This is a good novel by Jodi Picoult,

but it is not exactly her best work.

The characters in this novel seemed less developed than they usually are.

There are also way too many of them, which makes it a bit difficult to keep track of everyone.

However, the writing is as excellent as always.

Jodi Picoult has a unique way of telling a story that keeps the reader engaged from beginning to end.

Despite the flaws in the character development and the large number of characters, the novel still manages to be an interesting and enjoyable read.

It explores some important themes and issues, which makes it more than just a typical novel.

Overall, while it may not be her best, it is still a good novel that is worth reading.

Another book by Jodi Picoult that I like. I fell in love with Jodi Picoult since reading My Sister Keeper, then Perfect Match and then the pursuit of other works by Picoult. A teacher and soccer coach at an all-girls school, Jack St. Bride, is released from prison after serving a sentence for the accusation of sexual assault against one of his students, who is also a soccer athlete he coached.

Jack served a 9-month sentence after receiving a legal consideration from his lawyer to plead guilty to the accusation in order to avoid a heavier sentence. Jack never committed the accusation that ruined his life. Out of prison, the handsome man who had made a 15-year-old girl with a crush fall in love and then trapped his life in darkness. This happens again in the small town of Salem Falls. Jack, alias Dr Jack St Bride, a native of New York, flees to the small town of Salem Falls to work as a waiter in a restaurant owned by Addie Peabody. However, his past has to repeat itself. The sadness and pain felt by Jack and Addie after their increasingly close relationship seems to be felt while reading this book. Ouch...

This is a rather strange book. Jack, a teacher, is wrongly accused of having a sexual relationship with a student and spends 8 months in prison. After his release, he begins a new life in a small town but is then accused of raping a teenager. He seems to be the unluckiest person ever.

I truly liked the romance between Jack and Addie, and the way he helps Addie get over her daughter's death is really touching. I felt very sorry for Jack. However, Jodi Picoult throws a major curveball by including a scene that reveals Jack raped and allowed his friends to rape girls in college.

I don't remember noticing that the first time I read the book, and I wonder if it's because attitudes have changed since the book was published. There is now much more awareness of athletes getting girls drunk and then engaging in such despicable acts. This scene completely altered my opinion of Jack. I know that in the scene we read, he changes his mind, but it's also clear that he has done this before.

Moving on to Jack's trial, I'm not sure why everyone was so pessimistic about the outcome when it was proven in court that Gillian was a liar and was on hallucinogenic drugs that night. The jury didn't take much time to reach a decision, and I thought it would be quite obvious.

The ending, however, didn't quite sit well with me as Jack had lost my sympathy. I also felt that Charlie and Amos definitely needed to be punished for what they did to Addie. And the fact that Amon's rape of his daughter continues without any resolution is unacceptable. I would have preferred a more neatly tied-up ending.

This is not one of Picoult's most popular novels. However, in my opinion, it is one of her best precisely because of the messed-up character of Jack St. Bride.

He is truly exasperating. He does genuinely stupid things, especially considering his history, when he should know better. It makes me want to wring his neck. But then, in the very next scene, he manages to make me sad for him.

What better evidence could there be that a character has truly come to life? I haven't read this book in several years, and perhaps I might be more critical of it now. But this novel was extremely influential for me. It taught me how a badly flawed protagonist can be so moving. I have since incorporated this lesson into my own writing. Although I generally try to endow my characters with a bit more common sense, I still understand the power of a flawed character to engage and touch the reader's emotions.

This book will always hold a special place in my heart as a reminder of the importance of creating complex and multi-dimensional characters.