I went into Jodi Picoult's Whish You Were Here without a lot of knowledge about the book. I just knew that I enjoy her books and read them all as they come out. I realized early on that this was a book about Covid and how our lives changed in 2020 as the virus ravaged out country and the world. As I realized that, I took a moment, wondering, is this too soon? I mean we are still dealing with the effects and the virus is still making its rounds in our country. But because I had the book from NetGalley, I felt that I needed to read it and continue on. And I am so glad I did! Yes, it is set in the time that Covid started going through the world, but there is a story that was so good and I wanted to read.

Diana know exactly how she wants her life with her boyfriend, Finn, to go. They are both moving up in their careers and he will propose on their amazing trip to the Galapagos Islands and then they will live happily ever after. Then Covid hits and as a surgical resident in a New York hospital, Finn cannot leave to go on the trip. But it is already paid for so Diana decided to go on the trip on her own. Once there, the island shuts down and she is stuck on an isolated island with no hotel to stay at and no internet to connect to.

As I was reading, I was able to take a little look back at how Covid affected our everyday lives. It reminded me of how much we have been through in such a short time. In the end, I decided this was exactly the right time for a book that centered around Covid and living with it.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5 stars

This is the first book that I, personally, have read that takes place during COVID. I was hesitant going into it, just because I knew that was one of the major topics of the book, but I decided to go for it. Other than knowing it focused on the pandemic, I really did not know ANYTHING else about the plot... I didn't even read the synopsis. I went in totally blind. And I 1000% recommend everyone else do the same!

I will be honest- the first hundred pages or so I was thinking "this is decent, but I am kind of bored...." UNTIL the end of part one. I have NEVER read a twist like this one in a LITERARY FICTION novel. I am telling you... something happens in this book that literally made me audibly gasp when reading- I simply could NOT believe it. That alone made this book amazing. But I also really enjoyed the realness and rawness of the topics in this book. It made me emotional, grateful, and honestly, still in shock that this has been taking place in our beautiful world.

Something else I MAJORLY appreciated was the excerpts that mentioned our MC working with a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). I am an SLP myself, and our scope of practice is so much wider than people realize. Very often, people assume that all we do is teach children their speech sounds, but speech (Articulation) is only ONE of the nine areas of our scope. And we work with all ages- infant to geriatric. Swallowing/feeding, which is discussed in this book (second picture of my post) is another one of the nine areas in our scope. THANK YOU, Jodi Picoult for raising more awareness about our field!

I HIGHLY recommend this book.

ALSO- so excited it was already picked up by Netflix!!!

Thank you so much NetGalley for this digital copy/early access!

Jodi Picoult always writes such great stories that really make you think. Wish You Were Here definitely made me think! And the twist? Didn't see that one coming!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an E-Arc of Wish You We’re Here.

I am always amazed at the amount of research Picoult puts in for her books. Similarly to the subjects in The Book of Two Ways, it's very obvious that Picoult spent hours researching the art discussed, the history of the pieces, as well as the Galapagos.

Wish You Were Here follows Diana, who ends up alone on what was supposed to be a picture-perfect vacation with her boyfriend on the Galapagos Islands. When COVID hits New York City right before they're set to leave for their vacation, Diana's boyfriend Finn reveals he must stay in New York to work in the hospital to fight COVID, but that Diana should go ahead and still go on the vacation. Literally within minutes of the boat hitting the shore of the island, Diana learns that the island is shutting down due to the virus, and she is now stranded and unable to return home.

Picoult does a fantastic job painting a picture of the Galapagos, and she delivers that "small village" feel that Diana is immersed in when trapped due to the lock down. I found myself grinning and laughing at some of the encounters Diana had with the wild animals on the island, and found myself yearning to be there as well. In the same way she paints the Galapagos so well, she also paints the horrors of New York and the battle that front line workers were facing during 2020 and the sudden spike of COVID.

Obviously the book revolves around COVID, so I think it's important that people are careful about when they pick up this book, and that they are in the right headspace, because if not, that could absolutely ruin your experience with this book. There were points throughout that I caught myself tearing up because of how accurately the horrors of COVID were portrayed.

I will say that there is a specific twist in this that is my absolute least favorite twist that a book can have, and even with that, I still liked the book.

#triggerwarningcovidpandemic
#wishyouwerehere
#wishyouwereherenovel
#jodipicoult
#NetGalley published 11/30/2021
#randomhousepublishing
#ballantinebooks
#ARC
#pandemic
#covidstories
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
O. M. G! When I requested this book from #NetGalley, I had no idea that it was about the Covid-19 pandemic we were currently in the middle of dealing with! "But then a virus that felt worlds away has appeared in the city, and on the eve of their departure" is in the description. Then later it says something about quarantine locks down the island. I guess I was not paying attention. Smh. If I realized, I possibly would not have chosen this to be my first JP book. #Bookstagram, make sure you take note of this part of the description.

I am not sure if this book hits me so unbelievably bc I lost my dad to covid or bc my own husband is in health care or if it just hits me bc JP is just that good. Either way... Holy cow! So well done! I just can't even say any more than I have bc I don't want to give the big twists away. Talk about a curve ball! Smh.

I highly recommend this for anyone that thinks they can currently deal with the real stories of covid. The stories Finn tells Diana are so close to stories that I have heard from my husband. And from the news itself. I think in a few years this book will become a big hit. It might be slow in rising through the ranks bc people just might not want to deal with it yet.

#bookrecommendation #bookreview #booknerdigan #bookish #booknerdbookreviews #bookaddict #gottareadthisbook #books #readalot #ilovereading #inkdrinker #librarymouse #bookaddict #bookaholic #booklover #booknerd #readingaddiction #readingforpleasure

This is the first book I received about the pandemic and the second one that I read. I admit I was nervous to relive all of the trauma we're still surviving through. However, Jodi Picoult worked her usual magic and wrote a captivating book that asks a lot of the questions we've all asked ourselves. Am I happy with the status quo? What brings me true joy? What does love feel like? It was a comforting read that reminds us all- we're not alone in this.

This book has to be one of the hardest books to review. As I sat down to share my thoughts it occurred to me that it's nearly impossible to talk about this book without revealing a pretty major twist, which would really hurt a reader's enjoyment of the book. So, I'm limited in the details, but not the emotions that accompany the read.

To be honest, I wasn't sure that I was ready for a Covid heavy read. My anxiety has been such an issue through the pandemic and reading is how I escape from the pandemic, not immerse myself in it further. And then, my whole family got Covid, and we all have a relatively mild case and are on the upswing. It seemed like the perfect time. This book would be a huge trigger for anyone who has lost someone to Covid or someone who, themselves, is struggling with Covid. It's heavy with medical trauma, so if that is a deal-breaker for you, you should avoid this one.

But what the book is really about is not Covid, it's about living life for your true self and not trying to live up to some false and idealized view of what you think your life should be. It's about forgiveness and acceptance and honesty. It's about living with grace for yourself and grace for others. It was touching and I emotional, and showcased a variety of relationships and how we impact those in our lives. All of that being said, I felt like the same depth of emotion could have been told in a shorter story. There are definitely times I felt like I was reading things that weren't essential to that message, or things that were being retold. Whether that was by design or circumstance, it lessened the impact for me as a reader.

Overall, I enjoyed this book because of what I took from it, but I had to be an active partner in the emotional journey and sometimes it felt like too much work. I'm not entirely sure that made as much sense as it does in my head, but because I don't want to spoil anything that's about as clear as I can make it.

Great story, very contemporary. The characters we're believable and the story true to life. Book grabbed me you from the beginning and I couldn't put it down..

I almost put this book down at the 60% mark. Seriously, Jodi? You're giving me "it was all a dream" after you built an entire story and world and island family and made me love the sea turtles?

But she had so much more in store for me, and I'm glad I stuck with it. I loved it. Loved the unexpected places Picoult took her characters, loved the ending. I so appreciate being surprised (at least when it's a good surprise...), and Wish You Were Here took me somewhere I never expected to go. What a treat.

In the summer of 2004, while working at Books-A-Million, I discovered Picoult's books - I read her latest and then quickly moved my way through her entire backlog. There are some that I have since read more than once and rank amongst my favorite books and I can't stop that trill of excitement when I hear that she has a new book on the horizon. To not spoil anything for myself, I didn't so much as read the summary of this one before I started it - so I really had no idea at all going in that this was going to be a COVID-19 novel.

Diana, on the cusp of turning thirty, lives a life largely organized and on track. She shares a home with her surgeon-resident boyfriend in NYC and is in line for a promotion at Sotheby's. With a trip to the Galapagos upcoming, Diana feels like she can hear the wedding bells in her future. But, the book opens on March 13, 2020 - and even the best laid plans are quickly foiled by the ravages of this virulent virus.

Broken into two parts, Dian'a's story - while not exactly unpredictable - makes for a hard-to-put-down read. Picoult sets the book in a way that makes everything so realistic and totally in the moment. Though it hasn't actually been that long since those first shelter-in-place mandates went into effect, Picoult includes details from that time that I think many have already forgotten about (or purposely so!). As with many of her previous books, this is an emotional read. Diana makes for a sympathetic character and I also appreciate the role that art and books play in her life. The characters all really do come to life here and I felt totally absorbed into the story.

I do with that it had been perhaps a bit more unpredictable... and Finn's side of the story seems to exist mainly for huge swaths of info-dumping. A bit more finesse from his side might have made this a stronger read. As with many of her more recent books, comments that seem to come directly from Picoult's own personal opinions can jar the reader out of the moment. This isn't the first COVID book that I have read this year - and I am sure it won't be the last one to hit the shelves, but this is certainly one that is hard to put down. And as usual, I am curious to see what she will write next!

i'm normally a huge jodi picoult fan, but i felt, for me, that it was too soon to read a covid book. i, as always, thought the book was wonderfully written by jodi and loved the twist in the middle. i found the first half amazing and really into it, but the second half was tough to read and i wasn't as bought in.

To say this book had me rethinking life choices doesn’t quite explain the ride this story takes you on. With this one debuting while still in a pandemic and written about said pandemic, in a fictional way, it feels all too real and was an exceptional step by the author. While we all are still reeling in certain ways and wondering when we’ll get through this roller coaster ride, Picoult documents a journey that is as much heart wrenching as it is inspiring.

There really isn’t a way that you won’t connect somehow with at least one event that occurs in the book. Picoult has successfully detailed various elements of what the pandemic has done to humanity and to us as individuals; without it feeling cumbersome, but you’ll probably end up in your feels along the way (and numerous times) unless you have totally lost your emotional capabilities.

As my first Picoult read, I’m hooked.

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult isn't for everyone but maybe everyone should read it. If you’re ready to read a novel based in a time of Covid then this is a great one to start with. Picoult, as with many of her other books, does her research and creates great depth in atmosphere with quality events and characters. I really enjoyed this book but it may have been a little ‘too soon’ for me to read a novel about Covid which kept from absolutely loving it.

This book. Wow. Picoult has hit another book out of the park. I knew going into this book that it was going to touch on some tough topics - as Picoult's books always do. Also, reading a book about a pandemic that we are still currently in the middle of is a strange sort of deja vu. This book was about so much more than just the pandemic. It was about life and love and forgiveness and finding yourself and living life to your fullest. This book will be one of my most recommended books of 2022 and beyond.

🐢 Wish You Were Here 🐢

I’ve been sitting on this review for weeks because I’m having such a tough time getting my thoughts into words. I’ve seen in most other reviews that this read is a love it or hate it situation. Honestly I could go either way but I’ll err towards the positive side because regardless, I was invested and cared about the outcome greatly.

This is a hard review to write without spoiling the story so I’ll stay as vague as possible. As someone who was healthcare aligned through COVID - some of the timeline was off in the letters and that got under my skin a bit. What my friends in the trenches went through was serious and I do appreciate the credence given there. I’m SO glad OT was represented although imperfectly - OTs handle toileting though PTs do transfer training as well. But still! Yay for OT awareness. We do cool stuff!

And I HATED the ending but the character had such depth that I couldn’t be mad. It was her story, not mine, and it says a lot that the character was so real that I genuinely believe that. I think this will age incredibly well and the writing was great as is expected from Jodi Picoult!

Hug your healthcare workers, y’all! They’ve been through it and are still in it.

Lots of content warnings that contain spoilers, so I suggest looking into that if you have a sensitivity.

Thank you @randomhouse for the ARC and ALC through #netgalley and #librofm in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know why but Jodi Picoult books have been a hit or miss for me lately. The last two or three novels. I've loved all other novels of hers. A lot of people think it is too soon to read about Covid19 in a plot, but I really don't think so. I think that was fine. But, the pacing of this novel was just a big slow and lacking. I loved the MC and the characters though.

Diana is booked to go on holiday with her boyfriend Finn when the Covid pandemic causes havoc in New York. Finn a doctor in the local hospital persuades her to go on holiday on her own as he is desperately needed in the hospital.
Arriving in the Galapagos Diana finds that her hotel and everything else in the resort is closed and she has nowhere to stay, the airport is closed and she is stranded with no WiFi and a very limited phone signal.
She is forced to look after herself until she able to get home.
This predicament forces her to reassess the choices she has made in her life so far.
I enjoyed reading Diana’s story but I found Finn’s story very sad and difficult to read.

I'm so torn on my review for this book. There were some parts that I really enjoyed and felt myself not being able to turn the pages fast enough. During those times I felt lost in the story, you know that feeling you get when you are reading and dont even realize you are reading. You are just lost and enjoying every second of it. Then we would move back to Diana's current life and I felt like I got yanked out of the story and had to trudge my way through that part until we got back to the part of her past life. I had a hard time with her decisions and the person that she was.

I was so, so hesitant to pick up this book -- it sat on my "give feedback" shelf for quite a while and I was inexplicably put-off by the idea of reading a book about the covid-19 pandemic. Don't let the same thing happen to you; pick up this book immediately.

Diana and her boyfriend, Finn, are planning to leave for a vacation when covid-19 first starts infiltrating America. Cases in the single and double digits, but fear rising, and Finn eventually ends up staying in NYC where he practices as a doctor to help with the influx of patients. Diana ends up going on the trip alone and goes through a journey of her own. Each individual experiences the pandemic in a different way, and Diana gets glimpses of what life is like back in NYC through Finn's stories.

Jodi Picoult's writing is pure magic. I loved the conversations and details about art, I fell in love with Beatriz and all the nature scenes, and I so, so regret not having picked this book up sooner.

Many, many thanks to Jodi Picoult, Random House -- Ballantine, and NetGalley for this ARC (and for patience with me!)

Jodi Picoult absolutely nailed it with this book. Her research was impeccable, her characters were realistic -vulnerable, flawed yet relatable, and the story just blew my mind.
Jodi brought all the fears, pain, worries, loneliness and reality of the COVID lockdown in March 2020 into this novel. No one knew what to expect - we didn't know if we would be infected, if our families would feel the effects, or need hospitalization in the face of overwhelming numbers of victims. And I think that Jodi Picoult captured the mood of the world and the nation in this book. She also acknowledged the realities of healthcare workers at the onset of the pandemic and recognized them as the real heroes.

I loved the way she integrated her research into the story. It did make me add Galapagos onto my Bucket list - and I found it amazing that she brought the islands into the novel since it was where Darwin developed his theory of evolution (and no one knew the evolution of COVID at that time).

I think that Jodi Picoult did a great job showing how the pandemic forced Diana to re-evaluate her life, and priorities, her relationships and choices and eventually the goals that she had - and realize what really matters in life. I think that a lot of us did the same thing and it changed who we are and how we interact with the world.
The author's note describe her research and I found it fascinating that she would tackle this subject while we are in the midst of another variant of COVID. But we all have an experience with COVID and I appreciate that she focused on it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of this book. The opinions are purely my own and I appreciate the opportunity to express them