Change of Heart

Sigh. Jodi Picoult, how good you could be, and yet how predictable you are.

This is the latest I've read of hers. It deals with the death penalty and with religious/spiritual beliefs. It's loosely connected to Keeping Faith, which I also read this year, and really liked.

This one was just eh. I can't give it a great review because after a while it just starts to feel so formulaic. And because for me it is SOOOOOO predictable. And sometimes that's okay, but the times that I love Jodi Picoult are the times when she steps away from what I think of as the "predictable shocker," the twist or ending that's supposed to be surprising and make you re-analyze the whole story from a new viewpoint. For me, I can almost always see it coming from the minute I crack the spine of the book, so it just gets old with me.

But again. Ms. Picoult has moments of eloquence and even whole books that are just beautiful, so I won't dismiss her. I just wish she'd take a little more time between books, even though I'm sure her diehard fans appreciate that she can write a book approximately every 9 months.

It was still a pretty good read, even though I was so disappointed in the (non) surprise ending. Oh well. It's sort of like watching Law and Order: this happens, then this, then that, then surprise ending, The End, and after awhile it's a little boring, but it still draws you in, and I'll still always watch it if there's nothing better on the tube. In this case, there were literally no other books in my house for me to read that are not either a) picture books or b) packed away in boxes.

I can't wait to get involved with my new library after we move. But man, I am going to miss our library here. Raleigh, your library system rocks! =)