Jodi Picoult Books Reading Group. discussion
Questions/Observations
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What book would you change and why?
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Oh yeah...one thing I would NOT change about House Rules...Detective Rich Matson. I love his name!!! My dad's name is Richard Matson, he doesn't go by Rich...but close enough. I thought it was pretty cool.
SPOILER ALERTIn A Change of Heart I would have had the mom feels so guilty that she told the truth about her husband. It could have been after Shay's death--so Shay would truly be the hero and Elizabeth could be placed away from the monster (her step dad).
SPOILER ALERTI never really thought about the aspect of Claire as she got older. Amy--definitely Claire would need to know as she would feel survivor guilt. I wonder how Claire would feel about her mom as she got older? The mom was definitely in a hard spot as she already lost one daughter due to a bad choice and she would have lost her other daughter unless she took the heart, however, she never would have had Claire without her bad choice.
SPOILER ALERTI thought the mom seemed a little overwhelmed--she got into the second marriage so quickly after the death of her husband. It makes you wonder if she didn't want to believe this "good guy" could be evil or that she would have to be on her own and struggle to care for her kids? I really disliked her as I felt she ignored all the signals, but unfortunately, I think that happens in real life. It is easier to not question and hope for the best. The contrast to me was Shay's sister. She had a horrific life, but she chose to think of the positive and she didn't press to have the truth be known.
SPOILERS FOR HARVESTING THE HEARTI would have to change Harvesting the Heart as well. I would have the book end with Paige getting back into her car to drive away from her mother's place. I didn't like the last third of the novel. I thought it was depressing and it annoyed me greatly that everyone was just incredibly stupid and hard-headed. It didn't improve what I felt about the novel. It just annoyed me. Nothing of real significance happened in the last third, other than Nicholas and Paige getting back together. I think if Picoult had ended the novel earlier, there would've been better feelings about Paige (at least I would've had a better opinion of her) and it would've saved a few trees.
Amy wrote: "Harvesting the heart irritated me as well, I felt sorry for Paige, I mean going through the abortion and all. I just think she either should have been up front with Nicholas from the beginning. I a..."I only had enough sympathy for Paige to want her to get out of her marriage. It sickened me to think that Paige was going to go back to her neglectful marriage and act like it was the most perfect thing in the world. She shouldn't have run away and abandoned everyone and lied, but that marriage was going to kill her in some way and she needed to get out.
I don't think Paige left with the intention of finding her mother. She just left and decided later that she was going to find her mother. And even if she had told Nicholas he wouldn't had let her go. He would've probably said that she was just trying to get away from her child and that she was a bad mother because of it and something about his career and she would've been guilted into staying. And yes, they were from different worlds. Astrid and her husband were from different worlds. They may not have had a perfect marriage, but at least they saw each other as equals and were able to persue the interests and lives that they wanted to persue. Paige didn't have that liberty and was left at home with a baby she wasn't prepared for so that her husband could go and be the fabulous surgeon he always wanted to be.
I can understand his anger too. If I was Nicholas I would be furious with Paige too. Anyone in that situation would. But the only change I could see in Nicholas after Paige left was him taking care of his child. That makes him a better father, not a better person. When she returned, instead of listening to her, he slammed the door in her face. Instead of cooling down and thinking that maybe there was something wrong on both ends of the relationship, he blamed her and went on with this life. He showed compassion at the end, but that was after his son nearly died.
In the book vanishing acts jp made delia out to be a whore how dare she cheat on eric with fitz that made me so mad it made me hate the book and ruin my whole day p.s. really hating stupid fitz
I would change Mercy. Allies should not have gone back to Cam. She seemed stronger when she was mad at him.
*SPOILER ALERT*In Handle With Care I would change that Willow doesn't die. The fight for that precious little girl and the friendships and familes that it tore apart.... and then the poor thing falls through ice. Very heart-wrenching....
The same as My Sister's Keeper.... I really would prefer in a book if all the good characters could just keep on living.
Second Glance was perfect. Despite the fact that Ross lost his fiancé, I still loved the book. Because he learned to love again, even after he lost almost everything that mattered to him....
I would change the ending to My Sister's Keeper. I liked the movie ending better.
Dero wrote: "I would change the ending to My Sister's Keeper. I liked the movie ending better."Totally agree. =/
SPOILER ALERTSI think in JP's books part of the point is that sometimes we miss the point--Handle With Care and My Sister's Keeper so much time was lost that could have been spent with the children instead of in court. Often (as in reality) we don't value that in the present and want more. It can all be forever changed by one act.
Anna wrote: "SPOILER ALERTSI think in JP's books part of the point is that sometimes we miss the point--Handle With Care and My Sister's Keeper so much time was lost that could have been spent with the childr..."
Hm.... I agree with that.
I would want the ending changed in Plain Truth. It absolutely made NO SENSE in the greater scheme of things as to who the actual "killer" was. I'm all about going into deeper meanings and thinking outside of the box, but in this case...it just didn't flow. At all.
I would have changed almost everything about second glance. I didn't like that book but I can't really put my finger on why. I also would have changed the ending to Vanishing acts. I read it years ago so I can't remember exactly but I do remember feeling very unsatisfied with the end.
Vanishing Acts--I just reread. I didn't like the graphic prison scenes; however, it sort of made sense as it showed Andrew/Charles would do anything to save Delia from the truth. Delia ending up with Fitz bothered me as I think once she found out Fitz knew that Eric was drinking again she would be ticked at both of them and finally leaving Eric should have shown she was strong enough to make it on her own. I would have she and Fitz on the brink and having her say let's stay friends and then have Fitz meet some fantastic woman and leave them all!
Anna wrote: "SPOILER ALERTIn A Change of Heart I would have had the mom feels so guilty that she told the truth about her husband. It could have been after Shay's death--so Shay would truly be the hero and El..."
YES, Anna! I was so disturbed by the thought of Elizabeth being snuggled next to her abusive stepfather for all of eternity. As a mother, I just couldn't stomach that. Awful.
SPOILER ALERT for Nineteen Minutes. After reading Nineteen Minutes a second time I felt some strange sympathy towards peter. I"m not sure what I would change about it but I didn't leave it feeling like the story was over.
Daisy Mae: I did feel sympathy for Peter--I think it is that whole "boys will be boys" and "I don't want to make waves because I am popular" attitude that is present with both teens and parents. What do you think happened to Josie as an adult? I would like to imagine that she received massive therapy to deal with the whole abandonment/no acknowledgment of her dad and she worked in the child advocacy arena. I would have her eventually adopting siblings and becoming a surrogate daughter (with her mom's blessing) to Peter's parents.
I would love for that to happen to Josie as far as adopting and becoming part of Peter's family's life. I felt a lot of sympathy for Peter especially when he planned on taking the fall for Josie just because they were friends. I would have liked for her and Peter to become close again. I think the story could have kept on going.
With so many of JP books the consequences of the actions leading to the tragedy (or the court case) devastates the parents. In Nineteen Minutes I just can't imagine how Peter's parents felt losing both sons. In Nineteen Minutes I thought the parents (particularly the dad) chose to ignore the bullying (including the older son) which eventually led to the tragedy.Handle With Care and My Sister's Keeper also come to mind. The writing of JP of how the parents handled those situations while often times sacrificing the big picture is so deep--I wouldn't change it; however, it does make you stop sometimes to remember that trying to win on principle sometimes isn't worth the immediate and long term consequences on the family.
In House Rules, I would have changed the ending. I wanted to know what happened after Jacob revealed what he knew.
19 minutes i wish the journals were by the two victims Josie and Peter
House Rules I wish the boys were punished
I would have liked at least umm community service
Jacob learned nothing
I would just like to change house rules. Only because I wanna know what the heck happened with jacob. If he went to jail or not or if anything added up because of his brother being there.
I would have maybe added just a tiny bit more at the end about what the judge's reaction was to the revelation of how Jess actually died and what impact that had on Jess, Jacob and Theo. What happened with Henry? Obviously he went back to California, but did the trial bring them back together as a family, even a disjointed one? Did he remain a presence in Theo and Jacobs lives?
Mind you I don't want much more, can't have the story drag on forever...but it left me wondering.