This new title by Jodi Picoult is so very, very good. Set it current times, during the pandemic we are all still living through, a young woman has her life and all of her plans for her future upended, and discovers herself for maybe the first time. But it is also so much more that can't be discussed in a review because it will ruin it for others. My sister is currently reading this, and I can't wait for her to finish so I can talk about it with someone! Because we are still living it, some may feel it is "too soon" for a Covid-19 book, but for me this hit home in so many ways.. I loved it. This will be published in late November, so put it on your Wishlist! Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

Jodi Picoult is a true story teller. This is extremely well written, but I just couldn’t lose myself like I normally do in her books. Perhaps because we are still in the pandemic, I couldn’t see this story as the escape I enjoy while reading her previous novels. However, her talent continues to astound me and I look forward to her next book.

I have read nearly all of Picoult’s books and I do believe that this one is my favorite of them all. The books was written during Covid and that is where the book is set. NYC, March 13, 2020. Diana and her boyfriend (who is a resident doctor) are on the eve of heading to Galápagos Islands for vacation. Finn comes homes and tells Diana there is no way he can leave when the Covid crashing down on the city. So Diana goes alone and gets stuck on the island. All that she knows to be real back home is called into question as she meets and connects with the locals on the island. I stayed up way to late most nights this week to finish this book. This is a must read when it comes out in the fall.

I'll admit I will read anything Jodi Picoult releases! She is one of my favorite authors and this book is a new classic. This book beautifully characterizes human resilience and I think many people will relate to it. I came to deeply care about these characters and this is a real page turner. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I've been looking forward to my first book about COVID-19. Jodi Picoult never disappoints and is able to capture emotion the way no one else can. I loved the two different storylines, and I found myself thinking both were real as well. While I was rooting for the main character and her signficant other to stay together, I knew there was a reason they had to part. I love love loved this book!

This book is sure to be a big hit! I've read almost 20 of Jodi Picoult's books and I can honestly say that this is one of my favorites. I really liked all the characters, the flow of the story, the descriptions of the COVID pandemic and the twist in the story that took me totally by surprise and kept me glued to the page. This book is one that you will definitely want to read and discuss with friends.

"When you find yourself utterly alone, the only place to find strength is in yourself." I've read quite a few books about resilience lately that demonstrate how people cope during rough times and this is one of them. The main character, Diana O'Toole, has an apartment in NY,, her dream job working at Sotheby's and the likelihood of becoming engaged before she is thirty. She has her whole life totally planned out. But, as in real life, and in a Jodi Picoult novel, that might not happen.

Diana's life is upended when the coronavirus hits. She finds herself going on her "perfect" vacation, by herself, to an island in the Galapagos that is suddenly shut down. Yes, the whole island! In the meantime, her boyfriend Finn, is on the frontline of fighting COVID as a surgical resident at a large NY hospital.

Picoult shows us that sometimes, "when you're stuck in heaven, it can feel like hell", Diana has no WiFi connection, no internet, no postal service, no cash, no ATMs, no way off the island and the airline lost her luggage. She sporadically receives emails from Finn letting her, and the reader, have a front row seat to a modern world catastrophe as it unfolds.

While Finn is fighting for the lives of patients, Diana is exploring Isabela Island, meeting the inhabitants, enjoying nature, and learning a lot about herself. She begins to question the things that are most important to her in her life and just may need to change her life plan.

My sincere thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this delightful ARC ebook. Publication date is November 30, 2021. #WishYouWereHere #NetGalley.

Inhale ↔️ exhale.

To be completely honest, I was nervous as hell, beginning this book. I love Jodi Picoult, but a book revolving around Covid…I wasn’t sure I could pull it off.🙈

Diana and Finn have planned the ultimate dream vacation. A once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Galápagos Islands. But when New York is ravaged by Covid, it looks like their dream holiday will have to be shelved. Finn is a resident at a large New York Hospital and things are about to hit the fan. It’s all hands on deck!

Jodi Picoult brought the stark reality of the pandemics’ first wave to life. Capturing the consuming fear and exhausting moment of every healthcare worker called into the fight to deal with the nightmare crisis. No sensationalism here…just the brutal reality of it all.

The structure of the chapters midway had me subconsciously holding my breath! (You’ll understand once you read it). I was captivated, nearly frozen in place.

My emotions were raw as tears endlessly flowed down my cheeks for the final 20%. Even when simply trying to describe the book to a friend they start flowing again.😢

I’d love to go into more detail, but the less you know going in the better. A must-read for 2021!

A buddy read with Susanne

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine.

I can not recommend this book enough! I read Wish You Were Here in one day. This book is one of best books of 2021.. I appreciate net gallery and selected publishers for this early copy

I could not get into this book which saddened me because I love Picoult & her writing, but this one... I don't know if it's because it's about what's happening now with COVID or what but I did not finish this book. I started skimming it after about a quarter of the way through but had to finally give it up after I got half way through. I don't want to spoil it for anyone so I won't say what finally made me stop reading it, but I will say this... I'm not a fan of this book. Maybe you will be so if you're interested check it out. Who knows maybe I'll try it another time & end up loving it but now is definitely not that time.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

This book is beautiful, heartbreaking, frustrating, and so thought-provoking. I loved it, then hated it, then loved it again. The story and writing draws you right in. There is a twist that I absolutely wanted to remove but overall this is one of the best books I have read this year. It was brutal and beautiful, and I devoured it. A lovely ode to NYC and the Covid crisis.

Honestly, I would not have picked up this book knowing that it was about Covid. I requested based on the author alone and I am so glad I did. This was the first book I have read that was based on the events of 2020. It was heartbreaking, but beautifully written. Thank you for the opportunity to read! I cannot wait until it comes out so I can discuss it with others, looking forward to November.

My emotions were all over the place with this book ranging from fear and despair, sorrow and pain, to hope and joy. The book is certainly timely and delineates many facets of the COVID-19 pandemic through perfect characters. I couldn't put the book down and hated for it to end. Jodi Picoult's beautifully descriptive prose allows you to feel like you can see the surroundings and experience the feelings of the characters.

Diana and Finn are living together and getting ready to travel to one of their bucket-list destination, the Galapagos. Just before they leave Finn finds out he can't go because he will be needed at the hospital as they are dealing with an increasing number of patients with something unknown that leaves them struggling to breathe. They have a lot invested in this trip, so Finn insists that Diana go without him.

When Diana arrives she's on the last ferry to Galapagos and then it is shutdown due to the COVID pandemic. She is stranded. Her luggage was lost. The hotel is closed. The town is closed. The ferry has shut down. Very limited cell service. How in the world will she get back home?

Finn, even though he is a surgical resident, is doing his best taking care of COVID patients. We see through his eyes what the physicians were seeing in the New York City hospitals. Through his emails to Diana we get a feel for the heartbreak and devastation of the disease.

A poignant and relevant novel that captured me from the beginning to the end. Loved it!

Thanks to Jodi Picoult and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on November 30, 2021.

I’m a huge fan of Jodi Picoult, although I do have to say that her previous book “The Book of Two Ways” was one I abandoned part way. So I was the teeniest bit hesitant going into this, but this book proved me wrong! This is a beautiful and timely story that will take you along quite an emotional journey.
Jodi Picoult has a gift for reaching through the pages and placing you right into the story. Her lush descriptions of the Galapagos species and landscapes makes you feel as if you are seeing them in real time along with Diana. You also get a heightened sense of how isolated and scared Diana feels when she is first on the island and out of resources. Finn writes letters to Diana detailing the horrors of what he is seeing on the front lines, and the realization that these are based on real stories deepens their impact.
Yes, this book does mention Covid 19 and its effects, and it is sad to see some reviewers giving this book bad reviews solely based on that factor alone. I didn’t feel that the book was political at all, instead honestly depicting real world issues that occurred at the time; particularly when Diana chose to vacation when everyone else went on lockdown & the reactions of the Galapagos residents and Finn’s experience on the front lines and how that affects him. It’s plainly apparent that the author did her due diligence when researching, and the author’s note gives you insight into her motivations for writing this book.

A huge Thank You to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy of "Wish You Were Here" in exchange for my honest review.

Jodi Picoult does it again and make us ask. "Is there any situation this author can not master writing about.?"

I have read everything Jodi has written but this one has to be my favorite.
The main character Diana O'Toole has her life on schedule, a career, an upcoming trip with her surgical resident fiancé, and the sure idea of his marriage proposal just in time for her 30th birthday,

Things seem beyond perfect and then a virus hits. Diana takes her flight and lands in Galapagos but her fiancé has to stay back and help with the virus on the home front. Pandemic, lockdown and now on island where she doesn't speak the language her world has been turned upside down.

This brilliant writing shows so much of the vulnerability, we have all experienced and are still progressing through as we struggle with the constantly changing pandemic.

Once again Jodi. has done her research and written with passion and authenticity.

This book will resonate with many, as so many of us were forced to re examine what matters. It will stay with you long after the final sentence.

Diana is looking forward to a vacation to the Galapagos Islands with her boyfriend. Her life is right on track with a possible promotion at the art auction company and a future engagement after finding a ring at her boyfriend's home. The day before their trip, her boyfriend has to stay in New York when the number of Covid patients is rising. Yes this book takes place in March 2020. Diana, unaware of what the future holds, travels by herself and once she gets to her destination, the island just closes. Her hotel is closed, the internet is spotty and her luggage is lost. She forms relationships with the locals and her 2 week vacation extends to two months. This book has a very unexpected ending! I liked reading about artists through Diana's job and learning about the nature of the Galapagos Island. The only part I didn't like was the obvious story knock off of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The author could have easily made up a famous celebrity.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

To say I flew through this book is an understatement. I couldn't put it down. I honestly am tired of covid so a book about covid? I wasn't sure. But this is the covid book we all needed.

Diana and Finn have the perfect relationship. They are headed to the Galapagos where Diana knows she will get engaged at. Yay! But then covid hits 😞. Finn works at a hospital and he insists that Diana continue the trip. She goes but gets stuck there for months. Yikes! But while there she meets some amazing people who welcome her with open arms.

This book is something else. Plot twists, pandemics, romance, it has it all. Just read it.

Jodi Picoult once again examines the choices one makes and how circumstances can force retrospection and change. Diana and Finn are the perfect couple with shared goals that they are all on the way to achieving. Diana, who works for Sotheby's, is about to close on an amazing deal that is guaranteed to give her respect in the art community and a promotion. Finn is a resident at a NY City hospital and he is on his way to a successful career. But, Covid hits and their lives change. Finn is called to work on the Covid ward and Their upcoming plans to vacation in the Galapagos may need to be cancelled or Diana may need to vacation alone.
Picoult has excelled at providing a viewpoint from Frontline workers with her precise and heartbreaking accounts written to Diana from Finn. She explores the after effects of Covid patients and the often confusing and disturbing results of being placed on ventilators. The strength of this novel is in the medical details and accounts of survivors.
Recommended for Picoult fans. This is a story of resilience, choices, and taking chances.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jodi Picoult, and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy of Wish You Were Here. I was skeptical of this book during the first half of the book because writing about the pandemic and quarantine felt too raw and too soon, but I absolutely loved the second half of the book and the ending. Read it! #NetGalley #WishYouWereHere

I quite enjoyed this title (as I always do for any Jodi Picoult novel). I was slightly wary of the fact that the premise dealt with the pandemic and wasn't sure how I would feel about "thoughts of the world infiltrating my time of escape", but I felt it was handled beautifully and I can see it resonating for years to come. I quite enjoyed this read and will recommend it to others during readers advisory in the future.

This was a thoroughly absorbing and timely read, with quite a few surprises. 4.5 stars rounded up.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Random House Publishing for the eARC!

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors and this book just reinforces that fact. Wish You Were Here is beautiful, heart wrenching, and immensely powerful all in one. Reading a story that was set during the lockdown of last year made me relive all of the emotions I felt last year. But, Jodi Picoult has a way with words. You will fall in love with the characters in this story and you will feel for them as well. This story made me cry and laugh and it also made me feel thankful as well. Also, that twist towards the end? Was not expecting that. However, I will say that if you lost someone to COVID-19 or had COVID, this story will definitely hit hard. There is also a warning for self-harm, it is talked about quite a bit. I would still recommend this book to everyone. It’s a beautiful story and I honestly fell in love with the main character by the end.