Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest 2007  

What would you do if the person you loved had low quality of life and little prospect of improvement or even survival? Even if you are adamant you know the answer, Picoult will make you consider your choices.

As always, Picoult’s book covers a number of characters and sub-stories along with the main story of the book. In this case, the main theme would appear to be about mercy killings (or euthanasia) but the book is really more about relationships and the imbalance within relationships.

The central figure is a clan leader and police chief so there is an expectation that he is the all round good guy, yet not all of his actions are admirable. He is a complex man, privately helping his cousin but apparently completely against Jamie’s behaviours.

Personally, I found this to be disappointingly not up to Picoult’s usual standard - which just makes it a good read rather than a great one.

 Also by Jodi Picoult:

Filed under: Book reviews, Save Time Online