Loved this book, But I usually like books from this author it's about pro-choice and a father/daughter relationship with their aunt Bex

I absolutely loved this novel. It was so multi-layered and gave a lot of research on the topic of abortion and fetal development. Picoult allows you to empathize with perspectives on both sides and come to your own conclusion.

Jodi Picoult has done it again; tackling a difficult issue, she does so with grace, compassion, and a unique ability to tell a full-bodied story with a variety of unique experiences. Different than Picoult's other books (and yes, I've read them all!), it is told backwards, so you slowly learn the stories and motivations of all the different characters.

This book is a relatively easy read--unless reading about abortion or mass shootings brings you pause; the characters are compelling, interesting to learn about, and pull the reader in different directions.

I highly recommend this book and, as always, will be eagerly awaiting her next book.

This is such a heart-wrenching story that hits home as it’s so relevant in our country right now. Picoult tackles a touchy subject and shows various views realistically. The characters are realistic. The only issue I had was the layout that was a little tough at times, as this story is told from the current time and goes backward.

I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult and this book is a reason why! I think she did a great job of writing about both sides but I do feel like she leaned Pro-choice a little more. What I almost enjoyed the most, was her authors note that gave her thoughts and research. As always, she had two huge twists at the end, that of course, I didn’t see coming. Great book!

Jodi Picoult keeps it coming with another terrific book.

This book will be featured on BookSmartTV.com

Jodi Picoult has repeatedly used fiction to give voice to complicated, current, real-life issues. A Spark of Light is no exception as Picoult confronts the divisive issue of abortion. Gunfire is heard in a local abortion clinic, and hostages are taken.. Hugh McElroy, police negotiator, rushes to the scene and learns early in the negotiations that his only child, Wren, is inside the clinic. Hugh is obligated to turn the negotiations over to another, objective person, but he is unable to do so. He believes only he can resolve this situation and prevent a blood bath that could include his daughter.

Although the plot of A Spark of Light is realistic and believable, the plot design seemed disjointed and the story's intensity slowed as the count backwards began. It is difficult to tie all of the subplots together into one cohesive story, and the backward movement intensified this difficulty as well as the loss of momentum. Although variations of this format has been successfully used by Picoult in the past, it blunted the power of this story.

I tried really hard to get through this book. I normally love what Jodi Picoult has to offer, but this book, which I expected to be sympathetic to both sides of the issue, was incredibly biased. I let it go until at 51% in the pro life people, or anti choice people as they are so lovingly referred to in the book, are only praying for the one pro choice person in the building besides the shooter. And she, of course, is a dirty rotten spy. Because No one who is pro life can be a good person. <insert eyeroll> This book could have been amazing. I am sad it was just a one sided mess. I was looking forward to a book that allowed for both sides of the issue to be heard. I will be looking forward to the next Picoult book, I just hope it will be something like her previous work and nothing like this.

I have to say that I was underwhelmed while reading A Spark of Light, by Jodi Picoult. I am usually a lover of Picoult's writing, and particularly loved her last novel, Small Great Things. This time, however, her attempts to shock and awe while addressing a moral and philosophical issue in today's world... fell flat. Perhaps there is too much detritus to sift through when it comes to the abortion debate; I feel like Picoult knew what she wanted to do and where she wanted to go with this story, but couldn't quite get there.
Much thanks to NetGalley & Ballentine Books for an early copy of this book for review.

This author should be on my auto buy list. No matter what tough topic she chooses, wow...just wow. And this book was no different. Strong story with a plot that resonates long after the last page is done.

What an interesting book, and a somewhat difficult one to review. The subject matter (abortion) is a polarizing one, but then again most of the subjects Jodi Picoult tackles are difficult and often polarizing ones. So I went into it knowing that - fortunately I also knew that this was written with a bit of a twist - the timeline runs backwards, chapter by chapter. I'm glad I knew that, because even armed with that knowledge, at times it was a bit confusing.
There's plenty of thought-provoking content for the reader, characters and ideas on both sides of the issue for readers on both sides of the issue to (hopefully) ponder and consider. At turns both heartbreaking and hopeful, this one might not end up being my favorite Jodi Picoult read, but I'm very glad I read it.

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

I've read every book by Picoult over the years and I have fallen in love with most of them. This one was just too hard to read. With the politics as they are currently and women's rights, I just couldn't take reading for pleasure a book that was so tied into everything I was trying to escape from when I read.

I don't really know what to say about this book. I struggled with a lot of things in this book, and I hated the reverse order format. It definitely wasn't my favorite Jodi Picoult book, and I'm just going to leave it at that.

At the end of each year, I reflect upon the books that affected me the most, the books that I can’t get out of my head. There are unforgettable characters, fascinating storylines and inspirational true stories. And so I present my list of the 12 most compelling books I read in 2018.

Three nonfiction titles made my list, starting with former first lady Michelle Obama’s “Becoming.” Mrs. Obama’s voice is so strong as she vividly recounts her childhood growing up in on Chicago’s South Side, where her parents instilled in her a strong desire for a good education as a pathway to success. Hers is an American success story.

There have been many books written by former Obama administration officials, but Beck Dorey-Stein’s “From the Corner of the Oval” stands out. She got a job as a stenographer for the White House through Craigslist, and she takes us along as she rides on Air Force One and has an ill-advised affair with a man who strings her along.

Tara Westover’s “Educated” has made many best of 2018 lists, and it is clear why. Westover and her seven siblings grew up with her survivalist parents, working at dangerous jobs helping her father. After never having attended school, Westover takes the GED, gets into college and eventually earns a Ph.D. It is a remarkable achievement and a brilliant book.

A good fictional companion piece to “Educated” is Kristin Hannah’s novel “The Great Alone.” Set in 1974, teenage Leni Albright moves to a remote area of Alaska and lives off the grid as her father grapples with his experiences in Vietnam, and she and her mother struggle with his increasingly violent behavior.

Leah Franqui’s brilliant debut novel “America for Beginners” takes us along on a road trip taken by Pival, an Indian widow looking for answers about her son’s life, the struggling actress who acts as her chaperone, and a young Bangladeshi immigrant on his first solo trip as their tour guide. Pival is an unforgettable character.

Amy Poeppel’s humorous “Limelight” tells the story of a recently transplanted Dallas mom of three who has to deal with her children’s anxieties, living in a crazy new city, and finding a job when she hits a car belonging to a Justin Bieber-like singer. Somehow she ends up as his personal assistant as he readies to star on Broadway. It is a laugh-out-loud funny story with a lot of heart.

For something more thought-provoking, Jodi Picoult’s “A Spark of Light” is one of her best books yet, about people trapped in a woman’s health clinic with a gunman who has a grudge against the people who run the clinic. Picoult takes an issue that has divided this country and gives empathy to all involved with great skill.

There are two mysteries that made my list. The first is Laura Lippman’s “Sunburn.” Polly abandons her husband and 3-year-old daughter, changes her name and takes a job working in a bar when she meets Adam and embarks on a torrid affair with him. But Adam is not who he says he is. Polly is an indelible character, and the ending is a corker.

The second mystery is Lisa Scottoline’s “One Perfect Lie” about a high school teacher and baseball coach who appears to be up to something nefarious, recruiting his players for something much more dangerous than winning the sectionals. This one made the list for the brilliant twist in the middle of the book that upends everything.

Barbara Kingsolver is back with “Unsheltered,” a novel about a middle-aged couple who inherit a dilapidated house in New Jersey. They deal with unemployment, under-employment, parental health issues, the return of a prodigal daughter and a son who drops his newborn baby off with them. It’s a big, meaty book you’ll want to savor as you read.

Anne Tyler’s “Clock Dance” is quieter, but no less affecting. Sixty-one-year-old Willa gets a phone call to come and care for the young daughter of her son’s ex-girlfriend. She has never met the girl, but going there to care for her profoundly changes Willa.

And finally, the book that everyone from Oprah to Michelle Obama has been talking about: Tayari Jones’ “An American Marriage.” It’s the story of Celestial and Roy, married for a short time when Roy is falsely imprisoned. It’s about loyalty, love and faithfulness set against the subject of mass incarceration. It’s better than everyone says it is, a true American story.

As a huge fan of Jodi Picoult's novels, I was sorely disappointed by A Spark of Light. To start, I did not care for the way the story was told backward. I know a few people that read the last chapter before they start a book (bizarre!), but I am not one and did not care for the format. I also felt she was very biased in her story writing, making the pro-life side seem uncaring and out of touch. I understand she has a personal opinion, and I'm sure it is that way in all of her books, but I've found that in her previous books she was able to present both sides and let the reader think the issues through for themselves. I feel her leaning showed through from the very start of A Spark of Light.

I couldn't get into this book. I would recommend it simply because of the author. But I was beyond confused about it. I couldn't keep the characters straight. I'm crossing my fingers that she doesn't write like this again.

I really enjoyed A Spark of Light, it is a very hard and sensitive subject matter, it's about abortion it is one that needs to be told. I will admit I found it hard to keep track of all the characters but once I did it didn't bother me. I liked that we get everyone's point of very there for you can make up your mind in how everything played out. I also enjoyed how the story was played out and told in a reverse timeline.
I liked how Jodi Picoult told this story and the characters each had their own voices. This is one story well very sensitive is told with perfection and care.

This is a book about a Father, who is a police hostage negotiator, trying to save his daughter in a hostage situation that takes place in an abortion clinic/women's health clinic. Although I enjoyed the premise of this book, it got lost in the way the author kept retelling the story in every chapter. I believe it was to tell it from different characters perspectives, but felt too repetitive for me. Not my favorite from Jodi Picoult, but still really enjoy this author.

Wow, Jodi Picoult does it again. This book sucked me right in and before I knew it I had read a third of the book in one setting. It was wonderfully written and I could tell it was well researched (as was confirmed in the author's note). No matter what side you are on, pro-life, pro-choice, or somewhere in between, this is an incredibly important book to read. There are many characters to keep track of and the book was written backwards, so that made it a little hard. But all in all this was an excellently written book. It is one that will make you think long after you are finished reading it. I do wish some of the character's storylines had more closure which is why this is a four star book for me.

As a study of a controversial subject, this book does a good job of describing opposing viewpoints and bringing different situations and life experiences to light. It was a compelling read, but on the whole, for reasons I haven't been able to figure out, it left me feeling unsatisfied and unsettled. However, I think that it would lead to some excellent discussions within a book group whose members have a mutual respect, empathy and compassion for the other members.