A Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult - Book Review

One heinous crime sets in motion a series of events that not even those most closely associated with the crime, including the perpetrator and victims' family, would imagine could lead to a change of heart.

A murderer convicted twice of capital murder, a priest intimately linked to the case, the victims' family, and an ACLU lawyer eventually grow to see life differently by the time Jodi Picoult develops the plot in Change of Heart. It's not just the main characters who are affected by a series of intersecting events, but the intersecting live and destinies of people associated with those involved are also affected.

A Change of Heart - Overview of Picoult's style and message
Jodi Picoult's book deals effectively with each character's Change of Heart by challenging their beliefs, motives, and perception of reality.

Characteristic of Picoult's work, character development centers around the development of the plot line, introspection on behalf of the characters, and surprising revelations throughout the story.

I enjoy Picoult's books and often find them a moving, but quick and easy read. A Change of Heart is engaging and easy to read, but it also causes the reader to exam their beliefs about things ranging from perception, justice, capital punishment, and faith. Because of this, I found this book a more challenging read than Picoult's other works.

A Change of Heart - Book Recommendation
A Change of Heart requires a bit of an open mind, unless you just want to read through the book as a simple story. I found that impossible to do. The characters are so well developed that I found myself at once empathetic and repulsed. This caused me to pause and reflect on my own reactions.

Picoult's book, A Change of Heart, is an excellent read. I found it intriguing, in as much as it addressed issues including the death penalty, redemption, how one moment in time can define a person's character in societies eyes, and whether that makes a fair assessment of the life of the individual.

I recommend Jodi Picoult's Change of Heart. Those who take their reading seriously and contemplatively should be advised that this book may challenge your ideals and beliefs. Those who read for entertainment will sail through this book in no time, and should find it quite an interesting read.

I enjoyed the book and learned some things about myself from reading it. However, because I have read other Jodi Picoult books I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars. There are a couple of plot issues I felt were left hanging. Although I do think this is Picoult's way of prompting readers to explore the issues further on their own, many people reading work of fiction don't want to do further exploration outside of the work of fiction.

You can find Jodi Picoult's books at Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobel, or other local book stores.

Resources:
Amazon.com
Change of Heart, goodreads.com