This timely, controversial book provides a riveting time line from the shooting in an abortion clinic, traveling backwards chronologically explaining why the actors felt the need to do what they did. While the trip back in time explains all the rationale, it is at times awkward; however ,that doesn't deter one from having to read to the end in order to discover the outcome. The characters are drawn with great compassion. You like them all, (even the "bad guy" has his reasons ) and Picoult definitely makes her point. With mass shootings on the rise and abortion still a hotly debated issue, this book brings it all to the front and it makes you think-which is obviously the goal of this author. Well done--four stars because I felt the journey backwards in time to be a bit confusing.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. There were moments of brilliance but the “twists” (no spoilers here!) were predictable. The political views of the author were a little much and imagine if you are not pro-choice you might have some big problems with the story and the portrayal of some of the activists. Having known doctors who provide abortions and nurses who work in a center like this I think the author did a good job humanizing their choices.

I want to thank NetGalley for a complementary copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!*

Wow, this book was very unique. I can;t say this was made for a particular kind of reader and that's what made it good. This novel is sure to get anyone thinking about where they stand on women's clinics and it will challenge you to be more open -minded. I would say that this is an important work due to what is happening in the world.

I've had Jodi Picoult books on my TBR for ages, but this is the first I've finally found time to read, and I will definitely be going back for more!

Picoult is a fabulous writer who deals with some of the toughest subjects with precision, honesty, and most of all, humanity. Abortion is clearly a very polarizing subject, and I really enjoyed the debate and differing viewpoints this book wove together, even if I did not agree with them all. A touching story that I hope will allow people to sympathize or at least understand opinions that might be different from their own.

There were some twists at the end I thought cheapened the debate a bit, and I was a little uncertain about the decision to tell the story backwards, but this is a wonderful book. And I am excited to dive into more of Picoult's works.

**I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I was thrilled to receive a copy of "A Spark of Light" By Jodi Picoult from Net Galley and Ballentine Books Publishing in return for an honest review. I have been hit or miss with Jodi Picoult for years. When she is good she is great (see: The Storyteller, Small Great Things) when she is off she is really off (see: Tenth Circle, Lone Wolf). This novel set right in the middle with me.

Trigger warning before you pick this up. This book dives VERY deeply into the subject of abortion. All sides of abortion, pro-life - pro-choice - providers, protestors, medical abortions, surgical abortions, fathers, mothers the whole gamut. Picoult does a wonderful job of balancing the polarizing sides of this issue, the good the bad and the ugly of why and how abortion is and will remain a hot button in this country.

I gave the book a three-star rating even though I wanted so badly to rate hit higher because I feel like this is a very important story to tell and Jodi Picoult is a perfect voice to tell it. But the rating stands for two main reasons:

1. The format. The chronology of events goes backward starting with the consequences of what happens to these characters and working its way back hour by hour until the very beginning. (There is an epilogue to tie up some loose ends but...it still felt unsatisfying). I understand why she did it as there is a twist or two in the late chapters that are facilitated by the flashback style of storytelling but I'm fairly certain those reveals could have come into the plotline in a different way.

2. Character count. There was a LOT going on - many different characters to keep track of within each hour block of time and, if you aren't reading this book in a few sittings, it can get confusing to keep track of which backstory belongs to which character. Again, I know why the author did it this way and I'm glad that each of the characters existed in this novel because they all had an important to story to tell but, especially with the timeline in reverse and the fact that there was nothing but an extra line break to indicate the jump to a different character, it became pretty disorienting pretty fast.

I'm half tempted to go back and read this book in chronological order and see if it helps. Maybe one of you can do it and get back to me on how the experience of this story differs between mine and yours.

A spark of light.

Typically I am a huge Jodi picoult fan. I’ll go and pick up anyone of her books and devour it cover to cover, but this one was different. I didn’t like how tense the scenes were, even from the very first page, and I didn’t really want to read more. It seemed like I already knew what was going to happen in this book, and it wasn’t exciting at all.

All the feels & the stars for Queen Jodi’s latest. Another timely book that’s not afraid to tackle tough subjects with her traditional flair.

One thing I love about Jodi's books (and I've read every single one) is that she's never afraid of any subject. From gay marriage/childbirth, school shootings, cord blood babies, wrongful birth and more, she addresses these subjects with tremendous amounts of research which radiates through the story without coming off as a reference book. The characters are always the heart of Picoult's books and A Spark of Light has a ton of memorable ones. In Spark, Picoult takes a risk using a backwards timeline but it pays off here and adds a new element to an emotionally charged story - a gunman has taken an abortion clinic hostage. Leading the hostage negotiations is Hugh, who unbeknownst to his fellow police officers, has a daughter and sister inside the clinic.

With twists that only Picoult could think of but never feel pulled out of nowhere, characters that will stay with you for years and topics that will make you want to question your own values, A Spark of Light is everything I've come to know and love from a Jodi Picoult novel.

Couldn’t finish this one as I didn’t understand this is about women’s rights and abortion. I couldn’t give an honest review

Both teens and adults will enjoy A Spark of Light, because it has characters of both ages. In fact, one of my favorite perspectives to read was from the teenage girl named Wren.

Picoult tells this story backwards, so the first chapter begins at 5 PM and works it way backward to breakfast. Personally, I did not like this technique at all. Tension did not build as I read. Instead, I wanted to skip parts that I already knew or that were mundane, but some of the background information about the characters' lives was mixed in with the dull details, so I couldn't. It did end with an epilogue at 6 PM, but by the time I got there, I had forgotten what happened at 5 PM, so I had to go back and reread the first chapter to connect the dots and figure out which characters had died and which had been ok.

Also, the topic of abortion was incredibly difficult to read about. However, I thought that the author did an excellent job of showing both sides' opinions and perspectives in an unbiased manner. Abortion is an issue that people tend to feel passionately about and can be upsetting, so I think the fact that Picoult showed the various opinions in such a way that I could not tell which side she personally chose was impressive.

Overall, it wasn't perfect, but I did enjoy reading it.

An enlightening read that provides insight for many to the variety of perspectives surrounding a deeply personal topic.

As much as it pains me to say this, A Spark of Light is a DNF for me. I am a HUGE fan of Jodi Picoult and every book I have ever read by her has moved me. The first book I read by her was My Sisters Keeper. I was moved by this book in ways that I never had been moved before. It introduced me to an entirely new genre of books and expanded my reading horizons.

With that said, A Spark of Light just didn't take me to those places. There are way too many characters and introductions and it was just beating a dead abortion horse. I could not connect in any way to the characters or the story line, and because of that, I cannot continue reading it.

Hopefully other readers enjoy this book more than I did.

Since I was unable to finish this book, I won't be leaving a review on book seller websites.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

As a fan of Jodi Picoult for years now, I of course was more than excited to get her latest novel A Spark of Light. While nothing she writes will compare to My Sister’s Keeper (in my humble opinion), one of the things I love most about Jodi is her ability to tackle tough subjects and turn them into a conversation via a fictional story with rich characters.

Her latest novel is centered around the age-old argument of pro-life or pro-choice regarding abortion, as well as women’s rights.

The description of the book on Goodreads reads:

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.

As a woman and parent myself, I don’t necessarily condone or support the abolishment of abortion; however, I am neither pro-life or pro-choice, but rather pro women’s rights. I believe every woman has a right to choose what happens to her body, even if that involves pregnancy. I also understand that we are talking about a potential human growing inside of her and what rights that future child should have, but I also have the opinion that a baby is not “alive” until it is born, so how can something that hasn’t been born yet be “murdered”? And how can it be murder if it’s just tissue when most abortions occur? Do we allow tissue to have rights? By the time a fetus has a functional brain and fully developed heart and other organs, it is far too late to abort, so allowing the baby to have rights when it is more a baby than tissue makes sense, but do we value those rights over the rights of the woman carrying the potential baby?

I can’t answer these questions, nor can anyone, which is why we have such extreme opinions on both sides. These are the types of issues Jodi Picoult tackles in this novel. Every character is different and comes from a different angle regarding abortion and women’s rights. It is amazing to me how she can take such a controversial topic, include all sides of the argument, and interweave them into a crazy Venn diagram where all the opinions overlap and we are all left wondering, what is the right answer? How can we come to some sort of understanding as a country, and why do we have to resort to violence to be heard and feel understood?

While I don’t think this was her best novel to date (again, I'm biased with My Sister's Keeper), I do love the fact that she wrote this book during such a difficult and pivotal time in our country. Women died for their rights, to be equal to men, and it’s unreal how in 2018 this is still such a hot topic. There are many moments in this novel where she makes some poignant points through various characters’ dialogue, but perhaps the best thing she wrote was included in her author’s note, which reads as follows:

“Honestly, I do not believe we, as a society, will ever agree on this issue. The stakes are too high, and both sides operate from places of unshakeable belief. But I do think that the first step is to talk to each other—and more important, to listen. We may not see eye to eye, but we can respect each other’s opinions and find the truth in them. Perhaps in these honest conversations, instead of demonizing each other, we might see each other as imperfect humans, doing our best”.

One of the only issues I had with the book is there is a character, a background character that had a purpose and was the catalyst of the events of the gunman, but her story was not wrapped up in an appropriate way. Jodi sometimes leaves things to our imagination but this particular character inadvertently started the entire chain of events, yet we don’t know what becomes of her. While that was disappointing, the novel itself is still definitely worth a read. Especially if you’re a woman and especially if you have opinions about abortion and women’s rights. Perhaps reading this book will open your eyes to other perspectives.

And thanks to Jodi Picoult for once again working her magic and tackling such difficult issues and making her readers do some critical thinking and possibly reevaluate where we stand, or how we treat each other.

Full review posted at BookBrowse see link below.

Jodi Picoult has crafted a cast of diverse and compelling characters, each with a vivid background story. Flashbacks are woven seamlessly into the real-time of the novel, which takes place during one day in a fictionalized women's health clinic in Mississippi. Suspenseful read that drops readers into the heart of the current hot-button issue of abortion rights. A well-wrought story told from many vantage points. Highly recommended for book groups!

Ballantine Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of A Spark of Light. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

This work of fiction by Jodi Picoult mimics a situation that could easily exist in reality, in any town around the country. A reproductive health center becomes the site of violence and tragedy when a lone gunman opens fire, taking hostages and shooting others. Hostage negotiator Hugh McElroy begins to build a rapport with the gunman, then shockingly learns of a personal connection with some on the inside. Will Hugh be able to keep his composure and his objectivity? Will the harsh realities of the situation cloud his judgment?

In Jodi Picoult's adept hands, the hot button issue of women's reproductive rights is well balanced and thought provoking. Which ever side of the fence in which readers sit, they will feel as though the author carefully explored the matter in its entirety. The author's note, in which she details the scope of the research done before beginning the book, shows Picoult's dedication to creating characters and a setting that has a basis in reality. I was not the biggest fan of the writing format, although the author has employed this method in previous novels. As the book winds back through time, readers are given a different perspective of the events in question. I would have liked a more linear timeline, as it would have given the reader more of a chance to form connections with the characters. Author Jodi Picoult delicately handled a difficult subject matter in A Spark of Light and I would recommend it to other readers.

Picoult does a good job of making you consider both sides of the abortion debate, though this book takes a pro-choice stance. She describes the procedure in detail, which is difficult to get through. I had to take a break between paragraphs, and I'm pro-choice. But it needed to be included. After introducing the main characters being held hostage at the clinic (and the negotiator), she goes back in time, and we learn their stories hour by hour. If you're a woman, it's a book that will make you think.

I have a 30 minute commute to work and every single commute I cried listening to this book. The main premise is an active shooter/hostage situation in a women's health clinic that is the only abortion provider in the state of Mississippi. The novel is told in reverse order, which at points was a touch difficult to remember the progress of the multiple character's story lines, but also revealed the layers of each character and how they ended up at the clinic that day and what lead to their decisions/life situations. While I'd definitely say this novel leans more liberal, it was very good at providing the emotions and thoughts behind a range of people, pro-choice and pro-life. I often find myself in a murky middle ground regarding these issues, and I thought this book really honed in on the importance of choice and the significance of decisions you have no choice in. I wish many people would read this book, especially if you find it hard to put yourself in the opposite "side's" shoes. As always Picoult is spot on about relevant and timely issues about humanity and our culture. *Narrator of the audiobook also narrated The Hate U Give and I love her narration. My one wish with this book (which is born out of being into it) is that I want to know what happens after this incident for multiple characters.

I don't think I have ever read a book by Jodi Picoult I didn't like and this one is no exception! Wow! Totally packs a punch from the first page to the last! Not my 'regular' read-but a welcome escape from Kidlit!

This was an amazing book, so well-written and thought out. It was a slow read in places but the force of the writing and the plot carried me through. Jodi Picoult writes about some controversial topics, but regardless of the subject matter, she focusses on the characters and in this book they were memorable.

The book in tod in reverse order so we can know what has happened, but she does an amazing job describing what her characters are thinking and feeling. A very powerful book that I highly recommend.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jodi Picoult is one of my go-to authors.  I love how she takes relevant, timely and often controversial issues and shows them from the perspectives of many people on different sides of the issue.

A Spark of Light is about abortion and a woman's right to choose.

Both the gunman and the hostage negotiator are struggling with their teenage daughters growing up.  Both of their daughters have been to the clinic.  We don't know Hugh, the hostage negotiator's position on abortion, but we know that when his college girlfriend got pregnant, she had the baby and derailed his dreams of becoming an astronaut and we know he wants to save his daughter.

Jodi Picoult allows us to go inside the mind of an abortion activist who has gone undercover in the clinic on the day the hostages are taken to try to get some incriminating information about the clinic.  We also go inside the mind of a woman who was raised in foster care and is struggling to put herself through college when she gets pregnant.  And we get inside the head of the nurse, who is pregnant herself and was raised in poverty but now has a devoted boyfriend from a different background and she lacks the confidence to believe he could love her.  We get to see the pain that each of these women is in as they come to grips with their situation.

We also get to understand the position of the doctor, who is a Christian, but whose mother died having an illegal abortion.  I found his perspective to be the most interesting and the most different and things that I had never thought of before.  At the end of the book, he takes one of the pro-life activists out for breakfast and they have a talk and he explains his position.

I think this is an important book.  It's easy to be on the side we are on, it's more difficult to understand someone else's perspective but we need to be able to do that.  So often I feel that our country is becoming more and more divided.  Twenty-four hour news and the de-personalization of social media and I find myself angry with people that I have been friends with for thirty years because they don't understand my side of things or because they don't agree with me.  Politics and religion were always two things we didn't talk about in polite company, yet now we seem to feel free to put those things on social media and it is dividing us more and more.  I am guilty of it myself.  I feel strongly about things and I want my voice heard.  I think it's ok to use social media as a political platform, as long as you are open to the perspectives of other people.  That is what I love about Jodi Picoult's books, she makes it easy to understand the perspectives of other people.

I am not one to shy away from books that talk about things that might challenge my preconceptions. The latest YA contemporary that recently shook my core in a good way tackled such a divisive topic – the right to abortion of a rape victim. Honestly, I am currently not on either side and I still have a lot of questions going through my mind. I want to know more about the topic and reading about it when it’s integrated in fiction form is the best non-boring way to do it. This is why I am excited that the latest from Jodi Picoult (of the My Sister’s Keeper fame) is about a hostage standoff in an abortion clinic.

The unfolding of A Spark of Flight relied on its distinct style and format. The chapters are broken up one hour apart, arranged backwards. The first chapter starts at 5PM and the last chapter is at 8AM, with an epilogue time stamped at 6PM. Within that timeframe, the reader moves in and out of the thoughts of various characters involved in the hostage drama. These thoughts leap smoothly from one character to another in a series of vignettes: bursts of flashbacks, snapshots of memories and present-day thoughts.

Even though there is a large cast of characters to get into, I found it easy to see through each character’s eyes. These large cast of characters felt lived-in and multi-dimensional which a huge feat on itself. I appreciate how the book represented people from both ends of the pro-choice and pro-life spectrum. The book conveys that abortion is not a clear-cut black and white issue – that the lives of the people involved especially women are a thousand shades of gray. Women who opt for abortion are not bad people. And not all people who are against abortion are judgmental or extremists. One’s belief does not necessary cancel out another’s belief.

The book’s sentiments are not unfounded. On the author’s note at the back of the book, the author mentioned that in writing the book, she interviewed pro-life advocates and women who had terminated pregnancy. She also observed the abortion process of three patients in varying stages of pregnancy and shadowed a real life abortion doctor. She is armed with facts and stats and even cited abortion laws in different U.S. states. That level of extensive research translated in her book resulting in a realistic and nuanced work.

There is a stray plotline in the book involving another teenager in a different place away from the hostage crisis. I kinda guessed it early how the girl’s story will converge with the hostage drama but the book insisted in revealing it further along. The girl took abortion pills bought online and she profusely bled then ended up in hospital arrest as a result. This thread is not as tense and interesting compared with the harrowing hostage scenes in the abortion clinic but it serves the purpose of tackling the legal side of things through the two opposing lawyers discussing the girl’s case.

The book is immersive but I would not say that it is unputdownable. The vignette style allowed me to drop the book without breaking too much on the continuity of the story. This is perfect for readers who don't have the luxury of time to read a book in one sitting. As I delve deeper through the backwards timeline, there are discoveries on the interconnections of these characters who are otherwise stranger to each other. There are surprises, lies, untold I love you’s even among the supposedly close and intimate characters. I only know Jodi Picoult as the author of the book which the film My Sister’s Keeper is based on. (I watched the film but not yet read the book.) I remember how a tearjerker that movie was. This book did not attain that level of high emotions for me but nevertheless I would love to read more Jodi Picoult books in the future.