I will be honest. I did not start out liking this book. At the beginning, it seemed rather uninteresting to me. However, a friend encouraged me to keep reading. And I'm so glad I did. As I delved deeper into the story, I fell in love with Faith. She was such a charming and relatable character. On the other hand, I didn't like her father at all. His actions, especially his infidelity, were truly despicable. I also felt bad for her mother. She had to endure so much because of her husband's behavior. In the end, you get to decide what you believe. But from the start of the trial, I knew it was the dad's fault with his unfaithfulness. This realization made me even more invested in the story and eager to see how everything would unfold.

3 ½ stars

The story, like most of Jodi Picoult's books, follows a somewhat formulaic pattern, but that can sometimes make it comforting to read.

The narrative revolves around seven-year-old Faith, who finds herself in the midst of her parents' deteriorating marriage and is in desperate need of a friend to confide in. Enter her imaginary friend. Soon after, miracles begin to happen around Faith, and her mother realizes that Faith is not only communicating with "God," but that her God is a woman. And then the media and the church catch wind of this...

There is a definite hook that compelled me to listen to this even when I wasn't driving (my usual time for listening to audiobooks). Picoult writes skillfully and chooses interesting and controversial topics to explore. I also appreciate that she left the ending slightly open to interpretation, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions.

However, I have no hesitation in recommending this as a nice and easy read. For me, though, it wasn't entirely flawless.

Since the majority of the story focuses on Mariah and her struggle to keep her daughter with her, I feel that an opportunity was missed to fully develop Faith's character and not just use her as a catalyst to create controversy and drive the plot. The same can be said for Ian Fletcher.

But I must also mention that I accidentally bought the abridged audio version, so perhaps I missed some of the build-up and subtleties that would have been present in the unabridged version.

I added the extra ½ star because the narrator, Megan Dodds, did an outstanding job with this audio version.

I am an ardent fan of Jody Piccoult. However, I must admit that this is the least favored among all the books of hers that I have read thus far.

Right from the start, I didn't take a liking to the premise of the book. And when it comes to the characters, well, I have to say that I really didn't find any of them relatable.

The plot had several parts that I found quite unbelievable. It all began with the supposed Stigmata of the little girl. How could that be possible?

Moreover, the development of the mother and the journalist Ian also seemed a bit far-fetched to me. Their relationship and the events surrounding them just didn't seem to fit together naturally.

If by any chance you happen to pick up this book as your first Piccoult book, don't let it turn you off. Instead, I would highly recommend trying My Sister's Keeper or Leaving Time. In my humble opinion, those are much better reads that will truly captivate you and make you fall in love with Jody Piccoult's writing.

Faith's dad abandoned her and her mom, Mariah. Mariah is now in a terrible state. She is depressed, feeling lonely and miserable, and she fails to form a connection with Faith.

Suddenly, Faith, who has no religious background, begins to hear voices from God. Once the media gets wind of this and her father finds out, he decides he wants back into his daughter's life, all because of his greed.

Mariah, on the other hand, only wants what's best for Faith. But now, she is caught up in a custody battle and has no idea if she will be able to keep Faith by her side.

Obviously, being a work by Jodi Picoult, it was truly wonderful. The characters had great depth and many layers. The story immediately drew me in, making me eager for more.

Jodi Picoult has a unique writing style that has the power to pull me in and make me believe that the lives and problems of the characters are real. It's as if I am right there with them, experiencing everything they go through. This is what makes her books so captivating and engaging.

I can't wait to see how the story unfolds and what will happen to Faith and Mariah in the end.

I really liked the way this book was structured. It seemed to jump around a bit, going from one place to another, but it was actually extremely easy to follow.

I found myself really enjoying following the story of Faith, as well as all the other important characters. Each of them had their own unique personalities and storylines that added depth and interest to the overall narrative.

The ending of the book was truly great. It tied up all the loose ends and gave a sense of closure. All I wanted was for Faith to be okay, and I was relieved when that happened. Overall, I thought this was a really good book and would definitely recommend it to others.

I'm not a person who is overly religious, yet I found great pleasure in listening to this book.

I'm not entirely certain that I would have persevered if I had been reading the book instead of listening to it. The narrators truly did an outstanding job of breathing life into the story for me.

Nonetheless, it was an excellent tale! Jodi Picoult has never failed to disappoint so far! I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone looking for an engaging and captivating listen.

It's a wonderful way to immerse oneself in a great story, especially if you're not in the mood for traditional reading. The narrators' voices add an extra layer of depth and emotion to the book, making it a truly unforgettable experience.

Whether you're a fan of Jodi Picoult or just looking for a good audiobook to pass the time, this one is definitely worth checking out.

My most favorite excerpt from this book is truly captivating.

It begins with, "Let me tell you what you feel like when you know you are ready to die." This sets a profound and solemn tone.

The description that follows is vivid and poignant. You sleep a great deal, and upon waking, the first thought is a longing to return to the comfort of the bed. Days pass without eating as food seems like a mere commodity that ties you to this world. You find yourself reading the same page countless times, lost in a state of mental numbness.

Your life is rewound like a videocassette, and you see the events that bring tears, those that make you pause, but nothing that makes you eager to move forward. You neglect basic self-care like combing your hair, showering, and dressing. But then, one day, when you decide that you have just enough energy left to do this one last, monumental thing, a sense of peace descends. Suddenly, you start counting moments as you haven't in months. And you hold a secret that makes you smile, causing people to comment on how wonderful you look, even though inside you feel as brittle as a shell, capable of shattering into a thousand pieces. - Jodi Picoult (Keeping Faith) This excerpt truly delves into the complex emotions and experiences of someone on the verge of giving up, making it a powerful and thought-provoking piece of writing.

Sweet Moses, was I glad when I finally finished this damn book.

It had been a real struggle getting through it, with its complex plot and dense prose. But strangely enough, despite the difficulty, it was also a quick read.

I found myself turning the pages almost without realizing it, eager to see what would happen next. Maybe it was the author's skill at building tension and keeping the story moving forward.

Or perhaps it was my own determination to finally finish what I had started. Whatever the reason, I was relieved to be done with it. Now I could move on to something else, something that might be a little more enjoyable.

But I had to admit, there was something about this book that had kept me hooked, even when it was at its most challenging. It was a strange mix of frustration and fascination, and I wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

Maybe I would have to think about it some more before I could truly understand its appeal.

I rated Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult only one star. Just like the other reviews on the Goodreads page, we all agreed that the plot was extremely slow. It was so hard to follow that it became truly tedious. Others also rated the book from one to three stars. I simply was not engaged with the book at all. Although I am extremely religious and have a great enjoyment in reading about religion, I found the experiences with Faith seemed "too real to be true" and it really confused me.

Furthermore, the whole story was centered around the little girl Faith, yet readers never got a specific viewpoint from her. We could never truly understand what was going through her head. Every night when I read, I was eagerly looking forward to something big happening. But for the majority of the book, they would just be sitting there with no thickening of the plot.

A reader who might enjoy this type of book would likely be a very religious and open person who has an interest in court cases. As a fan of Jodi Picoult, I was really disappointed in this book. Because in every book I have read by her before, there have been court cases and I was excited to see something different. However, it begins to feel repetitive as if it's the same story in bits and pieces of the new one.

Nevertheless, one thing I did like from this novel was the insightful and somewhat inspirational quotes. I used a lot of them in my updates. Most of the quotes were about romance, which is one aspect of the novel that sometimes put a smile on my face and made me think. Moreover, the vocabulary within was extremely beneficial to me as I had to look up many terms and it gave me the opportunity to learn more words.

On the contrary, the character development was terrible. Mariah, the mother, did not change one bit and acted as a complete coward most of the time. Faith, the daughter, as mentioned before, had absolutely no parts in expressing her feelings. And Ian, a stalker, had such an odd connection to the two that it made the plot even more confusing.

In conclusion, I decided to give up on this novel and stop at page 300 because the storyline did not keep me on the edge of my seat, intrigue me, make me ponder or question anything. The topic, which was advertised as interesting, ended up being not only confusing but also way too far-fetched. All in all, I do not recommend this book to readers, not even to Jodi Picoult fans.

I first read this book several years ago and immediately felt that it was truly worth a re-read.

Upon re-reading, I found that I liked it even more than I had originally remembered. I was so glad that I decided to give it another go.

In this world, people face numerous difficulties because of their religious beliefs, and this is a topic that is constantly prominent in the daily news.

Jodi has Ian a really simple yet extremely important line, which goes, “We don’t have to accept each other’s beliefs… but we do have to accept each other’s right to believe them.”

If only more people could understand and would follow this principle, the world would be a much more harmonious place.

It is a fundamental concept that could potentially reduce a great deal of conflict and misunderstanding among different religious groups.

We should all strive to embrace this idea and respect the rights of others to hold their own beliefs, regardless of whether we agree with them or not.

By doing so, we can create a more inclusive and tolerant society for everyone.

I have to say that I am indeed a dedicated Jodi Picoult fan. However, this particular book turned out to be a rather slow and tedious read for me.

I found certain aspects of the book to be a bit unrealistic, especially when it comes to the portrayal of religion. The way Jodi Picoult depicted Faith being able to see her "guard" and that her "guard" could induce stigmata with a simple kiss was quite offensive to me at times.

Moreover, the fact that Faith then had to endure a wound to her side and almost died was also rather disturbing. I firmly believe that if the author had focused more on the family dynamics centered around mental stability after a divorce, the book would have been a much better and more engaging read.

Instead, it veered way too far to the extreme and seemed highly farfetched. At times, the book was so inundated with theology that I felt as if I was reading for a college course. I was initially so excited to reach the end of the book, but when I finally did, I was left feeling clueless and extremely disappointed.

It's a shame that this book didn't live up to my expectations as a Jodi Picoult fan.

There is an abundance of aspects to recommend this book. It delves into a unique and unexplored topic, showcases great writing, and presents realistic characters. The story of Faith, a seven-year-old who seemingly starts talking with God and performing miracles, holds readers spellbound as they attempt to determine if she is the real deal or a fraud.

However, similar to several of Picoult's books, there are blatant holes in the plot that demand to be examined and questioned. While I am willing to set aside disbelief for the sake of a great tale, there is a limit to how far I am willing to go, especially when the writer expects me to become completely immersed in the story.

For instance, the notion that Ian would endanger so much to conceal his brother is absurd, as is the idea that a judge would prevent a mother from being with her critically ill child. Additionally, it is inconceivable that even if a mother were barred, she would not be camping outside the hospital door or at least in the cafeteria. I must admit that I did not particularly like Mariah during the first half of the book as she was too self-centered and pitiable for me to invest much time or energy in.

I could continue to enumerate the flaws, but it suffices to say that this novel had the potential to be a true masterpiece, similar to Donna Tartt's The Secret History or The Little Friend. Instead, it lost a significant amount of credibility by neglecting to pay attention to the details.