DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

I am a big Jodi Picoult fan but this book struck me in a way that few others have. It was such a timely and original story and touched on so many facets directly affecting people and society during the pandemic. I found the ending to be really surprising and unexpected. I highly recommend this to fans of Jodi Picoult and also those that have not previously read her work.

I wasn't sure I was ready to read a COVID book, but I would honestly read Jodi Picoult's laundry list - so naturally, when this arrived, I had to dive in immediately. This is such a unique and powerful book and told in a way that only Picoult could - and done so with her mastery of every story she writes. My one regret was devouring it too fast and now, I must wait for a new book from my favorite author!

I loved this book - I think obviously the pandemic can be a triggering subject but this was done really well. I like that she experiences this whole other life that ultimately leads her down a new path where as her old path would make her unhappy. She healed her relationship with her mother and ended her relationship with her boyfriend, where on some level she knew she wasnt satisfied. It is crazy to think about all the things that happened to her that she experienced that were not real were an actual COVID symptom and people truly experienced other worlds while they were going through the illness.
I will say about 1/3 of the way in i was sitting there thinking, i know where this is going and then when she woke up I was like, well i did not see that coming at all.

I enjoyed this book for the most part as it is extremely current during the COVID pandemic and what is happening in other parts of the world. The beginning of the book dragged somewhat as the main character ends up going on a trip alone to the Galapagos Island rather than with her boyfriend as planned. When the lockdown is imposed, Diana is then stuck on the island unable to go home and having very little to do. As the story unfolds, Diana befriends some locals and begins to question the direction her life as take and where she is heading as well. The writing is good and the tale interesting but the story just didn't reel me in like several of her other books. I am glad I read it though! Thanks so much for the ARC!!!

Jodi Picoult is known for writing strong stories about controversial social themes, like racism, abortion, and school shootings. This time she sets her sights on the global Covid pandemic. She captures the panic and isolation that we all experienced in spring 2020, when every day brought new revelations about the virus that upended the world and forced us to shift into isolation. No one knew what to expect from day to day. Picoult does a good job of documenting the experience, including the medical horror stories that had all of us living in fear.

But, at the heart of it, this book is also a story about self-discovery. Diana is an art curator in a long-term relationship with Finn, a medical resident. They are about to embark on a vacation to the Galapagos when Covid strikes and forces Finn to cancel his travel plans. Diana goes on the trip without Finn, only to find herself trapped on the island with no connection to the outside world and no way to get home. While on her journey, she gets involved with some of the local residents. I won't say what happens after that, but true to form, Picould provides a strong twist that forces Diana to reexamine everything she thought she knew.

Picoult is one of the strongest contemporary writers of her generation. She can be heavy-handed and sentimental at times, but she never fails to write a thought-provoking story with intelligent characters and strong descriptions. I look forward to her next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my opinions.

a book about the pandemic that I just… wasn’t quite ready to read. The first half was quite slow & while the second half picked up I found I just didn’t care for the characters (or the constant art history descriptions). Read with caution as it can be triggering.

Jodi Picoult knows how to write a story to make you squirm. This book was chalk full of 2020 trauma. As a healthcare worker, it was very difficult to read at times. The 60% mark turned the whole story on its head. Overall it was good. I’m sure I’ll be thinking of it for a long time. I wasn’t a fan of the ending and wished she’d have tied it up differently, Then again, that’s not exactly what Jodi is know for.

First Jodi Picoult book I've read in awhile and I really enjoyed it. This book really makes you think about Covid and its effects.

A New York City woman is vacationing alone in the Galapagos at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, rendering her quarantined on an island where she knows no one. The premise of this book felt a bit too familiar, a few years into the same pandemic in real life — and initially, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to finish it because the pandemic setting felt all too real. However, I found myself intrigued by the relationships the main character, Diana, develops with a local man and his family, as well as the gorgeous descriptions of natural beauty Jodi Picoult weaves into the text. I really couldn't put the book down, however, after Picoult reveals a huge twist in the narrative — Diana's trip to the Galapagos was only in her mind. I won't go into more detail and risk spoiling the narrative, but suffice it to say that this book truly surprised me and eventually revealed some deep truths about the human reaction to grief that made it a worthwhile read.

I'm really conflicted about my thoughts on this book. On one hand, I was drawn into the story and connected to the characters for the first half of the book. Then when the script is quite literally flipped, I became disconnected and honestly, almost felt like it was a bait and switch. It seemed to me like it could have been two separate books that were mashed into one narrative. I had this same struggle with The Book of Two Ways as well. I always appreciated how Jodi Picoult could take an issue and make me see it from a perspective I had never considered before. I felt her novels were eye-opening and they were books that I wanted to discuss with my friends. Unfortunately, her last two novels have left me feeling disappointed. I find it hard to relate to the dream/alternate reality type novels when they are presented in this way. I received this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley. The start of this book was amazing it pulled you right in the first half of the book left you wanting more then a plot twist I could of went without it was a surprise twist but as I continued to read I enjoyed the first half so much more. The epilogue I would have liked that to have continued with a more solid conclusion for the main character book ending was a cliff hanger

Jodi is an automatic buy for me and I was THRILLED to receive an arc. This book was completely enticing, thought provoking, and more relatable than I ever expected it to be. We all lived through this pandemic and to have such a close to home story to read and relate to during this ongoing pandemic another reason I buy her books time after time. And as always, her twists are the best of all the authors I read.

I wrestled with everything about this book. I have read a handful of books set in the pandemic already and have decided it's a topic I don't enjoy reading about, like 9/11 and Holocaust fiction. So I was reluctant to request it, but Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors and I read everything she writes.

This is the first Covid book I read that doesn't mention it casually. The reader is thrown into it from the beginning. We experience the misinformation, the politicization, the horror of it all. We get emails from Finn, the surgeon fiance left in New York to deal with the pandemic and Diana's attempts to communicate to Finn in the form of postcards. We meet a man with a teenaged daughter and elder mother who come into Diana's life while she is stranded in the Galapagos that she forms a strong bond with.

I'm not going to spoil the book. I'm just going to say the last part of the book left such a bad taste in my mouth. I always say of a book that being happy with the ending is more important than a happy ending, whether you get a happy ending or not, and I was absolutely not happy. The big twist, the abruptness, none of it. I think this my least favorite Picoult novel to date, and my rule stands: no Covid fiction.

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors of all time. The details, thoughtfulness, and effort she puts into each of her books is unmatched. I'm always amazed at how one person can write about a multitude of topics with what seems to be such ease and hit the nail on the head over and over again.

This particular book was more personal, though. We have all lived through quarantine and Covid. Every one of us has our own story and either knows someone or knows someone that knows someone that was severely impacted by the virus. While there were aspects that Picoult had to study to get the details just right, I assume most of it came easily.

I've had this book on my TBR pile for a while now and kept putting it off until I felt I was ready to read a book where the virus was front and center. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised and didn't know about the plot twist that hit about half way through the book. I was not prepared but it fueled the last half of the book.

I didn't love the ending but I respect it. I loved the Galopagoes characters so much and would love a fiction book about them! ;) Overall, a great Picoult book.

Please take the time at the end of the book to read the Author's Note!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eBook copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Random House-Ballantine and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC!

Okay, so I have very mixed feelings about this book. I had high expectations and had seen a lot of buzz about this book prior to reading. I knew that it was a book about Covid, and I have pretty mixed feelings about those in general, but I was seeing that a lot of people appreciated the way that Jodi Picoult had handled Covid. There were a lot of things that I liked about this book. I think that it was very well written. As a whole, I liked our main character Diana and the journey of self-discovery she goes through. I enjoyed reading about the Galapagos, and I enjoyed seeing how Diana went from being a tourist to being a part of the community. I do feel like the book was a little long, and I felt that it dragged in parts. That's probably the main reason for why I am only giving it three stars. That's about all I can say without getting spoiler-y, so be warned if you read ahead.
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Getting spoiler-y now. Okay so like, WHAT IN THE TWIST? I will say that the twist that occurs between Part 1 and 2 made my jaw drop and might be one of the most interesting twists I've read in a non-thriller book. However, I think it might also be why I feel so torn about the book as a whole? I feel like I got very invested in Gabriel and Beatriz and Abuela and the island, and then it turned out that it hadn't actually happened? And maybe that was the point, to get so invested so you feel the loss that Diana feels, but it kind of gave me whiplash. I did really appreciate how Picoult handled Covid and the level of research and care was evident. I appreciate wanting to memorialize an experience for future generations. But maybe it was too soon for me to read it personally.

This has been a real mess of a review because I have a real mess of feelings. Ultimately, I did like the book, but I didn't necessarily love it. I would only recommend the book to somebody who feels emotionally prepared to read a book about Covid.

This is a fantastic Jodi Picoult book! It’s taken me a bit to decide on how to review this one, and I’ve decided to round up to 5 stars on @goodreads 🤩. About half way through the book, she threw this twist at me that I never saw coming, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Honestly, I ended up really enjoying the book and the ending made me love it! I always enjoy a good JP twist and this one might throw you but keep reading.

Another thing I love about Jodi Picoult is her research into a novel. I feel she did a great job of capturing the initial mass hysteria of the COVID pandemic but also the real life perspectives of doctors, nurses, and patients. This was very well done in my opinion.

Too soon to read a book about the Covid pandemic? At first, as I started this book, I thought so, but then found myself caught up in the story. At times, I felt sorry for Diana and at other times, I was upset with her behavior. The first part was a little slow, but stick with it as it picks up. I was conflicted over what choice Diana should make and then there was a twist that I did not see coming. Jodi Picoult did her research, too, to make this story authentic, so be sure to check out the author notes after finishing this read

Jodi Picoult is an auto-buy author for me and she never disappoints me with her writing skills.

In this book, she writes in descriptive detail about the good/bad/ugly of the covid pandemic. You have to be ready for that mentally before reading. Jodi writes of the pandemic in such a real way and sometimes it's like reliving it all over again, especially if you have had a negative experience from it yourself.

Wish You Were Here makes you really think about the choices you make in your life and the consequences of those choices. It will be a book that you think about long after the last page.

I have read a few Jodi Picoult books and I’ve enjoyed them. This book was highly recommended by a few sources so I was excited to read it. The story is set during Covid times and it is very much about Covid. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to read a book set in 2020-2021 but surprisingly I was. I think the author did a great job portraying the time period and you can tell a lot of research went into it.​​​​​​​​
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I felt all sorts of emotions while reading this book and I think that is why I would say I overall enjoyed it. The main character made a lot of questionable decisions and I found myself asking what I would have done in those situations. The story started a little slow so that is why I didn't rate this five stars but I overall I am glad I read it and I still think about it.