Book Review: “A Spark of Light”
A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Jodi Picoult is back with another novel you can’t put down. I love her writing for the sake of getting wrapped up in her stories. Not many writers make me want to stay up past my bedtime to read another chapter, but Jodi never fails.
Picoult has been making a statement with her writing, focusing on heavily cultural and political issues of our time. Though she’s not necessarily taking a stance in her books, rather she’s presenting the opportunity for readers to see both sides.
A Spark of Light presents several thoughts and sides on the issue of abortion rights. The author has clearly done her research to present a narrative that captures the views of opposing sides as well as the details surrounding the procedure itself.
The book is based on a shooting at a women’s health clinic in Mississippi, the last one in the state that performs abortions. Picoult takes a bold move with telling the story in reverse, starting at the end of the day of the shooting and moving back an hour in time with each chapter. I found this to work well for the most part, but with so many characters to keep track of, I felt like there were loops unclosed when we got toward the end – or what would actually be the beginning. Also with several characters to keep track of, it was hard to keep up with them all. However, I think all of these characters were essential in providing the different viewpoints needed in this book.
While the story could be hard to wrap your head around at times, I found that a good walk afterword with deep thinking helped me figure out everyone’s motivations. And of course, when you think back to the beginning of the book, those loops had indeed been closed.
It’s an interesting, informative and intriguing read. What I love about Picoult’s writing is that she is really presenting all the facts for us to form our own opinions. I got the chance to hear her speak on her tour for this book, and she is adamant about encouraging people to have these conversations and hear out each others’ side. It’s amazing to see how her mission unfolds in the form of storytelling.
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