This author is known for writing about slightly controversial to outright controversial topics. The first half of the book I could not see what might be controversial. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And then, I’m not going to say why as it would be a spoiler, but the second half took a drastic 180 and I was very miffed with what is a plot device, in my opinion. I was going to give it three stars or less due to that. As I proceeded to finish the book, I was less harsh in my assessment. This book, as explained in the epilogue, was written as a monument of fiction to the COVID-19 crisis. Reading the authors explanation for why she wrote the book made me more patient (in hindsight) than I felt when I was slogging through the descriptions of hospitalized patients and their experience coming through it.
Overall I felt it was it worthy exploration of an individual’s journey and our country‘s journey through the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Diana O’Toole is on track to achieve the goals she has set for herself. One important one is to marry the man of her dreams, surgical resident Finn. They are scheduled to leave on a trip to the Galápagos, where Finn will undoubtedly propose to her. However, things do not work out as planned, and Finn has to stay in NYC because of the increased patient load of Covid patients. Since they will lose the money, they have paid for the trip, Diana decides to go alone. When she arrives, the island is in lockdown due to Covid. Though she can leave, she decides to stay, realizing she may have the adventure of a lifetime. Stranded on an island where everything, to include her hotel, is closed, Diana is taken on by a local family. As she passes time on the island, she begins to look at her life, her decisions and everything else in her life. As we go through the sporadic communication between Diana and Finn, we see the anguish and questioning by both. Finn describes his life working through Covid in clear terms, giving the reader a true sense of the anguish, he is going through, while Diana feels it all through the communication with Finn.

This was an interesting book, though it will never be one of my favorites by this author. It was interesting to see life on the island during the lockdown as well as life with Covid. However, the story line was a bit slow and dragged a lot. I just could not get into the characters or their two predicaments. I thought the way the author brought out life in Covid, in the US and on some distant island was fascinating to read. However, as I said, I just could not get into it. Her other books really hit home with me, though this one left me wanting and not sure what for. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

I have never met a Jodi Picoult book I didn't like and this was no exception. In fact, this is probably my 2nd favorite book of hers...I loved it all the way through to 60% where I got the shock of my life...literally, threw myself back in the chair, I was so surprised. I literally feel like I knew these people and I could so easily picture the places she was talking about even though I have never been there. Nevertheless, the Galapagos Islands have been added to my Facebook album called "places I want to visit based on books, along with the book and the author" Love, love, LOVED this book.

I'm probably in the minority but I didn't really care for this one. I enjoyed the first half of the book but the twist and second half just didn't pull me in. I knew exactly what was going to happen so I was rather over it all.

When I learned Jodi Picoult wrote a book about Covid times, I was really curious. I grabbed Wish You Were Here (signed!) at my local Indie last year…and then avoided it for months. Because Covid wasn’t as far in the past as I assumed it would be.

I finally read it a couple months ago and my feelings are…complicated. The writing is beautiful, the story line is interesting (that twist! 😲), but it was so…Covid-y. Every time I went out after reading, I felt like I was back in the early days. I didn’t want to be near people, I went back to masking, and I generally had the heebie jeebies about being indoors. I honestly didn’t expect such a visceral reaction to the book!

Picoult’s writing is good - so good it took me right back to the worst feelings of the pandemic. If you’re ready to face that, I absolutely recommend this book. If not, maybe give this one a few more months.

And if you’re a Picoult fan, definitely give it a read at some point. Like her other books, she thoughtfully writes observations on current events and weaves a beautiful, meaningful story with lots of things to ponder at the end.

Jodi can do no wrong! I've been reading her books since I was a teen and have loved how she can write emotion and tragedy so well. Although this book is not my favorite of hers, it still has her classic touch.

I love Jodi Picoult…but this book was not it. Had to push myself to skim read & finish it, hoping it would get better. It never did, pretty boring

Readers who have spent time with Picoult's writing likely expect there to be a twist of some sort, something that calls upon us to look at something differently than we'd previously considered. That said, the one in this book knocked my socks off. The way she navigated COVID felt like we hadn't been immersed in it for years already. Brilliant.

I'm not sure what to think of this book. I liked the characters and it had a twist I did not see coming. I did enjoy it.

BOOK REVIEW ALERT – Review, Recommendation, Rating & Opinion are my own.

Title – Wish You Were Here

Author – Jodi Piccoult

Genre – Thriller

Covid – 19 changed the world in a way no one could comprehend. During this time, the author managed to come up with this fabulous book that was an absolute page turner.

The wonderful read follows the Diana O’Toole who has charted out her whole life to the T. But little did she know that her whole plan was going in a direction she would never have dreamt of. Well, that is life.
Diana’ has planned her life in a certain direction. Married at Thirty with kids done by Thirty-Five to her amazing Doctor Boy Friend Finn, a surgical resident. A much awaited holiday to the Galapagos Island where a beautiful proposal awaits and the whole planned life is to take a new shape and form.

But, a virus breaks out and is spreading real fast. At the nick of the time, Finn has to back off as he is called on to doctor duty and there is no way that he’s going to join this trip. Diana is urged and pushed to take the trip alone as she has been wanting to go to the island for the longest time.

As soon as eh reaches the island,. the whole island is under quarantine and there starts a whole new world that Diana would never have envisaged. Friendships budding and secrets buzzing, Diana has to steer around with care while her mind is have a race of its own.

– What happens when she returns?
– Will her choices remain the same?
– Would she have become a whole new person?
– Can her secrets in the island remain a secret?

Rating – 4.5/5 Stars
Recommendation – High

I loved this book so much that I read it one go. An absolute page turner, if you haven’t got your hands on this book, then now is the time. It keeps you guessing till the end and piques your interest right from the beginning till the very end.

P.S – Thank You The Write Reads for organizing and inviting me to be a part of this magnificent blog tour. Thank You Penguin Publishers and Netgalley for providing the ecopy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed! It’s cool to see how JP books have evolved, used to be more focus on changing character POV but the newer books are changing timeline. You can tell she puts a lot of research into her books to make them more robust. I think while many people are shying away from covid fiction right now, this will be an important read for future generations who may not remember the pandemic.

I'm still not sure what I think of this book. I'm reading and reviewing late, but I don't think I would have finished it "during" the pandemic. We are far enough removed to make a bit of sense of it now. But wow. I am in awe and most certainly want to visit the Galapagos. Thought provoking with a twist I didn't see coming, but enjoyed all the same.

Jodi Piccoult never disappoints. Her twists and turns in this novel make one question relationships, their stability when tempted. The first book I read that included the pandemic, Piccoult captures the reaction to the unknown of COVID-19. Excellent book!

Honestly I’m not sure what to think about this one. I went into this book not knowing anything about it. I knew that everyone loves Jodi Picoult. And her her book The Book of Two Ways was fantastic.

But this one well I was not expecting it to be about Covid. For that is makes it a little hard to read. Important massages are great. But when the last couple years have been hard for someone and then read this book and it brings back all those memories. I should have waited to read this so then I could have been in the right place mentality so I could have enjoyed it even more.

I do appreciate Netgalley and Ballantine books for the opportunity to read and review.

Jodi Picoult has a strange hold on me. Her books are hit or miss for me yet she’s one of the few authors that I make it a point to read every book. Because when it’s good, it’s REALLY good. Her previous book, The Book of Two Ways, I gave a 1 star review. I started Wish You Were Here as I always do her novels, with no preconceived judgment or expectations. Picoult really hit all the emotions in this book! We all have experiences during Covid and all the swings of human nature and behavior.

I like how she writes characters. Diana felt genuine and the author doesn’t try to make perfect people or perfect situations. The author is intentionally disruptive so that her readers feel. Finn and his view and experiences in the medical profession. Most of us will never fully understand the sacrifices made by those in the medical field while we were tucked away quarantining at home.

I’ll be thinking about this one for a while. Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC.

Motivated people have a plan for their day, their career and their life. There are even jobs now that teach one how to plan and stay on track for all aspects of life.
Diana O’Toole is someone who has a life plan and so far she is hitting all the marks. She wants, no expects, to be married by age thirty to her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident at a NYC hospital.
Diana, an associate at Sothebys, is sure that Finn will propose on their planned very expensive vacation to the Galápagos Islands.
At the last minute, Finn couldn’t go. The hospital was starting to see a rise in cases of people infected with a virus. It’s a virus that has affected all of us in one form or another. It is Covid!
Finn couldn’t go but tells Diana that she should go anyway. Not sure whether she should go at first, she ultimately decides to make the trek alone.
Hoping that things will be back to normal when she returns, Diana Is not prepared for what happens when her trip of a lifetime turns into a vacation that is a test of her strength and resolve.
Starting with lost luggage, spotty WiFi, language barriers and hotel shutdowns, Diana finds herself now trapped on the island because the world is suddenly under a lockdown due to the Covid pandemic.
Diana’s journey of feeling trapped and stuck are very real to all of us who have gone through the pandemic. For some readers, this book will hit all too close to home with Finn’s story of patients affected with Covid . It is a painful recollection of lives lost to the virus and the toll that it took on healthcare workers.
Jodi Picoult’s , “Wish You Were Here” reminds us of what a great storyteller she is. There are a myriad of issues that Picoult presents in this book that make it multi-dimensional with many complex issues.
This is a great book to discuss and highly recommended for book clubs.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #WishYouWereHere

I'm really conflicted about my feelings towards this book. At first I wasn't a fan. I really liked the characters and the plot seemed like it was going to be really interesting. I really liked the sections where Diane was in the Galápagos, but Finn's e-mails to her about Covid just seemed....preachy. I get that it was supposed to juxtapose what Diane was going through, but I think I mentally still didn't have the distance from Covid to appreciate those sections.

The second half of the book, however, really picked up. While it still contained a lot of Covid references, it felt more natural in the storyline. The second half also contained the big plot twist, which is also why I felt more emotionally invested in the second half. I kind of wish the book was a little shorter and the plot twist happened sooner? I definitely would have read the book a lot quicker.

Then the ending...I just don't know how I felt about it. I see what Jodi Picoult was trying to do...but it just didn't feel complete. I think I just didn't like it. It felt like a cop-out.

Overall, I think I would have liked this book a little more had I had a little more difference from the Covid of it all.

I really enjoyed this book! I was completely surprised by the twist and with me being an avid reader I can be hard to surprise.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.*

I love Jodi Picoult but took a break from her fir a while when my kids were young because my heart couldn’t take it.

Wish You Were Here is the story of Diana, an ambitious young woman in a relationship with Finn, a surgical resident. They’ve planned a trip to the Galápagos Islands and Diana is pretty sure she’s getting the ring she found in Finn’s drawer.

Until COVID strikes and Finn has to cancel because NYC is overrun. Diana goes alone. And gets stuck on a closed island.

A really well written story. Twists I did not expect!

*With thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This one absolutely threw me for a loop! I thought I had it figured out, then Wham! Jodi Picoult did a number on me. When you read this book, and I highly recommended that you do, don’t give up on it! Keep reading to the very end!