by Jodi Picoult
Wow! Seriously wow. This book is a masterpiece… of writing, research, character development, multiple points of view, creative structure, and handling difficult subject matter. I am just in awe of Jodi Picoult. It seems as if there is no subject, no matter how controversial, that she can’t tackle effectively. If you have no idea what this book is about, I will let you know that it deals with a shooting that takes place at a fictional abortion clinic in the state of Mississippi. There are 10 different characters, including the shooter, hostages, negotiator, doctor, nurse, pro-life demonstrator, and teenager and her aunt. You would think with so many characters that you wouldn’t really feel like you can get to know them. But that is not the case. In addition to the multiple characters, the story is told backwards. All of the action takes place over one day, starting at 5 PM, and going back to 8 AM that same morning. Very cleverly done! If you like this author, are intrigued by the subject matter, and think you can handle it, definitely read this book.