I couldn't put this book down.

It was truly an amazing read.

Jodi Picoult has an incredible talent for writing books that shock, fascinate, and move the reader.

Her stories are always so engaging and thought-provoking.

This particular book was no exception.

From the very first page, I was hooked and couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

The characters were well-developed and the plot was full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I loved every moment of it and would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read.

It's definitely one that I will be thinking about for a long time to come.

I can't wait to read more of Jodi Picoult's work in the future.

I was completely riveted while reading this.

Although the court case seemed to drag on a bit, I was truly amazed by how extremely well-written the plot was.

I was so utterly focused on finishing the book that I could hardly put it down. The reason for this was that I had an intense desire to know the truth behind Faith's visions.

However, when I reached the end, I was a bit disappointed with the conclusion. Picoult allows the reader to come to their own conclusions about what actually happened.

This is understandable, as what else could she really do?

But it is precisely because of her ability to create such a powerful thirst within me to know Faith's truth, even though there was no explicit resolution, that I am truly impressed by her writing.

Her talent for captivating the reader and making them yearn for answers, even when they may not be forthcoming, is a testament to her skill as a writer.

I thought that motherhood would be something that came naturally, just like the arrival of my milk - a bit painful, a bit awe-inspiring, but now a part of me for better or for worse. I waited patiently. Any day now, I told myself, I would wake up and know what I was doing.

My mother used to say that when the going gets tough, you always know who to turn to. That being a family isn't a social construct, but an instinct.

Being a father isn't like an AT&T commercial, no simple task of tossing a ball across a green yard or braiding a length of hair. It's knowing all the words to 'Goodnight Moon'. It's waking up a split second in the middle of the night before you hear her fall out of bed. It's watching her twirl in a tutu and imagining how it will be to dance at her wedding. It's maintaining the illusion of having the upper hand, even though you've been powerless since the first moment she smiled at you from the crook of your cradled arm.

"Uxorious: Excessively fond of one's wife."

This is the codicil of motherhood: like it or not, you develop a sixth sense when it comes to your children - viscerally feeling their joy, their frustration, and the sharp sting to the heart when someone causes them pain.

My mother... she is beautiful, softened at the edges and strengthened with a spine of steel. I want to grow old and be like her.

How could she even be considered remotely qualified to be a mother, knowing that she was just as fallible as this baby was perfect? In an instant, anything could go wrong... she would look into her daughter's face and see potential accidents. And then her vision would clear and she would see only love, a well so deep that you could try and try and never know its bottom, but only gasp at its frightening depth.

Suddenly she wonders if moments like this are what make you a good parent: realizing that no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to protect a child from tragedies, missteps, or nightmares. Maybe the job of a mother isn't to shield but to bear witness as a child stumbles... and then cushion the fall when it's over.

"Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life." ~Sophocles - Phaedra

And, like the Wizard of Oz, he's learned that if you hide long enough behind a curtain of bluff and principle, people stop trying to find out who you are in the first place.

Maybe there is more to a person than a body and mind. Maybe something else is involved in the mix - not exactly a soul, but a spirit that suggests you might one day be greater, stronger than you are now. A promise; a potential.

I remember thinking of my heart, balanced just above the baby's feet, like the ball on a trained seal's nose. And then there was the remarkable urge that came when I realized the only way to stop the pain was to push and push until I was sure I'd turn myself inside out, even as I felt her head widening and changing me and the small knob of her nose and chin and shoulders as they slipped out one by one, streaming between my legs in a shuddering rush of breath and blood and beauty.

Motherhood isn't a test, but a religion: a covenant entered into, a promise to be kept. It comes one-size-fits-all, and it disguises flaws like nothing else... [my child] is the one thing in my life I got right on the very first try.

I can feel my daughter's eyes on me, like the sun that touches the top of your head when you step outside.

Sometimes there are no words. The silence between us is as vast as an ocean. But I manage to reach across it, to wrap my arms around him.

I've only read one other Picoult book, but I've already come to the realization that her works are not merely ordinary stories.

They are stories that have the power to make you deeply think about their chosen topics. Picoult has a penchant for leaving the door ajar just a little, which results in endings that are somewhat ambiguous.

I'm certain that the intention behind this is to compel you to ponder over what the story truly means to you. In this regard, the story was a success for me. However, I'm not entirely sure if I really liked it because I'm not completely certain if I interpreted the ending in the way the author intended.

Did Faith stop having visitations and simply decide to pretend she still did? Or were the visitations ever truly real? Maybe Picoult wants me to have these doubts. If it's the latter, I sort of think the book should have been more ambiguous throughout so that I didn't feel so taken aback by the ending.

Nevertheless, I'm glad that I read it. It has definitely made me think and question, which is something that not all books can achieve.

I am always truly amazed at the in-depth and extensive research that Picoult undertakes for her writing. It is truly remarkable how she manages to bring such authenticity and detail to her stories through her thorough investigations.

I was, as always, completely hooked to the characters in this book. They felt so real and vivid, as if they could step out of the pages and into the real world. Each character had their own unique personality, flaws, and motivations, which made them all the more engaging and relatable.

I thought the novel, simply put, was very "smart". It dealt with complex themes and ideas in a thought-provoking and intelligent way. The plot was well-developed and full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-written and engaging novel.

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3 - 3.5 stars

Very interesting & thought provoking


Jodi Picoult is an author who has an amazing ability to completely capture my attention with her writing. And this book, "Keeping Faith", was no different. She writes with such intense passion and in-depth knowledge about her subjects that it's impossible not to admire the extensive research she has put in, even if one doesn't necessarily agree with the subject matter.


"Keeping Faith" has the power to evoke a wide range of emotions. Some of these include anger, as certain situations unfold in a way that might frustrate or enrage the reader. There is also passion, as the characters' beliefs and desires are so vividly portrayed. Love and respect are present too, as we see the relationships between the characters develop and grow. Frustration might set in at times when the characters face difficult decisions or obstacles. And then there is pure joy, when things work out in a way that brings a sense of satisfaction and happiness. These are just a few of the many emotions that this book can elicit.


I am not even a mother to a human child, yet I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend "Keeping Faith" to anyone who has children, as it offers a unique perspective on motherhood and the challenges that come with it. It would also be a great read for those who enjoy religious books, as the theme of faith is explored in a thought-provoking way. And of course, for fans of Jodi Picoult in general, this book is a must-read. It showcases her talent as a writer and her ability to tell a story that will stay with you long after you've finished reading.


Great read!

This book had a rather slow beginning. At first, I was not overly engaged. However, as I delved deeper, I was completely hooked by the ending. I found myself staying up till 2 am, telling myself 'just a little bit more', until I had finally finished it. It's one of those books where I really wish there were half stars, because this could easily be a three and a half.

The story revolves around Mariah White, who is struggling with depression. Her seven-year-old daughter, Faith, seeks comfort in a new friend, a friend who may or may not be imaginary. Faith constantly talks to her 'Guard' and begins to recite passages from the Bible, a book she has never read. After multiple visits to psychiatrists, all of whom conclude that Faith is not hallucinating, the unthinkable starts to seem possible: perhaps Faith is actually seeing God. When Faith's reputation is enhanced by reported miracle healings and alleged stigmata, she is touted as a prophet.

In the midst of the gathering storm of controversy, the arrival of two men causes the most disruption. One is a renowned television atheist who plans to debunk Faith's claims and boost his flagging ratings. The other is her divorced father, whose fear for his daughter's safety leads him to fight for custody. As Mariah finds herself in a battle to keep her daughter, she has to overcome her own insecurities and stand up for herself and her abilities as a parent.

'Keeping Faith' explores a family that is being torn apart by the media, the medical profession, and organized religion in a world where everyone has an opinion but no one truly knows the truth. At her controversial and compelling best, Jodi Picoult examines the moment when boundaries break down and the only option left is to take a leap of faith.

So it took me about a month and a half to read this book.

Usually, that would imply that it was so糟糕 that I just couldn't get through it. However, to the contrary, I thought it was a good book (not great, but good), just a little too slow for my liking.

There were numerous times when I wanted to read, but I got bored with it and simply put it down.

I believed the story line was decent, but there was an excessive amount of unnecessary story added to it, making it seem to drag on and on.

I thought Ian's press conference at the end was a complete cop out.

Throughout the entire book, I spent wondering what he was going to say and what people would think when they heard him speak.

I am disappointed with the way it played out.

I've only read one other Jodi Picoult book (My Sisters' Keeper), but I also thought that story had a cop out in it too - which was the ending.

It seems that when there is an issue that everyone is thinking about, Jodi decides to play it safe and instead of taking a stand one way or the other, she takes the safe road and doesn't make a decision. This bothers me a great deal.

I found Metz's cross exam on Mariah unrealistic as he was badgering her and outright calling her a liar.

Yet her attorney just sat there and hardly objected at all.

Those questions, while they made for a nice story, would never have played out in a real trial.

Mariah's attorney would have objected continuously, and the Judge never would have allowed that line of questioning to continue.

Also, the continuous adding of witnesses and exhibits at the last minute by Metz was unrealistic.

Counsel submit witness and exhibit lists for a reason - precisely so that this "surprise" doesn't occur in trial.

I doubt the Judge would have allowed either. In that regard, I found the Judge to be unrealistic.

I actually found myself questioning Mariah throughout the story.

When everyone was wondering if she was hurting Faith, I myself was wondering if there was something we didn't know.

Even though we, as readers, saw first hand the miracles that Faith performed and her stigmata, it still seemed so unbelievable to me that I thought the only thing that made sense was that Mariah indeed was causing Faith to behave in such a way.

But perhaps that's just because I don't believe in god and so it didn't seem real to me.

I also thought there were far too many characters.

I couldn't keep any of the Priests straight and eventually stopped caring altogether.

In the end, I will never re-read this book.

I'm glad I'm *finally* done.

And I guess in hindsight, the story added very little value to my life.

I'm not going to sit here and think about it anymore, and that's usually the sign that the book wasn't that great overall.

After reading 89 pages,

this book started to sound extremely familiar to me.

I realized that I had actually read it way back in 2009!

However, I couldn't quite recall the outcome of the story.

Despite this, I simply didn't have the desire to continue reading it at that moment.

Maybe it was because the familiarity had taken away some of the initial excitement and anticipation.

Or perhaps my interests had changed over the years, and this particular book no longer held the same appeal for me as it did back then.

Whatever the reason, I found myself in a bit of a dilemma.

On one hand, I was curious to know how the story ended.

On the other hand, I just didn't feel motivated enough to invest more time and energy into reading the remaining pages.

It was a strange feeling, but sometimes that's just how it goes with books.

4.5 stars rounded down.

This is yet another JP book where the ending has left me literally exclaiming “WHAT?!”. I really didn't enjoy Ian's character. Perhaps it's because his role was almost that of the devil's advocate in a very literal sense. He seemed to always be arguing against the main ideas and perspectives, which made it difficult for me to connect with him or like him.

Also, I feel the need to say it again: KANSANS DON'T HAVE DEEP SOUTHERN ACCENTS. It's a small detail, but it really bothered me. It's important for authors to get such details right, as it can enhance the authenticity and believability of the story. Overall, while there were some aspects of this book that I liked, the ending and the portrayal of Ian's character, as well as the inaccurate accent, detracted from my enjoyment.

I'm not sure if I'll pick up another book by this author in the future.

Jodi Picoult never fails to amaze me.

Her novels are a captivating blend of complex characters, thought-provoking themes, and intricate storylines.

Each book takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster, exploring the depths of human nature and the power of relationships.

Picoult's writing is both细腻 and engaging, drawing readers in from the very first page and keeping them hooked until the very end.

Whether she is writing about controversial topics such as abortion, euthanasia, or the death penalty, or delving into the more personal struggles of her characters, Picoult always manages to approach her subject matter with sensitivity and intelligence.

Her ability to create vivid and realistic characters is truly remarkable, and her readers can't help but become invested in their lives and fates.

In short, Jodi Picoult is a master storyteller, and her books are a must-read for anyone who loves a good novel.