I was so excited when asked to review this book because honestly... Jodi Picoult's books are always amazing. She takes a sensitive but relatable subject and intertwines a story within it. One of the very few authors that keep me engaged, but also don't become stale overtime. loved it!

I have read almost everything she has written, and this was not a disappointment. Great thoughts about living and dying.

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. Some of her books have been some of my all-time favorites. I finished this book about a month ago and I’ve sat on this review because I’m not quite sure what I think. I had just finished another book that had referenced the multi-verse so I thought that it was interesting when it was brought up in this book as well. I thought the concept of how every different choice impacts our lives however big or small. Also to think that there could possibly be another multi-verse where your life is going on simultaneously but different is intriguing. I also found the idea of a death Doula to be so compassionate and thoughtful.  Dawn is on an airplane headed home when it crashes. She is grateful to have survive the crash but when they ask her where she needs to get to she hesitates. Why does Wyatt a man she was involved with years ago come to mind rather than her loving husband at home? What choices will Dawn make and what impact will that have on her life?

   Dawn is a complicated character and as the book progressed I began to like her less and less. The overall story focused way too much on Egyptology for my liking. I could tell that Jodi Picoult did a lot of research, but quite frankly I don’t have much interest in ancient Egyptian culture. Perhaps if it had been woven into the story a bit more rather than presented like a textbook I would have appreciated it more? I really don’t now and I really wanted to like this more. I would love to read a book about a character who is a death Doula in a future book without all the Egypt stuff.

*** Big thank you to Random House for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

As I read this book, I felt like I was reading a textbook from a class I needed to take but really did not want to.  So much Egyptology, math, and such that I could almost feel my brain hurt. This was not like any of her other books.  I really think she tried to put too much into it.  The research was evident, but the translation into a solid storyline failed miserably. After surviving an airplane crash, Dawn Edelstein returns to Egypt rather than to Boston where her husband and daughter await her, to seek out an archeological site where she knows her old friend Wyatt is, to try to reconnect with a story she left years ago. She goes there and must then confront the question of what she should do from here on. How would things be different if she had stayed on rather than leave, and what would her life have been, compared to what it is now in Boston with her husband and daughter.

This was a very difficult book to get through. As I said, it was like reading a textbook rather than an easy-going novel. The author did an enormous amount of research, but, in my opinion, probably should not have spent so much time going on and on about ancient Egypt and its culture, what it all means and such. A simple story about a woman faced with the dilemma of where to go and what might have been would have been better. It certainly did not help the book.  If you are into reading lots of classroom-like or textbook-like stuff, this book will probably appeal to you. There is a good story there.  It is just difficult to get to it with all the other stuff in the book. I received this to read and review from NetGalley

Im sorry but I seriously couldn’t like this book. It was a text book and an extremely sad story about death. She literally describes death. And right now we just don’t need that.

Jodi Picoult is one of my all-time favorite authors. That being said, I struggled with The Book of Two Ways. It was missing the emotional connection I typically feel to Picoult's characters. The undercurrent of passion I would have expected, given the life-altering circumstances, just did not come through. It was a solid read.  I learned a few things about Egyptology and quantum mechanics, but it was not as engaging as I had hoped. As always, I look forward to reading Jodi's next novel!

I love Jodi Picoult’s writing style and really looked forward to reading this book.  It’s a good thing I like her style, or I probably wouldn’t have made it past the first chapter.  The level of detail in Egyptology about made me want to put the book down.  The book has a significant amount of detail on Ancient Egypt, gods, and physics.  If it had less, I probably would have given it five stars.  The title comes from details in Ancient Egypt coffins and, brought to current times, references the two paths of the protagonist’s love life.  

The story begins with the survival of a plane crash.  Thereafter, it weaves between current day and fifteen years ago.  Wyatt is a fellow Egyptologist from Dawn McDowell Edelstein’s past.  Dawn and her husband, Brian, a physicist, have a daughter, Meret.  The character development was quite good and I found myself rooting for each character.  

The book provides much insight into the process of dying and a death doula.  I learned a lot about the process of dying and, surprisingly, enjoyed this aspect.  With death prominent throughout the book, it was still somehow a positive book and thought provoking.  For example, “All of us will die sooner or later.  No one can prevent death; it’s the outcome of birth.  It’s inevitable.”  While there was much about death and dying, the book was also about life and living.  The Author’s Note sums it up nicely:  “…I needed to write about—the construct of time, and love, and life, and death.”  

I recommend this book but wish I’d skimmed much of the technical detailed areas.  The jury is out on the ending…  

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books of Random House, for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult reads more like a textbook than a work of fiction. It was obvious that Ms. Picoult did a ton of research on Egypt for this book, which is appreciated, but it was not used so much to enrich the story but rather to teach. And, while I did enjoy parts of the story, I was super perplexed during others. It took quite a while to get through this book because I had to look things up a lot to understand what was being discussed. For the most part, I read for enjoyment and this book took quite a bit more brainpower than one for entertainment. I am aware there are plenty of people that read to be challenged and to learn at a high level, this just is not why I choose a book that I think is going to be more story-based non-fiction.

At first, I was overwhelmed by the Egyptian storytelling that went into this novel, but it was also impressive to me because the amount of research that must've gone into this title for Picoult was amazing. I very rarely read the synopsis on the book, to avoid any preconceived ideas/spoilers but I would probably have KNOWN about the premise if I had read it — but in no way did it mean I didn’t enjoy it, it was just something I wasn’t familiar with! 

I ended up loving that we got to know so much of the work Dawn & Wyatt have done in their field, and how it was written into this story with a mix of second chances and living the most of your life. 

While it wasn’t my favorite title by this author, I still really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this book. The Egyptian parts were very informative, but I did tend to get bogged down at times. The characters were very likable and the ending was unexpected.

This book tackles the question I think a lot of people ask themselves at one time or another- “what would my life be like if I had done (fill in blank) instead of what I did.” The question of what makes a good life is another one that Jodi Picoult brings up in a way that is thought provoking. The main character experiences a close call with death which puts her on the road to explore what her life possibly would have been like if she had made different choices at a turning point in her life. The setting is an archeological dig in Egypt which brings a depth to this story as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
#thebookoftwoways #amazon #ballantinebooks

I can't believe I'm saying this about a Jodi Picoult book, but this was definitely not for me! I appreciate that the author did a ton of research on Egyptology and Physics to write this book, but for the life of me I could not get in to it. I was hate reading at one point and skimming, and I found that I really didn't care to find out about the love story of it all. I have heard from a lot of readers that once you get through the Egyptology piece the love story itself was compelling, and that was good to hear. I do like that it's set in a unique location, but the enemies to lovers troupe didn't work for me and I don't think I'd come back to this.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I'm a sucker for stories that do interesting things with time, and I loved the structure of this one. Overall, though, this wasn't one of my favorite stories by Picoult. I've read all her books, so maybe it speaks more to my evolution as a reader than her writing, but I didn't find myself as invested in these characters or the storyline as I usually am. I did love all the research she did about Egyptian tombs; having visited Luxor last year, her descriptions definitely transported me back to the Valley of Kings and the bat-infested pyramids we explored.

Jodi Picoult is famous for writing books that deal with controversial topics like racism, abortion, gay rights, school shootings, etc. I was expecting more of the same in her newest book. While she deviates from the topical issues in THE BOOK OF TWO WAYS, she still provides the reader with a thought-provoking novel about marriage and choices. There's not as much social commentary in this book, but the novel is stuffed full of Egyptology (i.e., their religious practices and the process of mummification). Now, I happen to be interested in this subject, so it didn't bother me that Picoult included so much history about ancient Egypt in this book. But some of the information is a bit forced and could have been excluded from the narrative. She also gives a lot of information on quantum physics, parallel universes, death duology, etc. But again, these are all subjects that interest me personally, so I didn't mind the information overload. However, some of these themes might turn off a reader who is picks up the book for the actual story--which is about a woman who must decide between her husband and her former boyfriend. I was less interested in the main storyline than I was in the fascinating side subjects.

Still, I have to give Picoult credit for being a strong storyteller. The main storyline could have easily devolved into schmaltz, but Picoult's characters come across as very lifelike--flawed enough to be realistic, frustrating but still likable. While her writing, especially her metaphors, can be heavy-handed at times, 95% of her prose is intelligent and provocative. I look forward to seeing what she does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I have always loved Jodi Picoult books.  It is a guilty pleasure.  The Book of Two Ways at first was a little confusing on what was happening with all the talk of tombs and mummies and it kind of seemed like a new writing style. The story returns to Picoult's heart tugger about half way in.  I love the theme of death and second chances.

Jodi Picoult is a gifted writer and The Book of Two Ways continues to showcase that gift.  Dawn Edlestein is on a plane that is forced into a crash landing.  As she realizes what is going on, Dawn's thoughts turn, not to her husband, but to a man she met on an archaeological dig fifteen years before.  Dawn survives the crash, but now she must take a close look at her life choices.  She loves her husband, daughter and career as a death doula (someone who eases terminal patients into death).  Wyatt Armstrong is in Egypt on an archaeological dig - something Dawn was once passionate about.  The title involves the Book of Two Ways - an Egyptian book about the afterlife.  Now Dawn has to examine her own two ways.  Should she return home to her husband, daughter and the life she built? Should she fly (free as recompense for the crash) to Egypt and  become reacquainted with her former life and love.  
This is an excellent book club choice - there is so much to discuss!  The story is engrossing and a quick read that will leave you with lots to think about.  Any reader will love this book, especially fans of Picoult.  I appreciate the chance to read the advance copy.

3 stars: 3/5 Star Rating

I am a huge Jodi Picoult fan, but this one just didn't do it for me.  There was so much detail of Egypt and the archaeological digging that just left me skipping parts as it became too much.  I was more interested in the romance and possibilities that Dawn was exploring.  There was limited detail on that end. It's definitely worth reading though.  

I received a digital version of this book from netgalley and Ballantine Publishing. All opinions expressed are my own.

I usually love any book by Jodi Picoult but found this one to be a struggle. I had a hard time getting into it & found there to be too much detail. It was more of a history lesson to me rather than simply reading a book to enjoy it. I'm a tad disappointed.

This was one of the more difficult Jodi Picoult books to get through. I don't say that in a negative way- Jodi is always trying to get her readers to learn, think about different experiences, etc. She challenges her readers. In this book Dawn survives a plane crash and has the opportunity to fly anywhere she wants. Instead of going home to her family she chooses Egypt  to try to live out dreams she had several years ago. This is where it gets difficult, while in Egypt we learn so much about it. You can certainly tell Jodi did her research and it can be heavy at times as if reading a text book. It gets a little overwhelming at times. But overall I enjoyed this book and it has me wondering about my own life and what I would do in that situation and what it means to live a purposeful life. Thank you to  NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.