Dawn Edelstein, a “death doula” is involved in a plane crash at the beginning of the book. Instead of continuing her trip after being declared unhurt, she got on a plane to Egypt and turned up at an archeology fig site that she had abruptly left 15 years before. She went to see the man she had left and never forgotten. The author beautifully weaves the threads that include Dawn’s dying mother, Dawn’s physicist husband, her fifteen year old overweight daughter, her dying client Win, Egyptology, and oddly enough, another serious airplane crash. I admit there were some passages that seemed too long, too pedantic, and too “I did all this research so I’m going to put it in.” There was a particularly beautiful passage about grieving that I copied to my “Quotes” file and even fired it off to my sister. There’s a lot of meat in this book. Be prepared to chew.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. It will be published in September 2020

Let me start by saying that I am a huge Jodi Picoult fan and that I loved the idea of this book when I read the description however, I had a hard time finishing this book and probably wouldn’t have if it hadn’t been an ARC that I needed to review. The beginning of the novel was so promising- a plane crash and a woman flashing back to a missed opportunity instead of her family in what she thought were her last moments. Don’t we all wonder sometimes about the road not taken? I was really excited to see where Picoult would take this idea.

The main problem with this book is that there is simply too much information. I found myself skimming through the long passages on Egyptology, hieroglyphs, philosophy and quantum physics. It read like a jumbled text book. I also got bored with her job as a death doula. I mean can none of these people have ordinary jobs or interests that don’t require pages and pages of explanation? It was obvious that Picoult did a lot of research for this book and it would appear that is what she wanted to highlight and showcase. It was Information overload and overly complicated.

I did like the format of the book. I thought going back and forth between Dawn’s time in Egypt with Wyatt and life with her family was a good way to approach the two storylines. And it was interesting to see how the Dawn’s two paths intersected. I enjoyed the storyline with her husband and daughter more-I thought the characters were more well developed. The Egypt sections just had so much information that they just lost me. I think it would have been a much better and more focused book if it had been simplified.

What Picoult excels at in her novels is portraying characters that are in extreme situations that you can identify with and I think she really dropped the ball here. I had to wade through so much extraneous information that I just didn’t care about the people much at all. Mostly, what I feel about this book is that it was a missed opportunity. A great idea that was lost in a sea of unnecessary information.

This book was a very different and interesting read. I learned a whole lot about Egyptology. Although I found the story interesting, I did feel that parts of it were slow, especially in the middle. Not my favorite Jodi Picoult book, but I did enjoy aspects of it and learning about topics I've never known before.

A reader picks up a Jodi Picoult novel for specific reasons. A story well told usually containing some mystery, with enclosed life lessons and usually a twist they didn't see coming. This novel, sadly, has none of that. I'm afraid she seems to have jumped the shark, or several sharks as the case may be. Much the same as with James Michener in later years, there doesn't seem to have been much editing going on here -- great swaths of pages that repeat needlessly. Both storylines are bloated with detail and description that stall the plot, plus two romantic entanglements with exceptional, well educated men who are over the moon for the narrator, and that kind of narrative gets old. Fast. If I hadn't had to write a review, I wouldn't have finished it..

I could not put this book down!! I loved the characters as well as the story. As always, Jodi tackles serious and deep issues in a way that is easy to read and absorb. I was reading the end and sobbing so hard, my husband was worried LOL! It was maybe a bit textbook(y) with the all the Egyptian material - but I thoroughly enjoyed reading and learning that piece of the story. Death, marriage, love - she has done it again. Don't miss this one.

There are no words I can use to describe my disappointment with this book that is barely a novel. I was so thrilled when Netgalley allowed me an advanced copy. That being said, I could not finish it. I tried and it's the first time this has happened with this wonderful author. I love her books and have read them all!
The book was filled with mythology and well, really everything I did not understand and frankly had no interest in understanding. If I wanted to read about Egyptian lure or research, I would have chosen that singular topic to read! It just went on and on and the characterization was so minimal that I tried skipping pages ( I never do that) to get to the actual plot line and it took too long!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pages and pages of utter boredom. I just gave up.

Jodi Picoult has always been one of my all-time favorite authors! I own all of her books and am always excited for her new releases. With that being said, The Book of Two Ways was a little different from the Picoult books that I grew to love.

This book was very dense in history and Egyptology. As someone who teaches ancient Egypt to middle schoolers, much of this was history that I was aware of, but for someone who did not have background knowledge this would be alot of information to sort out in the context of this book.

There were parts of the book that just seemed lost or not as impactful because it was inundated with so much knowledge of Egyptology..

The two ways seemed to be written very differently. When Picoult wrote about Brian, it was much easier to read because it wasn't as bogged down with historical context, even though it often brought in physics which was just as heavy at some points.

This book also brought in a lot of different problems for the main character. She was juggling so many different things, that I often found myself wondering when is this poor girl going to get a break.

All in all a good read, but definitely different from Picoult's other novels. While I read this in just a few days, I would not call this a quick read at all. As stated, many parts become pretty heavy with the historical content.

Please note I was provided an ARC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This isn't my favorite Picoult book, but it is still GREAT. I loved the narrative. The story is super original, and the pacing is perfect. Though it clocks in at around 450 pages, it didn't feel that long. I loved the dichotomy between land and water. It left me with a lot to think about. I enjoyed learning about Egypt, however, my one complaint is this: Picoult always does tons of research on her books - which is AWESOME. But this time, I feel like it wasn't organically integrated. Some paragraphs felt like I was sitting in a classroom instead of getting bits and pieces at a time. Picoult has already earned her ethos many times over; she doesn't need to prove that she's done her research. Her fans already know.

Character development was perfect (to be expected from Picoult) and there are plenty of twists and turns. I would certainly recommend this to a friend, and I have a feeling The Book of Two Ways will be very well-received upon publication.

I have read and enjoyed many Picoult books over the years, so I was very much looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, the book is so bogged down with the Egyptian history and physics lessons that it’s just not enjoyable, and I didn’t want to finish it.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. A book about life. Well really it is a book about death. The timing during a pandemic is fantastic. Everyone dies but no one wants to talk about dying. Is it quick is it slow, do people stay or people go, do you have regrets? So many issues, so many tough topics. Secrets, maybes, choices. So, so timely. A great read for the current times. I hope this will be another best seller by an author who has helped us tackle so many difficult issues.

I've been a Jodi :Picoult fan for many years, loving some of her books, just liking others. With The Book of Two Ways she has knocked it out of the ballpark for me. Not since Leaving Time have I been so completely focused and engrossed in what I was reading. Be warned that you will learn a lot more in this novel than you usually do. To be more specific, prepare to be informed about Egyptology hieroglyphics, quantum mechanics, and death. (Oh, I almost forgot Irish superstitions.)

Dawn survives a plane crash and instead of going home to Boston, flies to Cairo and then to the dig she left 15 years ago as a graduate student at Yale. It was there she left her competitor/lover Wyatt to fly back to Boston to be with her mother who is dying. In the hospital she meets Brian, a physics professor, marries him and has a child, Meret. Dawn does not return to Egypt, but becomes a death doula. Never heard of that? It's like a birth doula, but at the other end of life. She's very good at it, but something incomplete draws her to wonder what if.
If the plane crash appears surreal, it is and the explanation emerges at the end of the novel. Picoult's characters are three dimensional, even the minor ones like her daughter and one of her clients, beautifully drawn individuals. (And did I mention tasteful sex scenes?)

I could go on about the meaning of the title, and describe the hieroglyphics that grace these pages. I could also tell you that I finally understand alternative universes. But the point here is that there is a very human story interspersed with quite a lot of education. Don't skip that. it is fascinating. The Book of Two Ways is one of those novels you don't want to get to the end of because it's such fascinating reading.

Many thanks to Ballentine Books, Jodi Picoult and NetGalley for the chance to read and review.

There's little left to be said about Jodi Picoult or her books-she is one of the most successful writers of her generation and with good reason. Never one to shy away from controversial or difficult topics (A Spark of Light dealt with both abortion and gun control), she is at her best when putting ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. The Book of Two Ways has both "ordinary" characters (a wife and mother) and remarkable situations (a plane falling out of the sky) but it doesn't feel like her previous novels. The Book of Two Ways has a fantastical and magical tone-The Tenth Circle comes closest. The Book of Two Ways has a fairly simple plot-Dawn gets to view how her life would have turned out in two different "universes" (sort of like Jimmy Stewart in It's A Wonderful Life) but the execution is complex and and times convoluted. There's no Clarence the angel to guide Dawn as she looks back on her life and examines the choices she made. What's best about The Book of Two Ways is also its downfall-the chapters featuring Egyptology and what Egyptologists do (mostly with ancient tombs) are stunning in detail-but unless you have a keen interest in mummies The Book of Two Ways reads like a college level textbook at times. Miss Picoult could have left out 1/3 of the story and still gotten her point across. If you want to get deeply absorbed in a novel The Book of Two ways will take you to places far beyond ordinary imagination, but if you're looking for a easy to follow read that keeps you grounded on earth The Book of Two Ways is not for you.

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors and I have never been disappointed by one of her books until now. This book started strong - I was curious and engaged with the main character but I got totally confused between the back and forth of the story, the timeline, and the emotional story which was being told with a historical Egypt focused twist.

Too much, too much, too much!! I held on to the end thinking there would be redemption but alas - didn't happen. I am giving it three stars because there are some parts that are beautifully written and the historical parts of the book (while I didn't like them) were also well written and evoked a sense of the time and place the characters were inhabiting.

Wow. All the feels that I am feeling right now. This is a wonderful book. First, prepare yourself for tons of Egyptian history and some physics. At first I was a bit intimidated, but keep going! This is such a great read.... Dawn, such a bright, selfless, passionate character will take you through Boston to Egypt with a lot in between. Read this love story!!

WOW.. this was painful to finish.

Oh my gosh..... I felt like I was reading a history book gone wrong. Ugh... I thought I was going to be reading another fabulous women's fiction novel but my goodness was bogged down with an Egyptian style textbook.

YIKES.... wayyyy to many details about history. Yes, I can see how history was needed in some of this story but not the ENTIRE book.

The heavy terms of archeology and Egyptian really make it hard to read this. It took me EXTRA long to read the majority of this book due to the heavy content of the story. I felt like I should have been looking up names, details, and definitions.

I skimmed the majority of this book sadly and would not recommend to Picoult fans. This is nothing like her previous older novels that I fell in love with.

2 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 9/22/20
Published to GR: 5/25/20

At first it took a while for this book to grab me - however once I made it past the heavy Egyptology facts, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A surprise 3/4 of the way through the book made for an interesting turn of events that I thoroughly enjoyed. And while the ending will leave many people wanting, I understand where the author is coming from.

I knew Jodi wouldn’t let me down!! I’ll be honest, the first 10% was a bit slow and I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to get in to it. It turned out to be another amazing book of hers.

So...this book, like the title pulls me in many directions all at once. I almost put this book down due to the vivid reality that so many people experience with losing a love one. It pulled at my heart strings and brought me back to when my own mother passed away. But this is what you get when you read a Jodi Picoult book. A book that has a great story and one that you read with your mind and heart. This is not a typical story, but a story within a story within a story. You experience multiple realities while reading this book. It was superbly crafted. Don't let the college-like material that sometimes pop up overwhelm you. Although I know that it was relevant to the story, it does sometimes make the story drag out and I wonder if a more elementary explanation might have done just as well. I did find the overall concept interesting and being a world history teacher, it was great to have a story include elements of Egyptian history. Once again, Picoult creates characters that have depth and struggle with the reality of being human. This book kept me coming back and over and over to see how the story played out. About a quarter way through the book, I thought I had it all figured out, but I didn't. I also loved the ending, though I won't spoil it here. All in all, this book has all the makings of a great story.

I loved the main story and the characters. Didn’t really like the history lesson about Egypt. That part bored me. I suppose if you like that it would make an interesting story. I want to know what she decided to do! I liked that ride. I liked both men. Her daughter was great too. Good read note great.

I kept having to look back at the cover to assure myself this was written by Jodi Picoult. (Are there two Jodi Picoult's? Maybe that's the answer.) It is an ambitious and intriguing concept, based on quantum physics and an ancient metaphysical belief of living/going to ways at once. I think that's what it's about, but it needed a lot more time to gel. I fear that the publisher needed a book quickly, and this was let loose too early. It's a shame, it could have been a good one.

It starts in typical Picoult style, with a compelling first chapter that grabs the reader. The main character, Dawn, is a death doula. Tell me more. There's a place crash, and she survives. Now what happens? Well, beats me, because after that, Dawn wanders off to Egypt instead of going back to Boston and her husband and daughter because.... Well, because of a former love, so heading there after almost dying seems the thing to do. Then comes a whole load of Egyptology that, in another context, I would have found intriguing. But it was too dense, and I want to get back to the story and the characters. By the time we do, I almost forgot where we were.

Eventually, we're introduced to the rest of the characters, but their actions are just not well fleshed out. Brian, Dawn's husband, is set to go off to a conference on quantum physics where he is the keynote speaker. Instead, he cancels—the day before—and we're supposed to think this is a great act of love. Having planned conferences before, I found it beyond belief by a factor of ten that somebody would pull out the night before. Later, as the two argue, Brian tells Dawn, "I just don't know who you are anymore." Please, this is romance level dialogue and we know from numerous previous novels that Picoult can do better.

And, speaking of romance novels, the hate-cute relationship between Wyatt and Dawn is just too trite. She hates him, just hates him. He's smug and pompous and a horrible flirt and she is filled with disdain until, well, until she isn't.

I finished the book, but found myself skimming the bulk of it. I wish it had succeeded. But, for me at least, it was frustrating and unrewarding.

I thank NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.