Jodi doesn't disappoint with her newest. this novel is all you have come to expect from her. The author weaves a delicate story from both sides of the abortion issue. I like when a novel takes me out of my comfort zone. A sign of a good novel is being able to feel each persons plight. She convincingly shows both perspectives. winner winner!

"We are all drowning slowly in the tide of our opinions, oblivious that we are taking on water every time we open our mouths."

A Mississippi morning. Gunfire erupts in a health center that performs abortions. The women inside, along with a male doctor, are held hostage by a gunman who is seeking retribution because his daughter had been to the clinic and was counseled, he believes, to obtain an abortion. But the situation is more complicated than that. The hostage negotiator, Hugh McElroy, has a real crisis on his hands as he arrives at the center -- he's just found out that his daughter, Wren, and his sister, Bex, are inside. NO SPOILERS.

I must admit that I had some reservations about reading this book but, immediately after I downloaded it today, I started reading and just finished it a little while ago. I was totally glued to the pages of this story. Not only was it extremely even handed regarding its highly inflammatory subject matter of abortion, it was written in an unusual time structure going from present to past, in reverse order to the way I usually prefer my books to flow. So it ends with the beginning and follows with an epilogue that answers all the questions. At no time did I feel that I was being persuaded to take a side, nor were there subtle hints as to any author bias. It was obvious from the author's end note that she had done a tremendous amount of research, even to the point of spending time in a clinic and observing the termination procedures. The characters -- both those that were pro-choice and those who were anti-abortion (or pro-life) were all in the scenario and represented the various beliefs, wishes and desires with their reasons for doing and feeling as they did.

Jodi Picoult is not afraid of writing about controversial subjects and I believe that her purpose must surely be to open up dialogue about issues that tend to polarize people. In today's society, we seem to be bombarded by so many differences of opinion that result in responses that range from arguments to violence. What was once personal and private has become center stage. Activists on both sides of the abortion issue have various methods of rallying people to action or agreement. Lawmakers weigh in, deciding what is legal and what is not. Unfortunately, it's hard to remain objective in the face of it all as most of us no doubt feel pressures from different factions. At the end of the day, each person will have to come to their own perspective knowing, however, that it all boils down to the question of relevancy. And the fact that the way you feel one day may change depending on circumstances.

I am quite glad I was given an opportunity to read this and I'll be thinking of it for a long time. It would make an excellent choice for a book club, but I'm not sure everyone feels comfortable in this climate to share honest opinions without fear of judgement.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this e-book ARC to read and review. I look forward to reading and hearing what others think of it.

This book was different from many of the Jodi Picoult books I have read. It went into events that are very relatable to what is happening in the world today.

Again, Picoult presents a fascinating story of lives intertwined in an extremely controversial topic. The over lap of the characters and their lives is shockingly evident, but not fully realized because of the presentation.

I absolutely love how this book is set up. The opening chapter gives you background information on most of the main characters. They are all embroiled in an active-shooter / hostage situation in a women’s health center. From this point, 5:00 PM, each subsequent chapter is one hour earlier in the day.

I highly recommend this tile for purchase for all libraries.

Wow! I don’t read all of Picoult’s books, but this one is a winner. The cast of characters are from varied backgrounds, all in a medical building for women’s health, including abortions and birth control. Hugh, a hostage negotiator on the police force, learns his daughter Wren is on the clinic with the shooter. In addition to the unique method of telling the story in reverse, until the end, the subject matter, always controversial, takes a look at the human sides in the pro and anti arguments. Another page turner undertaking a key issue today, highly recommended.

This timely novel tells the story of a women's reproductive health clinic being attacked by a lone gunman, who then holds the staff and patients hostage. To add to the drama, the hostage negotiator discovers that his sister and daughter were at the clinic, and have been captured along with the others. Picoult experiments in this book by going backward in time, beginning at 5 p.m. and reversing back to 8 a.m., followed by an epilogue. In my opinion, this experiment did not work well. Not only was it confusing chronologically, but the many characters became more muddled retroactively, and the element of suspense was a bit off-kilter. Nonetheless, this book covers an extremely important issue, and the characters' differing roles and viewpoints added depth to the discussion, as did the description of the perpetrator's thought processes.

I am finally approved for an ARC of a Picoult book from NetGalley and I can’t rave about it! :(

The day starts like any other at the Center, a women’s reproductive health services clinic. But the day takes a turn for the worse when a gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage.

The subject matter of this book made it hard for me to read. It seems to me that Picoult researched the subject matter thoroughly, showing abortion from both sides. But I felt uncomfortable and sad the entire time I read. If the subject of abortion bothers you at all, this probably isn’t the book for you.

In my opinion, the impact of this story was taken away by telling it in reserve order rather than chronological. I believe it was told in reverse to allow for a big reveal at the end. But this reader, who usually doesn’t see these things coming, saw this one coming a mile away. I felt for each character, but their story lost something because of the way it was told.

This book did not spark a light (see what I did there?) in this reader and left me disappointed. But it’s Jodi Picoult, so I’ll keep reading her books.

Another powerful read from a fabulous, socially conscience author. It is hard to write a review for this book. It is so thought provoking and heartbreaking. This is a must read book and so important at this time - politically, morally, socially.

A Spark of Light is a brave and ambitious novel that will likely ignite controversy, but could also serve as a beacon for those on every side of the abortion debate to seek some common ground. A Spark of Light is a work of fiction, but could easily be based on any of the hundreds of violent attacks on abortion clinics that have occurred since Roe v. Wade became law. Set in Mississippi, the novel opens with a gunman storming the office, then spirals backwards to uncover the circumstances that brought the patients, doctors, staff people, and police on a collision course with a man bent on destruction. This "reserve chronological" narrative is both a blessing and a curse-you learn right away who dies in the initial gunfire- but because it happens so early there's no clue about what could drive a person to commit such an act, or anything about the victims (not everyone is there for an abortion). This is not the first time Jodi Picoult has tackled a tough subject-(her novel Nineteen Minutes described a Columbine type shooting)- but it is her most timely and thought provoking work to date. A Spark of Light is meticulously researched-Miss Picoult interviewed actual patients, providers, pro choice and anti abortion supporters, as well as the restrictions that have left many states with only one provider-(documented in her Author's Notes and Acknowledgments at the end of the book). Few could walk the tightrope of emotions (or take the risk of writing about them), that define this hotly contested issue as deftly as Jodi Picoult, and through her characters she defends every position-without choosing sides. The only stand she takes is violence is never the solution to an argument, no matter how passionately you feel it should be. There's a few cliches-the doctor who dedicates his life to providing safe abortions after watching his mother die from a botched procedure, the Bible Belt "anti's," and two unexpected twists that will both appease and annoy. But don't look to A Spark of Light for any answers-it is not meant to be a legal or moral authority. Perhaps it will spark conversation-through questions many never have to think about, but some wrestle with everyday.

I'm a recent Jodi Picoult fan. "Small Great Things" was the first book that I read of hers and I am hooked. This new book is equally enthralling. Picoult's thorough research, superior pacing and structure matched with her ability to make even characters who are vile on the surface relatable to the reader are simply perfection. I will be recommending this book widely. An important read right now as our nation is so polarized on many things, but particularly abortion.
Side note- I loved how she made older characters an important part. Dr. Ward and Olive were my favorites

A well-researched and timely story with well-developed and realistic characters on all sides of opinions of the always-sensitive topic of abortion and women's reproductive rights.

Another winner for Jodi Piccult! Using an unusual structure, this book starts near the end then works backwards hour by hour to the beginning. It all gets wrapped up in the epilogue. Highly recommended book by a highly recommended author.

Picoult's latest novel provokes serious pondering. What's your stance on abortion? She throws readers a curve by starting the book at the end of the action and then counting back the hours. At first, this organization threw me, but it grew on me after the first couple of chapters. Readers become more in tune with the characters as the author reveals more of their individual stories. Picoult appears to have done much research and presents balanced arguments and aspects for both sides. I thought the ending was a bit flat. Readers are left wondering what happened to the bulk of the characters. Some of their stories remain unfinished, like Izzy's. Picoult is a stellar author, however the finish fizzled.

I've read most of Jodi Picoult's books so I wasn't surprised by the punch that her newest book packed:) I thought the writing was excellent, especially the character development, and I found myself becoming especially attached to Wren. I think Jodi Picoult does an excellent job of creating a unique voice for each of her characters, so I could hear their individual voices in my head as I was reading, almost without realizing it. It made for a very engrossing read (I finished the book in 4 hours, so it was literally un-put-downable) and I really appreciated the different viewpoints on abortion that were laid out. Both sides of the subject were closely examined, and from reading her past books I know this is something the author does really well. Even if I didn't agree with some of the characters viewpoints I was able to get a glimpse into their opinions and it made me pause and think, if not agree at all.

I thought this book was excellent!

When Hugh, a hostage negotiator, arrives at an abortion clinic, he is shocked to find that his daughter and sister are trapped inside with an active gunman. Moving backwards through time, the book slowly unravels the story of those inside and out of the clinic.

I don't understand why the author chose to move backwards in time. It really took away from the book and the story. The entire book felt like a runaway train, with the characters and story all mixed up and muddled. What could have been a great book, was just a mess. Overall, a bust.

Jodi Picoult drills down deep into the most heart-wrenching contradictions at the core of being human, and pulls to the surface A Spark of Light: A story that deserves to be read with an open, empathetic mind, and a willingness to attempt to better understand both sides of a never finished debate. I can't remember the last time I was so profoundly moved by a novel. My highest recommendation.

This is the first book by Jodi Picoult that I have read. Needless to say it is a powerful subject with a lot of different opinions.
I personally cannot imagine what these women go through or making the decisions that they do. This book certainly tells it like it is.

Jodi Picoult is the master of weaving intricate stories surrounding issues that are morally grey with a roundhouse of characters, who represents various shades of the spectrum. I truly think that A Spark of Light is one of her best novels. While I greatly enjoyed Small Great Things, there were times where I felt the book was not evenly handled. However, A Spark of Light looks into the issues surrounding abortion without proclaiming, which side is morally sound, and therefore, humanizes both the pro-choice and pro-life perspectives.

So with that said, A Spark of Light examines the events of one at The Center, the only women's health care and reproductive center in Mississippi. Yes, the clinic performs abortions, but Picoult is careful to show that these centers also offer other services, such as contraceptives and routine checkouts. Anyways, on this day, a shooter comes into the clinic and everything unravels from there. George, the shooter, came to the clinic because his daughter received an abortion there and he wants to exact revenge for a multitude of reasons that are revealed throughout the story.

The heart of this story revolves around Wren and her father Hugh, who is a hostage negotiator. However when he arrives on the scene, Hugh does know not that his daughter is trapped in the center with the shooter. Unbeknownst to him, Wren asked her Aunt Bex to take her to the center to procure the pill. As the day slowly unravels, we learn about each individual, who happened to be there that day. There's Joy, who was fifteen weeks pregnant, Janine, an undercover anti, who went into the clinic to record incriminating evidence, and Olive, an older woman. There's also a nurse named Izzy, who is conflicted about her relationship with affluent Parker while desperately trying to keep the injured Dr. Ward and Aunt Bex alive.

Dr. Ward is one of my favorite characters. His mother growing up died after receiving an illegal abortion and decided that his Christian duty was to protect women's rights and help them choose their own future. He is based on the real life Dr. Willie Parker, which is also super awesome. There are also some quotes that resonated with me about how Dr. Ward understands what it feels like to be a woman since white men used to own black men's bodies and now that they can't - they're trying to control women's bodies. I just think that Picoult really evokes each perspective thoughtfully and each one is different than the other.

There's also Joy and Janine, who serve as a wonderful dichotomy between pro-life and pro-choice. After a torrid affair, Joy finds herself pregnant and unable to care for the baby, so she makes the difficult decision to get an abortion. On the other hand, we have Janine, who went into the center to record evidence that these types of clinics are forcing women to have abortions. Joy and Janine have some of the most wonderful debates. One of my favorite scenes is after the shooting when Joy goes home, Janine accompanies her and starts spewing hateful things about abortion. Joy looks her in the eye and tells Janine that her abortion will always follow her for the rest of her life. I think Picoult really captures what it feels like, for some women, to have an abortion; it was the right thing for them, but it doesn't mean they don't think about it.

Anyways, I could talk about this book for awhile but I do have a couple of critics. First off, I loved all the characters a lot and I wish there was more closure for each one. The format of the book is it goes backwards in time from 6 p.m. to the start of the day. So once it finishes, we don't really see what happens after that day. There's also another perspective dedicated to the shooter's daughter, who is charged with murder after inducing an abortion, and we don't see the resolution to that story.

The backwards timeline in this book just didn’t do it for me. I felt like the characters became flat. I loved the topic, but I just never felt “into” the book.

A Spark of Light is a thought provoking book no matter which side of the debate you are on. The subject matter and moral dilemmas of the characters are well defined. I am not a fan of books where the timeline is reversed, but Picoult has written another great book.