This was my first Jodi Picoult book and it won't be my last! I have heard about this author a ton but never took the plunge of reading her books. I enjoyed the book. The cover art is fantastic as well.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

Another amazing novel by Jodi Picoult - this time with a "WOW" twist.

At times it was difficult to read this. It brings back memories of a difficult time in our recent history. The perspective of what it was like in a hospital setting was heartbreaking - it was eye opening to be part of it as opposed to just hearing it on the news.

Picoult never fails to amaze as an author.

This was at times tough to read, given my work in an acute care hospital where at one point, half of our patient population was admitted with Covid. I identified so much with Finn’s letters. Jodi Picoult is a master of writing thoughtful novels about difficult and sometimes polarizing ideas.

Oh, this author can spin a tale! I'm always eager to read a new novel by Picoult. As usual, the story is unpredictable and exciting. You'll be turning pages as I did, whether wandering hospital corridors, living on an island, or examining the working of Diana's inner life.

Always worth taking along if you're going on a long trip, waiting for appointments, or need a novel to read before bed. Oh wait - scratch the last. You'll keep reading long past bedtime, so keep it in your tote bag.

This is a story of the resilience of the human spirit in times of strife. The author has created a story during the COVID-19 pandemic that involves the hardship, tragedies, loss, and sacrifices that many in the medical profession had to endure to help others and themselves survive in spite of the dire consequences of this terrible epidemic.

The story also chronicles the life of one woman on her trip to the Galápagos Islands but what she doesn’t realize is that what she is experiencing and seeing is not what it seems. Is she living this life or another?

Many strange things happen during this woman’s sojourn. We feel her angst as she comes to meet obstacles along the way and tries to come to a conclusion about what is real and what is not, what is important and not so, and what makes her happy and what leaves her feeling empty.

There are a myriad of emotions that are emitted that makes the readers think long and hard about life and how important it is.

A wonderful story that I highly recommend as a worthwhile and enjoyable read that brings back the tough times we all had to endure during one of the most trying times of the pandemic for many people.

This book was absolutely mind blowing. I was so enthralled by the story including the COVID-19 pandemic and how she was able to escape to another area that wasn’t as affected and have the experiences she was able to have. BUT THE TWIST! Wow, I never saw that coming. Truly wild that it is based on individuals actual experiences during COVID-19 and includes the after affects on how it affected families. Such an incredible story.

Do you want to hear a great story?! I read this; I really did! I won’t give too much of the story away in case you want to read it but it’s super good and it’s crazy! So……anyways! Here goes…….

This couple has been saving up for this trip for a long, long time and finally, they’ve saved enough money to go. They book their trip, the money is there, they took the time off work, they’re all set. They’re both super excited to go and then, yep…..you got it. Something happened!! One of them can’t go. The boyfriend is a surgical resident at the hospital and he has to work. Now what?

He insists that she go without him. She shouldn’t have the miss the trip because he has to work. She doesn’t want to go without him but the trip is nonrefundable, it’s all paid for and she has the time off. Whatcha’ think? Should she go? Would you? He’s insisting that she go, so she goes.
So, what you thinking? A romantic story? Not really.
Let me finish this, there’s only a small boat to get to the island where they were going to stay. As the boat pulls up to the island, she’s informed that the boat is headed back to the mainland and this will be the last boat for quite some time. The island is shutting down. Think fast! Stay on the island or stay on the boat and go back to the mainland. She’s come this far and she’s not turning back.

I would have done the same thing. Probably not the best decision but how do you know? She’s now on this fantastic, planned vacation complete with her booked hotel that is now closed, all eating and tourist sites closed and she doesn’t speak the countries language. This is supposed to be a fantastic vacation?! She tries to make the best of it, she really does and I loved it! As the community opens up to her, I just couldn’t get enough of this book. It’s like she’d finally discovered life’s meaning, she’s becoming a part of something bigger. Yet, somehow, her boyfriend is connecting with her which is tugging at her heart pulling her back to him. Keeping this rope tied to him while on the island, she’s learning to fly.

I felt she was really breathing, on the island though. When she reconnected to the mainland, her breath was labored and stressed. There were numerous times I found myself talking/yelling out-loud to her as I listened to this book, advising her cut the strings from the mainland and move to the island. How could she not continue on with this great path that she had found? So, what happened? That’s all I’m telling you but this is just the start of her story, my friend. It is just the start.

What a fantastic story! The author threw me for some loops in this book and I fell for them. I had to pick my jaw off the floor for a few of them and I had to tell my husband every last detail of this book whether he wanted to hear it or not as I was super excited about this one. I can see why this one has been so popular. 5 stars for sure!!

Only Jodi Picoult could set a novel in those first scary weeks of COVID and make it incredibly entertaining. Some things that make Picoult's stories so entertaining are that they are surprising, descriptive, and thoroughly researched. Wish You Were Here is no exception. I never expected this story to take me where it did (I'm being intentionally vague to avoid spoilers) and I loved every second of it. The island where much of the novel took place was described so vividly that it feels like a real place. Also, you can also tell that Picoult did her research on the Galapagos Islands and COVID, which goes a long way in making reading this novel an immersive experience. However, the result of this is that it sometimes read more like nonfiction than a novel.

Great book with a good cast of characters. It was a little slow in the first part but picked up from there quickly.

Wish You Were Here is one of my favorite books by Jodi Picoult! Thank you Jodi Picoult, Ballantine and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of reading this incredible ARC.

I have read all of Jodi’s books and despite my familiarity with her style, I was blown away by the twist! Wow…I did not see that coming! What an amazing twist and turn of events! Picoult has created another literary masterpiece, and skillfully crafted a beautiful and unforgettable story in the midst of a worldwide crisis. Wish You Were Here is a story that will stick with readers long after they finish the last page!

Jodi’s descriptions of the environments were so vivid that I felt like I could see everything through her eyes. The character development was flawless, and I loved seeing how the dynamics of their relationships evolved. The questions, curiosities and emotions each character faced was genuine, and I felt gifted to be able to experience their world through Picout’s ability to weave such a brilliant story!

When Diana and Finn are forced to make last minute changes to their travel plans, neither of them knew how quickly the world would change. Unable to leave the hospital during his residency, Finn urges Diana to go on the trip anyways for a much needed reprieve from their busy lives. When Diana arrives at the serene island paradise, she wasn’t sure what to expect. She most certainly didn’t think she’d have to go without the day to day luxuries we have all grown accustomed to though (wifi, shopping, hotel accommodations, etc.). When paradise starts to feel like a trap, she is forced to step out of her comfort zone and the quarantined residents of the island are not exactly welcoming.

With Finn working unbearable hours at the hospital and Diana half a world away, they are both forced to navigate a world of the unknown. When they are finally reunited, the surprises they are both faced with will leave every reader wondering what life would be like if… Sometimes the life we think we’ve chosen may not be as perfect as what our lives could be like if…

To give any more information would risk revealing the twists, but Wish You We’re Here is certainly a must read book that you won’t want to miss!

Reviews are listed on all my affiliated social media platforms, multiple book group and book review platforms. bookseller websites and libraries. Thank you Jodi Picoult, Ballantine and Netgalley!

This book captured my attention right away and did not let go! That twist towards the end really got me!! And by the end of the book I was in tears. I will be a forever fan of this authors work.

An interesting change for Jodi Picoult. Maybe a little too close to the pandemic thatn I needed to truly enjoy it.

This book is well written but very sad and somewhat triggering. It’s a good book but it’s not one to read if you are feeling the least bit down and out!

I'll admit I wasn't sure that I was ready for a pandemic based book when I started reading this, and to be honest I really wasn't even thinking that direction. I just love Picoult...
but this book drew me in and kept me reading. I honestly had no idea where it was headed. The scenes in the islands made me wish I was there, even if it was pretty much stranded. The characters were believable and I wasn't sure how I wanted it to end... and was sad that it did. A great read!

One the basis of the description alone, I wondered if this was a case of "too soon." With the emerging Covid-19 pandemic as an emerging event, I was definitely wondering if I'd be traumatized by the memories alone. I was pleasantly surprised that it was a thoughtful read on the relationships we forge by happenstance. Piccoult is a wonderful storyteller; she never disappoints. I also recently read Mad Honey--another interesting read.

I'm ashamed to say that this is the first Jodi Picoult book that I've ever read. And it is the best book that I have read in 2023!!

I thought I was mentally prepared to read Covid literature. But this story is so well written that I was mentally transported right back to my own life during quarantine, Reliving the anxiety, the depression, and the hopefulness along with all the characters of the book. Just when I thought I couldn't read anymore, the plot twist came along and sucked me back into the storyline for the remainder of the book.

This is what good storytelling does. Makes you reflect back on what hurt you and what has healed you. Enabling you to see the joy on the other side of life.

One of my favorite books of 2021! I can't spoil it but the twist was incredible. Never saw it coming! I love Jodi Picoult and this was my favorite of hers.

I stand by my theory that Jodi Picoult is the Queen of Plot Twist. I remember getting to *that point* and actively saying "Holy shit!" in front of my mother and stepfather.
As someone whose sister is a nurse, and was a nurse during COVID, I appreciated how Picoult realistically portrayed medical workers surviving a pandemic. While it was a bit soon for me to read about the pandemic (it still throws me off when fiction books casually drop references to elearning, or social distancing, or make handwashing jokes), I'm glad Jodi was my first serious dive into pandemic fiction. IS that a real genre? Can we MAKE it a real genre?

“The world that my mother inhabits, it’s not this one. But that’s not to say that it isn’t real to her.”

Jodi Picoult does a great job bringing us back to the panic of the 2020 pandemic world in Wish You Were Here. She really captured the harsh realities and feeling of being in the unknown. Be sure you are ready to go there before picking up this read. The book has an unpredictable midway twist, an interesting exploration of the concept of consciousness and other realities, and a reminder to live life in the moment, and evaluate what’s really important in how we enjoy our time. It did move slow and there were too many important topics covered (covid, dementia, mother-daughter, cutting, LGBTQ, abandonment, multiple complicated relationships, and a random John Lennon/Yoko Ono-esque storyline)…I personally would have preferred less but more focused themes.

“My mother, I realize, mapped out her life literally. I did mine figuratively. But it was for the same reason—to make sure I didn’t get trapped someplace I didn’t want to be.”

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Jodi Picoult shines once more with "Wish You Were Here."

This book had me guessing til the end and the twist in the middle had me throw my book across the room. While I had to put this book away a year ago when I first read it becuase I felt it was too early to read about COVID, I am happy I was able to pick this book back up and enjoy.