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Book Review: Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

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Title: Change of Heart | Author: Jodi Picoult 
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton UK
Genre: Family Drama, General Fiction, Thriller
Format: Paperback, 461 Pages
Date Finished: October 2, 2012
CoffeeNCrackers Rating: 3 Cups of Coffee


"Your daughter needs a new heart. The only match comes from a murderer. What would you do?" 

June has survived what no mother should face. twelve years ago, her husband and young daughter were murdered. For the sake of her unborn child, she managed to carry on living. But now she faces losing a second daughter. Claire has a heart defect, and unless they find a donor soon, she will die. When a match is offered, it seems like a miracle. Until June learns that the new heart will come from the man who killed Claire's sister. She thought she would do anything to keep her child alive. But how can she give her daughter the heart of a murderer? - Back Cover

My Review

When I read the synopsis of "Change of Heart", I thought was, "Oh my, here is another germ from Jodi Picoult." When her husband and daughter were murdered, life had been so meaningless for June. But for the sake of her unborn daughter June kept on living with the past shadowing her life. But, like any other books by Picoult, life won't go easy for the mother as the daughter, Claire was diagnosed with a heart defect.  Shay, the murderer, wanted to donate his heart to Claire but the death sentence he was facing didn't permit him to do so. And even that he could do so, will June and Claire accept the heart of a murderer?

As usual, I like how Jodi Picoult tackles some serious and sensitive issues happened in the society and turned it into an interesting reading. In "Change of Heart", she highlighted about organ donation and organ transplant as well as the death sentence. Shay, the murderer, would like to donate his heart to the victim's family which I think that it was a way for him to atone for his crime. Thought he was a convicted murderer, I kind of like Shay's characters partly because I think he's innocent, and I was proven right (partly) about that as towards the end of the story, when he revealed the story (which I don't really know it was true or not) about what had happened during the day when the father and daughter were murdered. June in the other hand was not really a likable character because I think she was an ignorant mother to both Claire and Elizabeth. I kept asking "Why not taking the heart, if it is the only way your daughter could live?" 

Though it is a good read, I have to say that this book is not as enjoyable as some of the previous books I read by the author. The first half of the book was boring and dragging especially reading from Michael's point of view. Partly because most of the time Michael will relate his thought with Christianity and bible, which I am not really familiar with and partly because Michael himself was such a boring character. When Picoult's story suppose to be believable and real, she offered some illogical paranormal events in this book. For examples, Lucius's AIDS was suddenly cured, Shay's brought the dead Robin the raven back to life, and the wine came out from the prison's pipe? Well, I like these kind of Stephen King's paranormal mysteries, but for Picoult's story they didn't blend well. 

Favorite Quotes:
 “Would you give up your vengeance against someone you hate if it meant saving someone you love? Would you want your dreams to come true if it meant granting your enemy's dying wish?”


Note: This review is linked to Saturday's Situation by Candace's Book Blog

4 comments:

Erfa said...

Hi CJ!
Sounds like a book worth reading. Jodi Picoult is quite a gifted writer in the realistic fiction genre.
Cool quote! :)

Erfa

Small Kucing said...

i like this book but her latest two books Sing You Home and Lone wolf not that good in my opinion.

Unknown said...

@Erfa
Thank you for your comment Erfa. Yeah, this is a good book indeed it just that most of the time I can't relate to the story..=)

Unknown said...

@Kathy
Simply Looking at the covers of those two books..I don't really feel intereted..haha!! Is it ok to say that?? haha