Marriage problems, mercy killings, suicide, statutory rape, broken hearts and bulimia. What hasn't Jodi Picoult written about? Her books are wildly popular and have attracted a huge following among...well, everyone basically.
I was never a huge fan of Jodi Picoult. I tend to shy away from mainstream authors, or at least keep my obsessions with their books on the down low (just realized that my previous blog entries aren't helping me out with this point at all- for the moment, disregard the Harry Potter and Twilight entries). When I first read one of her books, it was an earlier one called Vanishing Acts about a girl who discovers in adulthood that she was kidnapped as a child. The plotline was gripping, the characters were unique and likable, and Picoult's ability to weave multiple complex problems and have them all tied up in a bow by the end of the novel renders her distinct from many modern authors who can barely solve their single, simple central conflict adequately.
From there I moved onto some of her other stuff: My Sister's Keeper, arguably her most popular book, about a girl who sues her parents for medical emancipation when asked to donate a kidney to her sister who is dying from leukemia. Original idea? Uh, yeah. Picoult's protagonists are people who tend to screw up, lie about it, but ultimately be good people who just harbor a take-no-prisoners outlook on things and are totally unafraid to sue everyone until justice is served. The problems in their lives aren't usually ones that are encountered on a daily basis (at least, I hope not) but their responses to their problems are believable and realistic. Take The Tenth Circle, for instance. The protagonist, Trixie, a 14 year-old girl who was raped by her older boyfriend, lies to doctors about being a virgin and essentially fabricates certain details of the rape when speaking to officials about it.
Picoult has a way of changing your opinion on characters at whim: one minute, the reader is rooting for the protagonist, and the next questioning their credibility on everything they've said throughout the novel. Her endings are always surprise twists: she tends to take the character one would assume to be the least involved in a crime and make them the central perpetrator.
So, next time you're hitting up the local Barnes & Noble, stroll by the "Mystery" shelf and leaf through a couple Picoult books. I'm sure you'll find something that will capture your interest. Picoult is a certified mind-blower (and a Harvard grad school graduate, if you're interested in credibility).
The only one of her books I've read so far is My Sister's Keeper, but I loved it. The way she can manipulate your thinking is incredible and the way the book ended was completely unexpected. I would definately like to read more of her books.
ReplyDeleteThe only one of her books I've read was The Tenth Circle, about five years ago. It was interesting and engaging, but about halfway through it became hard for me to read. Once she'd painted previously likable characters unlikable, and it was hard for me to root for anyone anymore. I saw it through to the end, but it had become such a frustrating read that it turned me off from her books. However, now that it's been several years, I'm curious to try reading her again. I think I need to keep a more open mind about her storytelling technique. She certainly breaks convention.
ReplyDeleteI am absolutely in love with Jodi Picoult's books. My mom jokes that they are all essentially the same and I can definitely understand that perspective because each has a tragic situation with a huge twist at the end (among other similarities), but I find myself eagerly looking for each new book anyway.
ReplyDeleteI've read two of her books, but your description of the plotline and characters was pretty dead-on. I think readers enjoy Picoult book's because her characters. While the mass population may not be able to directly relate to the situations, they may finds bits of themselves in the characters (or maybe the reader's glad they're not them!).
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