Mind blown! I don’t even really know what to say because I don’t want to give any of the amazing plot away. I love Picoult but was a little let down by her previous book. She is totally redeemed in my mind. I could not put this book down. I finished it in 24 hours. Initially I thought that I may not be ready to read this book. With so much of it revolving around Covid- it felt too soon. And it may be too soon for some people. However, I kept reading and am blown away. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of I Wish You Were Here.

Absolutely stunning novel! Diana had her life all planned out. Her boyfriend, Finn, a resident at the hospital, was going to propose to her while on vacation in the Galapagos and all their plans would fall into place after that. But just days before they were due to leave the pandemic hit and Finn could not leave, so Diana went alone. On the island everything was on lockdown and her communication with Finn was sporadic. Finn would send her emails filled with the hardships of the covid patients and his own difficulties dealing with dying patients every day. Amazing story!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jodi Picoult is back in the game with this touching and emotional novel set during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Diana is nearly 30, about to make a major sale in her art auction job, and is happily in a relationship with surgical resident Finn. They are about to take a two week vacation to the Galápagos, and Diana just knows Finn is going to propose to her there.

Life is perfect.

Until the very real COVID-19 pandemic hits NYC.

It’s all hands on deck at the hospital where Finn works, and there’s no way he can leave for vacation. He convinces Diana to go without him so that the money they spent isn’t completely wasted.

Reluctantly, she goes on the trip, but it’s not the luxurious dream vacation she had in mind. The island has shut down and everyone is in lockdown. There are no ferries to get to the airport, and no flights to get her back home. The hotel she was supposed to stay at is closed.

Luckily, she meets a local woman who lets her stay at the empty apartment attached to her house. Feeling isolated and completely alone, Diana meets a local family who help her out and start to embrace her.

The longer she’s on the island and the more she starts to enjoy it, Diana will question many things about her life - what she wants out of it and who she wants in it.

While some readers may not be ready to embrace a story set during COVID times, I couldn’t help myself. Picoult writes a gripping story that is largely unputdownable. As usual, it’s immediate how much research she put into it. We learn about the world of art (and art auctions), the culture of the Galápagos, and of course...the pandemic.

What I really appreciated was learning about the emergency healthcare workers on the frontline in the early days of lockdown when there were so many unanswered questions. Of course, I’ve read and seen stories on the news, but Picoult personally interviewed so many of them and used their experiences in the story. She’s right when she says we can never thank them enough for all that they do.

I wish I could go into more detail with my thoughts, but I’m not able to do so without giving spoilers. I can imagine that what happens in this book might not sit well with ALL readers, but ultimately it worked for me and made me think. Again, the research Picoult did is astounding...but it’s not information overload (unlike her last book which shoved Egypt down my throat).

The author’s note is a must-read as Picoult goes into detail about the writing and research for the book, and how it came to fruition. I absolutely loved reading about her writing journey.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 11/30/21.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

This book is SO intense. Jodi Picoult takes on COVID, and delivers a raw, beautiful story. This book is a rollercoaster so I'd recommend going in without any information. I appreciate Picoult's ability to take on hard topics, and would highly recommend this! A quick warning it is INTENSE and really dives into the early days of covid. It felt *very* heavy to read this book especially since we are still in this.

4.5 rounded up

Thank you to the author, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for providing an early copy to review!

I was beyond thrilled to receive an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. Jodi Picoult is one of my absolute favorite authors and was so excited to read this. This book is the first I've really read that is based on COVID. LOVED IT! This book is amazing as are all of her earlier books. READ IT ASAP!

I’ve just finished this book, and have mixed feelings. Although I’ve enjoyed all of the author’s books, not sure about this one. I admit I skipped through some of the many descriptions of art, paintings etc.. I also struggled to read about the pain and suffering of COVID. To me it was too soon, and I just didn’t want to relive any aspects of it again. I realize Di almost went through another life while almost dying, it just gave me pause.
The best part for me was Di’s relationship with Finn and her mom. But I love character driven books and that’s the best part of all of Jodi’s books. It was very well written, no question and thought provoking.
I’d recommend it. I’m just still not sure if I enjoyed it.

Thank you so much for the honor of reading and reviewing Jodi Picoult's new book, Wish You Were Here. I am a devoted, die hard fan of Ms. Picoult and love every book she writes and this one was no exception. The only negative comment I can muster is the book takes place during the height of COVID and that is the last thing I want to be reminded of. I read to escape the unpleasant. That said, I was intrigued by Diana and her parallel lives she is living and I learned a lot what front line workers were enduring from Finn. The conflict Diana had with her mother and the possibilities that two universes exist captivated my attention. I will be recommending this book as I do all of her books.

I got to read this as an ARC by NetGalley. I didn't request it because I am somewhat "over" Picoult. Her latest books are a chance for her to stand on a soap box and proclaim her views of controversial topics. It's not that I disagree or agree with her views, but she has become biased in giving just one side of the issue. In the past, her books have given the reader a chance to consider both sides, however, not so in her latest novels. The idea of Covid is a very touchy subject in many people's lives. I couldn't believe it took her over halfway through the book to switch gears so suddenly like it was an easy out for her to use the unreliable narrator. She needs to put more thought into her twists because people who are familiar with this style could see this coming. The idea the main character left the day of the world shutting down seemed very unlikely and the fact she continued on her dream journey seemed even more unlikely. I don't think I'll be reading her latest and "greatest" novels any time soon. She's lost me as a dedicated reader. Sorry that I'm maybe being too honest.

Diana and her serious boyfriend, surgical resident Finn, are meant to get engaged on their vacation to the Galapagos Islands when COVID-19 hits New York City.

I want to note that this entire book is a trigger warning for COVID, and I think many people may have a hard time reading it as the entire plot circles around the pandemic. It goes into great detail regarding how people are treated in the hospital, what it is like having COVID, how one dies from COVID, quarantine, the lasting impacts, etc. While we are still so fresh off of last year and now dealing with the Delta variant, this could be a mentally difficult book to go through.

It's also tough to review this one without spoilers. I have not read much Picoult, but what I have read I've enjoyed, and I have heard she is great at throwing twists in there. This one certainly threw me for a loop!

The book overall was a little slow-moving to me and some of the characters and situations also a bit too cliche. In the previous work I've read, I feel like things were faster-paced, and despite handling such a serious topic, this one never really gripped me. I got frustrated with the MC at times, but I'm still questioning if it was justified.

I did appreciate how Picoult addressed trauma and PTSD; whether it is in the world or in a post-medical situation. Dealing with a sudden illness or triggering event can be a shock to the mind and body and you must take care of yourself in order to heal. I was grateful she mentioned doing so here, including taking action such as therapy.

Overall, if you're a fan of Picoult I think you'd like this read, but please ensure you're in the proper mental state to read a pandemic setting book.

VERDICT: 3 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Randomhouse Publishing Group Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Post to come on Instagram and on Pub Day, 11/30/2021!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is an amazingly accurate portrayal of the 2020 Covid pandemic. I was sucked so far into this book that at one point I thought to myself “how terrible it would be if this actually happened,” and immediately realized that it was happening. Speaking as a Public Health Nurse who did contact tracing, enforced isolation and quarantine orders, and heard first hand stories of how Covid affected those in my community I can honestly say that this book was meticulously researched. I also speak as a person with COPD who rigorously adhered to social distancing, isolation and masking and ended up with Covid. I lost my fiancée to Covid and the author accurately depicts the horrors of intubation and not being able to be with your loved one at the end. The mental anguish that occurs to all of us because of Covid is present in her writing.
Why then did I want to read a book that made me cry and remember the horrors of this past year? 1} because Jodi Picoult wrote it and I love her books, 2} my feelings of this past year were validated through the experiences that the author wrote of and 3} because sometimes when you feel dead inside you relish the memories and tears.
Thank you Jodi.
There is a heck of a twist about half way through the novel that will absolutely stun you!!

I was very excited to be able to read an advanced copy of Jodi Picoult's newest book. I hadn't read what the book was about before starting it and was surprised to see it was about Covid. I think this will be a great book for people to read in years to come as a detailed account of what the pandemic was like. I liked the characters and was surprised by the plot twist in the story. While the story didn't end how I had hoped, the main character shows growth throughout the story.

Diana always wanted to be an artist like her father, and has created a definite plan for her life, both personal and professional. After school she became an associate specialist at Sotheby’s in New York. She is on the fast track to success. She and Finn, her boyfriend, are currently living together and she is sure they will be married soon. Finn is a surgical resident and has the same drive and ambition as Diana.

The couple’s plan to go to the Galapagos is the one of the boxes they plan to check off this year. Soon in fact. Even though the trip is expensive, they have decided it is worth it. Of course, that is before a virus begins to plague New York and the rest of the world. Plans begin to disintegrate both personally and globally for the couple. Finn is working double shifts and is afraid to come home and expose Diana. He insists that she needs to go to the Galapagos and he will meet her there once the virus is contained. Reluctantly she decides to go alone.

Once Diana gets to the island, she realizes she cannot leave. Nor can Finn – or anyone else join her. Restaurants and hotels are not open and her luggage has been lost. So begins her journey she never planned to be a part of, but is now required to continue.

From the first pages I was hooked on Jodi Picoult’s story and characters. She is an expert at drawing readers into the story with true to life fiction that grabs you in the first few pages and doesn’t let go until the last words. There is a fabulous twist in the end of Wish You Were Here that will shock and surprise readers. I highly recommend this book to men and women alike – all readers love a masterpiece of fiction and Wish You Were Here is truly one of the best.

Ms. Picoult is one of my favorite authors. She has total mastery of the words and stories she writes that keeps readers anxiously waiting for her next book. She always delivers books that readers will think about long after the last pages are finished. I have met her at book signings, attended book talks and chatted with her at a book fair – and it won’t come as a surprise to most of you – she is charming and quite nice. It is not surprising to hear she has had twelve books that have debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Five of her novels have been made into movies (read the book first – the movies are good but the book is exponentially better).

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2021 Laura Hartman

An interesting and beautifully written novel that explores Covid in an unusual way. One of the best Jodi Picoult books I’ve read. Our patrons will love this and I’m already ordering multiple copies.

Diana and Finn are supposed to travel to the Galápagos Islands together, but the coronavirus has other plans. Finn, a surgeon, can’t leave New York City in the midst of the pandemic, so Diana reluctantly goes on her own.

We all know since the world shut down in March, 2020, nothing has been the same, and people have made major life changes. What will happen with Finn and Diana?

Wow. I thought I knew the direction this story was heading, and I was blindsided about halfway through. This book is engaging, unputdownable, and something that will leave you thinking long after you turn the final page.

initial thoughts: I just finished this book and cannot fully grasp all I will take away from Jodi's latest novel. this is a story that will stick with me for a very, very long time.

it's beautiful, heartbreakingly so, raw & real. also, it held the BIGGEST twist in a Jodi Picoult novel - I literally yelled and threw my Kindle down in my lap. (I won't say any more, as I don't want to ruin the twist or story for folks who haven't read this one yet.)

I'm only a couple of hours removed from finishing this work of art, and I honestly can't tell if my heart is broken or full - it's all over the place.

this novel is about so much more than COVID, and I hope folks won't see a story set in the pandemic, decide they've had enough, and put it back. this story is about finding your people, your home, and doing whatever it takes to live your life as your most authentic you.

a HUGE thanks to NetGalley & Ballantine Books/Random House for this ARC.

At first glance, Diana and Finn appeared to be the perfect match with their dreams carefully mapped out and in lock step. However, as she eloquently stated, when you plan life, you do not truly live. I was certainly shocked by the turn of the book in Section 2 but I do believe that memory will help guide you on the path you are meant to be. Like the Toulouse-Lautec painting that wss further emulated by Kitomi and Sam's record cover, love is vulnerable but can be so fulfilling despite tragedy. I can see why she kept it through Covid as it kept her company. Diana barely escaped her illness but in doing so, she evolved whether it be in her career and her family relationships. She hoped and let fear not the planned path serve her actions.

Wish You Were Here is set at the start of the pandemic. Picoult deftly captures the uncertainty, terror, and emotion surrounding the the onset of COVID-19.

Picoult is a prolific writer who creates characters that are flawed and vulnerable, yet demonstrate some of the very best of the human spirit with their strength and compassion. Diana, although a challenging personality, is one of those characters. At times she is frustrating, but the connections she makes with the Galápagos and its people is not only rewarding to the reader, but some of the most beautiful writing in the book.

The feeling of isolation permeates the narrative, whether it is Diana's struggle of not speaking the language and being the only tourist on the island, to the physical separation of Diana and Finn. This ties into the feeling of desolation and loneliness experienced while under quarantine. The depictions of what the pandemic is like for those on the front line are harrowing, anxiety inducing, and quite frankly, terrifying.

Injecting culture, Wish You Were Here also offers a glimpse into the art world. Diana works for Soethby's as an associate assistant—she is working on acquiring a painting to auction from a character reminiscent of Yoko Ono. Her career trajectory is not only an interesting backstory, it also illustrates her passion and drive as well as her tenacity.

And of course, it wouldn't be a Picoult novel without a mind-blowing twist. She completely blindsides and breaks her reader's heart—but leaves them with hope—in this story about resilience and love.

In the breathtaking beauty of the Galápagos Islands, Diana will learn not only who she really is, but the person she wants to become.

I have a personal rule that I don’t read books about school shootings because I was in one, which is why I’ve read most of Picoult’s books but not Nineteen Minutes. In some ways, this book reminded me of that rule— it hit too close to home. It was too fresh, too real. None of that is necessarily a bad thing— fiction should make us feel, but ever since covid, I’ve retreated to literature for escape, not feeling.

Unlike many (if not all?) of Picoult’s other books, this one is told by only one character, which only serves to intensify the feeling of isolation for Diana.

As always, Picoult delivers on a twist. I thought I had discovered what the twist was, and I was immediately proven wrong. While the story was intriguing, I felt that the climax happened too early, so the rest of the book dragged toward (what I felt was the inevitable conclusion). Overall, an enjoyable read but not my favorite of Picoult’s.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Diane is living her dream in New York. She is dating a doctor and working for Sotheby's. It all changes with covid. Diane questions the decisions she has made in her life. I liked this book.

I have always liked Jodi Picoult's books because they written beautifully, but also because they are always so different, in a way and they make me think and sometimes examine my own life. This book made me do that too. I would say that this one was actually one of my favorites (if you haven't read The Storyteller - go buy in now) because its so relatable. A viral pandemic, thinking of yourself one way, and wanting certain things and then the world turns topsy-turvy, and you wake up and realize...maybe I don't. I won't spoil the ending for you, or what choices Diana makes, but her the journey to her self-realizations and better understanding of herself and the world makes for great reading. You will savor every page and won't want to put it down. I just HAD to know what she was going to do. So I didn't stop reading until I did.