You have to approach this book with the knowledge that it was her first published novel way back in 1992.

She endeavored to cram a great deal into this novel, perhaps an excessive amount.

Thankfully, she has truly honed her writing skills since that time.

Overall, the novel is not overly bad.

However, what eluded my comprehension is the reason why Rebecca's timeline proceeded in reverse while that of everyone else advanced forward.

This unique narrative structure added an element of confusion for me as a reader.

It made it somewhat challenging to fully engage with the story and understand the relationships between the characters.

Nonetheless, considering it was her debut work, it still holds some merit and shows potential for her growth as a writer.

Perhaps with subsequent novels, she would further develop and perfect her storytelling techniques.

I was truly astonished by the 1- and 2-star reviews that this book received. In my opinion, it was an absolute gem that I adored and simply could not put down.

The character development within the book was extremely strong. The author did an excellent job of portraying the family's struggles in their various relationships. The outcomes and the reasons behind them felt incredibly realistic, making it easy for the readers to connect with the story and the characters.

What I also found particularly appealing was the unique way in which the story unfolded. One part of the story went backwards in time, while the rest moved forward. All of it was told from the viewpoints of the five main characters, which added an extra layer of depth and complexity to the narrative.

This book was a captivating read that kept me engaged from beginning to end. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written and thought-provoking story.

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Chapter 63 - "I wouldn't f**k with a kid unless I thought it was right." This disturbing conversation is between two 25-year-old men discussing the sexually charged relationship one is having with a newly turned 15-year-old girl. The book also features a 35-year-old mom with some truly absurd and concerning behaviors. She won't let her 14-year-old daughter pee on the side of a deserted road at midnight but turns a blind eye as a 25-year-old man undresses a 15-year-old and pulls her into his lap. There are numerous instances of pedophilic behavior throughout the story. The same mom randomly has breakfast with a guy driving an Oscar Meyer Weiner-mobile, sells her California-registered vehicle in Montana to a random stranger to upgrade to a sports car, and falls in love within 5 days of meeting an "apple picking farmer" who lets her fall into a pile of sheep sh!t. She also "bribes an airline attendant with $100" to take her unattended 3-year-old daughter onto a plane. The mom runs her hands over her daughter's bare breasts to remove bandages for her own release. Her dad sexually abused her as a child, and she doesn't realize her 30-year-old brother is sexually attracted to her despite him telling her multiple times. This is just a small sample of the stupid and ridiculous instances involving the mom character. The story is told in a bizarre sequence with countless plot holes. It's truly a horrendous book that makes one want to stick knives in their ears while listening. If I were Jodi Picoult, I would have this book removed from all libraries. I hate this book with a passion.

OBTW - the title has no bearing on anything - there is no point drawn. Must have been the editors choice or something?

I really struggled when it came to knowing how to review this book. My rating kept flitting from 4 to 2 stars. If you had asked me during the first quarter, I would have said it was a solid 4 stars. I didn't think all the bad reviews were justified at that point. However, as I delved deeper and deeper into the story, I realized that they were.

This story is told from five different points of view, which is fine as I have read a few books like this before. However, one of these points of view starts at the end of the story and works its way back to the beginning. I felt that this didn't work at all. All the stories should have followed the same formula. You end up knowing the end before the book has really begun, and this really deflates the story. Rebecca's story moving backwards can be a bit confusing, and I had to keep flicking back to the previous chapters featuring her to check the dates. I also found the bits in Oliver's narrative when he was going on and on about whales to be VERY VERY tedious, and I tended to skim these sections. Additionally, this book can get a bit repetitive, with chunks of text being repeated in the different narratives.

The story itself is okay, but I felt that it could have benefited from some fine editing. I found the relationships between Rebecca and Hadley a bit uncomfortable to read. I mean, Rebecca had only just hit puberty and was also just 15. Are we really meant to take this seriously as an adult relationship when he is giving her piggy backs all the time? And the relationship between Jane and her brother Joely was a bit creepy, though it was very Game Of Thrones esque with Jamie and Cerise but less well done.

Overall, this is an okay book, but it's not Jodi's best. It's definitely not as fast-moving, gripping, and thought-provoking as her other novels.

I have long been a devoted fan of Jodi Picoult. However, this particular book failed to capture my full attention. The story was presented from the perspectives of five distinct characters, a technique Picoult has successfully employed in some of her other novels. But this one differed as the narrative oscillated between past and present events, and then back to the past once more, with no clear indication of dates (except in the chapters told from Rebecca's point of view). This left me thoroughly confused during the initial part of the book, forcing me to guess the time frame of the story.

Later on, events that had already been recounted in the early chapters by one character were retold by another, albeit from a different perspective. While this provided an interesting insight into the minds of the various characters regarding a single event, it was also extremely perplexing. So much so that I often found myself compelled to refer back to the earlier chapters.

I would not recommend this book to first-time Picoult readers, as it is likely to disappoint. Instead, I suggest starting with one of her more recent novels. The first Picoult book I read was Sister's Keeper, and I have been a dedicated fan ever since.

Songs of the Humpback Whale offers a remarkable depth of insight into how events vary for each participant, presented from five perspectives and in different orders.

The decision to write events backwards for one character and forwards for others, while at times confusing, helps avoid the tedium of retelling the same events repeatedly. However, it unfortunately leads to difficulties in remembering the story's progression in relation to everyone else's timeline.

More than once, I had the impression that characters should be in different places or have knowledge they wouldn't possess due to being at different points in time.

Overall, it was an enjoyable story. I gave it only two stars because following the multiple perspectives and timeline issues can be a challenging read. Additionally, at times, well-developed characters seem to act in a forced manner to advance the plot, rather than the plot emerging organically from circumstances or character traits.

I must admit that some aspects of the ending didn't sit well with me. Some of the story's "morals" appeared illogical or old-fashioned to me, which is why I feel it was just "okay."

Check out more of my reviews on my blog at http://fentonslee.blogspot.com/search/label/books.

If this were the first book I read by Jodi Picoult, my desire to read other books by her would be close to zero.

The story, although it had some interesting elements, failed to fully engage me. The characters felt a bit flat and one-dimensional, lacking the depth and complexity that I have come to expect from Picoult's work.

The plot also seemed to drag at times, with unnecessary details and subplots that detracted from the main narrative. I found myself losing interest and having to force myself to keep reading.

Overall, while I recognize that Jodi Picoult is a talented author, this particular book did not meet my expectations. I'm not sure if I would be willing to give another one of her books a chance based on this experience.

I have officially read all of Jodi Picoult’s books—until she publishes her next one!

There were certain elements of this particular book that I truly liked. Her writing style has always been engaging, and in this work, some of the characters and their relationships were quite captivating. However, it's important to note that her ability to craft a story and develop the plot has advanced significantly over the past 3 decades.

It's truly remarkable to see how she has evolved as a writer. Each of her books seems to build on the previous ones, taking the reader on a deeper and more complex journey. I'm here to enjoy the rest of this literary adventure with her. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us in her future publications. I'm sure it will be another thought-provoking and emotional ride.

3.5 stars

Jane and Oliver have been married for 15 years, and their relationship dates back even further. Their daughter Rebecca's 15th birthday is fast approaching. Oliver, a renowned marine biologist dedicated to the study of humpback whales, has achieved great success in his career. However, this has come at the expense of his home life. After a fierce argument, Jane and Rebecca leave. Jane's brother Joley, with whom she has always been close, helps guide her from California to Massachusetts (where Joley is living and working) through a series of letters along the way.

The first half of the story was a bit confusing in terms of the timeline. Rebecca's point of view was presented with each chapter moving backward in time (fortunately, those chapters provided a date). Until the middle of the book when the other timelines converged, the chapters were all progressing chronologically but had started at different points in the story. Thankfully, by the midpoint, the timelines came together.

I didn't find this book as engaging as some of Picoult's other works. However, the second half did improve for me, perhaps because all the timelines (except Rebecca's) were now moving forward. It could also be that I enjoyed reading about the same events from different perspectives. I have to admit, though, that I didn't really like any of the characters. Maybe this means that everyone had both good and bad qualities, just like in real life. But I really didn't care for Sam and Hadley. I agreed with the ending, although it was a close call as it almost didn't turn out that way, and I was truly worried it wouldn't. However, there are probably readers who preferred a different ending.

I am a bit tired of this reading. As someone said here on Goodreads, fortunately, this is not the first book by Jodi Picoult that I have read. Because if it were, I would not read more books by her.

The ending did not save the book either. It seemed rather anticlimactic and left me feeling somewhat disappointed. The story had its moments, but overall, it failed to fully engage me.

Perhaps it was the pacing or the lack of depth in some of the characters. I found myself losing interest at times and having to force myself to keep reading.

However, I will give Jodi Picoult the benefit of the doubt and assume that this is just an off-book for her. I have read other works of hers that were much more captivating and thought-provoking.

I will continue to explore her bibliography in the hopes of finding that gem of a book that will restore my faith in her as an author.

I'm a HUGE Jodi fan.

It's rather ironic that her first novel was the only one that I had never read.

However, I finally broke down and decided to give it a go!!

I'm aware that many people were not satisfied with this novel, finding it confusing and disjointed.

But having read this novel after all of her other works, I wasn't overly bothered by it.

I've come to realize that this is Jodi's unique writing style.

I will admit that this wasn't one of my absolute favorites among her novels.

Nevertheless, I still did enjoy it to a certain extent.

The relationships within families are not always perfect; in fact, they are often far from it.

And through this story, Jodi took readers on an exciting adventure.

It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but as a die-hard Jodi fan, I'm glad that I finally read it.