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Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult Book Review

Reasons For Reading This Book:

On the book and reading social media accounts that I follow I saw the cover of Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult circling around a while back and when I saw it at the local book sale I picked it up. I have had it on the shelf for months now and chose to read it to check it off my list, because I was traveling and did not want to take a library book with me and to be honest because I was too exhausted to think about looking, choosing, and picking up another book from the library. With this book I did not read the summary and had no idea what it was about when I started reading it. I dove, pun intended, head first into it.

 

Content of This Book:

Diana has always had a plan for her life and has never really straid from it until she becomes stranded on the Glapolos Islands during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Back in New York City her boyfriend has left his role as a surgical resident to meet the demand of COVID patients in the ICU. He’s stuck in the thick of the pandemic living it day in and day out while she is stuck on a tropical island far from the mehame of the pandemic. Through limited communication the two are able to share the different experiences they are having during this life changing time. Diana is in an unknown place surrounded by beauty and adventure. Her time on the island brings people into her life who she shared unforgettable memories with. Like with many people during the pandemic it gave her time to reflect on her life and where she wants to see it go in the future. Does she want to stick to the plan or is she ready to stray?

 

What I Liked About This Book:

I have read one other book about the topic of the COVID-19 Pandemic and it was awful. In this case I will name names as to caution against reading it, Our County Friends by Gary Shteyngart. Once I realized that the plot of this book surrounded COVID-19 I tensed up, but was hopeful that it would redeem my reputation with reading books with the pandemic in it. I am happy to report it did. The vastly different perspectives and experiences had by these characters in the pandemic was refreshing and enlightening to read about. Everyone’s experience in the pandemic was unique and the author did a fantastic job of conveying this. Even though I have knowledge of what it was like for health care workers during the pandemic because of my brother and sister-in-law, I gained even more knowledge and respect for those who were on the front lines and risked their lives to save others. The two different experiences had by Diana and Finn were perfectly opposing and showed how a universal event affects people in completely different ways depending on who they are, where they are, and how they choose to handle it. I did not expect and was completely shocked by the plot twist. I did not see it coming and was completely caught off guard. I was enjoying the plot so much that the plot twist never even crossed my mind. Reading about art and art history has become a topic trend for my recent reads. As I have shared in the other reviews of those books I shared that this is a topic I have limited knowledge on and am always open to learning more. Each time I read a book I learn more and in this particular book I learned about art selling and auctioning. The narrator also shared loads of history on different artists, styles and so much more. I loved the amount of self-reflect and the focus on self-discovery once after already having an established life. This was refreshing and gave a perspective that its okay to think or want to change course. This book had everything from relationships, self-discovery, island adventure, and an unexpected plot twist. 

 

What I Disliked About This Book:

The very first chapter had a different feel to me than the rest of the book. At first I struggled to get into it because it felt dense and preachy about the art world. I was put off a little bit but this dissipated as I continued to read.


Would I Recommend This Book?

Without a doubt I would recommend this book. I came away with so much knowledge about art and art history, the medical treatments for COVID-19, and a book that redeemed my track record with COVID-19 books. The book had adventure, relationships, and lots of character development. I recommend it to all readers. 

Check out my book reviews for 2023!!

Horse by Geraldine Brooks  
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
Hester by Laurie Pico Albanese
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Environmental and Sustainability Book Reviews 2022
Self-Improvement Book Reviews 2022
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Not All Diamonds and Rosé by Dave Quinn
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham 
Girls With Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman
Run, Rose, Run by James Patterson and Dolly Parton
The Summer Series by Jenny Han
A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard
The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives by Brian Moylan
Verity by Colleen Hoover
All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart 
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Majesty: American Royals 2 by Kathrine McGree
Every Last Secret by A.R. Torre

Check out my book reviews for 2021!!

2021 Book Rankings

Beach Read By Emily Henry
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Educated by Tara Westover
The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 
The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins 
We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins 
We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Klara and the Sun 
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner
American Duchess by Karen Harper 
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
Girl With No Job by Claudia Oshry
Down the Habit Hole by Holly Madison Book Review
My Story by Elizabeth Smart
Layla by Colleen Hoover

Check out my book reviews for 2020!!

Check out my book reviews for 2019!!

Check out my book reviews from 2018!!


Don't forget to stay up to date on my blog by following my social media accounts!
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