I usually like Jodi Picoult's books so I was looking forward to this one.  She tends to get a bit preachy in her writing so I was bracing myself for that with this touchy subject of abortion.  Though I could easily sense her bias, she did a good job overall of presenting a balanced viewpoint on the issue.

The characters were basically well done and sympathetic.  The story, however, was confusing and frustrating - - not because of the story itself but because of the way it was written.  Beginning with the end and jumping around from different times and different characters made me want to scream!  I would have much preferred the story to be written in a normal fashion with the ending saved for the end!  And it would have been much better for the story in my opinion if it was more clear which character was speaking instead of everything muddled together.  It totally interrupted the flow of the book for me to have to stop and think - ok, is this the one who's dead now?, who is this?, is she the nurse or the patient - - etc.  

The ending (the actual ending, not the ending that began the book - - and if that sounds confusing, yeah, that's how the reader feels!) had a couple unexpected twists.  Though I had halfway thought of one of them, the other came as a complete surprise.

So no, this book isn't perfect; but it's a thought-provoking book that doesn't come to any concrete conclusions but provides the reader with information and provokes questions.  For that, I give this book 4 stars.

I have read many of Jodi's books and some are better than others... On a scale of 1-10, I would give this one a 5... The story itself was just not that gripping and found myself reading only because of the author  and hoped it would improve.. Sad to say, it did not.

A Spark Of Light by Jodi Picoult – 5 Stars – This book is a must read!
What can I say that is different than the description of the book or the thoughts of some of the previous famous writers that reviewed the book that are included in the description.  This is a very thought-provoking book on the subject of a clinic that offers women abortions, back in the day when they were legal in some states, not in all, and pro-life/pro-choice was just as difficult a choice for women who found themselves pregnant or wanted to use birth control.  In order to get to the clinic, you had to run the gauntlet of the people who chose to protest every single day at this particular clinic.  That in of itself would give some people pause before going in. On this particular day a gunman decides to go into the clinic to take a stance for his daughter who went to this particular clinic in the past.  There is a police hostage negotiator that begins to set up a plan to speak with the gunman and sets up the perimeter only to get a text from his own 15-year-old daughter, Wren, who to his horror is inside the clinic along with her Aunt.  This book is takes you through the white-knuckle time inside the clinic and through the thoughts of each character inside the clinic.  You’ll be driven to read this book to the end to find out the fate of each of the characters, but of course that of Wren who is so young to be caught up in the middle of all of this, who keeps waiting for her Dad to rescue them.  I can only say that Jodi Picoult has written this book in such a way that everyone might wish to rethink their stance and what they would do in each and every character’s position. She is to be applauded for taking on this subject in this story in the way that she did.  It’s obvious that much thought, and much research went into the writing of this story and the way she set up the story makes the telling even more powerful. 

I received a kindle version of this book through NetGalley and Random House books and I highly recommend this book for everyone to read!

The Description of the book as found on NetGalley.com:
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things returns with a powerful and provocative new novel about ordinary lives that intersect during a heart-stopping crisis.

“Picoult at her fearless best . . . Timely, balanced and certain to inspire debate.”—The Washington Post

The warm fall day starts like any other at the Center—a women’s reproductive health services clinic—its staff offering care to anyone who passes through its doors. Then, in late morning, a desperate and distraught gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage.

After rushing to the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a perimeter and begins making a plan to communicate with the gunman. As his phone vibrates with incoming text messages he glances at it and, to his horror, finds out that his fifteen-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic.

But Wren is not alone. She will share the next and tensest few hours of her young life with a cast of unforgettable characters: A nurse who calms her own panic in order to save the life of a wounded woman. A doctor who does his work not in spite of his faith but because of it, and who will find that faith tested as never before. A pro-life protester, disguised as a patient, who now stands in the crosshairs of the same rage she herself has felt. A young woman who has come to terminate her pregnancy. And the disturbed individual himself, vowing to be heard.

Told in a daring and enthralling narrative structure that counts backward through the hours of the standoff, this is a story that traces its way back to what brought each of these very different individuals to the same place on this fateful day.

One of the most fearless writers of our time, Jodi Picoult tackles a complicated issue in this gripping and nuanced novel. How do we balance the rights of pregnant women with the rights of the unborn they carry? What does it mean to be a good parent? A Spark of Light will inspire debate, conversation . . . and, hopefully, understanding.

Advance praise for A Spark of Light

“The author presents the white-knuckled narrative in a reverse-chronological order. The effect is mesmerizing, as Picoult establishes moments in the overarching event, before revealing how they came to be.”—Houston Chronicle

“Picoult delivers another riveting yarn . . . in this carefully crafted, utterly gripping tale.”—Booklist (starred review)

Another issues book by Picoult that tackles the pro choice / pro life conflict. Her narrative style is a bit difficult to follow at first: she tells the story backwards and there are a lot of characters with competing stories. However Picoult is an accomplished storyteller who knows how to unravel a tale. This is a relevant novel that will provide many opportunities for thoughtful discussion.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the author and publisher for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley. 

I love Jodi Picoult. I loved this book! I found her very well researched and as a christian woman who is antiabortion, I was not angry with Picoult for choosing this topic and bringing it to life the way she did. I love that there were so many characters who faced different experiences and how that shaped their perception on this topic. I felt that each argument was brought forward on both spectrums of this argument, many of which I had heard before and a few of which I had not. 

This cover is absolutely GORGEOUS! The abstractness of two woman having completely different views and their minds are just so full of different possibilities. I found the characters to be believable. I have met many woman who have been in these different situations. Some made the same decisions and some did not. 

I will absolutely be recommending this book to friends and family.

Not a fan of books that go backwards in the story line and then come back to the present. On the plus side it was written in such a way that it's thought provoking.

Jodi Picoult always seems to be able to approach a difficult topic looking at all sides. A Spark of Light is no exception as it's a detailed look, from multiple points of view, at abortion: pro-choice and pro-life. It was hard to put down and so emotional as the book explores the lives of the people captured in a hostage situation at the Clinic in rural Mississippi. Parts of it were hard for me to read, and I sometimes got lost in the back stories of the characters, but the book is a worthy read. Definitely recommend!

Jodi Picoult’s latest takes us to a Mississippi abortion clinic where a gunman has taken hostages. The story progresses in reverse chronological order, spotlighting the lives of all the participants and why the are at the clinic on that particular day. As the story unfolds, we learn the true motives of the gunman.

I have mixed feelings about this. It is exquisitely written and the fact that it is written in reverse chronological order shows Picolt’s gift as writer. Not many could pull this off with such ease and drama. The difficulty I have is with the subject matter being particularly heavy and depressing for me personally. Picoult takes on a very difficult topic brilliantly but by the end, I was completely over the abortion topic and ready to move onto something not quite so real and disturbing. I think that the fact that it did resonate with me so much is also an indication of Picoult’s fortitude. 

Many thanks to Netgalley, Ballantine Books and Jodi Picoult for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult that I read and reviewed.
I am usually a huge fan of anything that Jodi Picoult writes but I did not like this book that much at all. I could not get into it at all. For me it was nothing more then another book about a mad man that attacks an abortion clinic. Also, it seemed like things kept getting repeated instead of new things taking place. This book was rushed and took place too fast and you really did not get to know the characters, in my opinion, so there just was not the connection I would have liked to have had with this book.
I can only give A Spark of Light three out of five stars.

Secrets, choices and surprises

Jodi Picoult is an author who writes about controversial subjects. In this case, it is one of the most controversial - pro life or pro choice - a woman's legal right to have an abortion.

I started this book with my own opinion and the book didn't change my mind but it did try to show some aspects of why the decision to have or not to have an abortion is made. 

I am pro life. I believe life starts at conception. I was single, not married and pregnant at 19 years old. Abortion was a choice and I did not make it. My son is now 43 years old and I have not regretted that decision ever.

This story is about the last Center in Mississippi that allows chemical or surgical abortions. A gunman walks in one day and starts shooting and the story revolves around the people - medical staff and women there for their services - that are trapped in the Center with the gunman and also the hostage negotiator who finds out his daughter and sister are inside.

This is a book you'll definitely have opinions about but I think author Picoult did a pretty good job in presenting both sides of the issue. I did feel it was slanted more towards pro choice and showed the pro life advocates as radicals. I know some are but don't believe that the majority are.

I received this book from Random House through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

3.5 rounded up.
Jodie Picoult is a prolific writer, and if you’ve read any of her books, you know she confronts head on some tough, controversial and always relevant issues. This one couldn’t be more timely with this predominantly conservative Supreme Court we will more than likely have, who could possibly reverse Roe v Wade. We see mass shootings and hostage situations too frequently on the news. This book takes us inside a hostage situation, where people are shot inside an women’s clinic that provides abortion services. Picoult has done a terrific job of reflecting both pro-choice and pro-life points of view. Most people who read this book will probably have their own opinion on the issue, and what happens here most likely isn’t going to change that.  At the very least by giving us characters with different perspectives, those who want their babies, those who don’t, or those who do, but just can’t because of circumstances, she gives us a chance to see things differently from where we may stand.

I’m not going to focus at all on the plot, but rather on the number of things that I liked  about this story. I liked how the hostages, some of whom didn’t know each other connected. I liked how Picoult moves rapidly from character to character and gives us each of their stories. In this cast of characters, my favorite was Louie, the abortion doctor, who was pro-life but wanted those who wanted an abortion to have it safely. He remembers his mother. It made me think about how easily we judge people without knowing what they have experienced. It made me think about the victims of these types of crimes and of how little we know them except for a few things they tell us in the news. 

What didn’t quite work for me was the structure of the book which reads backwards in time and I’m not really sure why. It didn’t add anything to the story for me. It felt repetitive at times. There were a couple of relationship twists which I guessed, but ultimately did made sense for the story and were realistic. Picoult could have been preachy, but she wasn’t. She has written a thought provoking story, one that encourages dialogue. In the end what I liked about the book outweighed what I didn’t like so I will round up it to 4 stars. 

I received an advanced copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through NetGalley.

Sometimes I'm super excited about the fact that I'm a book blogger with NetGalley because of the awesome early opportunities I'm provided to read books by amazing authors. Today's book is A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult.  I've never read a Jodi Picoult book that I didn't love, and this book was absolutely no different!

There are two story lines followed in A Spark of Light.  The first and main story is about a seemingly normal day at a women's health clinic.  As usual, the protesters are outside the clinic, and nervous women are inside the clinic. There are doctors and nurses moving around providing the best possible care to their patients.....

.....and then the unexpected occurs.  George, an active shooter, enters the abortion clinic and begins shooting.  A police officer and hostage negotiator, Hugh, is called to try and diffuse the situation thanks to his skills for talking people into surrendering. The job seems like a normal situation to Hugh until he learns that his daughter and sister are actually inside the clinic. Everything that is important to Hugh in this world are inside that clinic.
The unusual thing about this whole book is that the author delivers the story from nearly the end to the beginning.  She uses chapters that each represent a hour of time.  While readers start with the shooting, we slowly move backwards in time as we learn more about each of the characters involved, both inside and outside of the clinic.  We learn about how each of them ended up in the position they are in.

A Spark of Light is a very thought provoking and emotion inducing read.  Jodi Picoult writes about the tough issue of abortion and she does so with grace and dignity.  You will be glad you read A Spark of Light, even if the content is sometimes heartbreaking to read.

I was provided with a complimentary digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and unbiased opinion. A positive review was not required.

I have been a fan of Jodi Picoult for many years. I have loved  most of  her books, especially her earlier ones. There have been some that were a bit predictable and didn’t seem to grab me as much. This book falls right in the middle. 
 The book starts at a Women’s Clinic where there is a hostage situation taking place. I enjoyed the timely and controversial topic. The characters and dialogue were believable. Picoult is, as always, a master storyteller.  
I did feel like there were too many stories and characters throughout the book. At times, it was tough to keep everyone straight and also prevented me from really getting attached to or really caring about the characters.  Overall, I enjoyed this book, I think most Picoult fans will.

Where to start with this review? 
To start, A Spark of Light wasn't what I was expecting. 

I've read several other books by Jody Picoult and they've all been full of tension and suspence that kept me glued to the pages. 
The beginning of this one was just that, an explosive, heart-stopping moment that immediately grabbed my attention. Unfortunately, for me, the main body of the book slowed considerably and was more about abortion than the hostage situation. Hugh McElroy, the hostage negotiator, discovers that his sister, Bex, and his fifteen year old daughter, Wren, are two of the victims being held hostage in the clinic. This is an interesting twist in the storyline, allowing the reader to get to know both characters from different perspectives, giving it a bit of mystery and suspence . I also enjoyed reading the individual stories about the circumstances that brought each person to the clinic that fateful morning. But the storyline lacked the momentum to hold my intrest throughout the bulk of the book and I really struggled to get to the end.
The story is also written with the chapers in reverse order. The most recent events are at the beginning of the book and going back in time. I didn't care for this format as we learn the story ends in chapter one, taking steam out of my desire to read the middle of the book. 
I have loved the other books by author and I really wanted to like this book so I was determined to finish it and I'm happy I did! I really enjoyed how the story ended and it was worth reading.
This is definitely not the caliber I expect from Jody Picoult but I'm I have on a number of her novels on my shelves that I'm excited to read. 
So, overall, this wasn't a book for me but may be more enjoyable for other readers. 

With thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Jody Picoult for this digital ARC for me to read in exchange for my honest review.

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

October 2, 2018
Fiction

I received this digital ARC from NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is a very powerful book which delves into the delicate and controversial topic of abortion. The method of reverse story telling seemed effective initially but became confusing as more characters were added to the story. Each character has his/her own history and beliefs which allow for a multidimensional plot. 

When Hugh McElroy woke up on his birthday he has no idea what challenges he would face on a seemingly ordinary day. As a police detective experienced with hostage negotiations, Hugh was prepared when the call came in for assistance at the Center. Things become more personal when he realizes that his 15 year old daughter, Wren and her aunt Bex are among the hostages in the reproductive health clinic. 

There are many twists and turns as each person’s life and reason for being at the Center that day is revealed. Each person has a separate story which brings them all together to eventually unite during this shared tragedy. 

Ultimately, we are all entitled to our beliefs and trying to force those values on to other people will always be counterproductive to the initial goal. Our values and ethics are often challenged by unexpected life events to which we might never imagine. No one has the right to judge or condemn another person’s right to choose what’s best.

Jodi Picoult is the master of taking a controversial subject and showing there are very real human beings behind every side of an issue. A Spark of Light is no exception. I enjoyed the format of knowing the end and slowly going back to the beginning. The reader builds empathy for each character as Jodi peels back the layers of who each character is. So many surprises! I know I want to talk to each character to find out more. I will be thinking about this book for a long time. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine books.

Jodi Picoult is an author that does not shy away from controversial and thought provoking topics.  Spark of Light is a compelling novel in which the narrative is told in reverse.  Initially, I was not sure how that would work out, but for this particular story, it gives the author the road map to perfectly lay out the story.

"The Center was the calm in the middle of a storm of ideology.  It was the sun of a universe of women who had run out of time and had run out of choices, who needed a beacon to look up to." 
                                                                                                                                              - A Spark of Light

The Center is a clinic for women, and offers a variety of services, such as exams, birth control, and abortion.  It is also the only clinic left in Mississippi that performs abortions.  The Center is no stranger to controversy, and is often the target of both politics and religion.  However, through it all, it continues to keep the door open to all women in need of the services offered.  

It is a beautiful, warm fall morning, and George Goddard is on a mission.  Immediately after rushing through the door at the Center, he begins shooting.  George has five hostages, and he has been talking with Hugh McElroy, the hostage negotiator, for several hours.  Hugh is trying to get George to surrender, but George has other plans.  He releases four of the hostages, and only one hostage remains in the building...Wren McElroy, Hugh's fifteen year old daughter. 

As the story unfolds, the author introduces the reader to everyone in the Center that tragic morning.  Their backstories are told, leading up to the reasons why they ended up at the Center in the first place.  Each character story is explained from their individual point of view, and the author does not try to get the reader to choose a side.  If you read this with an opinion mind, it will make the story more powerful and compelling.  Jodi Picoult brilliantly lays out and examines both sides of the abortion issue, and everyone that reads this novel will have a different reaction based on their personal beliefs and opinions.  I thought the author approached the topic in a thoughtful, and often thought-provoking manner.  This is never any easy topic, but considering our current political climate, it is obviously still relevant.  

Overall, this is a story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.  I truly felt the struggle of each character, and the difficult decisions some had to make.  The fact that I felt such a wide range of emotions is a testament to the incredible storytelling skills of Jodi Picoult.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book.  My views are my own, and are in  no way influenced by anyone else.

Told in reverse chronological order, this book grabbed me from the first few pages.  One of the better books by Picoult that I have read in a while, this story tackles a lot of topics and handles them in a way that leave the reader thinking about all the sides of a topic.  Characters who are realistic and dealing with a traumatic situation, this was such a thought provoking story.  Sometimes when a story is told in this reverse manner it can get confusing, but  Picoult makes it work and work well.  Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Jodi Picoult is an auto read for me because she has never disappointed me and this book didn't either. It's an emotionally packed story that will grab you by the throat from the first page until the last so make sure that you have plenty of time to dedicate to this gem of a book because you will simply not want to put it down. A definite winner in my own opinion. Happy reading!

Another gripping book by Picoult on a controversial topic.    Hopefully it will engender a great deal of thoughtful conversation about a subject that people have very strong views on.  No one will be swayed one or the other on the topic of abortion after reading this book, but perhaps each reader will understand the other side more.