I appreciate that A Spark of Light is an "issue" book. I think Picoult handled the subject well. But I just didn't think it was very compelling.

I think Wren and Hugh are the main voices. Wren is in an abortion clinic, not to get an abortion, but to get birth control, when a gunman enters and starts shooting. Hugh is her father, who is also a police officer specializing in hostage negotiating, and he is on this case. There are many points-of-view, and it was not difficult to keep them distinct, a testament to Picoult's talent. There is a nurse, an older woman, Wren's aunt Bex, a doctor, a pro-life protester, a woman who has just had an abortion, and the shooter. And a young woman in a hospital named Beth.

I'm not going to describe all the reasons these people are narrating, that is what's intriguing. The timeline is backward, which was difficult for me to adjust to at first, but eventually, I got it.

I just didn't feel much build up of tension. We just slowly learn all the character's stories, and there are some surprises. But, face it, what you want to know is who survives and how it ends. So for about the last 3 or 4 pages, we get the wrap-up. I was happy with the outcome, but it wasn't that startling or exciting.

I've read almost all of Picoult's novels, and A Spark of Light is not one of my favorites. But she's a must-read for a lot of people, so go for it!

This is the first book I have read by Jodi Picoult and it was incredible. I will be reading more books by this author. This book was about the subject pro life /pro choice. This book started at the ending and went back through the whole day so we would get to meet all of the characters in this book and find out what made them all wind up at the Women's Center.

A gunman enters the clinic and starts shooting at everyone in there. His name is George, and he he hurts a lot of people and kills others. This book is about what happens to all the people that entered that clinic, why they were there and the outcome.

This book was well written and I liked the way that it kept me in suspense, as the clock slowly ticks while so many people wait to realize their fate.

I gave this book 5 stars!

Another controversial topic handled very sensitively by Jodi Picoult. Her characters come alive on the pages of a book...loved Hugh, Wren, “Aunt Bex” and Izzy. Each character had their own perspective on the hot topic of abortion. At first the reverse format of telling the story confused me but by the ending I could not imagine any other way of telling the story. I loved having the characters revealed like layers in an onion. There were so many quotes in this book that made me think...among them “Laws are black and white. The lives of women are a thousand shades of gray.” And “It stood to reason that both life and death began with a spark of light.” Powerful words evoke powerful feelings. While I strongly believe each woman should have the right to choose, the opposing viewpoints shared by several characters made me think.
Jodi Picoult has long been one of my favorite authors and this book certainly will remain in my mind for a long time. I so appreciated her statistics and information at the end of the book. Keep writing Jodi!
Many thanks to Jodi Picoult, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for affording me an ARC of this thought provoking book!

I went into reading A Spark of Light with an open mind. I am not a person who likes to read things that can start debates and cause strife in real life. Which is why I stick to romance/fantasy/horror..etc. So reading A Spark of Light for review is not something I would do. But I liked the blurb. I wanted to see what the author had to say about the Pro-Choice/Pro-Life debate. I wanted to see where this book would go. I will tell you all this. I was not expecting such a well-written book that explored both sides of the debate.

What I liked about this book was how it was written. It started at the end and ended at the beginning. This is a different written style then what I am used to and it could have failed. But, for me, it didn’t. I felt that it revealed everything at the right time. It wasn’t without its faults. There were times, at the beginning of the chapters, where I was confused by what was going on. But that cleared up after the first paragraph. Other than that, this writing style worked for me.

I also liked how the characters were portrayed. Instead of having a clear line between good and bad, the author blurred it. Which I thought was fantastic. Because of the topic she chose to write about, those lines should be blurred. The only one whose line wasn’t blurred was the shooter, George. But even then, I couldn’t help but have some pity for him.

I did like how the author handled the Pro-Choice/Pro-Life debate. She explored both sides and why the people felt the way they did. Take, for instance, the Dr. His decision to do abortions came from his mother dying of one in a backroom one when he was younger. He was deeply faithful but he also understood that women needed the correct medical help if they wanted to end a pregnancy. Or the undercover pro-choicer. She was trying to ease the guilt for an abortion she had when she was a teenager. She felt by being a fanatic about it, she would be absolved of sin. The author made me think about what each of those people was going through. What brought them to that clinic at that exact point in time.

The end of the book was good but I wasn’t satisfied. I wanted to know how the other storylines ended. The only one that was mentioned was Wren and we knew what happened to the other people who were within the clinic. Also, I wanted to know what happened to Beth. My frustration level with the ending was through the roof.

What I liked about A Spark of Light:

Well written book
The writing style
How the author handled the Pro-Choice/Pro-Life debate.
What I disliked about A Spark of Light:

The shooter
How Beth was treated in the hospital
The ending
I gave A Spark of Light a 4-star review. This is a well-written book that will make you think about the Pro-Choice/Pro-Life debate. I did have an issue with storylines not being ended and that did figure into my review. Other than that, I enjoyed reading this book.

I would give A Spark of Light an Adult rating. There is sex, but it is not graphic. There is language. There is violence. There are also scenes where abortions are done (both at home and at the clinic). I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread A Spark of Light. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. But I would throw in a warning about the abortion scenes.

I would like to thank Ballantine Books, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review A Spark of Light.

All opinions stated in this review of A Spark of Light are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Jodi Picoult is the master of writing about controversial subjects! A Spark of Light takes place in the aftermath of a shooting/hostage situation at an abortion clinic. The story moves back in time and we learn about each character layer by layer. While the book didn't change my opinion on abortion, I appreciated reading the viewpoints of the characters whether pro-life or pro-abortion and the struggles each faced in making a decision. Very well done!

I was thrilled to have a chance to read the new Jodi Picoult! The story grabbed my attention very quickly, and touches upon a sensitive subject the right of a woman to choose. I think Picoult handled this with care and the story was quite thought-provoking. It was a little predictable, but then most books by this author are, and yet I keep going back:-) The way the story was told, backwards essentially, was a little jarring at times, but the author handled it fairly well. Overall, a well-written and thought out story.

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult is a brand new 2018 debut (October 2nd) and one of many novels addressing abortion. Although not unbiased, Picoult offers different pro-choice versus anti-abortion perspectives through her diverse array of characters. Characters range in age, sexuality, and circumstance. Beginning with a terrifying hostage situation at a southern abortion clinic, time rewinds back to the beginning of the tragic event as each character’s story unfolds—some more surprising than others.

Can the hostage negotiator, whose daughter is trapped in the crossfire, save the remaining hostages? And, at what cost? Picoult examines questions of when life truly starts, legal repercussions from abortion laws, and how abortion affects women. Although not my favorite Picoult novel for its predictability and somewhat confusing timeline, A Spark of Light is a worthy 2018 read for those in tune with current politics who are looking for a modern day, feminist story. I am also pretty sure that this book will not appeal to anti-abortion advocates, although I’d be interested in what readers think.

A fair warning since librarians are rarely neutral: I read this story from a pro-choice bias.

Book Review: A Spark Of Light by Jodi Picoult

What I Loved About A Spark of Light

1. A plethora of perspectives about abortion

The Doctor

Dr. Ward is a black abortion doctor who frequently travels for work. Every day, even at the airport, he is greeted by protestors who straight out hate him and the work that he does for women. We quickly learn that Dr. Ward is in the profession because his mother died from a botched home abortion when she could not legally have one.

Two Women Who Recently Had An Abortion

Joy is a younger woman who just had an abortion. Heartbroken, she knows that she made the right choice. Coming from the foster care system, Joy would never want a similar situation for any child, especially her unborn baby whom she cannot afford to keep.

Beth lies handcuffed in the hospital bed from a home abortion gone wrong. She accidentally became pregnant and faced a series of circumstances along with strict laws that would not allow her to obtain a legal abortion. Ordering abortion pills from China, Beth almost died from complications and got caught by her family and the law. Beth is awaiting her court hearing in a biased legal system.

Characters With Other Reasons To Attend A Women’s Clinic

Olive is an older lesbian woman dying from cancer and caught in the hostage situation. She merely wanted a second opinion from her most trusted doctor at the center.

Wren, the daughter of Hugh the negotiator, is not at the clinic for an abortion like her father initially assumes. Like Planned Parenthood, the clinic offers many services to women ranging from cancer screenings to birth control. Heading to the clinic with her Aunt Bex, Wren is secretly seeking the pill to be responsible in bed with her boyfriend.

Aunt Bex is a mother figure to Wren, who also has a life size secret. Without giving away spoilers, Bex once decided not to have an abortion at a young age and has had much different repercussions because of her choices. Her life is not easier for having birthed the baby.

The Anti-Abortion Protestors

Janine is an anti-abortion protestor disguised as a pregnant woman wanting an abortion. She is hoping to tape the clinic forcing her into an abortion and disclosing their inhumane practices, which does not happen. Her wig comes off in a selfish effort to save her own life, but she is trapped in her circumstances. She also had an abortion at an early age. Go figure.

George is a former military man gone rogue shooter. After his own daughter had an abortion, he wants to kill the doctors and staff that he assumes have helped murder his grandchild. George’s past is incredibly shady, and although he raised his daughter as a single dad, he is hardly a guy you can sympathize with.

2. The relationship between Wren and her father
Wren and her father are extremely close—except that she won’t tell him that she wants to have sex with her boyfriend. They share a sincere love of the stars and desire for knowledge. Since Wren’s mother ran off to Paris, Hugh has raised her alone with Aunt Bex. Their connection is touching while also slightly naïve. The portrayal of single parents and nontraditional households is uplighting and inspirational.

3. The camaraderie of women to overtake the shooter and also help each other
Even though all of the characters in the hostage situation come from different backgrounds with different opinions about abortion, they all decide to work together against the shooter. This solidarity includes taking bullets for each other and cleaning up wounds. Even with the chance to save their own lives, some of these women sacrifice everything for strangers.

4. The feminist, human portrayal of women and women’s rights
Picoult focuses on how abortion affects women. The choice to terminate a pregnancy does not come lightly, easily, or without repercussions. She sheds light on how women should have a choice over their bodies and deserve rights just as much as an unborn fetus. Picoult also depicts the many tough situations that women find themselves in on a daily basis.

Whether or not you believe in abortion, women are the focus of this story—not the shooter. He has little power over these women’s fates and rights.

Lastly, Picoult offers a moral we need today in the U.S. when our country is divided over fake party lines. We have some pretty terrifying leaders preaching prejudice and hate. Those same leaders are taking away others’ humanity. Picoult attempts to give women a voice in the debate.


What Made Me Groan With A Spark of Light

1. The typical Picoult predictability
There are a few “bombs” dropped throughout the novel. If you haven’t read Picoult before, you might not see them coming. If you are Picoult fan, though, I give you a few chapters to guess all of the secrets. Do they add anything to the novel? No. Are they roll-your-eye worthy? Yes!!

2. The timeline starting with the present moment and working its way back to noon; we end in the aftermath, quite abruptly
I just couldn’t get on board with this timeline, although from afar, moving backwards sounds like a brilliant idea. The story shows how this group of diverse people landed in this situation. However, I found the mixed plots and timeframes jumbled and confusing. A Spark of Light lacked flow.

I will admit: I had an ARC (advanced reading copy) so chapters and sections were MIA for that reason. Maybe if visual dividers had existed, I would have had an easier read. I’ll have to peek at a final version.
AND, the end just ends. Shots are fired. Someone dies. BOOM. Over. I would have loved more depth, and a stronger look into these characters’ lives after the shooting. I understand that this is not a book about hostage and shooting trauma, but these women and their stories are left incomplete. The overall novel and storyline felt a bit shallow without the solid ending.

Book Information
A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult [Ballantine Books 2018]
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction
To learn more about the author, visit Jodi Picoult’s website here.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This certainly was not what I expected. A lot of food for thought but the abortion issue overshadowed the story by far.

Once again, Jodi Picoult has written a thoroughly compelling story that tackles a hot-button controversial social topic. This time it's abortion, and told through multiple perspectives on both sides of the issue. In contrast to many of her other books, I wasn't able to develop any sympathy or much empathy for those on the "other side" of my personal beliefs, despite the very well-developed characters.

Picoult also makes the very interesting choice to tell this story backward, beginning mere moments before the end of a hostage situation and rolling time back hour by hour to the morning of that day. This technique both works and doesn't work for her. The tension definitely rises as you find out more and more of what happened, but at the same time, because lives were left hanging in the balance at the end of the day, I reached a point where I just wanted to know who lived and who didn't, and stopped caring about all the backstories.

While not everything in this book worked for me, Jodi Picoult is a master of her craft, and has gifted readers again with a deftly told story.

Jodi Picoult doesn't shy away from controversy. In the book ”A Spark of Light” she examines the topic of abortion. A shooter is at an abortion clinic. He has hostages and one is the daughter of the police hostage negotiator. This story is told from end to beginning. Pro-choice, pro-life and variations in between are represented through the story.

This isn't a simple book that is a quick read. This book stops you. You think about your position on abortion. You rethink your position and you think some more. This is a fair and balanced story. The characters all have their foibles and this brings even more depth to the book. This feels real. It is good to find a book that can shake up your convictions. This is certainly what happens when you read this book. You will not emerge as the same person.

When you read this book, please read the epilogue and author’s note. Both are important to understanding the book and why it was written.

While the subject matter made this book a powerful and poignant read, it wasn't one of my favorites of Jodi Picoult's. There were so many characters to keep track of and the reverse timeline of the book just didn't work for me. However, it was still a relevant and emotional story covering controversial subject matter that will provoke great discussion and thought. Even though it didn't work for me, it is still a fantastic book!

Jodi Picoult chooses to write about divisive topics in today's society and this one is no exception. I expect that a spark of light will be discussed and dissected by all who read it. The story opens with a typical day at a women's health center; protestors outside and patients inside nervously sitting in a waiting room. Not all who wait are there for an abortion, however, the man who enters and begins shooting doesn't care. Picoult takes us back from that moment to what happened hourly leading up to the shooting.

Capturing my attention from the very beginning, it was a tough and haunting read. Picoult's gift is to transport the reader into the midst of the action. I was in that waiting room watching and listening. My sympathies went back and forth as she unfolds each person's life and purpose in being there, from the doctor and nurse to the patients and the police negotiator. The shooter has a mission and is seeking revenge for what happened to his daughter and while not a sympathetic character, I felt compassion for him. Did it change my mind on what I believe about abortion? No, but it did make me pause and think. The way the situation unfolds in this book will make it a good choice for a Book Club. This book is Jodi Picoult at her best; her passionate writing and knowledge of the topic are what makes her characters come alive. I have read all of her books and each one stands alone in its complexity and ability to challenge preconceived thoughts on a given issue.

Wow, what a book! Once again, Jodi Picoult doesn't shy away from controversial subject matter. And, once again, one holds in their hands a truly readable and compelling book that manages to be fascinating, moving, human - yet clearly well-researched.

The use of a narrative from several viewpoints, working backwards on the timeline from the "main event" toward what triggered each person's involvement in the situation, worked extraordinarily well. I was afraid it would be hard to follow, but it was not. I can't imagine a better way to present this story.

The subject of this book is abortion - several sides of the issue. If you feel you may be triggered by the subject matter, it might not be the book for you. However, I feel it was presented from multiple viewpoints and attitudes, with honesty and clarity; thus, handled very well.

True rating 4.5, rounded down to four only because it narrowly missed being added to my keeper shelf.

Not a typical Jodi Picoult. Too drawn out and repetitive. She does handle the abortion/pro-life theme with sensitivity.

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. While I have liked all of her books I found that this is one of her standouts. She does an excellent job of looking at different points of view of the whole pro-life vs pro-choice debate.

This was a difficult book for me to read and this will not be a popular review. From the description I expected an evenhanded presentation of both sides of the issue on abortion. Picoult notes having spent time with those on the pro-life side before writing the book, but clearly did not connect with them. Pro-life activists are labeled as "antis" and white men who want to control women's bodies. Out of the ten main characters in the book, only two are shown in the pro-life camp -- one is the shooter and the other has infiltrated the clinic as a spy. The protesters and the folks in the pregnancy center around the corner are caricatures. Their attempts to connect with clinic visitors or convince them to choose life are ridiculed and 100% ineffective. More telling is the author's note giving us statistics on the violence surrounding the abortion issue since Roe v Wade. One violent statistic she overlooks is the number of lives taken by abortion since then which has been verified to be over 50 million sparks of light. A much better book to read on this issue is "The Atonement Child" by Francine Rivers.

I want to thank Random House and NetGally for providing a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
Whether you are Pro Life (like me) or Pro Choice, this book is a very interesting book that includes information and research about both sides of this very controversial topic- When does a human life begin?
The reverse time line was a little hard to follow, but it didn't stop me from reading the book in one day. And except for the profanity, I'd recommend this book. It definitely was one of her best!

The story opens with George, an active shooter at an abortion clinic, and a hostage negotiator, Hugh, trying to diffuse the situation. Why is George so angry? And, will Hugh be able to talk him down?

"Want to clear up a divisive issue? Throw all the parties into the crucible of a hostage situation, and let them simmer."

And, that's exactly what the author tackled in this ambitious and powerful "what if" scenario. The story begins towards the end of the hostage situation and then moves backwards in time as the reader finds out more about each of the characters involved, both inside and outside of the clinic.

In my opinion, throughout the entire book, both sides of this controversial and emotional topic were explored and presented in an equal manner.

"It stood to reason that both life and death began with a spark of light."

Abortion is an extremely controversial topic, and like all of the controversial topics Jodi Picoult explores, it will make you think and consider and think some more. No matter which side you're on, pro-life or pro-choice, I think this book is worth your time. Even if you don't change your stance, hopefully, at the very least, your mind will open a bit, allowing you to find compassion and empathy for BOTH sides.

"But he hoped empathy would spread, an invasive weed of compassion."

"Maybe it was possible to walk in another person's shoes, without trampling his step."

I love the majority of Jodi's books, but while reading most of this one, I was at a 3 star rating. I just didn't find it as gripping as her previous works, especially Small Great Things (5 stars) and My Sister's Keeper (5 stars). But, finally, finally, finally towards the end, I was able to raise it to 4 stars. 4 SOLID stars. She'd finally grabbed my full attention. She'd finally made her points, and I finally felt the power of her words. Kudos to the author for opening a much-needed dialogue about abortion. I also really loved the Author's Note at the end.

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Location: Jackson, Mississippi

Jodi Picoult remains a master at developing a tale about a current and controversial topic which is unwaveringly thought-provoking, emotionally involving, and without judgement. Hugh is a hostage negotiator; his teenage daughter and his sister are two of the hostages in the only women’s healthcare center in the state of Mississippi that offers abortion services. in addition to wellness care and contraception. The perpetrator is a gun-wielding, grief-stricken father who has terrible demons of his own. Surely, this is a recipe for disaster.
No one would expect this story to end well. Innocent people die and those left standing have their lives and values irreparably altered. The question of a woman’s right to choose is presented not as a two dimensional, right or wrong issue but rather as the extremely complex, deeply emotional issue that it is. Each person in the center that day has their reasons for being there, including the shooter. Each has their own individual story and often secrets as well. What makes any of us think we have the authority to judge the actions of others? None of us get through this life without sometimes making the wrong choice.

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

Hugh has been trying to negotiate with George Goddard for hours, asking him to release more hostages, stand down or both. The SWAT team was ready and waiting to move, but Hugh was concerned about the life of the hostages, including his daughter, from being harmed. Wren hadn’t been there for an abortion, she wanted birth control and talked her aunt Bex into to taking her. Bex has been shot and was now fighting for her life inside the hospital. Today was nothing like anyone could have ever imagined. But George felt like the only way to avenge the grandchild the Center took away from him, was to take the lives of those in the Center that allowed his daughter to abort her baby.

A Spark of Light is the story of The Center, the only women’s health clinic in the state of Mississippi that performs abortions, under siege by a gunman. But it’s also an in depth look at the people within the clinic. This book starts at the end. So even though we know who the gunman is, who is still alive and who is injured, we don’t know them. We’ve only seen the result of the trauma. Readers move back in time, to the beginning of the day, to see the full picture. That’s when things start to make sense. That’s when everyone’s motivations come to light and we began to understand how they all ended up at The Center that day, including the gunman. I’ll be honest, I didn’t care for this method of storytelling, not for this particular story. Mostly because I felt like once we found out what the motivations were for each character, the growth of that character ended. It became just a reiteration of their beliefs. Not only that, but in an attempt to cover the wide range of pro-choice and pro-life views, Picoult includes quite a few characters all of which need to be flushed out and not all of which were done successfully.

Maybe that’s the problem I have with this novel. I think Picoult is an amazing writer and I have been a fan of her for years but this book feels like it was an attempt at discussing abortion and the reproductive rights of women in the most provocative way imaginable. The idea behind the plot was extremely interesting, especially when you consider the fact that there have been many incidents of violence, resulting in death by pro-life advocates. I think if Picoult had streamlined the idea and focused on three characters, four at the most, this would have been a much more successful novel. That’s not the case here and there is so much information provided, wrapped up in the lives of these characters that the message almost gets lost. Picoult does a fair job at providing different sides to both the pro-life and pro-choice argument but in doing so, the momentum of the story is lost.

I genuinely don’t know how I feel about this novel. I think it can end up being really triggering because it discusses in depth and in some instances graphically details sexual trauma, abuse, miscarriages and the procedure regarding abortions. But it also discusses consent, sexual education and access to all forms of women’s health care which I think is extremely important. Most importantly Picoult discusses a very important topic in a challenging way but unfortunately, her characters suffer in many ways because the focus feels like it was more about fleshing out the motivations of activist and less about actually developing well thought-out believable characters.