Change of Heart: A Novel | 
| Author: Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Atria
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  181 reviews
Sales Rank: 710
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.3
ISBN: 0743496744
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780743496742
ASIN: 0743496744
Publication Date: March 4, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author presents a spellbinding tale of a mother's tragic loss and one man's last chance at gaining salvation. Can we save ourselves, or do we rely on others to do it? Is what we believe always the truth? One moment June Nealon was happily looking forward to years full of laughter and adventure with her family, and the next, she was staring into a future that was as empty as her heart. Now her life is a waiting game. Waiting for time to heal her wounds, waiting for justice. In short, waiting for a miracle to happen. For Shay Bourne, life holds no more surprises. The world has given him nothing, and he has nothing to offer the world. In a heartbeat, though, something happens that changes everything for him. Now, he has one last chance for salvation, and it lies with June's eleven-year-old daughter, Claire. But between Shay and Claire stretches an ocean of bitter regrets, past crimes, and the rage of a mother who has lost her child. Would you give up your vengeance against someone you hate if it meant saving someone you love? Would you want your dreams to come true if it meant granting your enemy's dying wish? Once again, Jodi Picoult mesmerizes and enthralls readers with this story of redemption, justice, and love.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 176 more reviews...
 Overall solid Picoult October 8, 2008
I have yet to read a Jodi Picoult novel that I outright dislike. She always tells her story well and makes me anxious to keep reading. That said, I definately saw a few too many shades of Stephen Kings "The Green Mile" and Picoults own "Keeping Faith". I did enjoy the info/history lesson about the Gnostics and am actually interested now in reading more. However, I have not read much about Picoult personally and am now curious about her own religious beliefs. I felt like they were pushing through in this one.
For Picoult fans- SPOILER ALERT- there was a bit of predictability in this one. I could see the romance and "perfection" of Christian coming from a mile away. I also guesses/predicted that Kurt had been abusing Elizabeth from the moment the murders and Shay's involvement were introduced.
All that said, I still give it four stars simply because it was very readable, kept me reading and I overall enjoyed reading it. While not as deep as some of her others- or many books out there in general- she offers enough to keep "Change of Heart" from being fluff and guilt-free for me, the reader :-)
 Too similar to The Green Mile October 1, 2008
I think I was on the second chapter before I felt like I had read this before and very soon could predict "whodunnit." Very disappointing. My first book by Picould and I'm not very impressed. I wonder how Steven King feels about it?
 Unbelievably stupid September 30, 2008
Change of Heart: A Novel This audio book was enthusiastically recommended by a friend and I eagerly jumped to listen to it. I was disappointed to find that the book was so trite and such a Divinci Code-Green Mile take off that I'd bet it was written just to sell books. The least an author can do is research what she is writing about - her descriptions of early Christians, Gnosticism and the Gospels seemed to come from the essay of a 14 year old who didn't really do any of her assigned reading. And a central character - the young priest - had to have flunked seminary since he knew almost nothing about his faith or church history. At least DaVinci Code left you wondering a little. The only good point is that noone really claims that this is anything but fiction (unlike DaVinci Code).
Kept my interest September 30, 2008
This is my first Jodi Picoult book and it won't be my last. It did keep my interest despite the abundance of religious sophistry and the smack of academia. I didn't fully buy into the premise, which is left up in the air: what is the reader to believe ultimately about Shay--about his crimes, about his "talents," etc. I'm not much of a believer in the metaphysical. I know that a writer can arrange events to make anything implausible occur.
The characters are perhaps the best part of this book, escpecially the ACLU lawyer, the prisoner with AIDS, and Shay's other fellow prisoners--except for the robin. The atmosphere is also quite good. There are, however, some details of the plot that I could not get past. Shay's real name is I.M. Bourne, we learn, and that was a bit too much to swallow. Also, the last chapter is, to my thinkiing, completely out of bounds--and again I don't know what we are to believe from it. I just know that it did not leave me with a satisfied feeling.
Still, the book has enough good qualities to recommend it.
 Page turner... but not wonderful (a couple spoilers) September 16, 2008
This book reminded me so much of Keeping Faith, which was also not a favorite of mine. I thought the premise of the novel was so interesting, but I felt that Picoult should have told much more of the story from the point of view of June, rather than Michael's and Maggie's. I found the religious detail dull, and I think she focused too much on it.
Many parts of the story were quite unbelieveable, too. Maggie's romance comes out of nowhere. I had to make sure I wasn't reading Danielle Steele a few times. And I've never been in prison, but I'd be willing to bet that many prisoners don't converse in the way that Lucius and Shay do. It also seemed very unbelievable how quickly June seemed to accept the fact that Kurt had been molesting Elizabeth, and I was very disappointed that Picoult only very briefly mentioned June's horror of Kurt and Elizabeth being buried together, following this knowledge.
This novel is very typical Picoult formula, and while predictable at times, I would still recommend it for Picoult's talented writing.
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