Slightly disappointed in this book from Jodi Picoult. I found it hard going and it didn’t keep me interested, like some of her previous books have.

“Heroes, Wren knew, did not always swoop in to rescue. They made questionable calls. They lived with doubts. They replayed and edited and imagined different outcomes. They killed, sometimes, to save.”

This book perfectly encompasses what it means to be a woman, to make choices for ourselves and to stick our necks on the lines for people who are ours, the people we love and, sometimes, people who may only touch our lives a short time. Picoult tackles difficult topics, once again, with the intelligence and subtle grace that topics of such a nature deserve. Somehow she captures the beauty and corrupt difficulties of having a parent, being a parent and moreover making the choice to become one. Nothing about this story is simple. Except that you know there is a man pointing a gun at your daughter, and you are her world; it is your job, your only job, to save her. At all costs.

Wren, the hostage negotiators daughter, is in a women’s clinic. The clinic caters for lots of women on a multitude of different paths, many of which we come to learn about as central secondary characters with complex stories of their own. But all that matters is that today Wren walked past the pro-life protesters and into the very clinic a man with a burning anger to avenge his grandchild, his grandchild his daughter chose to terminate, is choosing to brandish a gun and kill anyone in his path.

The story largely centres around choice – how could it not with such a controversial issue at its heart. There are opposing opinions regarding termination, which makes for sensitive but interesting discussion. I’m always in awe of how Picoult constructs characters on all sides of a topic without appearing to lean towards one more so than another. Her writing is fair, factual and wonderfully contextual. She somehow manages to make all of the strong points resonate just as powerfully with me, regardless of what I thought I believed before. If an author can make me challenge what I think to be true, and who I think to be right even when they have a gun in their hands, there is really nothing better.

“But it wasn’t having sex that made you a woman. It was having to make decisions, sometimes terrible ones. Children were told what to do. Adults made up their own minds, even when the options tore them apart”.

She captures what it is to be a family, particularly a young teenage girl, so perfectly. But more than anything she completely understands what it is to be a daughter, to be utterly captivated by a father, but sews in the challenges we all face with various facets of that. Her depiction of Wren and her father, a topic very raw for me, was so very beautiful. It was wonderfully built and I completely believed the love Wren’s father had for her, and her adoration of him.

“When she was tiny, she used to play a game with him by tightening her arms and legs and straightening her backbone to be as rigid as possible. I’m making myself extra heavy, she would tell him, and he would laugh. I’ll always be able to carry you”.

This isn’t a perfect book, but Picoult strays away from her typical court-room approach and instead has written a book I think it would be a challenge to not resonate with just about anyone. Imperfect, but perfect for me.

A Spark of Light starts at the end: the end of a hostage negotiation at the Center. It is the place where so many fetus' existences end and now potentially the site of the end of a young girl called Wren's life. The novel follows the experience of the people who are at The Center, the only place licensed in the state to offer abortions, when a pro-life gunman enters the building. The the highly sensitive issue of abortion is dealt with extremely well. The perspectives of the different characters were fully fleshed out and explored.

What makes this novel unlike any other is that instead of moving forward, time moves back. Victims of the gunman who once were lying dead on the ground come back to life, bad news is ungiven, the hostage negotiator's birthday cake uneaten. This led to some heart wrenching revelations, with more and more depth about the characters coming to life with every page. The lives of characters such as Olive and Bex, who at the start of the novel are for various reasons more distant, take on a new significance. As with all of Picoult's wonderful novels, at the end (or the beginning?) there are her signature twists and turns.

This is such a poignant read, with the author's note at the end providing information on the reality of the situations depicted. Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton, Jodi Picoult and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this thought-provoking gem of a novel!

Thanks to netgalley for an advance read

Jodi Picoult is one of my favourite authors, and I loved this book. Lots of great characters and a plot that had me hooked right from the start! Id recommend this book

I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘A Spark Of Light’ by Jodi Picoult in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
George Goddard has a gun and takes hostages at the Center, once known as the Center for Women & Reproductive Health. Hugh McElroy is called in as hostage negotiator and talks him into releasing some of the hostages. There is one remaining hostage, a sixteen-year-old girl called Wren McElroy, Hugh’s daughter.
When I was asked to read and review this novel I thought I was getting a full-sized book instead of the very short story it turned out to be. I found it wasn’t long enough to get right into it and become acquainted with the characters, but saying that, it has the makings of a very intriguing novel with a gripping plot and interesting characters. I’ve read and enjoyed all of Jodi Picoult’s novels and been fortunate to have seen her in person discussing her previous novel, and I have every reason to believe ‘A Spark Of Light’ will be just as enjoyable and a best-seller. Unfortunately I can only review it on what I’ve read but it’s made me want to get hold of the full version and read more.

Thought provoking and very emotive. I devoured this, staying up til the small hours not wanting to put it down. Never in all my days did I think this would provoke in me the feelings it did. It got me talking to family members, young and old, about it. The controversial subject matter is very well written and at times insightful. This is one that’ll stay with me forever I think. Be prepared for the story to jump from character to character and not in a chronological order. Well worth reading! I’m actually going to let me children read this when they are of age!

Jodi Picoult’s Spark of Light

I still remember picking up a Picoult in Tesco Metro, nearly 15 years ago. I talk more about it in this post, from the Archives https://fenlandtalesandbeyond.wordpress.com/2010/02/

The last book I read of hers before “Spark of Light” was “Small Great Things”, which told the tale of a black nurse in the middle of a lawsuit with white supremacists who accuse her of killing their baby. It has all of the hallmarks of a great Picoult – a tricky situation, empathy with all those concerned through showing different perspectives in a sensitive and well handled way and engaging action throughout with just enough mystery to keep you guessing about what’s going to happen.

“Spark of Light” starts off in the middle of a hostage situation in a medical facility which provides abortions. Hot button topic right there, made more complicated by the presence of the hostage negotiator’s teenage daughter and his sister, caught up in the middle. Hugh convinces the gunman to swap his daughter for him in the hostages.

The story unfolds in a spiral pattern, almost – looping back around to the abortion centre time and again before swooping away to introduce one of the other hostages. I found this to be really confusing and I think one of the reasons why is because the characters of the women are not clearly drawn. I couldn’t tell the difference in voice between Olive, Joy, Jasmine, Izzy, Bex or Wren and kept having to check which one was which. This was distracting and disengaging as I found it hard to concentrate on the storyline.

I usually enjoy a bit of non linear narrative but in this instance, I don’t think it added value to the novel and instead added ambiguity and confusion.

As we pick through the characters and how they got to be in the situation, we start to realise that they were all there for a different reason and under different circumstances. Olive’s been given months to live after a devastating cancer diagnosis, Wren wants to practice safe sex and George (the shooter) is angry because his daughter had an abortion. While I understood where Jodi was coming from in terms of telling each story and representing lots of different perspectives on why a centre like this is necessary (not all of them being for abortions), it came across as a bit heavy handed and a lot more ‘afternoon special’ than her previous books.

The father-daughter dynamic between George and his mysteriously unlocatable daughter, and Hugh and Wren, are carefully painted and positioned almost as a possessive relationship. This didn’t sit comfortably with me – your children are not yours to own, waiting to be set free whenever you see fit. Wren is 16/17 years old – almost old enough to vote and definitely old enough to make her own decisions. The inference that women are looked after by their fathers until they are deemed old enough to be ‘passed on’ to their boyfriends and husbands was a bit much for me. This may not have been the intention but it was definitely how it read. Hugh spends quite a few chapters pining over her lost childhood, which bordered on creepy, in my opinion.

Jodi Picoult had clearly done a lot of research around abortion laws, the main issues and real life examples, and that showed. I think that concentrating on one or two of the stories would have made it more engaging and easier to follow.

The book starts with a hostage situation in The Centre a women’s clinic offering contraception and abortion. The hostage negotiator has a daughter being held hostage. You are also introduced to several other characters including the clinic nurse, a protester and the hostage taker.
The novel then takes you back, hour by hour, through the hostage scenario and you learn more about each character why they’re at the clinic, they thoughts and feelings about what’s happening. This causes you to change your thoughts on each character as you learn more about them.
I loved how this novel unfolded and being thought to think about my own feelings about the characters as you learn more about them.
This is only my second Jodi Picoult but I will read her again and the next novel will be at the top of my pile.
Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for an ARC.

A Spark of Light tells the story of an attack on an abortion clinic in Mississippi, focusing on the perspectives of a large range of characters, from the police officer negotiating with the gunman, his daughter who just wanted contraception, a doctor, a nurse, patients of various ages and 'anti' abortion protestors.

As with all of Picoult's novels there are some twists along the way, most of which were more predictable than in some of her previous novels. She does convey the complexity of the issue, but I didn't find all of the characters convincing enough to get really emotionally involved, despite the emotive subject matter. I also struggled a little with the structure as the story had so many different strands which didn't all come together/end in a satisfying way for me.

As always Jodi Picoult is not afraid to court controversy. Sometimes a hard read with regard to the subject matter but enlightening too. No matter which side you are on Mrs Picoult will have you questioning your beliefs. However because the story is told “backwards”. It did feel disjointed. When you already know what has happened to a character it did make the narrative jar for me. I also wanted to know more about what happened to Beth and Izzy.

I didn’t enjoy this one and found it quite unpleasant. A novella isn’t my favourite genre so I probably shouldn’t have chosen it.

I have enjoyed a few Jodi Picoult books but I have to say this one seemed pretty formulaic and I ended up skipping quite a large chunk. I am sure other readers will enjoy it, the subject matter is as usual very topical and controversial. 3 stars for me.

This is an insightful,well balanced consideration of the arguments for and against abortion. It has a carefully constructed balance between the views of the demonstrators against the practice outside the clinic and the needs of those who are patients inside. It also very cleverly includes a girl who is seeking to avoid the need to abort as well as those who need the process. The personalised accounts are helpful at bringing the reader to a greater understanding of the issues. The only criticism is that it jumps about from what is happening now in the clinic to what had happened to those involved in earlier years. It would have benefited from a better chronological approach. It is a thoughtful and for many an unsettling book.

You can trust Jodi Picoult to write an amazing story that is riveting, topical, then challenges and makes you re-evaluate everything you thought was true. They can be an very uncomfortable read as a result, but always the author writes powerful books full of strong characters based on sound research.

Jodi Picoult certainly never shies from a difficult subject, and this is no exception!

'A Spark of Light' is a book of many many layers; abortion, an 'active shooter', a hostage situation, relationships, especially of father and daughter - and at the end a long list of the research she has done into the topic before tackling it full on.

A full score of 5 stars without hesitation!

With this only being a sample of the novel? couldn't really get into it didn't gel forme but I'm sure if I get the book it will become a much better as you get into it usually love Jodi picoult so hopefully it will get better

Looks promising the e tract l have read. Used to read Jodi Picoult a lot and this seems like some of the earlier books which l enjoyed very much quite gritty and human. Think l will have to read the book when it’s published and see if it maintains this pace and holds my interest thanks for the extract

I would like to thank Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘A Spark of Light by Jodi PIcoult’ for an honest unbiased review.

I am a massive huge Jodi PIcoult fan and have read the majority of her books. I could not wait to have a sneaky preview of this novel.
I’m hooked!!!!!!
Hurry up Oct 2018

A pretty good read. I was easily drawn in and the book was very descriptive. Quite a powerfully written book though ended a bit abrupt.

Although I was not sure what was going on at first in this chapter, things slowly began to reveal themselves. I would be interested in reading this book when it is released to see you it develops.

I'm a big fan of Jodi Picoult. I read her books religiously as a child so when I saw that the first chapter of her upcoming release, A Spark of Light, was available to download, I couldn't resist pressing Request. This sampler has desperately left me wanting more of the book with THAT cliffhanger. Bring on October so I can find out what happens next!