Wow, wow, wow. I'll admit, I was skeptical when I read the book description - could Jodi Picoult really write a "sliding doors" type novel? And how can she follow up with another page turner that sucks you in as much as A Spark of Light? I'm just reading along, enjoying the two parallel stories, really digging (no pun intended) the Egyptian history, rooting for Dawn and her husband, and her lover, and her daughter and not really knowing how I want the story to end. And then BAM! The Jodi Picoult twist we all know and love. I cannot recommend this book enough and will surely be boring my family, friends, and book club members when I tell them, ad nauseum, to run out and read this book. So incredibly unexpected and the perfect book to escape from this world for awhile.

I have read every book by Jodi Picoult, so when I received this ARC from Netgalley, I was SO EXCITED! While I enjoyed this book and you can tell how much research went into it, there was a lot going on from the start. This book revolves around Egyptology, physics, lost love and the subject of death and leading up to it. It’s not a quick read, but one I highly recommend diving in to. It was a very different book for Jodi and I am glad she took the time to write for us.

I count myself as a card-carrying member of the Jodi Picoult fan club. I was excited to get an advance copy of this book. However, I must say that I didn’t make it all the way through. I’ve always been drawn to Picoult’s writing because of the plot lines and character development. Each novel is so diverse – and you know that Picoult has researched everything to the nth degree. I never really gave it a second thought before now – but her previous books have all provided me with some level of general interest. The dilemma or subject matter was either something I was initially interested in, or she gave me reason to be interested.

That is just not the case with this book. It was a rather torturous read for me. The main characters focus on Egyptology, the process of dying, and physics. Picoult uses her research skills to develop each character, but it’s just too much detail to be interesting (to me). And the high-level detail totally bogs down the flow of the story.

I read a few reviews that said the plot picks up about 70% of the way through the book, but by then I was out. Life is too short for this much work – especially from an author that we have come to expect so much more.

I received an advance digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Rounded up to 4 stars, actual rating 3.5
The only way I can review this book objectively is to act as though I don't know the author. Using that premise, this is a solid 3.5 for entertainment and characters one can appreciate. It's an interesting take on the loves of our lives, once again using the currently popular alternate timelines/locations device to tell the love stories.
Where Picoult's touch is apparent is her hallmark research into a subject - in this case, two subjects: Egyptian archaeology and death doulas. The drawings and readings of hieroglyphics didn't translate well in the Kindle edition, and I'm not sure the detail added all that much to the story. For my reading purposes, it was clutter.
Ultimately, I can't forget who the author was, thus the need to make a statement that this is far from my favorite of her works.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. *

Guys, when I say I’m a total Jodi Picoult Junkie— I mean it. I have devoured every single one of her books usually in one sitting.

But I just couldn’t muster my way through the first half of this book without finding myself completely lost and over my head. There’s a LOT going on— you have a flash back and forward situation, Dawn’s clients and their sub plots, Egyptology, physics and other science related terminology that my brain was just like— wow, please take a time out.

It took me two weeks to make it through the first half of the book and see what in the world was going on. And then just like that, the plot picked up and I was able to charge my way through the rest of the story.

There was a lot that happened in the last 30% of the book, lots that was emotionally exhausting and then finally, my least favorite type of unanswered ending—
The unanswered cliffhanger!

Instant grief— I plodded my way through the beginning and I don’t even get an answer! Ugh.

This is just a book that really requires some serious concentration and maybe even some notes in the beginning to follow what was happening. If you can get past all of that, you’ll really enjoy the deep down discovered story.

This book was well researched and as always with her book presenting multiple opinions but I found it slow compared to some of her others.

I was so excited when this popped up as a possible ARC to read and then I got approved, so then I got very excited. But I really had a very, very difficult time reading this book. I love history, especially Egyptian history, but I really felt that all the history bogged this book down. I felt like I was in an Advanced Egyptian History Class, not reading women's fiction.

I felt that less historical detail could have been included and the story would have profited from that. I understand the need for that history, but this still was women's fiction. The book was very heavy on archaeological terms and Egyptian which made it very hard to read. I found myself flipping through parts of that because I got bogged down and bored by those sections. Sadly, because I skimmed so much of it, I would not recommend this book to Picoult fans. This is nothing like what I remember of her older much-beloved books that I treasure and have sitting on my shelves.

Thank you to Jody Picoult, Random House-Ballantine and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really wanted to love this book, and while I did end up liking the story and the characters I felt like the whole book was a really slow read for me. I struggled to get into the book with all of the history behind the Egyptian tombs, etc. I also didn't love how long the chapters were, but that's really a preference thing. After finally getting into the book, I did love the relationship between the characters and really enjoyed reading about Dawn and her role as a death doula. I give this book three stars. If I could have filtered out all of the passages about the history behind the tombs I think I would have given it four.

This book was very different for this author. Instead of every other chapter being told by a different character, the whole story is all told by the main character. Each chapter then goes back and forth between Egypt and Boston.
I had no issues with that but this book didn't work for her, in my opinion, and I wonder if her changing her style is partly why.
The storyline of this book was good...I liked to hear about Dawn's past life, her being a death doula and about the struggle with her family. I like being curious about how current Egypt and current Boston would fit together and wow was it different than I thought it would be!
There was way too much information in this book that just didn't matter. I skimmed a lot! It was so text heavy with science and facts about Egypt past. Some of it was interesting but most just bored me. I don't read novels hoping to find my favorite text book.
Lastly the ending just pissed me off. I can't say more without spoilers.
Thanks to Netgally for giving me this book for an honest opinion.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have to give major props to Jodi for all the detail and research that went into crafting this story. This book will be a mix bag for some people. You are going have people to really love it or not get it at all. For me, it just was a little slow for me. It is still compelling enough to give it a shot.

When Dawn, a death doula who spends her life shepherding people through their dying days, survives a plane crash, she decides to take charge of her own life. Rather than flying home to her husband and adolescent daughter, she goes to Egypt, where she reconnects with her first loves: the band and the dig site she left behind.

Or does she? The original Book of Two Ways shows that there are two paths to reach the other side: through land or through water. In this book, Ms. Picoult explores two paths Dawn may have taken: did she return to Egypt, or did she go back home, and try to rebuild her struggling life there? In alternating chapters, we see alternating choices play out, Sliding Doors style...or do we? Ms. Picoult plays with time and narrative structure here, so while we are reading alternating chapters and lives there is no insight into which life is true, which is current, etc. It is an interesting choice, but for me, it felt more confusing than illuminating (like her last book, which was written backwards).

As usual, Ms. Picoult has done research on her topics, and here, she explores a lot of different ways of thinking about death and life: the viewpoint of the ancient Egyptians, through Dawn's work as a graduate student; the viewpoint of modern physics, and Schrodinger's Cat and alternate realities, which is the work of Dawn's husband ; and the actual experience of the dying, which is Dawn's current work. There is a LOT of information conveyed, all different ways of thinking about life and death. It is interesting, but also often feels like Ms. Picoult is saying "look at all the things I learned about life and death, from ancient Egypt to modern day scientists."

The book is missing one really important element for me, though: stakes, and plot. It's never clear to me why it matters which road she chooses, since neither life seems particularly urgent. As a reader, I wasn't overly invested in either relationship; both guys seemed nice enough, but neither seemed like a great love. There was no urgency to the story, no sense of escalating stakes, just a woman who wonders which life she should have chosen, and through narrative device, gets to live them both...for at least a little while. A late breaking plot twist was an attempt to create some momentum, but for some reason, it didn’t grab me.

Ms. Picoult has written some fantastic books that I love: Leaving Time, the Pact, Small Great Things. But she's also written some that fell flat for me, like A Spark of Light. I would put this one in a middle tier: better than the misfires, but not overly compelling as a read.

Jodi Picoult’s book are always books that stick with me. This one is no different. Wonderful story with history of the area when the story takes place. This book took me away from all that is currently going on, and it was an very pleasant journey. I appreciate that this author does her research and each of her novels is a completely different stand alone book. This show her amazing versatility in storytelling and writing.

Love Jodie Picoults’ books, always so well written so involving.This novel that introduces us to Eygitian culture and so much more.No spoilers just highly recommend #netgalley#randomhouse

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Dawn’s life in Boston with her husband Brian and daughter Meret is good. But years ago, before her mother’s death, she had another life, a different love, both work wise and personally. One she cannot forget . After 15 years, she returns to Egypt and Wyatt Armstrong, wondering what her life would have been like had she stayed and worked on her Book of Two Ways and continued her research and life with Wyatt. She quickly falls back into the Egypt part of her. After surviving an airplane crash returning to Boston, she knows she has to make a decision, being totally full-filled and challenged and with Wyatt, or staying in her present life as a doula, and being comfortable with her family.
Anyone who is fascinated by Egyptology will enjoy this book, Ms. Picoult has done her research.

Dawn survives a crash landing of the airplane she's on, and her life is split in two from then on. At home is her loving husband Brian and their teenaged daughter, and in Egypt is Wyatt Armstrong, who still has Dawn's heart after fifteen years. The novel takes place in parallel times in the main character's life, and she must choose between the two. Will Dawn continue on to Boston and go home to her family or fly to Egypt to reconnect with Wyatt?

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. This book was just amazing. I just lost myself in this story and didn’t want it to end. It was really well written and just drew in you into these characters lives. I look forward to seeing what’s next from this author.

I started this book several times but couldn’t get past the elongated Egyptian history lesson. Honestly, that’s not why I read a novel. No matter how many times I dug into this, I couldn’t get past the endless details. I was very disappointed since I generally love Picoult’s books.

Thank you Netgalley for for this ARC

Egyptian lore has a story where the weight of one's soul is weighed against the feather of truth as one of the trials that could grant a person passage to the afterlife. Dawn, a former doctoral candidate in Egyptian studies, was forced home from a dig season in Egypt to deal with the death of her mother. With a young brother in need of a guardian, she changes the course of her life. From falling in love with a new man and raising a child with him to becoming a social worker who operates as a death doula, fifteen years pass swiftly. But a new client forces Dawn to look back at her life and we follow Dawn through past and present as she struggles to assess what's truly in her heart of hearts.
Death, man! What a heavy topic to read about when watching pandemic numbers rise! But the setting fascinates, the passion sizzles, and the questions peek out around corners like ghosts in a haunted house.

I always looked forward to a newly released Jodi Picoult book. I know on page one I will often get transported from my living room directly into the story and I can get lost in my reading for a few hours. I know I will always learn something new. I know there usually is a touch of a romantic story. I debated with this book between 3 and 4 stars as it's Jodi Picoult:) I love her writing for the exact reason I expressed; you can just get lost in the story. However I didn't find the ancient Egyptian history that interesting (not sure of the mass appeal on the topic) and instead of a touch of romance this one was filled with it. I don't think there has been a Jodi Picoult book without a taboo subject and this book is no exception; the language around death and letting go were both beautiful and educational.