Change of Heart

As always Jodi Picoult writes an amazing tale. A story that covers all sides and sends the "if it were me" thoughts into a tailspin. In doing this she always makes me see, that what I THINK is plain as day...can have many shades of gray. Thanks again Jodi for another amazing story.

WHEN HER BOOKS ARE GOOD, THEY ARE REALLY GOOD. WHEN THEY ARE BAD, THEY ARE REALLY BAD, LIKE THIS ONE. I FELT PREACHED TO AND THAT WAS A TURN OFF. I DID NOT CARE ABOUT ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THEY WERE SO WHINEY. THE VOICE FOR MAGGIE WAS VERY ANNOYING. I DID FINISH THE BOOK, BUT IT WAS A STRUGGLE.

WHEN HER BOOKS ARE GOOD, THEY ARE REALLY GOOD. WHEN THEY ARE BAD, THEY ARE REALLY BAD, LIKE THIS ONE. I FELT PREACHED TO AND THAT WAS A TURN OFF. I DID NOT CARE ABOUT ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THEY WERE SO WHINEY. THE VOICE FOR MAGGIE WAS VERY ANNOYING. I DID FINISH THE BOOK, BUT IT WAS A STRUGGLE.

I, too, liked this better when it was called The Green Mile, with a healthy dose of Shawshank Redemption. I'm also a big Jodi Picoult fan, but her last couple of efforts have seemed very contrived. There's even a character named DuFresne. Stephen King may want to think about requesting royalties.

This book is terrible and so are the narrators. I've enjoyed Jodi's earlier books but this one isn't anywhere near as well written OR as well read. Save your money, I sure wish I'd saved mine!

This book gave me no change of heart about Jodi Picoult. Her work is terrific and this one was spellbinding, especially with the added feature of multiple narrators. Jodi, with her nuanced insights into all aspects of an issue, becomes like an actor, inhabiting the various perspectives and personalities that are rendered so vividly by the assembled voices. The only thing I could add to the previous review is that this story had an additional emotional dimension. I was either laughing out loud or tearing up, with all the feelings in between.

Do not choose this audio book. If you want to listen to Jodi Picoult at her best, try "My Sisters Keeper" or "Nineteen Minutes". She can be stimulating, provocative and entertaining but she can also be smug, verbose and trite. She is at her worst with "Change of Heart". Before downloading, I read several customer reviews and I wish I had paid more attention to the negative ones but I looked at the overall rating, which was 4 and thought it would be a safe bet. Unfortunately, I did not read the critics' reviews until after I started listening to it. If I had, I would have known that the book was panned almost universally in the media. I agree wholeheartedly with the customer reviewer who pointed out that she lifted (plagiarized?) her plot from "The Green Mile" by Stephen King. I cannot believe she got away with it either! Maybe King realizes that "The Green Mile" is far superior to "Change of Heart" and since he and Picoult are buddies he let it slide.

Having read the Green Mile some years ago I certainly didn't need to read a poor reconstruction when I could reread the original. I had previously read another of this authors books, and liked it well enough to try another, but will not do so again. If imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, then Stephen King should be flattered beyond belief. The transparent usage of his unique story is shameful. However, the narration was good.

I am usually a fan of this author, but I did not care for this book. Just know that this book is more about the history of religon and beliefs more so than it is about the characters and the story. Would have been more enjoyable for me if you could get to understand the characters more and not have the main subject be religon which made me tune out. It isn't so much any particular religon so I don't know that it would offend, but just recommend that you like that kind of thing before you purchase this book.

First, I am a Jodi Picoult fan. I have listened to 3 of her other books and truly enjoyed them. However, I agree with the negative reviews of this particular audiobook. It is predictable from the very beginning, and it does have many similarities with "The Green Mile" by Stephen King. Bottom line, don't give up Picoult just give up "Change of Heart".