Lone Wolf in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Mar 17, 2014 Gayle rated it it was ok

As with most of Picoult's books, this is a quick read; her style of writing is just smooth and flows well. I love that her books bring up very touchy subjects and she usually plays them out well in her characters. This book, however, fell short of my expectations. The characters started annoying me about 1/3 of the way thru; they just didn't offer anything exciting or special beyond the normal character. I managed to finish the book in tears, which is typical for me (and Picoult's books). :D ...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Kristin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

One of the factors the plot of this book hinges upon is whether Luke Warren, who has been in a serious automobile accident, should be allowed to become a DCD (donation after cardiac death) organ donor. On one side is his 17 year-old daughter Cara, who has lived with him for the past 4 years after feeling excluded by her mother, who remarried and has young twins with her new husband, and feels that her father should be given the opportunity to heal from his injury. On the other is Cara's older br One of the factors the plot of this book hinges upon is whether Luke Warren, who has been in a serious automobile accident, should be allowed to become a DCD (donation after cardiac death) organ donor. On one side is his 17 year-old daughter Cara, who has lived with him for the past 4 years after feeling excluded by her mother, who remarried and has young twins with her new husband, and feels that her father should be given the opportunity to heal from his injury. On the other is Cara's older brother Edward, who has been away from the entire family for 6 years after something went wrong the night he went to his father's house to tell his father he was homosexual. Despite not talking to his father for 6 years, Edward has a paper from 10 years ago that his father signed before taking a trip to live with wolves indicating he trusted Edward to make decisions for him and would not want to be kept alive by machines. As Cara is underage and her mother wants no part of any decision regarding Luke's care, it seems like Edward has the decision all to himself, until Cara finds a pro-life lawyer willing to question whether Edward's absence and apparent riff with his father should factor into who gets to make the decision. As a person who works in the field of organ transplant, I wonder after reading this book how many families of our donors deal with this sort of decision every day, especially hearing about the same cases Cara cites in her argument where patients who appear to have non-recoverable injuries miraculously heal and resume a mostly normal life.
Interspersed with the perspectives of Edward, Cara, their mother, and others involved in the case are apparent journal entries written by Luke, documenting things he learned in a lifetime of researching wolves, including living with a pack of them for 2 years (the trip prior to which he signed the paper Edward has). His passages dicuss the family nature of the pack, roles each wolf plays, and how they handle wolves who are ill or no longer able to play their designated roles. Clearly, these passages mirror Luke's own family issues, and he fully admits to feeling more at home with the wolves than his (now ex-)wife and children.
All in all, an interesting book and one that kept me engaged until the very end. ...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Kristin Brandt rated it liked it

I can't say i dislike this book but I also can't say I loved this book. I think the topic of medical intervention to prolong someone's life is an important topic and it was interesting to learn about how wolves live within a pack in the wild. But overall I did not feel this book was one of Picoult's best. ...more

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Jul 02, 2014 Amy rated it it was amazing

I love Jodi Picoult books as besides being a good read, they make you question life and the choices you'd make. After an accident, a family must decide whether to pray for a miracle or let him go. Two siblings, both on different sides but one thing in common, they both want to save their family, one by ending their father's life and the second by hoping for a miracle. What would you do and the plot thickens when the prodigal son returns home after being away for six years and then having to be t ...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Stacey rated it really liked it

A story of a critically injured father whose 2 children have differing ideas about the end of his life, due to their own outlooks and the nature of their individual relationship (or lack thereof) with their father. Loved the very end.

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