I requested to read and review this book from Random House. This is the first book I have read by Jodi Picoult. This book wow you will go through some many emotions, happy, sad, shock angry and then some more emotions. It has a lot of info on Egyptian pyramids and different Egyptians kings and other royalty. And just when you think that you have it figured out bam you get thrown through a loop. You will want to keep eye on Wyatt, Dawn, Meret and Brian. Can't wait to see if there is a next one!!

I'm a big fan of Jodi Picoult's work, and there were parts of her new book that I liked and parts that really fell flat for me. I enjoyed the parts about Dawn's work as a death doula. That fascinated me deeply, and there was much of Jodi's trademark wisdom and meaningful insight woven through the novel.

What fell flat for me was the jolting back and forth across time, as well as the strange behavior of the main character, Dawn. I just couldn't understand her indecision, her leaving her daughter...etc. I also couldn't understand her anger at her husband towards the beginning. Maybe it's just me... ?

I skimmed over most of the very tediously long passages about the Egyptians, hieroglypics, and death practices...etc. I found it interesting, but way overdone.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Who amongst us, hasn’t wondered what their life would look like if they had chosen a different path when they hit that proverbial fork in the road? Who hasn’t pondered the paths traveled and mused about those that were not? And who hasn’t struggled with their share of choices, losses, and regrets? In her latest novel, “The Book of Two Ways,” author Jodi Picoult puts these concepts under the microscope, as we follow one woman’s journey of discovery along two distinctly different roads.

While I loved the characters and overall premise, the extreme emphasis on the factual details was a bit off putting. I found myself skimming those heavily comprehensive portions in favor of the one-on-one human interactions. And while not totally unexpected, I found the ambiguous ending an anticlimactic conclusion to an otherwise riveting story. Yet, despite the disappointing execution, I still found that “The book of Two Ways” an interesting and thought-provoking read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Ballantine for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jodi Picoult is a queen and I am never disappointed when I pick up one of her books. Saying that I did have a hard time getting through this one. My problem with this book is that there was just so much information and so much going on at once. Egyptology to Quantum Physics. Going from her past to her future could be a little confusing and I would have to go back a few pages to see if she was in the past or real time. Hieroglyphs, while interesting, was a little much for a book that you just want to sit and get lost in. Oh, and that ending!!

Ok, on to what I liked. The relationships were spot on. The characters were likable and also relatable. I love Dawns job and am interested to learn if there are people out there who are death coaches. The love triangle killed me because I couldn't decide between Brian or Wyatt myself.

Overall, I did love the characters. I loved the mother- daughter relationship. I loved the plot twist(it was big). I loved the idea of choice and how our actions can change our future. I love that are people out there who can help you through death and I love second chances. I love Jodi Picoult and how she can make you think. You may have a stance on a subject and she can take that and make you see the other side.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and provide honest feedback. I've read other books by this author and have enjoyed them, so I had my hopes up for this one but it fell short for me. I rarely don't finish a book but this one went way too far into Egyptian details and just dragged on. The author clearly put a lot of research and effort to make the story as accurate as possible, but I felt it took away from the overall story.

I tried to read a few pages of this book and it did not grab my attention enough to want to finish it. I very rarely DNF a book but this one made the list.

A deeply passionate store of love and loss, life and death, and the question of "what it"!

25 year old Dawn Edelstein is working on a project in Egypt, a project central to her career plans, when she gets the call: her mother is dying and Dawn needs to come home. Rather than spending her day at ancient burial sites, Dawn takes on the role of mother to her younger brother, and eventually marries and has a child. But when Dawn left Egypt in a rush she left behind a man who could have been in her future, if things had been different. Instead of becoming an Egyptologist, Dawn becomes a death doula, someone who helps the critically ill have a meaningful end of life.

Fifteen years later, Dawn survives a plane crash. Given the option of a ticket to wherever she wants, Dawn opts to go back to Egypt rather than home to Boston, to see if the choices she has made are the right ones. Because when Dawn left Egypt, she not only left behind a promising career, but also a man who might have been her soul mate...

The story goes back and forth in time, and between possibilities, as Dawn struggles not only with her own choices, but with helping her patients through their choices. And Dawn's work at burial sites in Egypt has brought her into contact with The Book of Two Ways. Unlike modern uncertainty about what happens after Death, The Book of Two Ways describes in detail what ancient Egyptians should do and expect in death.

Jodi Picoult always does an amazing amount of research, but The Book of Two Ways transcends everything that she has before. You will find yourself reviewing your life and your decisions, and asking yourself "what if?". Sometimes a bit confusing, but always thought provoking, The Book of Two Way is a book that should not be missed.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3398718307

I always seem to find Jodi Picoult’s books at the perfect time, and this was no exception. Her main character, Dawn, is a death doula - and this read was deeper for me because I recently lost my grandfather.

Her wonderful research is again apparent, touching on Egyptology and physics, the basis of the story connecting mirror universes and the Book of Two Ways as if they have always been self reflective... masterful.

I was very worried I’d be upset with Dawn’s choice at the end, but - no spoilers - even that worked out like a beautifully written poem.

Jodie Picoult is an author that I follow and I have read all of her books. There are some books that I have liked more than others. Each of her books have been well written and are usually quite interesting. The Book of Two ways did not hit the five star review status for me. That being said, I did find the chapters dealing with the main character Dawn, being a death doula, to be most enlightening. The chapters that dealt with her earlier student days when she studied to become an Egyptologist, were too detailed and sometimes tedious to read. If you are interested in Egyptian history you may enjoy this section more than I did.
There are two dueling alternative chapter choices that Dawn makes after her own near death experience. This is a new twist. It reminded me of the “choose your own adventure books” my kids used to read.
Dawn made some impulsive life altering choices as an adult married women and mother. At times this seemed a bit unbelievable.
The Book of Two Ways is about love and loss and I am happy that I had the opportunity to read it. It was just not one of my favorites from Jodie Picoult. I thank Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC copy of the book.

It took me a while to get into this book, but once I got past all of the Egyptology details, I could really concentrate on the dual story lines happening here. I found myself very drawn in to the drama AND I even learned a few things about archaeology along the way.

This book had me hopeful. The premise, the concept of death doulas..these were all things that drew me in. However, I was admittedly not in love with the way it was so research heavy. Now, I love a nonfiction book, and I can also appreciate when an author clearly does his or her research on historical subjects. However, I didn't quite expect this going into this book and for it to be so heavily involved in the research, so I ultimately was not a fan. I think other people would love this book, it's just unfortunately not my interest.

I love Jodi’s book but this was one I could not finish. I might go back at a later date but more than half way through I had to stop.

The premise of this book is basically the path not taken. When you hit a crossroad in your life, which path do you choose and how does it affect the rest of your life? Dawn is the main character and narrator, and she's forced to think about her past when she's in a plane crash that makes her examine her life choices. The characters were incredibly likable and there were some beautifully written phrases. I've read several of Jodi Picoult's books and, as usual, this one did not disappoint.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a novel about choices we make and their possible outcomes. The book opens with a plane crash, Dawn's survival, and the split second decision she makes about where to go from there provides a pivotal moment. Instead of returning to her comfortable life with her husband, teenage daughter, and career as a death doula, she gets a flight to Egypt to revisit the site of her love affair fifteen years earlier. As a young woman she was a brilliant Egyptologist involved in an exciting dig in middle Egypt, but her career--and steamy affair--were cut short by her mother's terminal illness, death, and her obligation to raise her younger brother. At her mother's hospice she met and fell in love with physicist Brian, and married him within the year. Fifteen years later a dying client's last request raises issues that Dawn had thought put to rest, prompting her to seek out her former life. Brian's research into parallel lives offers a convenient counterpoint to all of the "what if" questions Dawn and her client have, and help the second plane crash scene at the end of the book make sense. This novel provides an interesting glimpse at the role of a death doula. However the amount of description of the history of ancient Egypt and the archaeological process seemed quite didactic, and I found myself skipping much of it. I also found some of the motivation behind Dawn's actions difficult to understand and therefore to sympathize with.

Jodi Picoult’s books are always very good. She is one of those authors whose books I read as soon as they come out. I am still remembering when I read My Sister’s Keeper and how bereft I felt as I closed the novel, exhausted and emotional over the entire story.

The Book of Two Ways is her latest. Since the main character, Dawn, is studying to be an Egyptologist, there is heavy archeology and Egyptian references throughout the book which, at times, can slow down the flow of the story.

Look at the interesting premise:

Everything changes in a single moment for Dawn Edelstein. She’s on a plane when the flight attendant makes an announcement: Prepare for a crash landing. She braces herself as thoughts flash through her mind. The shocking thing is, the thoughts are not of her husband but of a man she last saw fifteen years ago: Wyatt Armstrong.

Dawn, miraculously, survives the crash, but so do all the doubts that have suddenly been raised. She has led a good life. Back in Boston, there is her husband, Brian, their beloved daughter, and her work as a death doula, in which she helps ease the transition between life and death for her clients.

But somewhere in Egypt is Wyatt Armstrong, who works as an archaeologist unearthing ancient burial sites, a career Dawn once studied for but was forced to abandon when life suddenly intervened. And now, when it seems that fate is offering her second chances, she is not as sure of the choice she once made.

After the crash landing, the airline ensures that the survivors are seen by a doctor, then offers transportation to wherever they want to go. The obvious option for Dawn is to continue down the path she is on and go home to her family. The other is to return to the archaeological site she left years before, reconnect with Wyatt and their unresolved history, and maybe even complete her research on The Book of Two Ways—the first known map of the afterlife.

As the story unfolds, Dawn’s two possible futures unspool side by side, as do the secrets and doubts long buried with them. Dawn must confront the questions she’s never truly asked: What does a life well lived look like? When we leave this earth, what do we leave behind? Do we make choices . . . or do our choices make us? And who would you be if you hadn’t turned out to be the person you are right now?

There must have been a ton of research into ancient Egypt and belief in an afterlife along with quantum physics in this book. While I enjoyed most of it, I wished the book was a little lighter in the heavy details. But still, it’s a book I’d recommend to fans of Jodi’s work!

This will be published on September 22, pre-order now!

There was a period of my life that I really loved reading Jodi Picoult. However, it’s been a while since I’ve read one of her books. When I saw this one on NetGalley, I requested it immediately in hopes to get back to reading her books.

When looking at the plot, there were parts that intrigued me while other parts that did not. I liked learning about what death doulas do because I will admit this is a profession I have never thought about or knew existed. When explained in this book, it makes sense why some would prefer to have a death doula to assist with those last few months, weeks, days, hours to be there for a caregiver and their loved one. Dawn seems very caring to the patients she works with, which I can imagine is extremely important when someone is facing their inevitable end. There were also parts where learning about Dawn’s daughter’s self-esteem is touched upon that I wish I knew more of.

Now, for the parts that I wasn’t not a fan of…For one, I felt there was just too much talk about ancient Egypt, pharaohs and such. I found myself skimming these parts since it didn’t really advance the plot and were parts I simply had zero interest in. The timelines were also pretty frustrating throughout most of the book. At the end, the author clarified the timeline, but for most of the book it was hard to tell what was the present. It didn’t help that while the author flipped from Boston to Egypt, there were references to the past in both places. I had to keep reminding myself that there was a current timeline in each place and that eventually I will learn what the actual present timeline was.

Another aspect that I just can’t stand reading about is infidelity. This was such a major theme in the book, whether it was spending time with someone of the opposite sex, having sex with a past love, or trying to reach out to a past love even though it could tear apart more than one family. I know it happens in real life, but I don’t believe it’s right by any sense, so reading about it constantly throughout this book really irked me. Also, I could have done with less sexual scenes (not that there were too explicit at times), but I don’t need to be reading about how times Dawn had sex and with whom. Again, it doesn’t advance the story and it just shows what a terrible person she is in some scenes.

Because of this, it was extremely hard to feel any sympathy toward the protagonist, Dawn. Not only do I feel her decisions were pretty horrible, her selfishness comes out when Dawn pushes her teenage daughter who has weight and self-esteem issues aside to fulfill whatever needs she feels like she needs to fulfill. If Dawn needs to do something erratic for whatever reason, the least she could do is to keep in touch with her daughter and not leave the poor girl frightened and unsure if she’ll ever see her mom again.

Speaking of characters, I really wanted more time with Meret rather than Dawn and her Egyptology love. I know Meret’s issues weren’t the center of this story, but it seemed more interesting than what Dawn went through.

Overall, this wasn’t a book that I enjoyed enough to want to continue reading Picoult’s future books. Perhaps I’ll try one of older ones and see if I feel the same way, but this just wasn’t for me. For those who don’t mind reading about infidelity and pages of Egyptology might find some joy in this one.

I was surprised that it took me a while to get into this book. I knew it had to be good
and it was. It's totally different from anything I have ever read. The book of two ways
sure gave me a lot to think about. In my opinion, it's not one of her best books. That
said, the book was written very well

Thank you so much, Jodi Picoult, your publisher, and NetGalley for giving me
A chance to read and review this great book!

I have loved reading Jodi Picoult since her very visit novel and I eagerly await each one that follows. I have loved them all. She is not afraid to tackle difficult issues and she does them so Weill that you don't even realize you are learning something important. I was excited to read an ARC of The Book of Two Ways. Jodi Picoult always does an amazing job of discussing important and challenging things and that’s exactly what happened in this book. I loved it - it was a pleasure to read. Well done!

Oh boy! I was so excited to read this book. I stopped all my other TBR’s as soon as I received my wish from the publisher and Net Galley. Thank you so much! I love everything Jodi Picoult has written and Once I read the description of the plane crash and her looking for her ex because he was who she thought of as the plane was going down... I was so excited to see the plot of him seeing her for the first time and what happens with her husband... and then I read the book.
It started out good. Plane crash drama and her trip to see her ex. All of a sudden you find out that she used to live in Egypt with him and they used to study the tombs and the mummies. AND then the book turns into an archeological class on hieroglyphics and Egyptian coffins. It had an enormous amount of information and facts on the Egyptian history. It was so bombarded with so many textbook terms and educational facts on the archaeological finds that I feel I can write my own dissertation on all this research. I’m so sorry to say this because I really love her work but it was too much. It sort of killed the mood for me and the drama I seek with reading fiction to escape everyday life.
In between all the facts and research you do have a nice story between her ex and her husband. It also has some good life stories about her job as a life and death coach. Her research on the history of Egypt’s mummies is super impressive but it was overwhelming.

Thank you so much to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for advancing me a copy of this book in turn for my honest review.

I really struggle with rating this one because I can tell Picoult put so much research into this book and it is very well written. However all of these references make this book feel so dense and difficult to understand without previous knowledge of these subjects. I was really looking forward to this one but unfortunately had to DNF it because I just couldn’t take anymore of the heavy writing style.