house they live, the children they have, the bucket list trips they go, the retirement plans etc.

Nearly four years they saved up for Galapagos trip they planned: this is the best time for Diane because legendary Kitomi Ito ( quiet twin of Yoko Ono) decided to postpone the auction of the famous Toulouse - Lautrec painting she owned because of uprising of contagious virus. This auction of masterpiece could bring the promotion to Diane, she’s working so hard for.

But she is still keeping her hopes up: because she found a ring is hidden inside Finn’s socks. This means he’s planning to propose on their vacation and she’s going to say: yes! She’s gonna celebrate her 30th birthday as an engaged woman.

Well, when they made plans, God laughed and eventually Finn admits: it’s all hands on deck at the hospital: the COVID cases start to hit NYC faster than they imagine. So he offers her to go alone and interestingly she accepts!

But as soon as she gets off the plane she realizes her baggage is missing and that’s not the only predicament she has to face. When she gets off the ferry to walk to her hotel, she realizes her hotel is closed and for two weeks the entire island is shut down for quarantine.

Thankfully a local woman provides her a house to stay, leaving traditional food at her kitchen. But Diane gets herself trapped in an island without knowing the langue islanders talk, failing to obey the curfew times, dealing with the hostile manners of a mysterious, charismatic man and her cash is about to run out at this place which doesn’t have any ATM machines. Did I also tell you there’s no proper internet connection! She starts writing postcards to communicate with Finn but the post office is also close. How will she send them?

But her fate crosses with this charismatic mysterious man and his daughter which probably change her entire vision and perspective about the island!

I’m not giving more spoilers! But i can only say that in the middle of the book, I dropped my e-reader and I screamed WTH!

After shocking, jaw dropping revelation later, thankfully we didn’t have a bumpy ride. The emotional approach of the story and fair- satisfying ending made me smile a lot. I think I can give 10 stars for the heartfelt, earth shattering ending! It’s like last epic scene of remarkable movie!

This book realistically tells us the terrifying and ugly face of COVID- 19. Especially Finn’s emails draw dark, compelling, horrifying and also honest depictions about how the entire medical professionals are fighting against the lethal disease. It makes you remind of respecting them so deeply! They are the real heroes who saved our lives and gave us hope to hold on for so long!

Jodi Picoult is amazing storyteller: reflecting the dark face of tragedy we’ve been confronting nearly 1 and half years. She also depicted the perfect pictures of Galapagos. She told us a story of a girl who planned everything to choose different path from her mother she resented for abandoning her. But she also told how to open our hearts and forgive each other to be free from our resentments.

I extremely loved this book so much ! I think this is one of the best works of the author. I liked Dante ( Tenth Circle is her another book focused on Dante’s Inferno), Tiger King ( I agree she is guilty), Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by natural selection references!

This is one of the books you want to reread at different parts and timelines of your life. Annie’s inner journey will stay in your mind forever and eventually it will encourage you to start your inner journey to find out what you want to do with one and precious life of yours!

Jodi Picoult's newest release is a refreshing but real culmination of the COVID-19 pandemic. I did not think that I wanted to read a book about a pandemic I am still experiencing but Wish You Were Here offered an excellent outsider's perspective. Lots of twists and turns to keep it exciting while still reminiscing over the first few months in quarantine. I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did but I finished it a few hours because I just needed to know the ending.

I liked the author's note better than the book. I skimmed over all the emails in the first part and felt a bit cheated by the reveal/twist. Maybe in 10 years - but I couldn't appreciate this, not now. Too soon, too fresh, too we're-still-living-it.

At first I wasn’t sure how I felt, reading a book about a deadly virus. I mean, we’ve basically been living that story for over a year. But it’s Jodi Picoult so of course I gave it a try. And I gotta admit, I wasn’t impressed at first. It starts off okay, but then just stays there for a good while. Good enough characters, great setting, but it just didn't seem to be really going anywhere. I’m glad I stuck with it, though. It turned out to be pretty darn good. It’s a story of love, and a story about following your dreams. Whenever and wherever they may lead you.