Not Her Best Work

books:


	• Vanishing Acts: A Novel Jodi Picoult Washington Square Press, 2005 - 448 pages average customer review:based on 179 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

Not Her Best Work

While I had previously read and enjoyed Second Glance and My Sister's Keeper, this novel has put me off Jodi Picoult books for a good while.

First of all, I have to say that I usually enjoy novels told from multiple viewpoints, but I do not care for Ms. Picoult's publisher's habit of using a different font for each narrator. The implication is that the reader isn't smart enough to follow the changing viewpoint without a change in font, and invariably I find at least one of the fonts difficult to read. In this case, the font used for Delia's fiance was so hard on my eyes that I started skipping his chapters.

Secondly, there was great potential in making Delia's profession "search and recovery," especially since she turned out to be a stolen child herself. Unfortunately, this aspect of Delia's life disappears after the first chapter. I wish it has been further explored.

Third, I found Delia to be strangely unsympathetic. Frankly, I didn't like her, and I didn't know why so many people were so devoted to her and why two men were wildly in love with her. Delia's daughter summed up her mother's personality when she precociously pointed out that, in restaurants, her mother would expect to sample someone else's french fries, but would refuse to share her own onion rings. Delia was self-centered, and that came through in every scene. One example is Delia demanding that her lawyer-fiance defend her father, and then flying into a rage when the fiance keeps certain aspects of his case confidential from her (as the judge had required, duh, Delia!).

Fourth, it seemed to me that suspense was achieved by having multiple scenes where no information was conveyed. The characters were constantly having conversations which would be cut short before any real information occurred. In one memorable scene, Delia drives something like 10 miles to have a confrontation with a parent, then storms off in a huff before more than a dozen words have been spoken. I found this frustrating and unrealistic.

Now, all of that said, the novel is worth 3 stars alone for the scenes with Andrew, Delia's father, in prison. Picoult's best character development and plotting occurs here, in what should have been a subplot but turned out to be more interesting than the central mystery.

for more information click here

Wow!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3GHI59KML9GOJ What a great book for summer reading!

for more information click here

Great book

Although most people feel like they don't understand the ending (I barely did), here is a brief run down: (SPOILERS!)
Basically, Delia Hopkins finds out that her father had kidnapped her. They go to Arizona to have a few adventures. Her fiance, Eric, is representing her father. Her another friend, Fitz, is writing for the paper. At the end, he is declared not guilty as he kidnapped her because she was sexually abused by her mother's affair guy. Her mother is also an alcoholic, and doesn't remember it. At the end, it is revealed that Delia was the one who told her father that she didn't want to stay. She breaks up with her fiance, adn goes off with Fitz, happily ever after.

The plot was good, but it was kind of uselessly long.

for more information click here

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

"New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her ability to tap into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she explores what happens when a young woman's past -- a past she didn't even know she had -- catches up to her just in time to threaten her future. Delia Hopkins has led a charmed life. Raised in rural New Hampshire by her widowed father, Andrew, she now has a young daughter, a handsome fiancé, and her own search-and-rescue bloodhound, which she uses to find missing persons. But as Delia plans her wedding, she is plagued by flashbacks of a life she can't recall. And then a policeman knocks on her door, revealing a secret that changes the world as she knows it. In shock and confusion, Delia must sift through the truth -- even when it jeopardizes her life and the lives of those she loves. What happens when you learn you are not who you thought you were? When the people you've loved and trusted suddenly change before your eyes? When getting your deepest wish means giving up what you've always taken for granted? Vanishing Acts explores how life -- as we know it -- might not turn out the way we imagined; how doing the right thing could mean doing the wrong thing; how the memory we thought had vanished could return as a threat. Once again, Jodi Picoult handles a difficult and timely topic with understanding, insight, and compassion. "

for more information click here