I’ve nor read a lot of Jodi Picoult’s work, but the ones I’ve have (including this) have been so beautifully and realistically written, they always pull at all my emotions! The writing, while beautiful, it’s also brutal in its honest and often unflinching writing! It really makes you think about the subject and brings forth a lot of emotions! I think all should be required to read her books, especially ones like this that really hit home some important things! If you’re a Picoult fan, this one is a must, if you’re not a fan, I’m positive this one will make you one! Be prepared with tissue though!

Diana O’Toole is an art specialist for Sotheby’s in New York City and is thrilled to see her career taking off. Her boyfriend Finn, a doctor finishing up his residency, appears to be preparing to propose during their upcoming vacation to the Galapagos Islands. They’re checking all the boxes on the life together they’ve hoped and planned for.

And the date is March 13, 2020.

Jodi Picoult has mastered the novelist’s art of creating believable, complex characters and then dropping them into a world of hurt. At the last minute Finn has to stay in New York as hospitals gear up for an influx of Covid patients, but he suggests Diana make the trip on her own. She arrives on Isabela Island in the Galapagos, just as the island is shutting down and every other tourist is rushing to get home. Diana impulsively decides to stay on Isabela, reasoning that the emergency order is probably a short-term situation, and she wants a bit of an adventure.

Wish You Were Here is one of the first novels to take on the pandemic, something not every reader may be ready for yet or ever. Picoult doesn’t pull any punches in her description of the situation in New York hospitals that spring. With spotty to nonexistent internet service on Isabela Island, Finn’s emails to Diana don’t always get through, but when they do, they make it clear that Covid is taking a devastating toll on patients as well as the mental health of doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff.

In the meantime, Diana has been taken in by an older woman, known simply as Abuela, or Grandmother. She’s soon caught up in the family problems of Abuela’s son Gabriel and his teenage daughter Beatriz. Unable to get internet service, she writes postcards to Finn with no idea when or if he’ll ever receive them. (My one quibble with this set-up is that Picoult has Diana writing lengthy epistles to Finn that wouldn’t fit on even an oversized postcard. But the book is so fascinating that I have to let that go.)

Fans of Jodi Picoult will know to expect plot twists, so no spoilers here. This smart and timely novel will win and break hearts.

In 2020, we became part of a world that experienced a pandemic unprecedented in our time and with our technological advances.


Wish You Were Here captures the rawness of the COVID-19 pandemic in a way that allows the reader to experience the pandemic from the perspective of others. We all isolated and experienced the pandemic differently and it’s not something we talk about, until now.

Picoult weaves the desire for perfection in life, vacation, and turmoil into the panic stricken, reality of a real life event, and I’m better for reading it.

I have read every single one of Jodi Picoult's books, and Wish You Were Here is no different. I loved every moment of it. Picoult is known for her famous plot twists and she didn't disappoint. Wish You Were Here was a tough read as someone who spent the 2020 lockdown in NYC and experienced those same never ending ambulance sirens, but Picoult takes care with the subject. Great read, highly recommend.

Reading the new Jodi Picoult novel was a unique experience because it is historical fiction set in the very recent past, New York City early 2020 when COVID hit.

Now you may be thinking “I am not ready to read a novel about COVID” and I can understand that but I would still ask you to consider because this novel offers some perspective that most of us didn’t have, and it’s also just a really good read.

Plus it’s already set to be on Netflix as a feature film!

Diana is on track to meet all of her life goals with her career and personal life, including an impending engagement to a surgical resident at a NYC hospital. She expects this engagement during their upcoming trip to the Galapagos. But this is early 2020 and the virus is hitting NYC hard. Finn can’t go on the trip so she goes alone. What I liked about this book is 1) first-hand perspective from those first weeks at the slammed hospitals in NYC when everything about COVID was new to all of us (the week the country shut down). Also a reader gets perspective and literary travel to the Galapagos which seems to be a million miles away.

I can’t say more about this story; it takes some unexpected turns. I enjoyed the book and recommend it! I’m also excited to see what Netflix does with it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wish you were here is so good I ordered it as holiday gifts for my friends. I am a fan of Jodi Picoult’s books and this one did not disappoint. I’m not going to give anything away about the story other than to say it is relative to our recent struggles, thought provoking and very hard to put down. Don’t miss this one

What a timely book! The story centers around the Covid 19 crisis that we all living through today. It is one of the earliest books to come out and truly describe the horror and interruption of life that the Pandemic has created.
It's a story of a young woman attempting to find herself when confronted with an illness over which she has no control. What remained with me was the vivid and realistic description of life in a hospital after being on a ventilator. If you've only read about it in the newspaper, this book will certainly bring it home and make the suffering real. The love story juxtaposed against the backdrop of the health crisis was secondary to the effect of the toll of Covid. Excellent read capturing the world today-

If you could go on a vacation alone and have no itinerary, would you? Does it sound blissful? Tropical drinks and breathtaking views of the Galapagos. What if you were on vacation and you found yourself at the start of the lockdown from Covid-19? Now, you find yourself on a beautiful remote island with limited wifi, no way to get off the island, and daily luxuries. Changes your mindset a little.
Diana O'Toole is young and getting ready to have her year, in 2020. Professionally she is on the verge of making a HUGE sale for her employer, Sotheby's as an associate specialist for the auction house. Her infamous mother is suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's and is currently living in an Alzheimer's facility. Hannah O'Toole has no recollection of who her daughter is the day Diana visits her before her big vacation with her physician boyfriend, Finn. Finn is a resident surgeon at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital and is just beginning to see the first signs of this virus they call Covid-19.
This trip to the Galapagos is the start of their year together, Diana suspects that Finn will propose to her on this trip, kneeling on the lava-sand beaches. When Diana begins to carry on about their pending departure, Finn doesn't say anything. It puts Diana on edge, as to why would he not go with her on their trip? Because of a virus that is taking over the city? He only had nineteen cases today and lost one patient. The hospital has made it clear to all of its employees that taking time off right now is intensely discouraged. Finn encourages Diana to take their trip alone, they can't get a refund on the lavish cost of the trip. Someone should enjoy it, right? Plus, Finn is worried about what he will bring home to their shared apartment after working hellish days at the hospital.
Diana arrives on the last ferry boat to Isabel Island, the same trip when people are begging to get the last ride back to the mainland of Santa Crux Island. Her luggage has been lost but was assured it will find her. When she arrives she facetimed Finn to tell him she safely made it, except for her luggage. Finn looks exhausted and informs Diana that all he sees are patients that are suffering from the "virus". Diana finds her hotel and begins to feel isolated from Finn and the world, now that the lockdown has been placed.
I will not give any spoilers about what takes place on the tiny Isabel Island because it is a remarkable story. It was what I found the most interesting and kept me reading long into the night. Diana learning to emerge as an Islander from a visitor. The pandemic was isolating and yet everyone felt that we were experiencing some of the same emotions and physical pain. Jodi Picoult perfectly crafted a timeline of the pandemic and lockdown. From the isolation of the medical professionals to the individuals that were forced to be in lockdown on vacation - not in their hometown, let alone their native country. If you wish to read a beautiful story that pulls you in and surprises you please take a chance. You may be over this virus, as we all are, but how else will future individuals read about our experience as a whole in isolation? To hear the real-life experience that Mrs. Picoult used as inspiration to pull together such a remarkable count of events is exquisite

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for sharing this advanced
e-reader copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

Wish You Were Here was the first book I had read that was actually set during the pandemic. It was surreal in a way, but it also gave me a comforting feeling of solidarity. When I started reading this, I couldn't stop talking about it! had the Galapagos on the brain, I was googling photos to get the right imagery. I was impressed that a difficult subject (self harm) was addressed. It was all good vibes for about half of the book. Then came the twist. know this is perhaps an unpopular opinion, but the twist lost me. I can't spoil the plot in good conscience because overall the book is good! Jodi is, as always, an incredible writer. I wish this book had gone in a different direction, but as a whole it is worth the read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the advanced reader copy. A review and photo of this book has been published on Goodreads and on Instagram under the name @literary.erica

I was skeptical about reading this book because it deals with Covid and the current pandemic. Needless to say it was surprisingly good. What made it work was the story Ms. Picoult developed surrounding Covid. Diana and Finn soon to be engaged, could be any one of us. When faced with a life changing condition it gives one cause to pause and re-evaluate life. One take away was that we go through life following a path in an instant that path can change and a new course chartered. Pay attention when your eyes are opened to new possibilities.

Oh my goodness, I could not put this book down!! This is the first book that I've read that incorporates the pandemic into the storyline, and it was phenomenal. The detail of Picoult's descriptions are so wonderful, you actually feel like you are right on that tropical island with Diana. I'm not even going to mention the twist (oops!) because that completely caught me by surprise. I was just telling someone about it today (who does not read fiction) and he thought it was a great way to catch the reader off guard. Five stars from this avid reader, and I highly recommend this for book clubs!

I have almost all of Jodi Piccoult's books and I was excited to see how she would approach the topic of Covid-19. I eagerly jumped into this reading experience and enjoyed the first half of the book. Unfortunately, the major twist in the story caused me to feel extremely angry. It completely negated that entire first part of the book, making me feel like I wasted my time. I would have quit reading the book right then and there, but I felt that, being already that far in, I might as well complete the book. For me, the main character learning from her dream-like experience to change her life for the better did not make up for hours I wasted at the beginning of the book. The only reason I gave it 3 stars was because the first half was a positive experience leading up to the twist.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a pretty good read from Piccoult. I thought the characters were well developed and the story flowed well. There was at least one big twist. A couple of things tied up too nicely to be realistic. And I think we’re still too entrenched in COVID that I felt myself disagreeing with some of the sentiments or thinking of things that she neglected to mention.

“Wish You Were Here” ultimately ended up being a very good book that was interesting, thought provoking and maybe a little too timely. However, I found the first half of the book to be quite difficult to get through. I’m not sure if it was the plot itself or the fact that the first half was essentially reliving the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic (albeit in the Galapagos rather than the studio apartment I lived in at the time).

Although the first half was a struggle to get through, I’m glad I stuck it out for the unexpected twist a little over halfway through. Jodi Picoult does a great job of turning the plot on it’s head, and the story becomes something I did not expect. I can’t say much more without giving anything away, but ultimately this is a story about life, loss, expectations and finding yourself when you least expect it.

This was an extremely well researched book, and I really enjoyed how Picoult tied her research into her writing and the character experiences. While I found that this book to hit maybe too soon given that we’re still in the middle of the pandemic, I also found that it spoke to the universal experiences we’ve faced over the last two years.

Such an amazing book by a wonderful, talented and gifted author! I loved this one just as I did all the others! Can’t wait for the next book! Absolutely great!

I enjoyed this book, especially as it's very relatable living through the pandemic. And it's kind of weird because I have COVID right now, though not to the degree of Diana at all. I enjoyed her story line and her fiances as well as the twist. I thought the character development was done well and the story was written well, the thing is though it didn't feel like a Jodi Picoult book. Maybe she's just changing her style or maybe it was just for this book but it just felt different. Nevertheless I did enjoy the book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

As much as I love Jodi Picoult's books, I was unsure if I wanted to read a book that dealt with COVID-19 while we are still dealing with COVID-19. I'm so glad that I put my reservations to the side and decided to read this. I enjoyed this book very, very much. Yes, there are parts that were difficult to read, but overall it's a very interesting take on the pandemic.

Jodi Picoult is one of my “automatic-read” authors; so, I didn’t even read what this was about before requesting it on NetGalley or even before starting to read. I have been battling Covid while reading it, so it is especially timely for me and made me count my blessings that my case wasn’t worse. There is a twist in the story that I was not happy about at first; but, then I came to appreciate it as I kept reading. It is a fascinating topic (I can’t say more than that without giving it away) and I encourage everyone to read this, especially if you are a fan. I always enjoy reading the author’s notes at the end of these kinds of books and this one is no different—they give a lot of insight into what the author was thinking while writing and often on how they came up with the idea for the novel.
Trigger Warnings could include: Covid, death, mental health struggles

This was at times tough to read as we are still in the middle of the pandemic. I love how Jodi does extensive research for all her books. She doesn’t just write to write. She writes with a bigger picture in mind no matter what subject she is writing on. The twist in this one got me. I would love to see a sequel.

Jodi Picoult is a master story teller. Love her writing style. Great storyline and characters. That being said, I personally get peeved when books get into politics and even worse when they take gratuitous swipes at US Presidents. So unnecessary. That really overshadows how much I enjoyed the biggest part of the book.