Change of Heart - First Impressions

[Peppermill]

I just started this today and haven't decided yet whether I am going to stay with it.

First impression:  what really happened in the original crime scene.  Why did a pregnant mother leave her child home?  Did she leave her with Shay?  What was Shay really doing with the child?  Was Shay armed or did only the stepfather cop have a gun?

So lots of questions at the moment.

Was rather fascinated by the machinations in the cell block.

[KathyS]

Hi, Pepper...

I'm surprised to hear that you are reading this book....I didn't think it would be in your reading genre....but I'm glad you're giving it a try.  Are you reading all of the posts, as well?  I hope you do. We've bantered these subjects around!

You WILL have a lot of questions come into your mind, I'll guarantee they won't stop with your first impressions!  I know you, and I know some of these subjects will hit home.  I'm anxious to hear your views on these!    Please stay with it, and keep an opened mind!

Kathy

[Fozzie]

Peppermill wrote:

I just started this today and haven't decided yet whether I am going to stay with it.

First impression:  what really happened in the original crime scene.  Why did a pregnant mother leave her child home?  Did she leave her with Shay?  What was Shay really doing with the child?  Was Shay armed or did only the stepfather cop have a gun?

So lots of questions at the moment.

Was rather fascinated by the machinations in the cell block.

Can't answer those questions here! 

This book is a great balancer for Munro!

[Peppermill]

Laura -- quite understand!  Just recording my early thoughts.

I haven't read the other threads here yet, either.

I need a balancer to Munro -- but also need to get back to her.  (Did a sidebar on Sarah Palin's book Going Rogue! yesterday.  I had just finished listening to two books about/by Obama.  I did find her story interesting, and it certainly spoke to her base, but did little to convince me this woman is ready for national politics at the highest levels.  Not someone I would prefer to see holding face-to-face meetings with other leaders of the nations of the world. Nor with an understanding of the cities in the lower 48 states.  Particularly troubling were statements like "I knew the history of the conflict to the extent that most Americans did." -- referring to the Iraq War.  Frankly, I want our President to know a lot more about something so major for our country's defense, interests, and investments than "most Americans."  And, yes, I understand politicians are not historians. Still....

On social issues, it was interesting to hear her be more nuanced than the sound bites that reached me during the campaign.  My sense was that her conservative ghost writer (Vincent) did a good job of insuring that all the requisite jabs at the ACLU and encomiums of Reagan were included.  Her willingness to stab those she considered not to have served her well during the campaign was sometimes blunt, sometimes more finely honed.

And now I can even get it back to the library within the two-week loaner period!)

[Peppermill]

Kathy -- I've not read anything by Jodi Picoult, the subject matter of this one sounded interesting, interesting people are participating on this board, and the comments have been piling up, so I decided to give this one a try.  (Actually, I did check it out of the library several weeks ago, even before discussion really got started, but other things have been in the way to date.)  

I'll probably stay with it and look forward to reading what you all have been saying on the other threads, which I haven't read yet.

Do you have a name for the genre of books to which Jodi's belong?  I must admit I have a hard time categorizing books -- or anything else, for that matter.  It has always seemed to me that assigning to categories is in some sense arbitrary and limiting, yet obviously necessary for many activities of life.  (Enries in my address book often get assigned to multiple categories.)

KathyS wrote:

Hi, Pepper...

I'm surprised to hear that you are reading this book....I didn't think it would be in your reading genre....but I'm glad you're giving it a try.  Are you reading all of the posts, as well?  I hope you do. We've bantered these subjects around!

You WILL have a lot of questions come into your mind, I'll guarantee they won't stop with your first impressions!  I know you, and I know some of these subjects will hit home.  I'm anxious to hear your views on these!    Please stay with it, and keep an opened mind!

Kathy

[KathyS]

Pepper, dear heart, let's try not to get too out of focus!  Sarah Palin's book?  That's old Current Event's....even I had something (a lot!) to say on that subject, but it's Change of Heart we're talking about, right now, which I won't have, over S.P!  

Kathy

[KathyS]

Peppermill wrote:

Kathy -- I've not read anything by Jodi Picoult, the subject matter of this one sounded interesting, interesting people are participating on this board, and the comments have been piling up, so I decided to give this one a try.  (Actually, I did check it out of the library several weeks ago, even before discussion really got started, but other things have been in the way to date.)  

I'll probably stay with it and look forward to reading what you all have been saying on the other threads, which I haven't read yet.

Do you have a name for the genre of books to which Jodi's belong?  I must admit I have a hard time categorizing books -- or anything else, for that matter.  It has always seemed to me that assigning to categories is in some sense arbitrary and limiting, yet obviously necessary for many activities of life.  (Enries in my address book often get assigned to multiple categories.)

KathyS wrote:

Hi, Pepper...

I'm surprised to hear that you are reading this book....I didn't think it would be in your reading genre....but I'm glad you're giving it a try.  Are you reading all of the posts, as well?  I hope you do. We've bantered these subjects around!

You WILL have a lot of questions come into your mind, I'll guarantee they won't stop with your first impressions!  I know you, and I know some of these subjects will hit home.  I'm anxious to hear your views on these!    Please stay with it, and keep an opened mind!

Kathy

After you've read some of these posts, you'll see that there are a couple of us who'd never read Picoult books, either.  When I used the word genre, I think I meant it in kind of a general reading material that is written by a writer who punches books out like mad.  I know she's a good enough writer, but I probably won't read her again.  It's a meaty book, with a lot of categories/subjects to talk about, and a good book for discussion purposes, but it's just not as tasty as I like, in the writing, I guess is what I mean.  I couldn't take this book seriously.....but I won't go into it here....just keep reading, and maybe we can connect after you've gotten into it more.  Okay?    I'm glad you're here!  Another interesting person!  (when you get to the final chapter, try to ignore the part where I got pissed, and blew up over spoilers)    But don't miss my sermon!  Ha!

Kathy

[Fozzie]

Peppermill wrote:

Laura -- quite understand!  Just recording my early thoughts.

I haven't read the other threads here yet, either.

I need a balancer to Munro -- but also need to get back to her.  (Did a sidebar on Sarah Palin's book Going Rogue! yesterday. 

Going Rogue is in my TBR piles.  Hubby wasn't thrilled with it, but I need to get to it soon before it is out of date!  Laura Bush's too!

[Fozzie]

Peppermill wrote:

Do you have a name for the genre of books to which Jodi's belong?  I must admit I have a hard time categorizing books -- or anything else, for that matter.  It has always seemed to me that assigning to categories is in some sense arbitrary and limiting, yet obviously necessary for many activities of life.  (Enries in my address book often get assigned to multiple categories.)

I think I would have a hard time categorizing the books, other than fiction.  Maybe issues fiction, which is a category that doesn't exist.  She always writes about an issue.  I will read a few more of her books, but defintiely not all of them.  My Sister's Keeper is next.

[Stephanie]

Picoult's genre is realistic fiction.   I think this one would even be considered to have elements of magical realism, even if you think the phenomenon can be explained. 

[dhaupt]

Ah fellow commenters. I am a strictly recreational reader, no politics well some religion but never main stream.

And Picolt was new to me also. And like someone said the subject was interesting to me.

What bothered me the most about this read wasn't the subject matter or the controversy it was the unrealistic amount of unbelievably awful things that happened to June.

I read many many genres of fiction and enjoy romance, literary, fantasy and paranormal but the one thing that I have to do is believe what the author is telling me and even in the most far fetched of novels they are able to.

But I just never believed all the stuff that happened to her, it was a lot over the top.

What do the rest of you think 

[Fozzie]

dhaupt wrote:

Ah fellow commenters. I am a strictly recreational reader, no politics well some religion but never main stream.

And Picolt was new to me also. And like someone said the subject was interesting to me.

What bothered me the most about this read wasn't the subject matter or the controversy it was the unrealistic amount of unbelievably awful things that happened to June.

I read many many genres of fiction and enjoy romance, literary, fantasy and paranormal but the one thing that I have to do is believe what the author is telling me and even in the most far fetched of novels they are able to.

But I just never believed all the stuff that happened to her, it was a lot over the top.

What do the rest of you think 

Sadly, I do believe all that bad stuff can happen to one person.  Many people have very tragic lives.

[PollyAnnaPH]

Don't stop reading.  You're asking yourself all the right questions.  To read the beginning or the end of a Picoult too quickly would be a mistake.  One I've made a couple of times myself.  Her characters will unfold throughout the book and you usually get left with some questions at the end.  Not about the book so much as what you believed to be true in the universe.  Keep reading, trust me.

[Marek_S]

So far what I'm really enjoying is how we never get Shay's perspective first-hand.  All we are left with is everyone else's take on what happened.  We never get to hear Shay talk about his motivations, his thoughts, his feelings, etc.  I suppose this could be exasperating, and at times it is, but so much of our own life is lived through our personal filters...we don't know what others are thinking and feeling or how others are motivated except through their words and actions. 

On the flipside, it's fun to read everyone else's thoughts on things...this is a neat way to explore the diverse feelings that everyone experiences...we can be honest inside our hearts and minds but we don't always feel brave enough to vocalize them. 

For June, it's completely acceptable to feel like you want the person who's accused of murdering your husband and child to suffer excruciating pain.  To read June's thoughts like that, as disturbing as they are to me personally at times, is liberating. 

It's been interesting so far to read about everyone else's motivations and what makes them tick and how they approach Shay Bourne's situation differently based on their personal experiences and belief system.

KathyS wrote:

Marek,

I'd like to hear some of your perspectives of these characters, as you progress in the story.  What do you like, or dislike about them?  The things they do, or don't do, that may or may not apply to yourself.

As the theme progresses, subjects come up, and not subjects that are easy to take in all at once.  Tell us, if you can (within the appropriate sections of discussion) how you feel about these subjects.

Thanks,

Kathy

[KathyS]

Marek,

I'm a reader who slips into these character's heads...as I read them, or in some cases, write them.  It's just part of my psyche.  And as Stephanie can attest, I have to be careful to not go too deeply, or it really screws with my emotions!

I think for Shay, not being able to fully get into his head, gave us that chance to personalize him.  To think about him; wonder and mull him over.....and yes, at times it was a bit exasperating.....but we felt him, didn't we?  We got to know him.  He was real, wasn't he?

I think that was wise of this author, to allow that for us.  In that process, we put our trust in this author's writing, to explain (in the developments of the story) just who Shay was.  How he thought, as manic/depressed as it may have seemed, she allowed us to understand his motivations. 

JP is a good writer, which is evident from her fan base.  I'm such a picky reader......but it is a joy to have these kinds of books/stories, just for these purposes that she brought to us.  I also give Stephanie a handshake, for bringing us these writers to her boards.  I'll say more later.

Kathy

[Stephanie]

If we got inside Shay's thoughts, we would know too much, and it would have to become a completely different story.

As it was, I think it was just the right amount of unknowing - we certainly heard his voice through Michael, and for a guy about to die, I thought he was believable that way.

[KathyS]

I think you're right, Stephanie, it would have been a different story. 

Shay's mind was so "different", "off the wall", that I don't think, even if we did get into it, we wouldn't totally understand it....maybe I would, Ha!, but for the most part, he was in a state of altered thought half the time, even he wasn't aware of it,  and it's not always easy to explain/write it as rational.  As readers, we try to keep rational thought while reading, but when a character drives you into their space, it becomes a strange and mysterious place to be, and understand, and the story would have certainly taken on a twisted turn.

As he stood, he gave us reason to want to pursue his reasonings.  He tickled our fantasies with the unknown.  He was the Johnny Appleseed, sprinkling our minds with seeds.  And then we got to stand back and watch them grow! 

Kathy