I wasn’t looking forward to reading any Covid-related fiction, but figured hey it’s Jodi Picoult, so... Wish You Were Here is well-researched and peppered with interesting factoids. But ultimately, the whole Covid-theme was just too soon for me, and the unexpected twist of an ending was very disappointing.

Wish You Were Here is Picoult's look at the COVID pandemic. As she usually does, she makes the reader think about issues while reading. And as the pandemic did for most of us, questions such as "what is really important"? "Am I really in the right career?" or "Is the plan for my life really the right one?" are looked at by the main character.

An enjoyable, compelling read that will have readers turning the page to see what happens next.

In Wish You Were Here the reader is introduced to Diana O’Toole and Dr. Finn Colson, both residents of New York during the COVID pandemic. The story begins at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 when New York had only nineteen reported cases.
Diana’s character detailed a design for her future, but what she didn’t factor into her plans was this pandemic and being in the Galapagos without Finn.
When Diana’s not exploring the island she’s talking about art. I knew going into this book that art was a theme to the storyline I just didn’t realize how much I wouldn’t care about art. She works for an auction house helping people sell their art collections. I found myself skimming through the art scenes focusing on the scenes where Diana spent time on the island. Diana’s a foreigner in another part of the world during a pandemic. She’s at a disadvantage with her limited Spanish words leaving her vulnerable and scared.


This is my first read where an author wrote about the pandemic from the standpoint of traveling to an island during shutdown. I wondered how long it would take before someone took advantage of the pandemic. Jodi didn’t miss a beat. She mentioned everything just the way I remembered it. No matter where you were in the world this pandemic hit us all.

Just remember while reading that Jodi likes to surprise her readers. What I conjured in my mind was so off base from the way Jodi turned this story around. What I like about Jodi’s writing style is how the twists and turns come out of nowhere. They are subtle and always unexpected. I got so caught up in the information that the twist came as a pleasant surprise.
Jodi uses her books as a forum to express her personal opinions. In this case with Wish You Were Here she chose to include the pandemic and art as her means of expressing the concept about Diana’s character. Jodi set out to chronicle the pandemic which she did. In doing that she redefined an experience I hadn’t imagined during this pandemic. Not only did Jodi recapture all the positive and negative moments she designed an interesting twist that was unexpected yet very fascinating. She took a tragic situation and turned it around with an interesting spin giving new life to Diana’s character.
Jodi Picoult is the author of twenty-five novels. This is my fourth read by her. I’m nowhere close to the 25 novel mark. I’m not sure if I’ll read the rest of her books, depends on my mood. One thing I’ve learned about Jodi is that I like half of her concept. The half where it focuses solely on the character without the informative backstory. Some of her research while very thoroughal is too much to handle and process. For me it’s where I get bored.
Typically you can expect a controversial topic when reading one of Jodi Picoult’s book, but I wouldn’t reference this concept as controversial.

This is a very timely new book from Jodi Picoult. We've all spent the better part of the last year and a half struggling with the invasion of COVID and everything that comes with it. Most media that has come out in the last year has ignored the pandemic altogether, pretending it doesn't exist. However, this book looks it in the face and tells the story of one woman's personal journey of self-discovery during these unprecedented times.

Diana is in the prime of her life, on the cusp of a career explosion and starting a family of her own. The one day in March 2020, things slowly start to change in the world, and eventually in her life. Her big art deal, almost guaranteeing her a promotion, falls through due to COVID uncertainty. Her doctor boyfriend (the one with a ring hidden in his underwear drawer), has to back out of their once-in-a-lifetime Galapagos trip at the last minute, also due to COVID. So with her world shaking around her, what else is there to do but go on a trip to Ecuador alone. We see the new world of pandemic times closing in before her flight even leaves the airport.

In the first half, I thought this was just another Jodi Picoult "paint-by-the-numbers with the issue of the moment", especially in the dispatches from the hospital where Diana's boyfriend is working around the clock during the early days of the pandemic. But whoa. The second half flipped that all on its head and brought new life to this story. Overall, a fantastic summer read.

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

This creative fictional story brings us a powerful account of the horrors of Covid during the pandemic of 2020. It wasn't that long ago and already, many of us have moved on and forgotten the days of being glued to the TV news reports with medical professionals scrambling to save their patients. This book makes us remember.

Many of us don't want to remember. We want those days to be behind us. But the author makes it clear that we can't learn from the past unless we take a closer look and she gets us hooked with a love story.

The book starts with a romance between Diana who sells art with Sotheby's and her boyfriend Finn, who is a resident at a NYC hospital. The couple is excited as they are just about ready to depart for their planned trip to the Galapagos. But there's a problem. Finn can't leave. Every ICU bed is being filled with Covid patients and he needs to stay to help. He tells Diana to go without him which she does.

She gets to a place called Isabella which explodes with beauty. Yet, there are hardships. The airline lost her luggage. She can't speak but a few words of the language. Her hotel is closed even though they have paid in advance. In fact, everything is closed and she has no phone signal or a way to go back at this point. She has no choice but to figure out how to manage on her own with a few US dollars and toothbrush in her backpack. Someone says, "Maybe having all the boats and tours suspended for a few weeks isn't a bad thing. Maybe it gives Mother Nature a moment to breathe."

Diana who has planned every day of her life is now on her own. She thought this would never happen. She finds a place to stay and in the meantime, she is able to pick up some online messages from Finn but can't return any. And then half way through the book, something happens - a real twist like no other.

This is above 5 stars. Jodi Picoult did an incredible amount of research with patients and the medical staff to bring us a glimpse on what it was like during the peak of the pandemic. Yet, there's more. She shows the connection we have with love, feelings of grief, mysteries of the brain, complexities for those who are gay and an inside look at the art world. It's cleverly written with a strong story that folds all the pieces together like a brilliant piece of art that captures the imagination. We all lived through this time. Can it change who we are? Yes, maybe.

My thanks to Jodi Picoult, Ballantine Books and NetGallery for allowing me to read this advanced copy expected to be released on November 30, 2021.

It’s early 2020 and Covid is beginning to menace New York City. Diana, an associate at Sotheby’s and her partner Finn, a surgical resident, are about to leave for a long planned trip to the Galapagos Islands. She’s sure a proposal is part of Finn’s plans. The night before they are to leave, all hospital time off is cancelled. Finn tells Diana to take the trip of their dreams alone. She does. She arrives in the Galapagos only to find the island is closing for two weeks because of Covid. She rashly decides to stay. What happens next, in New York and the Galapagos Islands, will change her life.

That’s all that can be said without spoilers. Read this book. It’s the most beautiful, haunting story that will make you think about what is really important in life. The characters, especially Diana, Gabriel and Beatriz, are unforgettable. This is Jodi Picoult at her best. Look forward to seeing it at the top of the best seller list. All the stars in the sky or 5 because that’s all I can give.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Jodi Picoult for this ARC.

This is a beautiful book. One of my favorites by Jodi. She hit another one out of the park. I. Can't wait to read this one again and again

Jodi Picoult seems to be a gushing fountain of great consciousness raising stories. This one was timely and informative. I couldn’t put it down. Jodi is such a good mediator of differing opinions. I’m sure we are political polar opposites, but she certainly can perfectly represent both sides of an argument. This book may become like a reference book for the future of our generations’ unique pandemic experiences. I completely enjoyed every page and will recommend this work to many. Thank you for the opportunity of an early read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Ballantine Books and mosty to Jodi Picoult for this E-copy of Wish You Were Here. To Start, Iwould give this book .more than 5 stars if I could. What a courageous project to take on. Covid has affected everyone and for many, it's not over. Jodi took it on with the story of one woman and managed to include honest and human perspectives of our health care heros, those isolated in hospitals and nursing homes and the uncertainty, loss and fear, we all experienced. All this without politics. I am so glad she wrote this book and thankful that I had the chance to read it. The book was expertly researched and beautifully human.
Diana, and her partner Finn are New Yoirkers with big dreams for their future together; marriage, children, a house in the burbs. Timing can be the devil and the Covid Pandemic hits as they are ready for a needed vacation at the Golapegos Islands. Leave it to Jodi Picoult to give her readers and outstanding tour and experience of this primitive volcanic island, full of wildlife and raw nature, as Diana discovers it... This beautifully written book with characters that can only be described as real was a fast page turner. I would absolutly recommend this book and am so thankful to have read it. I Wish You Were Here truly reflected the experiences, emotions, anxiety and how it changed us. . Most importantly, it gives reason to hope.

I've been a long time reader of Jodi Picoult. Some efforts I love, others not so much. However you feel about this author, you can be damn sure she's done her research.

Is this a book about Covid? Yes. Are we tired of talking about this awful experience? Yes. But, having a good writer help us experience a medical staff's anguish and fatigue is worth our attention.

There is certainly more to the story than a rehash of the disease. I read interesting explanations of how different species, including humans, adapt to their environment. I was amazed to learn stories of coma patients who have lucid dreams in which they experience a totally different life. I related to Diana's loneliness and the sense of loss we all felt during the pandemic.

You can make lists and plan your life to the nth degree, but there's always going to be a curveball or two thrown your way. Life changes, and we must change with it. Diana's road to self-discovery was an adventurous and worthwhile ride.

Thanks NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the opportunity to read and review.

I have no idea how I'm going to give my opinions on this without spoilers but I'm gonna try for y'all.

Diana and Finn are a young couple in NYC who are looking forward to a trip to the Galapagos Islands...in March of 2020. Finn is a resident at a hospital and when positive cases start to climb, he encourages Diana to take the trip alone so they don't lose the money. Diana reluctantly goes but becomes stranded when the island shuts down, leaving her at the mercy of (fortunately) sweet and helpful locals.

Aaaaand that's where I need to stop my summary. Because that's what the story is about, but that's also not what it's about. Halfway through I literally yelled an expletive out loud in my room.

Non-spoiler details: Side characters were delightful. I will never get tired of toilet paper jokes. Diana's relationship with her mother made me emotional in a good way.

I know people are more than weary of reading fiction based on the nightmare that was 2020, but if I had to dive head-first into my first one, I'm glad it was by Jodi. I swear she's the author love of my life, and she will never let me down. Her dedication to deeply researching any and all subject matter for her novels never fail to astound me. I can't wait for the public at large to read this.

WOW! This book was incredible! I have been a HUGE Jodi Picoult fan for a long time, but have kind of taken a break from her. This book was incredible! I was a bit leery about reading a book about the Pandemic since it is really not a great memory in my own mind, however, it hooked me in immediately. The story in part one was written so well. Part two was where it got harder to read, but it was written with such purpose. I loved the characters in the book, the letters and postcards that were written, and the story in general. Picoult has hit it out of the park this time. I think I read this in about 48 hours...and was sad when it was over. The author's message at the end was personal, and give a little insight into her life and how she lived, and what she valued during her isolation time. Very well written and I highly recommend it. Thank you to Random House Publishing, Jodi Picoult, and Netgalley.com for this ARC of this book in trade for my honest opinion.

This is one of the most difficult review to write, because I loved this books so much I am almost speechless. Is this the book I needed right now? Yes I think so. I feel so incredibly lucky to have managed to receive an e-galley of this wonderful work of art.

Jodi Picoult is the author of some of my favorite books, including Leaving Time and The Book of Two Ways. Wish You Were Here has topped them all I believe. It is an incredible story of love, self-discovery, and the human condition. I think we all have unique stories of what going through the pandemic was like. As a health care worker myself, I really felt such empathy for the doctors, nurses, therapists, and other caretakers in this book, as well as of course, the patients. I spent the latter half of the book alternating between crying and laughing, such is the genius of Jodi Picoult's ability to capture human emotion with words. The first half of the book was both much needed escapism (including learning a lot about the Galapagos islands and art history), but also a lens through which to examine my own life and priorities.

The characters, the story, and the general vibe of this book are all 100%. Highly, Highly Recommend. Please everyone buy and read this book.

The only thing I will say is if you are still feeling the trauma of your own pandemic experience, just know this may have to wait. BUT NOT FOREVER. If you can handle it emotionally, please, please do.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have just had a wonderful afternoon reading and finishing this book in one sitting. The backdrop of this book is NYC during spring 2020 when we were learning about COVID-19. Some of that is still uncomfortable to read. The book is, in part, about a Dr who worked in a NYC hospital during the early days of the height of the pandemic, and what medical staff and severely ill patients went through (which can be triggering and difficult to read about, especially if you have had family members go through this.)

There is another, intersecting and predominate story line to this book, about the Dr's girlfriend who has her own experiences during the Spring of 2020. This part of the story was interesting, and the twist (slight spoiler) was partly surprising, but also been well used. It should not deter anyone from reading the book.

I received an ARC of this novel from Ballantine Books via Netgalley in exchange for my review. I have read all of Jodi Picoult's novels and I'm always excited to see what her newest novel is about as she is a fantastic researcher and always picks topics for her books that I can learn more about. At first when I determined that this book was about the early days of Covid, I was really unsure if I wanted to do a deep dive into a subject I felt I knew plenty about having lost my uncle to this dreadful virus, but leave it to Jodi Picoult to put her spin on the story that I found it unputdownable!

I'm going to choose to not talk specifically about the plot of this novel as there are too many places where I could spoil the story so I'm just going to say that it was a hugely compelling story. It would be perfect for book clubs because when you read it, you are going to want to talk about it. I think it may be triggering for some people who have suffered greatly during the pandemic, With that being said, I think it is a must read book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
What a great story about the outbreak of COVID-19 ,and the stories of people who went through this tragedy. The "surprise" of what was going on with the main character was page turning. The only negative aspect I have and will always have with books that continue to use profanity, there's no need to use the "gd" or "f' words.

I didn't think of enjoy reading a book that in based in New York during Covid, but I should have doubted the author.

I am not completely sure that I am ready to read about the covid pandemic while we are still in it, but I gave this one a shot.

I like the premise, especially as it is something that pre-kids could have happened to me. When Diana left for Ecudor, I wondered if I would have done the same. I was so happy that our big vacation wasn't til June-and obviously got cancelled.

I thought the emails were unrealistic (as someone who communicated by email to more than one boyfriend-these did not seem to be like anything a male would write, especially more than once) but they made more sense halfway through.

I did not see the twist coming.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of WISH YOU WERE HERE by Jodi Picoult in exchange for my honest review.***

*Possible vague spoilers

Writing a spoiler free review for WISH YOU WERE HERE is extremely difficult, because I can’t talk about the whys without discussing part two, so I tagged the review on Goodreads so people can avoid my review if they want.

3.5 STARS

Sometimes the start of COVID-19, when we didn’t know what we didn’t know, seems a lifetime ago. WISH YOU WERE HERE begins at the beginning of the pandemic, when NYC only had nineteen cases. Diana’s almost-fiancé, Finn, a surgical resident, can’t take their planned vacation to the Galapagos, though he urges Diana to go alone. Once in South America, the area shuts down and Diana develops relationships including with a man.

SPOILER

Except Diana never went on vacation, she was in a medically induced coma with COVID. Her entire trip and the relationships were dreams/hallucinations though they feel very real to Diana. Because I’m a psychologist, I know more about hallucinations and psychosis than most readers. I understand that the mind creates this sights, sounds and smells from experiences, memories, desires, fears and people. Diana was missing a lot in her life from her mom’s abandonment so she was ripe for addressing those pieces in a fantasy world.

Picoult creates complex characters with flaws that don’t always make them likable. I’ve read all her books and can’t think of a main character I liked less than Diana. Intellectually, I felt empathy for her and understood her, but those thoughts never reached me emotionally. To be fair, I’ve been around a lot of ill people and their caregivers during the pandemic, though not ill with COVID and my empathy was with Finn, her closest loved one. People don’t always understand the suffering of those watching their favorite person on the brink of death.

WISH YOU WERE HERE is, as are all Picoult’s books, beautifully written and complex. I’m not sure everyone will want to read a book with so much COVID in the plot. Jodi Picoult is the only writer who could interest with a pandemic story. In many ways WISH YOU WERE HERE is reminiscent of my favorite Picoult books, the older ones like MY SISTER’S KEEPER, THE PACT and NINETEEN MINUTES, straight forward stories without an educational component.

I believe WISH YOU WERE HERE is a better book than my enjoyment of it. I hope people find this book, even if they’re reluctant to read a story with a COVID component. The parts I didn’t enjoy were unique to me more than flaws in the story.

Hard book to write a non-spoilery review, but I'll give it a whirl.

For me, this was a pretty great, timely book (which I liked much more than Picout's last one). It's a 4.5 for me.

While we are indeed still in the pandemic, this book does a great job of capturing the early history of that pandemic's arrival in America.It quickly brought back all of those deep feelings and does a great job of painting a picture of how odd, sudden, alarming, and scary that time was. I also learned some FASCINATING stuff about Covid from this book...that I can't talk about with anyone who hasn't read it. (Which sucks, cause I'm dying to chat about it.)

My beef with some of Picoult's books is that they can start to feel book report-y in tone. She is clearly a crackerjack researcher, but (as was the case with Egyptology) can sometimes can go so far down the rabbit hole in explaining stuff to you, that it becomes a bit of a slog to read.

This wasn't a factor in this book as much because we all went though a common experience in Covid. Yes, you may learn more than maybe you wanted to know about Toulouse-Lautrec or iguanas in this book, but it really didn't bother me. In the context of the story, that info felt appropriate.

I can't really say much more than that. Overall, I thought this book was a winner (and holy moly does this woman write books fast.) I felt a wee little bit like the last quarter of the book dragged. But that was more of a personal, artistic quibble (Picoult exploring an idea for her conclusion that I was less jazzed about than where I thought she was going) than a true fault of the book.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.