Not one of my favorites..

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	• Mercy Jodi Picoult Washington Square Press, 2001 - 416 pages average customer review:based on 77 reviews view larger image
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Is this mercy?

Maggie MacDonald is wasting away from a terrible cancer, with no future except further deterioration and terrible pain. No spoilers here--her husband Jamie accedes to her request to kill her in the first few pages. The rest of the novel follows Jamie through the predicament he now finds himself in, as he is accused of murder.

In "Mercy," Piccoult ostensibly takes on the controversial subject of euthanasia. But the euthanasia issue here is pretty clear cut, in the sense that there is no question that Maggie made a fully conscious and well-informed decision about wanting to die. In real life, it often isn't as clear.

But what Piccoult really explores is love--is it love to be so fused with another person that you will do what they want, with no thought of self-protection, of the consequences afterwards? Is it love to force someone to do something so painful and dangerous? As a counter to the all-consuming relationship of Jamie and Maggie, Piccoult delves into the marriage of Cam, the police chief and Jamie's cousin, and Allie, who I thought was the most sympathetic character in the book. Allie's growth out of personal disaster into an independent person, no longer fully submissive to her husband, rang much much more true than the rest of the story. I thought Allie's husband Cam was self-indulgent, taking the consequences of his poor life decisions out on a very loving wife.

Piccoult is a good writer, but although she takes on controversial subjects she abandons their serious exploration for the sake of plot. I was also disturbed by the similarity of this story to "The Pact," also about a man left to pick up the pieces, a victim of his lover's selfishness. "Mercy" is a good read, but doesn't provoke the kind of soul searching its subject deserves.

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I'll try again 3?

Does anyone else have a hard time finishing Picoult? The momentum dips half way through. I know she has a big following but The Pact I could not finish, at least now. I am reading Songs of Humpback Whales which is good. I hope Mercy is best.

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Not one of my favorites..

It was a good story line but i guess it wasn't what I expected. The story was more focused on Cameron and Allie then Jamie and Maggie. Thats what I had expected. The story was still good, I just felt like it dragged a little. I normally really Love Picoult's books but I definatley wasn't crazy about this one. My friend and I both really love reading Picoult books and she really liked this book and I really liked the Tenth Circle and she didn't. I guess it all depends on what you like. I recommend giving it a shot to see how you like it.

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, page 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

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