I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.

By the time I read this book, I had heard a lot of hype about it. It has been highlighted by many on Instagram and been the subject of some book clubs. I wish I had read this earlier, because it simply did not live up to the hype for me.

I think it’s important not to spoil the plot in this review. I will say I found it a bit disjointed, and I had a hard time sympathizing with Diana or understanding her romantic relationships. I do think one great storyline was her relationship with her mother. In a stark contrast to most books, I liked the ending more than most of the book and thought it tied things together well.

I think this book was “good” but not great.

Wow!!! First I’d like today thank you, to Ballantine Books and Jodi Picoult for providing this ARC book.

Back to the WOW. I stayed up half the night to finish this book. It had me hooked from the getgo. At first glance I thought maybe I was still too raw because we are still in a pandemic 2 years later but this book gave such grace, class, and honors to our front line workers. It was the first book I’ve read that spoke of covid in the present state. I was blown away. I will refrain from going too in depth in the book as to not give it away but you truly can not stop reading.

Thank you, this one will stick with me a long time.

To me, this book unfortunately did not live up to my expectations. While I appreciated the Covid connection, I felt like the book lacked character development and therefore it made it hard for me to connect with the characters.

It's hard for me to properly review Wish You Were Here without giving away much of the story. I will say that I really liked this book despite not really 'liking' the main character, Diana, which says a lot about the rest of the story. I'm also not sure 'enjoyed' is the right word either for my reading experience, as it's such a weird thing to be fully living now during the pandemic that Picoult centers this book around. I didn't find the first half of the book as slow as others who've read it, but things really amped up a bit halfway through with a twist I didn't see coming. The second half of the book is really what carries my high rating. I also want to note that I'd only recommend this book if you're prepared and emotionally ready to read about the early days of Covid and the experiences of both healthcare providers and patients.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed parts of it, I loved the alternate life concept. I guess it is a little soon to “love” a story based on the Pandemic. I have the utmost respect for this author and love all of her books - this was just my personal opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wish You Were Here is about Diana, who is ideally on track with her plans. She also knows that her boyfriend, Finn, is about to propose on their romantic trip to Galapagos, but then he backs out at the last minute. Although she's disappointed to be alone on her trip, Diana decides to travel anyway. When she arrives, the island is under lockdown, and hotels are shut down due to the pandemic, but a kind lady, "Abuela" lets Diana stay in the apartment attached to her house. As she begins to meet the locals and becomes entangled in a family drama, Diana starts to question her pre-planned life and her future once the pandemic is over.

Then, with an extraordinary twist, Jodi Picoult changed the course of the entire story, and I was absolutely blown away. Wish You Were Here is a fantastic book that I would definitely recommend. With an actual topic, relatable characters, and a unique writing style, this novel is a must-read for Jodi Picoult fans and a great place to start if you're curious about her.

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult was a fantastic book that was full of surprises. I did not know what I was getting into when I started the book. First, I loved all the characters and how relatable all of the characters were. Jodi Picoult just has a way of developing her characters that make you feel like you are right there with them as the story progresses. I also really enjoyed the description of the Galapagos and I felt like I was right there with Diana exploring the island. This book had a super shocking twist that I thoroughly enjoyed. Overall, if you are a fan of traveling, twists, and character-driven plots I would recommend this book. It is important to note that this book is centered around COVID-19 and all of the heavy feelings that come along with it. If you aren't ready to read about COVID-19 just yet, I would put this book on the shelf until you are. Thank you to Penguin Random House publishing for giving me an e-book copy in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t read a novel this engrossing in such a long time. From beginning to end, Wish You Were Here is an absolute gem of a novel.

This was a hard book for me. On the ine hand, it was current and interesting and the writing was beautiful. On the other hand, it is quite different from the manority of Jodi's previous works.

The main premise of this book is that Diana is set to go to the Galapagos with her boyfriend Finn who she is sure is going to propose. All their plans are ruined when Covid hits and Finn is needed at the hospital. Diana goes alone on the vacation and ends up stranded on the island where she meets Gabriel, a former tour guide and his family. Halfway through the book there is a twist and I wasn't expecting it.

Things I likes about this book:
Part on of the book
The writing style
The setting of the Galapagos
The relationship between Diana and the locals she meets
The realism of how reactions to Covid were the US and other countries

Things I didn't like:
Most of part two
The ending
The digs at conservatives throughout the book

The reasoning for not liking part two is simply because I didn't like the twist. It was just not for my taste, but it was also one I definitely did not see coming.

“Here I am bitching about wearing a paper space suit and making a cut, and she was providing real, true patient care. And I thought: She’s the fucking hero. I don’t know why I’m telling you this. It feels good, though, to know you’re listening."

I’ve only read one Jodi Picoult novel and that was 6 years ago. I remember first shedding a tear for “My Sister’s Keeper” until the plot twist that left me drowning in my own tears (seemed exaggerated but it was true – have you read that book? If yes, you’ll know what I mean).

That book made me SOB and reminiscing that moment years later still makes my heart ache for the characters we lost there – the heroes that at first I thought were the “villains.” Funny how (in an ironic way) things turned out in the end. I still get teary-eyed whenever those scenes cross my mind.

Now, she had published a new book. I thought my “Jodi Picoult made me cry” phase was over. But this book – this line, an ode to our modern day heroes in white coats (and today mostly in PPEs), she did it again! I’m only at 16% of the story but I’m already crying.

Remember when this COVID-19 pandemic was just some 10 cases in NYC? And remember when it flipped the world in a single night – changing our lives for the still unforeseeable future?

How about those we lost in the past 2 years? Remember the silent battles we fought in every aspect of our lives that (just like the virus) no one seems to notice but we know they exist?

Can you still recall every.single.thing. we’ve experienced and every.single.day. we fought to survive? Because I do.

– and these are only some of the reasons why I’m crying right now.

For everyone who's still here and for those we can only say “WISH YOU WERE HERE,” this book is for us.

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult is a fascinating novel set in the worldwide pandemic. Get rid of you expectations because this novel is like nothing you would expect. But that is what I love most about this author’s books. This novel particularly endeared itself to me because one setting is the Galápagos Islands. What do you do when the world shuts down? What do you do if you are stuck in a place far from home? How do you ever go back? So many questions that a lot of readers will resonate with from the pandemic. It is a great read. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

3 Stars

I've been a longtime fan and lover of this author's work. This one sadly, kind of missed the mark for me. If you've ever seen the film Sliding Doors with Gwenyth Paltrow, it was similar to that concept in the whole idea of, what would happen if you made a few decisions differently.

That being said, I found the first half of this book very slow. Diana is alone in the Galápagos islands, her boyfriend is thousands of miles away fighting to save people from COVID in the emergency room, when the island is put on lockdown. With no way to get home, Diana wanders around being a bit of an ignorant tourist, meeting the locals, and trying to find a way to feed herself.

She begins to become invested in the locals. This goes on for a while... like, over half of the book. This path leads her on a long journey of self discovery.

The one thing that I really did like about the book is a spoiler, so I can't go into it.

Overall, I believe this is a book for a patient reader , something that I am really not.

Jodi's back! I enjoyed this book much more than The Book of Two Ways. While incredibly researched and written, it was hard to get through all the scientific and archeological details. I loved that Wish You Were Here paralleled the true-life events of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I enjoyed reading the juxtaposition between the busy New York hospital setting and the colorful yet peaceful setting in the Galapagos. Jodi returns to her easy-to-read writing style and the ending of her story has her classic, twisted ending. Jodi Picoult has been one of my favorite authors for years and this novel did not disappoint. I was honored to receive an ARC of the book from #NetGalley and #PenguinRandomHouse.

#bookgirlclub

Wish You Were Here is my favorite book of 2022. I have recommended this one to so many friends as "you need to stop what you are doing and read this now" just because I needed someone to discuss it with. Such an incredibly great book! Read it now!

It has been several years since I picked up a Jodi Picoult novel and I forgot how amazing and heartbreaking her work can be. This book is no exception to that rule. I have been hesitant to read books about the Covid Pandemic due to the fact that we are still in the middle of it. However after reading the blurb for this book I was intrigued enough to give it a try. I am so glad I did.
Picoult was able to perfectly capture that liminal space we are all living in during this time. She both is able to express the pure terror that was felt in spaces like New York, where the disease ran rampt and we had no way to stop it and the pure isolation and shift that the shutdown caused. She does an amazing job balancing both of these things in tandem with one another, much like we all had to during that time. I won't spoil anything but the twist made my jaw drop. I literally stared at a wall for 5 minutes like saying "What?!?". It was something I never saw coming but was also brillant.
The last thing I will mention is I really liked that she acknowledged that for so many of us Covid has fundamentally changed who we are and what we want out of life. That it is okay to not want the same things that you wanted 2 years ago and that is okay. Overall, I was extremely pressed and I highly recommend that people read it. Please be aware that this is a heavy book and if Covid, death, self-harm, or Alzheimer trigger you you may want to pass or read cautiously.

This book did not feel like a typical Picoult book to me, but I really liked it. Diana and Finn are heading to a tropical vacation when COVID hits. Finn is a resident so he needs to stay in New York City to work at the hospital. He tells Diana to go, but then the island shuts down, essentially stranding her there. This book talks about figuring out the right paths for yourself--dealing with life choices, career, romance and figuring out who you really are. I highly recommend it.

I can’t NOT read A Jodi Picoult book. Im so happy this was my first “COVID inspired” book. Beautifully written, the story was so fraught with emotion that I had a lump in my … throat? the whole way through. I was waiting for the twist and it did not disappoint! The writing was tight, smooth, and I could not find a single part I thought was superfluous or unnecessary. It flew up the Picoult charts- my new second favorite Picoult book (after Plain Truth)!

Diana O’Toole’s life is going exactly as planned - her career in the art auction world in NYC, her resident boyfriend Finn, and their upcoming trip to Galápagos where she just knows he will propose. But days before they plan to leave, the Covid outbreak in NYC prevents Finn from leaving. Diana goes on their trip solo, and her life changes forever.
…
Full transparency, I went into this story blind and had no idea it was about Covid-19. Reading this novel took me right back to March 2020, and going back was really difficult. I had constant knot in my throat because of how familiar everything felt. While this novel dealt with difficult and an all too relevant topic, I absolutely loved it. I was sucked into Diana’a world and her mental struggle of being trapped in paradise so far away from home when everything is falling apart. My emotions are wrecked and overwhelmed after finishing this work. Picoult did extensive research for this novel, and it shows. The twist blind sided me and shook me to my very core. While this book is anything but an escape from reality, the overwhelming message of what really matters in life can resonate with everyone.

Love Jodi Picoult and enjoyed reading this book but became disengaged at times because the book makes the pandemic a central character. . I read to get away from troubles not heighten my anxiety which unfortunately this book did at times.

I couldn’t put this book down! I actually enjoyed reading a book set in the pandemic. The characters were interesting, the setting of the Galapagos was different, and I couldn’t believe the twist!