My friend Danielle loaned me this book probably 2 years ago -- maybe more -- and I've never gotten around to reading it until now. I thought she'd registered it with BC, but I guess not! So, I'm registering it now ...

I keep telling myself that I will not read another Picoult book. When will I ever learn?

This book was a monumental waste of time. There were so many things I disliked about it, and very few things I actually liked. Here's what I disliked:

1. The narrative had 5 different voices, and a couple of them weren't necessary or even interesting.

2. One of the voices was Rebecca's story, written BACKWARDS. Meaning, the things that happened last in the story were told first, from her perspective. HUH?? So, before I even got to page 50, I already knew what was going to happen at the end of the story. How does that make sense? I felt like all the secrets were already revealed -- and unless the middle of the story was going to be really good, nothing profound was yet to be revealed (p.s., the middle of the story was crap, so no redemption there).

3. The story wasn't even all that interesting. There were so many different "themes", and none of them were really that great, and didn't seem to interweave that wonderfully, either.

4. The love that Joley felt for Jane was less brotherly and more incestious. Ick. Creepy.

Here's what I liked:

1. Umm. There was a bit of travel somewhere in there. That's always interesting to me.

2. There was one small chapter regarding the rescuing of a whale. That was kinda cool.

3. I learned a few things about apples.

That's it. Wow. Overall -- huge thumbs down.

I'm going to have to think about what to do with this book. Listing as AVL until I decide.

I'm sending this book to the 2011 BC in DC Bookcrossing Convention in April, to be part of the main Book Buffet. I'm sure some loving Bookcrosser will pick it up and it can then continue its journey!

from the convention - 2nd copy, since first is with Aunt Barb. Thanks!

2nd copy from convention; excellent first book by Picoult. No courtroom or legal drama in this one. It simply follows the same timeline of a woman who takes her 15 yo daughter and just walks out on her marriage in San Diego, winding up in the apple orchard farm in Massachusetts that her brother is working at. It's a story of loss and love, told in five voices: the husband, wife, daughter, Sam - the orchard owner, and Joley - the wife's brother. It's interesting as the story goes back and forth - and backwards and forward with the perspective of the different points of view for the same thing that happened. A page turner to the end - will Jane go back or not? What is happiness? And what is it's price?

Thanks! This book will replace an international bookray of mine that has been stalled twice.

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6170781
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/7525662

I am going to try reading it myself again before I send it out. I didn't really like it the first time, but have since read all of Picoult's other books and liked all the rest, so I want to give this one another shot.