Change of Heart

Jodi Picoult is an extremely popular author, and I've been following her for years. She comes out with a new book every March, which I look forward to as soon as I'm finished with the previous year's book! Her latest is the story of Shay Bourne, a convict on death row with many secrets. When a surviving family member of his victims needs a heart transplant, he wishes to give up his heart for her. The premise is a bit farfetched and I didn't feel a lot of realism in the story. Also, Picoult's allegories and analogies were heavy-handed--I felt a little like I was being hit over the head with the religious parallels. Yet I was still moved by the story. Picoult is the master of layering plots and developing characters. Even when I wasn't too excited by the writing itself, I continued turning pages, knowing that Picoult would have a surprise for me. Fans will enjoy this one, but if you're new to her work, I'd suggest a different one to start.