Salem Falls
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Salem Falls

3.71 of 5 stars 3.71  ·  rating details  ·  22,698 ratings  ·  1,647 reviews
When Jack St. Bride arrives by chance in the sleepy New England town of Salem Falls, he decides to reinvent himself. Tall, blond, and handsome, Jack was once a beloved teacher and soccer coach at a girls' prep school -- until a student's crush sparked a powder keg of accusation and robbed him of his reputation. Now, working for minimum wage washing dishes for Addie Peabody...more
Paperback, 434 pages
Published May 18th 2001 by Washington Square Press
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My Sister's Keeper by Jodi PicoultNineteen Minutes by Jodi PicoultThe Pact by Jodi PicoultPlain Truth by Jodi PicoultChange of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Best Jodi Picoult Books
7th out of 19 books — 755 voters
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. RowlingThe Kite Runner by Khaled HosseiniThe Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey NiffeneggerHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. RowlingHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Best Books of the Decade: 2000s
234th out of 3,121 books — 13,871 voters


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Community Reviews

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Brad
Brad rated it 3 of 5 stars
Shelves: mystery
I'm not a likely candidate to read a Jodi Picoult book. I have to admit that I've always been a bit of a snob when it comes to the books that my Mom read.

She was a big fan of mysteries, but nothing classic (no Christie or Doyle), very little new or challenging (no Steinhauer or Rankin), and practically nothing genuinely pulpy (no Leonard or Chandler). She always preferred the uber-popular stuff and was a massive fan of James Patterson (and his peers), having to go out and buy the boo...more
Rosey
Rosey rated it 5 of 5 stars
Another good book of Picoult's. This time, it was about an innocent teacher who was accused of sexual misconducts with a female student and had gotten out of prison for serving time on that. He moved into a new town, and unfortunately soon, everyone knew of his past and the accusations started up again. He was also innocent this time around. He had drunkenly stumbled across a group of girls who were out in the woods celebrating a Wiccan holiday, and their lies landed him in jail. With thanks to ...more
Shawn

At first glance Salem Falls is intimidating. The print is small, the book is thick, and once you've dipped a toe into the pages you soon realize that the topic is delicate on top of everything else. It starts off as a slowly progressing story about a man, Jack, who has a past he clearly wishes to leave behind him. He finds himself in the presence of a woman, Addie, with an equally broken past who wishes just as much as Jack does to ignore it. But as with any story and its hidden secrets the...more
Yvonne
Yvonne rated it 2 of 5 stars
Shelves: fiction
A most frustrating book. It is written on a formula perfect for Lifetime TV for women. It is clearly intended to be an issue oriented novel on the subject of the abuse of Megan's law and false accusations. The subject is not an easy one to deal with.

I didn't like the graphic sex or the bad language. I didn't like the choppy style of jumping from one point of view to another without a transition. It was difficult to follow. Although the author apparently wanted a sensational surprise...more
Christina
Christina rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: 2009-reads
Salem Falls is easily one of my favorite Jodi Picoult book - one part romance, one part courtroom thriller, two parts social commentary, to quote The Dallas Morning News. This time she tackles Megan’s Law - law enforcement is required to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders - and how people are presumed guilty until proven innocent, instead of the other way around.

“When I was lying, they hung on every word. And when I told the truth, no one li...more
Shelah
Shelah rated it 1 of 5 stars
I wasted most of this weekend reading Salem Falls, the story of Jack, a high school history teacher who tries to start his life again after being wrongly accused of sexual assault, only to have the whole thing happen again in the new town. It was an easy read, an engrossing story, but there were parts of the story that drove me crazy. For one thing-- the dates were constantly off. For example, Jack's love interest Addie had a daughter who died some time in the past. At one point, they said she'd...more
Tina
Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for: Nancy
Recommended to Tina by: Shanna
It is so hard for me not to completely immerse myself in Jodi Picoult's books and ignore the passing of time. I read this in one day--couldn't put it down. I love the way she develops characters to the point that I feel their pain.
Ryan Mac
I have read nearly all of Jodi Picoult's books now (I couldn't get through Second Glance) and this was actually one of her better ones, even though it was extremely ridiculous at times. It is a somewhat convoluted story but basically comes down to this: Jack St. Bride, a teacher and soccer coach, is accused of sexual assault by a student, takes a plea and spends time in jail. Upon getting out of jail, he wants to start a new life and lands in Salem Falls at a diner with Addie, a lady who hires...more
Imas
Satu lagi buku Jodi Picoult yang aku suka. Jatuh cinta dengan Jodi Picoult sejak membaca My Sister Keeper, lalu Perfect Match dan selanjutnya perburuan karya2 Picoult lainnya. Seorang guru dan pelatih sepak bola disekolah khusus putri Jack St. Bride dibebaskan dari penjara setelah menjalani hukuman atas tuduhan penyerangan seksual terhadap salah satu siswi sekaligus atlit sepak bola yang dilatihnya. Jack menjalani hukuman selama 9 bulan setelah mendapat pertimbangan hukum dari pengacarany auntuk...more
Shy
Salem Falls is definitely my favourite book by Picoult thus far. She had – again – successfully incorporated a tinge of romance, a tinge of courtroom drama and a tinge of mystery into her writing, which in the end, made up a beautifully written story. As the other books by Jodi Picoult, this is another issue-oriented novel in which she tried to bring forward topics such as Megan’s Law abuse (A law that requires law enforcement to make information regarding registered sex offender available to pu...more
Alisha
Alisha rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: drama, mystery
The novel "Salem Falls" is about Jack St. Bride who was falsely accused of raping one of his students. He then moves to the town of Salem Falls and when he starts to get comfortable, the past catches up to him as he finds himself accused of rape a second time.

When the town originally find out that Jack St. Bride is a registered sex offender, they look at him through condemned eyes and try to run him out of town. It is a witchhunt led by Amos Duncan, the richest man in tow...more
Nilanjona
Picoult's books always make you think, and show you how there are many sides to just one issue. On the surface, Salem Falls is the story of a modern-day witchhunt in the form of a rape trial, but it's really the backstories of the characters that make the book what it is. Her style of writing is unpretentious but definitely carries a strong message. From the beginning, it is fairly obvious how the rape trial will end. However, it is the entire process of the trial and the actions of each cha...more
Kate
I loved Picoult's Plain Truth, so every once in a while, I read another of her novels, hoping to recapture the magic. It hasn't worked so far, although I did like Salem Falls better than My Sister's Keeper. Salem Falls is about what happens after a man falsely convicted of statutory rape finishes his prison sentence and tries to start a new life. Unsurprisingly, his past catches up with him and he becomes accused again. Picoult creates several interesting characters in this book, as well as ...more
Stephanie
I actually managed to devour this book quicker than I thought I would be able to. I used to be Wiccan myself before I, sadly, drifted apart from the belief. J.P. does a wonderful job of spinning the truth about modern witchcraft and in doing so, creates characters that I just wasn't sure what to make of.

For the first half of the novel, I looked at Jack as nothing but a loser who got dealt a crappy hand when he managed to get caught for a crime he surely committed. Then I changed m...more
Jenny
Jenny rated it 2 of 5 stars
I need new reading material and I saw this authors books over at a friends house so I thought I'd try her out. I see Emily has read a lot of them, so I've got to go see if the library has them.

Okay, I couldn't stomach this book because the basic story is these girls lie about a man raping one of them. They totally set him up and I just couldn't take it. I read several of her other books, and if I wasn't LDS, I might think they were good. But there was more swearing and sex than I...more
Christina
Salem Falls, New Hampshire is a small, quiet town in New England, where everybody knows each other and grew up together. Nothing really bad has ever happened in Salem Falls, and there is no trouble. That is, until Jack St. Bride enters the town. I read the book Salem Falls, by Jodi Picoult. Jodi Picoult writes many young adult novels such as Nineteen Minutes and My Sister’s Keeper. In 2003, she won the New England Bookseller Award for Fiction. Although this book is not a part of a series, some o...more
Yessy Loren
Ini dia nasib jelek yang musti ditanggung akibat terlalu tampan MySpace

Jack St.Bride harus mendekam di penjara atas tuduhan pelecehan kepada muridnya.Ia juga kehilangan pekerjaanya sebagai guru.Bahkan ibunya sendiri yang seorang aktivis wanita pun ikutan membencinya.Belum lagi sahabat dekat dan rekan kerjanya.Intinya seluruh kota menghujatnya. Buruknya adalah: Jack tidak bersalah!Tapi ia terpaksa mengaku bersalah demi keringanan hukuman,atas anjuran pengacaranya yang tidak becus.

...more
Amehhh
Amehhh rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: change
I read this book long before I was a feminist, and now that I look back on it, it was much more than just a book to read.

As a feminist, I believe that any and all rapists should be punished in some way or form. However, this book brings up a topic that is rarely brought up in courts: what if the "offender" didn't really do it? We get so caught up in the fact that a woman's (or man's) body was violated in such a grotesque manner that we rarely stop and think if the aggress...more
Cherie
If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. This is the second book I've read by Picoult, and she is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. She is immensely talented, knows how to grab the reader from the first page and not let go until way past the last. She weaves her tales with such delicacy and intricacy you forget you're actually reading a fiction novel and not part of the small town where it takes place. I can think of several "authors" who should take a class from her on how...more
Britni
Britni rated it 4 of 5 stars
Salem Falls stuck to the typical Jodi Picoult writing style- part romance, part legal court drama, and part controversial topic - all wrapped up in a very real-life and intriguing story. Picoult typically deals with modern issues that are very real to all of us, and Salem Falls stuck to that same path.

In Salem Falls, a high school teacher is accused and convicted of sexual assault on one of his students even though he claims that he never did it. When he gets out of prison eight months...more
Rebecca
Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars
Shelves: chicklit
Finally! Another good Picoult! I knew there had to be more then the one, because people seem to like her a lot. Lots happened, and it was interesting as well and there was some cross over characters from her last book that I liked as well. And it wasn’t even characters that stuck out at me or that I really liked, but it did make this book better, as it was familiarity. A man who was falsely accused of raping one of his students has just been released from jail and moves to a small town. He has t...more
Gina
Gina rated it 4 of 5 stars
All Jack St. Bride wanted to do was find somewhere quiet to start his life over; somewhere people wouldn't know who he was or what baggage he brought with him. Unfortunately for him, a small town is not the place to do this. In a small town people come together to protect their own from outsiders at ANY cost.

Gillian Duncan has everything a teenage girl could want - her father is the wealthiest man in town, she is pretty, and has a bunch of girlfriends. She is also carrying around some...more
Nora aka Diva
I have two words to discribe this novel, contrived and convoluted. From the very beginning this novel is ludicrous. The characters are so unbelievable you just don't care about their individual stories or the "big" picture they are all involved in either. Seriously? A teacher wrongly convicted of a sex crime ends up in a town called Salem Falls with teenaged witches plotting against him just because they can? So of course he is Again faced with false charges of rape being pressed a...more
Renee Gramolini
Salem Falls takes place in Salem Falls, NH in the year 2000. A man named Jack St. Bride has just been released from jail for a sexual assault of a minor case and he goes to live in this town. There, he gets a job at a local diner where no one knows him. While there he falls in love with the diner’s owner, Addie.
In Salem Falls, there is a history of witches living there back during the Salem Witch Trials. A group of teenage girls embrace their so-called witch ancestry and participate in sp...more
Lisse
Lisse rated it 4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for: Jodi Picoult fans
I feel it's have been hit and miss when I've read Jodi Picoult's novels...they are always really good reads that I don't want to put down, but every now and then I just haven't been all that impressed. That is not the case with Salem Falls. I tore through this book, about a man falsley accused of raping a girl and then once he's done his time, ends up being falsely accused once again, by a town that was out for blood the moment they learned his backstory.

I found it a little difficu...more
Ryn
Ryn rated it 4 of 5 stars
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
M.P. McDonald
First, I enjoyed the book and it was one that I didn't want to stop reading once I started. The premise is one that I love, the innocent man fighting to prove his innocence. The book starts strong, making us feel for both Jack and Addie. We see Jack as a kind, sensitive man who due to his good looks and profession (teacher, coach) is the kind of guy schoolgirl dreams are made of. It turns into a curse when accusations are aimed at him and he's forced to into a corner.

Addie has a tragi...more
Sophie
Overall, I enjoyed listening to the audio of this book but often found myself impatient with it too. There were a few too many coincidences, a few too many flashbacks, and a few too many details that didn't quite ring true. For instance, when we flashback to Jack's prison experiences and then to the circumstances of his first rape conviction, it made sense to the story. But by the time we flash back to his college days, then to his pre-teen days, and finally to the day he was born, I had had eno...more
Mari
Mari rated it 3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for: Fans of fast-paced drama
I must admit, before picking this book up I'd never read Jodi Picoult before. I knew she was wildly popular, prolific and highly-praised for her work, and people had been recommending her to me for years, so I thought I'd finally take the plunge.

Was it worth it?

Well, yes and no. Firstly, there's no doubt about it: Salem Falls is a fast-paced page-turner with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster ride. Nor is Picoult shy of dealing with those contentious topics - rap...more
Nicole
Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: jodi-picoult
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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Picoult was born and raised in Nesconset on Long Island, New York. Her first story, at age 5 was "The Lobster Which Misunderstood." She studied writing at Princeton University, graduating in 1987, and had two short stories published by Seventeen magazine while still in college. Immediately after graduation, she took on a series of miscellaneous jobs, from editing at a textbook publishing...more
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My Sister's Keeper Nineteen Minutes The Pact Plain Truth The Tenth Circle

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