Maybe she has a more real-world view of adultery than I do, but still. I guess that is why these books just don't seem right to me.

I think that the main similarity between this and her first, is that they deal with adultery and the original couple end up back together, despite this mythical romance that she built up for the other couples. It's mostly about love - and I still don't identify with any of them, which is probably why I initially have never cared as much for this one.

Mostly, I have a hard time identifying with any of the characters - it's mostly about these three couples, albeit only five people. Not that it's bad, but when I first read it, I didn't enjoy it as much as her others and now I think it is closer to the first book that she wrote - the kind that grows on you after reading it several times. This is another one that I didn't initially like all that much. Sometimes that provides a new found peace with a difficult subject matter. In my opinion, some books are best appreciated when later analyzed. I would recommend this older Piccoult novel and also wish to discuss it with others. As stated previously, I believe when going into a Picoult book, the reader must prepare themselves for a 'deep read' despite the back cover proclaiming something less so. As expected a trial is faced and other events occur with main characters Cam and his wife Allie. In this case, its a Scottish clan MacDonald. In the same nature as Bohjalian, Picoult interweaves this novel with a rich context of history about the given subject matter. The premiss of the book is about a man Jamie, who comes to a Massachusetts town Wheelock in search of his police chief cousin Cam, after he admits to killing his wife. Perhaps thats a shared thought with other Picoult readers. Anyhow, despite my sensitivity toward some of the subject matter in Mercy, I hesistated to post the book because something about it made me want to keep it on my own shelf. I will mention, I am one of those readers that sometimes needs to cheat to the end to see if the hours and hours of reading will be worth it (boy was I proud I did that with Wally Lamb's The Hour I First Believed). Despite my initial judgement of the book after finding out there was more to the plot than the back cover shared, I still felt encouraged to complete the book. I had tried to read 'My Sister's Keeper' a few years ago but wasn't motivated.

This was my first Jodi Picoult book I read cover to cover.

Mercy by Jodi Picoult