There are various characters introduced through these early chapters who are all involved with the centre in some way or another. We have the women themselves who are there seeking an abortion, we have a doctor who performs the procedures, we have workers at the clinic, we have an activist who has managed to secretly gain access into the clinic as a mole trying to uncover failings of the clinic and it’s staff, and there are some characters who are there as moral support and some who are there seeking help from the clinic for the other services they offer.

Usually for me if a book has too many characters I can sometimes get turned around but that was definitely not the case here. Every single character had their own unique part to play in this story and was developed with a back story and without even one of these characters the story wouldn’t have been the same.

I haven’t read a book that stirred up this many emotions in me for a while, if ever. Upon finishing I actually felt a bit exhausted, but in a good way. The author took me on one hell of a journey with this book and I came away with some new perspectives on issues that I hadn’t considered before. Ive really got so much I could say about this book but all I really want to say is read it, it’s amazing, you won’t regret it! This is easily one of my top reads of 2018.

Jodi Picoult writes books for book clubs. That's her thing. Books that make you think and ask ALL THE QUESTIONS.

A Spark of Light is a book for a book club.

Here's the thing. I used to live for her work. In my late teens and early twenties, I couldn't fly through her books fast enough, my greedy little grabby hands always hungry for more more ever more. Under my stairs I have a pile of books that makes up a pretty big chunk of her back catalogue (I was an uber Jodi fan waaaaaaay before The Kindle) and which only live under the stairs because they take up more room than I have. I'd kind of gone off the boil with her a little bit though, to be honest. I think I just got a little bit saturated, which was, I admit, entirely my own doing.

Her more recent works, then, whilst they've hovered on my radar, I haven't read. And then I saw the buzz surrounding her newest release A Spark of Light, and my little ears pricked up. I first started hearing whispers of it roundabout the time of the Irish abortion referendum and we all know how I love stories with a little bit of relevance and so I was super keen.

I finally got round to reading it whilst I was away a couple of weeks ago, and, in true Jodi Picoult style I flew through it in a day. Part of that might have been the fact that I was laid on a beach with zero interruptions, but still: I flew through it in a day. That's A Good Sign.

Here's the deal - the book is set in Mississippi over the course of just one day, and is about a hostage situation in an abortion clinic - the only one, actually, in the state. A guy has everyone in the clinic at gunpoint and shots have been fired. A hostage negotiator arrives at the scene, only to find that his sister and teenage daughter are inside and it's all VERY TENSE.

Jodi Picoult, in my experience, has never been one to shy away from the nitty gritty - that's what I used to love about her, she grabs her subject and she tackles it full on and comes at it from all angles. This book talks gun violence, and pro-life, and pro-choice and does it all with this really deep and intricate characterisation so you never feel like Jodi's soap-boxing or trying to make a political point: these are just people who things are happening to, just like these things are happening to real people in real life and it's really interesting because Picoult makes us care and sympathise even with the characters we (I) fundamentally disagree with. It's clever. The book is pro-choice, but the pro-life characters are carefully crafted, their opinions and beliefs given page time and it makes the book a breeding ground for discussion. Like I said: book club book.

I really liked it.

I liked the storyline, and I liked the characters. I liked how bold this book was, how unflinching, how it ripped the lid right off that Pandora's Box of unpopular opinions, how it challenged itself and challenged me, how it gives you quotes such as laws are black and white. The lives of women are a thousand shades of gray because YES YES YES. I liked the way Picoult joins the dots, forging connections between people who would otherwise have never come into contact and I was a huge fan of the split narrative - so many voices could easily have become jumbled but it didn't, every single voice was clear and distinguishable and important to the story as a whole and I loved it.

What did I not like? The reverse timeline didn't work for me. I don't know why, except that it niggled at me the whole way through and I didn't feel like it added anything to the story as a whole. I don't understand the reasons behind doing it that way and honestly? It made it feel a little bit repetitive. Sometimes. Although that said - it was quite interesting to go backwards and trace how everybody came to be where they were that day and PERHAPS I HAVE JUST ANSWERED MY OWN QUESTION AS TO WHY.

Bascially, this book is classic JP and after a long time away it felt good to be back.

A sneak peek at Jodi Picoult's new novel, and boy is it a doozy. I can't wait to get my hands on the whole thing. In just one chapter, you get so much-scene setting, drama, heart stopping tension and moral dilemma. I know the rest of the book will be a real page turner and leave us questioning everything.

Naturally, I didn't like Janine. (So it was OK for her to abort, but she doesn't want anyone else to be able to? Ugh.) Also, I didn't like Jayla.

My favourite character, however, was Dr Louie Ward. He's a true Christian, who puts compassion for women first. He acknowledges that a foetus may be life, but giving it personhood would strip rights away from the person in which said foetus exists.

My heart breaks for Beth. She may have a legal representative, but the Mississippi's cruel restrictions don't leave much - or ANY - hope. She tried to do things legally, but the damn judge took a vacation.

I have read many Jodi Picoult books but recently had got bored with the same format ending in court so well done for this book which is certainly different in format tackling with the highly emotive and topical issue of abortion/pro-life. Initially the way the book is written (minor spoiler coming up) in that the time line gives the big cliffhanger first and then moves gradually backwards through the day is disconcerting but once I realised what was going on it was a novel and refreshing way of keeping my interest. Also a lot of information on the topic which I had no idea about. Well done Jodi - you've kept me as a fan!

A Spark of Light, another controversial topic tackled successfully from all angles by Jodi Picoult. This time it's abortion but don't let that put you off, it makes a great read as the author depicts a hostage situation from the point of view of the perpetrator, the hostage negotiator and all the women caught up in this situation inside the clinic and of course the doctor who carried out the surgical interventions. Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice you will find some new aspect to add to your thoughts.

Then when you have finished the narrative you will find some rather shocking statistics presented in a readable manner.

Thank you for this opportunity Netgalley.

Thanks to Net Galley and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Abortion is a difficult controversial subject for any author to write about and all Jodi Picoults fans will have their own personal view.
The story begins with a gunman taking control of The Center where woman can have an abortion, he has fired his gun and is now holding both staff and woman who are there for one reason or another as hostages.
We are told a little about each woman who is present, Vonita who runs the clinic, Izzy wo is a nurse but has other reasons to be there, Olive who was there for results of tests, Joy who was having an abortion, Janine who is a protester but is there in disguise, Wren who is a fifteen year old girl wanting the contraceptive pill and her aunt Bex who has accompanied her to the clinic and the abortion doctor Louie.
We are told the story from different perspectives, those who want to keep their baby and those who don’t., and the different reasons and circumstances behind these choices.
Hugh the hostage negotiator is Wrens father, there are other surprise relationships revealed as the book draws to conclusion
I found it difficult to follow initially as it’s almost written in reverse order.

Jodi Picoult is a master at tackling subjects other people would shy away from. She jumps into the story full force, researching the subject thoroughly, and treats each one respectfully and in a totally non biased way. Jodi has a style of writing that is immediately recognisable, controversial, emotion but also unpredictable and A spark of light ticks all those boxes.

Slightly different from other stories this one starts at the end and we learn the story of each character in reverse, eventually discovering how and why each character ended up where they were. The main characters are George Goddard, a tortured man, storms an abortion clinic wanting answers and out for revenge, young Wren And her Aunt Bex, who in the absence of her own mother, Wren has trusted her with a big secret, and Hugo a police officer and negotiator, he is also Wrens father and Bex’s brother, and completely unaware that his family are in danger when he arrives at the centre to negotiate with George.

No matter your views on this delicate subject, this is a gripping and well written story that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading it.
A well earned 5 stars, from a big Jodi Picoult fan who has read every book she has written. (So far) and eagerly awaits the next.

This book really made me think and reflect on what it means for a woman to have a termination. I did love how the book began vrom end and worked back. However, storylines became confused and tripped over each other a bit, lost a bit of onterest toward the end.

It's a confession time. I haven't read a Jodi Picoult book before. So there, I've told this. I've heard of this author, oh my god, of course I've heard about her, and I have her novels at home but I haven't read them yet. However, when "A Spark of Light" arrived as a surprise with a post, I almost immediately started reading it - it was the right time for this book and for this author.
This being a surprise book, I didn't know what it's going to be about. I know that Jodi Picoult is not afraid of controversial topics, and I also know that her books are clever, thought - provoking and challenging. I hope it's not a spoiler when I'll say that "A Spark of Light" is about abortion. It is a very hot topic, abortion, not only in the USA but also in Europe and probably all over the world, and everybody has their own opinion - me too. And hats off to Ms Picoult for deciding on writing this novel, for touching upon this subject and for doing it in the most perfect, as neutral as possible way ever. As I've mentioned, I have my own feelings about abortion that I'm not going to change, no matter what, but you won't be pushed or asked to make a choice, to be Pro - Life or Pro - Choice and it is really worth appreciation. Jodi Picoult compassionately describes the thoughts of both sides, without taking sides, this of Pro - Life or Pro - Choice, giving us the chance to understand both of them. But I also think that this is not the point of the book, to convince us to one of the sides, but to offer us multiple points, to show us that things are not only white or black but also grey. We don't have to agree but we should respect them.

In "A Spark of Light" Jodi Picoult tells the story of a desperate gunman, barging into Mississippi's abortion clinic and taking its patients and staff hostage. As it quickly turns out, his daughter recently had an abortion and George is seeking revenge. Told in reverse and through multiple points of view, it tells us the stories of the characters, unveiling the fact what they're were in the clinic for.

And what didn't work for me in this book was the fact that it was told in reverse. For me it would work much better told chronologically, as, to be completely honest, knowing what has happened caused that the tension was not there and I had a feeling that I could skip on some information/passages without losing anything. The piecing together of some aspects and subplots was too easy and it would be more impactful when told differently. But that's me.

There were plenty of characters in this book and yes, I admit, at the beginning it was not easy to keep up with them all. But their development, the way they were described, were incredibly compelling. They were all so different, they all had different life experience but fate brought them all together. There is Dr. Louie Ward who offers abortions because no matter what he believes in, he also believes it is his duty to offer women a chance, a way out; Joy, who's at the clinic for abortion; Wren who came to the clinic with her aunt, seeking contraception; Janice, a Pro - Lifer who's in the clinic under disguise, looking for confirmation that what they do there is as bad as others describe; Wren's dad, who finds himself outside, negotiating with George setting the hostages free; Beth, who's right now facing murder charges for illegally terminating her pregnancy. They, and many, many more will stay with you for long - it is impossible to forget them and about them. As you see, many points of view but all of them worth getting to know and to consider.

It was a special, important and powerful read. Jodi Picoult doesn't play safe - she examines, and pokes and brutally honest tells us how it really is, and she always stays professional. She's informative and always fair and yes, sometimes controversial and thought - provoking but I guess this is the point of this book. It will provoke discussions, I am sure about it, and you just won't be able to walking away from this book indifferently. Thank you, Jodi Picoult, for writing this book!

With thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

It was Hostage negotiator Hugh McElroy`s fortieth birthday when he had received a report of a shooting at The Centre, a women`s health clinic. On arrival he checked his mobile to discover messages from his fifteen year old daughter Wren telling him she was hiding in the clinic from a gunman and his sister Bex had been shot.

The shooter was ex army George Goddard who had come to the centre to shoot the doctor who had murdered his grandchild. In a panic he took every one in the clinic as hostages.

His hostages all had their own reasons for being at the clinic on that day. Dr Louis Ward, Izzy a nurse, Olive a sixty eight year old retired professor, Joy who had just had a termination and Janice a pro-life protestor.

Away from the clinic 17 year old Beth was in hospital after taking an abortion bill. After being rushed to hospital she found herself charged with murder for trying to abort a fetus after 15 weeks.

The time line of the book was unusual because the reader knew the outcome of the siege at the beginning of the story. Although it was confusing at first, I appreciated it because the real story was the events that led to the women being at the clinic in the first place. There were still some OMG moments as the story went back in time.

You could tell the author investigated the subject thoroughly including the religious attitudes and the law in different states. She presented the medical evidence but was never preachy. I would advise though to be prepared because the author did discuss some aspects of the termination procedure.

I found this book riveting and could not it down. I liked all the characters in the book but especially Dr Louis Ward who was closely based on a real life doctor. I also liked Izzy who did not did not think she was good enough for wealthy boyfriend. I also felt for Olive because her reason for being at the centre resonated with me.

This was a thought provoking book which would be perfect for a book club. I can't wait to read Jodi Piccolo`s next book.

A Spark Of Light is a book that is centred around a hard subject but it is a 2.5 stars for me as I really didn’t like the way the story was told in reverse.
The book is based around “the center” this is a place that used to be called a women’s reproductive health service clinic but du etc the stigma surrounding it changed it to just the center, it is a place women come for examinations, contraception and abortions, this place is controversial as some don’t want to in their local community and others for various reasons do.
The story is told in reverse and I had real problems with that and for me it didn’t work,if it had been played out from beginning to end I think I would have enjoyed it more and definately rated it higher.
The book covers a hostage situation and the various characters that are there and as you go further into the book you discover more about these characters.
I did like some of th echatactrs and I also liked that Jodi Picoult didn’t try and force me to pick a side with this sensitive subject choice.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

As you'd expect from Jodi Picoult, a thought provoking subject, strong characters and links where you might not imagine. I wasn't keen on the format of the book, working backwards hour by hour. Maybe my brain was tired. I didn't think this was the same standard as some of the earlier books, I didn't feel emotionally invested in any character or the issues. But as I imagine the facts on abortion laws in the various US states are actual facts, I am shocked that this is the case in 2018. I hadn't realised this was the case anywhere other than Ireland. Especially Beth's story. I am genuinely shocked and sickened if this can really happen. So yes, the book raises important issues, but I just didn't think it was a powerful as some others. #netgalley #ASparkOfLight

My first read of Jodi Picoult's work and I was not disappointed!

This book touches on subjects that although controversial, provoke thought and starts a discussion.

It was touching, heartbreaking and is a book that I'll never forget reading.

I am angry. I am disappointed. I am frustrated that I spent so much time pushing myself to read this book. This book should be amazing. It should be thoughtful and interesting and passionate. Instead, it was boring. It was terribly structured. It wasn't even insightful. It was a 380-page info dump of abortion rights, pro-choice sentiment and back stories of characters that I lost track of about thirty pages in. And what makes me so angry about it is that Picoult is usually so great at getting these topical books right. I loved 'Small Great Things', I loved 'Nineteen Minutes', I loved 'The Storyteller'.

I feel so upset by this books existence.

Someone in their review made a note that this book feels like a pamphlet about abortion, which is ridiculously true. I am without doubt pro-choice, but after a while, you get bored of MLK quotes and people arguing over abortion. The backwards narrative is a terrible choice because after 50 or so pages, you know what's happened, you know the feelings and thoughts. It was a really bad choice by the author and the editor and definitely contributes to how disappointing this novel is.

There are a lot of characters in this book. A LOT. And they all have different stories that require extensive back tracking and flashbacks that contribute very little to the overall narrative. It feels like filling up space and word counts until we get to the actual action. I don't know if I'd go as far to say that I hated this book, but I am so disappointed. This was one of my anticipated books of this year and it was awful.

Every Jodi Picoult book is unique and when I sat down to read A Spark of Light I was hooked from the first page. Abortion is not an easy topic to write about and the controversy in the USA over a woman's right to choose is one that is very unlikely to change anytime soon. As is her style,Jodi Picoult tells her tales through the eyes of all her key characters. The abortion doctor, the hostage negotiator, the daughter, the aunt, the nurse, the anti-abortionist, a patient and an elderly teacher. All have come to the clinic. for differing reasons and all are thrown together as they happen to arrive at the wrong time and on the wrong day.
Once again Jodi Picoult has taken a controversial topic and written about it in the most heartfelt way. You cannot help but feel empathy for all those differing characters. Each person arriving at the clinic for a different reason and all thrown together for the same. This is an incredible book that I could not put down and reminded me just how much I love this author.

Brilliant First Chapter of Jodi Picoult's new book called A Spark of Light. I just love the way Jodi writes all her books. They are crammed with so much information written with passion and love and always beautifully written.
So this book tackles a very tough subject of abortion so it may not be for everyone. It was a hard book for me to read as I can not have children However I found it interesting throughout but lots of tears was shed.

Thank you to Jodi Picoult, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy of this novel

I have read all of Jodi Picoult's books and this latest one did not disappoint. The author is not afraid to grasp controversial themes which can be difficult to read at times but also difficult to put down. thoroughly recommended.

Jodi Picoult is an extraordinary writer, she manages to take a moment in time and write about an event in such a way that you feel you know all about the characters. She also takes a controversial subject and deals with it in such a way that you have both sides of the debate. In this case the pros and cons about abortion. This book evokes many emotions about this delicate subject and I feel it has been well researched. I liked the way the book went back and forth in time so you think you know all about the characters. Always there is the little bit you don't know. The book explains everything in the last few chapters. I loved it and would recommend any book clubs to read it and expect a fierce debate afterwards.

A good book covering a complex and sensitive subject. The story is told from many view points and builds a very complex plot. Very well written.