I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Jodi Picoult wrote a pandemic novel. How do you feel about that is how you feel about it. If that’s not something you’re into, just let it be. However, going into it with an open mind, it was better than expected. I was expecting a 3.5, but the writing had a fair degree of unexpected humor that made it a full 4.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Jodi Picoult has an amazing ability to write books about the latest hot topics. This one is no different. The day before Diana and her soon to be fiancé is to fly to a bucket list trip to the Galapagos, the first cases of Corona has hit NYC. Finn, being a doctor has to stay behind while Diana goes on their nonrefundable trip. Once she arrives, the island shuts down, she is stranded and no place to stay. With spotty WIFI, she can't tell Finn that she has arrived and now stuck. Finn working 40+ straight hours in the Covid ICU instead of the surgical ward is dealing with his own stresses. Then....a huge twist half way through the book that took me by complete surprise. This book was so very good. It told the reality of the pandemic and how hard hit the front line workers were, not to mention a compete shut down of most destinations. No politics written, just truths. Read it! #wishyouwerehere #jodipicoult #nov2021

One of the most heart breaking books Ive read. For me this put a human face to different people during this pandemic. Absolutely incredible

I mean, its Jodi Picoult. Once again, she nails it. This time, with Covid, still happening for so many. Her "world in world' here is ....... amazing. My knee jerk was REALLY? Bobby from Dallas??? But, she turned it into SOOOOOOO much more. Thank you Jodi, you did it again.

The more you read, the more you will Iove this new book. The last third was fascinating, heart wrenching and very real. Kudos to the author for finding such a very unique but honest way of showing just how this horrible pandemic has disrupted lives all over the world, usually drastically rerouting everything, every family, healthcare workers and even people in remote places far from "civilization". Excellent first person research behind this novel--be sure to read the author's comments at the end!

Realistic Fiction. The initial onset of the COVID pandemic has just begun. Diana becomes separated from her live-in boyfriend and doc intern, Finn. She ends up stranded in the Galápagos Islands after travel halts while Finn begins "living" in the hospital as patient numbers rise exponentially. With sporadic (to no) cell service and internet, Diana lives each day reevaluating her relationships (work, parent, boyfriend, self) and exploring Isabela Island's hidden beauties. Her primary companions are Abuela, a young girl and father, and her worries about returning to any type of normalcy -- if there is that.
Just WOW! I'm a fan of all Picoult novels-- this one is no exception-- beautifully written. Definitely exposes all the tragedies of the pandemic with a large focus on isolation, loss, and love.

Another great book by Jodie Picoult! It's a heartwarming story about struggling to find your way through times of difficulty. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I loved this book! Where to start without giving away the plot twist? DIana O'Toole has her life planned out. She hopes to be engaged to her surgeon boyfriend by age 30, have two children, a dog and house in the suburbs by 35. But then Covid strikes. A long planned trip to the Galapagos for both of them now becomes a solo journey for DIana as Finn must stay back and deal the pandemic which is decimating New York City. Diana arrives in paradise with no luggage, to find the island is shutting down. Instead of heading back to the mainland she stays, and meets a family who helps her find her true self. As with all of Picoult's books it is meticulously researched, and the details of Covid are heartbreaking.

Solid 4/5. In some ways this book is pure Jodi Picoult and the way she tackles relationships here reminds me of some of he older works including My Sisters Keeper and Leaving Time. I loved how she explored the concept of what is real and what is perceived as real and how flurry that line can be at times. This is my first, of what I’m sure will be many, COVID novel and I’m happy my first was with this author whom I’ve been reading for many years. The second half of the book is ‘better’ than the first half, mainly because the first half just isn’t very believable. Now for the not so good. This book is full of cliches. New Yorkers too busy rushing around their day to notice beauty around them. Locals on Galapagos have a love hate relationship with their tourists. Young professional climbing the work ladder with a plan for every step of her life. She of course has the obligatory gay best friend. And sentences like this “in the grand scheme of things losing dollars is nothing compared to losing time”. Ugh. Several minor characters who are just caricatures - the warm and welcoming grandma, the handsome mysterious loner on the island who she can’t stand at first, the teenager in turmoil, the tough motivating physical therapist. I could go on. And the woman selling her art who is so thinly veiled as Yoko Ono really grated on me, going so far as to name her Kitomi Ito. To be honest, the best part of this book is the fact that it so much better than her last one. It feels like Jodi Picoult is back with this one. It would make a great book club choice because there is a lot to talk about. ***Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.***

Wish you were here is a book about the real coronavirus pandemic with a fictional characters’ life changing experience. This book felt real and raw to me since my family and I had contracted the virus. I also had a family member working as a health care worker during this time. It’s hard to talk about the book without giving spoilers, but the pandemic was and is still life altering and has changed the way people viewed the life they were living and what really mattered in their lives. The characters’ experiences touched me deeply and I will remember this book long after reading it.

Jodi Picoult never ceases to amaze me with her creations of fiction woven around real world happenings whether it be crises or family events. This book will shock you once again as only she can as she weaves COVID and the devastating effects it had on so many lives and families and enlightens readers about the side effects of the virus with ventilators and dreams. While rooting for Diana and Finn, I silently cheered for Gabriel and Beatriz as well. There is just enough romance to keep it interesting, while the pandemic is chronicled hitting on all aspects of society. Thanks so much for the net galley.

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of @jodipicoult #WishYouWereHere and it was even more brilliant than I could have dreamed.

Heart-wrenching but hopeful - we’ve been through the ringer the past year with COVID, and Wish You Were Here gives a voice to so many - healthcare workers, people who had family with COVID or had it themselves, tourism industries and tourists, and every day life that changed forever.

I love the idea of multi-verses/alternate realities/alternate lives (and in The Book of Two Ways) - really makes you think twice about life as we know it.

Thank you @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

#jodipicoult #netgalley #fiction #booklover #bookreviews #whatimreading #whatiread

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult, takes us to the terrifying days of Covid in a fictional, yet realistic first hand life account. Sometimes moving too slowly for me, but always tugging at my heart.
Where we were all trying to do our best to stay save, keep ourselves mentally strong and just get through the days.
Where the lives of the patients in fevered dreams, kept the doctors and nurses working 36 hour shifts.
Our families left in nursing homes were at the mercy of others that we had to believe were taking the best care of them, but we ourselves, we’re not allowed in to touch or hug them.
This book is the hell and back of Covid.
Well done, Jodi Picoult!

The pandemic has created unprecedented levels of anxiety and sadness across the globe, and I don’t think anyone could have written a book that tackles this so raw and beautifully other than Jodi Picoult. In general, I have not been eager to revisit those early quarantine days in any form of media, but Wish You Were Here was unputdownable.
Diana, to put it in two words, is ON TRACK. She has the job, the looming engagement to a dreamy doctor, the first bucket list vacation planned. Her entire life has been meticulously planned out and now she’s living it. She has just closed a major client at work and is heading off to the Galápagos Islands where, she knows, the proposal is coming. Then, her boyfriend tells her he can’t leave the city. While only 19 known cases of COVID currently exist in the city, he cannot leave on vacation. With his encouragement, Diana ventures on their trip alone and ends up on the island much longer than anticipated due to travel restrictions.
Wish You Were Here humanizes and reminds us of all the ups and downs of the past 15 months-stress, despair, sense of community, loss, family, love. As always, Picoult crafts such a beautiful story with a stunning twist that had me floored. I am so grateful I have been able to adore her works for so many years now, starting way back when I was just a lost kid in middle school. This one is in my top 4 for sure-right there with 19 Minutes, Leaving Time and The Storyteller.

I received an ARC of #WishYouWereHere courtesy of #NetGalley and #PenguinRandomHouse in exchange for an honest review.

This review will also be featured on my Bookstagram @aksbookbites on pub day

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advance copy. Jodi Picoult never fails to come up with scenarios that make me think. This wasn’t her typical moral/legal dilemma plot - this plot is immersed in Covid in a real way. In the first half of the book I liked the Galapagos setting and the island exploration while Diane was isolated. The second half had more impact and I could relate to how surreal things seemed. People dealing with recovery and grief are still suspended in that surreal mindset. This novel shows the medical perspective as well as the survivor's experience. I appreciate the author’s note discussing her own pandemic journey and the inspiration for this novel. Thank you for publishing this in record time while people are needing the support that relevant fiction can provide, as a way to cope and recover with empathy and compassion.
I recommend this book.

This will be a phenomenal book club pick. It made me very uncomfortable. Intriguing, mesmerizing, and beautifully written.

I stopped everything I was reading when I got sent this book! I adore @jodipicoult and I could not be more excited to receive this book, and how perfect that book 200 of the year is by one of my favorite authors.
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This book takes place during the COVID-19 pandemic and it is inevitable that books will include this vital piece of time in our lives. I wasn’t sure I was ready for it but Picoilt’s gorgeous writing had me hooked, as she always does. It’s not a gimmick it’s part of the fabric or our lives wether we like it or not.
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Diana has her life perfectly planned. Married by 30, have kids, move to the suburbs and get promoted at Sotheby’s. Everything is on track. She is this close to her promotion, and spied a ring box, knowing her Dr. boyfriend will propose in the Galapagos, just in time for her big birthday.
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Then a little known virus takes over. Finn tells her she should still go on vacation but he can’t leave the hospital. She decides to go but ends up stuck on an island where everything is closed down and very little WiFi to communicate back home. Diana begins to question all of her best laid Plans.
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It’s so fitting that this is book 200 for me. I started my bookstagram because of the pandemic and for this to be the book about the pandemic really hits home. I feel it’s safe to say we all came out changed after the pandemic. What hits home even more is this quote.
“We’re pushing through uncertainty even when we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Every single day it may have seemed like Groundhog’s Day. We may not have been able to see the light at the end of the tunnel and there was so much uncertainty but little by little life is getting back to normal with a new perspective for all that we love and cherish. I have never been more thankful for the family time we had during the pandemic.
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Tell me did your reading change during pandemic? I have never read so much in my entire life!

Thank you to @penguinrandomhouse for an arc of this wonderful book.
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I'm well aware that this is going to be a divisive book and so many people are going to hate it simply for the fact that it's written about COVID and the 2020 pandemic, but boy, is it GOOD.

Jodi Picoult has written a true literary masterpiece chronicling the Coronavirus in real time, in a fictional storyline. I got so swept up into these characters emotionally, that I could not physically put the book down. It literally broke my heart at times to read, but it was so well done.

In this novel, Picoult's story starts on 3/12/20 the day after Broadway theatres have shutdown, and the protagonist and her boyfriend are planning a trip to the Galapagos the next day, but since he is an ER doctor he is unable to go, he must remain on the frontlines, and Diana goes alone....where she experiences a whole new lifestyle, and meets and connects with a family that I just simply loved and wanted to wrap my arms around.

And ofcourse, it wouldn't be a Jodi Picoult novel if there wasn't a mind-blowing twist, and let me tell you, it's a doozy. My heart is broken, my heart is full, my heart is just a little all over the place. She has truly outdone herself here; I can't imagine how tough and painful this was to physically write and put the words to paper. All the praise to her. What a powerful, truly life impacting story of resilience, that I think so many people are going to connect with deeply.

Thank you to Ballantine for my advanced copy!

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that Jodi Picoult has written such a perfect book about such a completely imperfect and messed up time. But I am. Because it seems impossible that she could have already done the work that she obviously did to make it real and true and achingly sad and beautifully uplifting at the same time. It’s a gorgeous book. It’s sad and smart and lovely and so so so real.

I loved it like I love all of her books, but with something a bit more personal. 💜💜💜💜💜📚

I have read every one of Jodi Picoult's book and was so excited to read this one that I didn't even read what it was about. Considering the past year and a half, this book should come with a trigger warning for anyone who has pandemic PTSD. I was committed to finishing it but found that in certain sections I had to skim extensively or just pass over (i.e., the emails recounting Finn's medical experiences in NYC during Covid). If you can get past the Covid theme (and I get it if you can't), this novel has all the wonderful Jodi Picoult trademarks from characters you really enjoy to a twist that has you going "OMG". So I highly recommend this but with a caveat that for some it might be just too soon to read about the pandemic.