I was so unbelievably excited to receive the notification to read this book. Jodi Picoult is one of my favourite authors and this book really does not disappoint,

The story revolves around an abortion center in Mississippi and a shooter has opened fire inside, as the book develops you go back in time hour by hour, to see how the horror unfolded. It is a gripping read that tells the two sides of abortion well.

I loved this book, bravo Jodi Picoult, another fantastic read!

I am relatively new to this author's work having only read one of her previous books; Small Great Things, but I was very impressed with what I read there so I was quite interested to see how she would tackle things in this, her latest book set around a hostage situation at a woman's health clinic.
Firstly, I have to mention the timeline. We actually count back in hours beginning at the end with each previous hour becoming the feature of the next chapter. I did struggle with this initially but by the 3rd or 4th hour back I had got my head around it enough to make my reading flow better.
Starting at the end and working backwards also makes it hard for me to write anything else much about the actual story in my review as the time factor is a bit key in all the interconnected, individual stories that are woven throughout the book as a whole. In a sort of things sometimes being explained before they happen kind of way!
Obviously, the elephant in the room is the main topic at large in this book. Where Small Great Things tackled racism at the heart of the story contained therein, this book ramps things up a notch and features abortion; pro-life and pro-choice. A topic not nearly so black and white in nature and definitely one of the most emotional debates throughout time. The research that the author has so obviously done shines through as she presents every side of the argument and, indeed, dispels some of the myths and untruths surrounding it, capturing the emotions surrounding all the character's individual stories in a very balanced way. She also throws into the mix an interesting spin on things as the police negotiator's own daughter is caught up in the action inside the clinic.
The author juggles some great emotional scenes with those containing the cold hard facts very well throughout which made me feel quite safe and protected whilst reading the book. I have never been in a situation where I needed to think about my own feelings around this subject and, as I am of a certain age and have no children of my own, I will probably never need to in the future but, as a layman of sorts, I thought that the information was very well presented and, on the whole, balanced. Don't get me wrong, a lot of what is contained within the book is hard hitting. Especially the side story told away from the hostage situation which did somewhat shock me. Definitely opened my eyes somewhat, especially when all was finally revealed.
But, taking aside the emotion for a moment, the whole story, when all was revealed, was extremely well worked out. The connections between the individual character's own lives, how interconnected it all was at the end of the day, did really impress me. As did the very clever way that the whole was told in its backwards format. We also had the juxtaposition of the two father/daughter relationships as they were played out.
All in all, a very powerful read that kept my attention throughout and left me with a lot to think about beyond the final page. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Jodi Picoult does not shy away from the controversial topics, and I am glad because it opens up a dialogue between readers.
For me, this book comes after the vote to legalise abortion in Ireland, as I'm writing this, abortion is still illegal in Northern Ireland, and this is the only country in the UK and Ireland to be so. However, it is clear that America appears to be changing their stance on abortion as well and according to Picoult, this was the reason this book was written.

I enjoyed the characterisation throughout the novel, how a tragic event (a mass shooting) brings them all together and connects them. To me, this was the only thing that was making me want to keep reading the novel. I am glad I stuck with the novel, however, as I loved the ending.
I look forward to more from Picoult.

I love Jodi Picoult; I love her style of writing and the legal/moral questions her books raise. For me this book just didn't quite have the same presence as her others and I found it rather bland. The theme was there but I found the whole thing quite dull and it didn't quite have the same page turner as her previous books. Disappointing! Sorry!

I was dying to read this book as I am a massive fan of Jodi Picoult, and she always tackles controversial and interesting topics. This book is no different as it tackles the very emotive subject of abortion, and throws up many arguments on both sides of the debate.

The basic story is of a father who believes a clinic responsible of killing his grandchild, and who storms the building taking some hostage and killing others. One of the hostages has only gone for birth control, and her father is the negotiator, finding out he is negotiating for his daughter’s life.

The negative is that there are 2 interwoven stories here, but both are told backwards. From nearly the end of the siege in steps until before the beginning. I could this confusing with the chopping and changing between stories as well as the backwards approach. I would rather the stories had been told forward in time and then I think it would have been 5 stars from me. A little confusing but loved the premise and the writing.

I was given a sample to this book to read and review. As always with a Jodi Picoult story it draws you in with complex character coming to the forefront early in the book and delivering the punch that keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens. Now eagerly awaiting publication day so I can read the entire book and review.

Such a sad to glad story with this book. However I found the descriptions too explicit for my liking the story would have been just as good without.the gory detail.

At its heart, A Spark of Light is the examination of differing opinions and beliefs on the subject of abortion rights. It tells the story of a group of people held hostage by a shooter in an abortion clinic in Jackson, Mississippi. Police hostage negotiator, Hugh McElroy desperately tries to talk the shooter down, he has more to lose than most having just discovered that his fifteen year old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic.

I always read a novel by Jodi Picoult in complete awe. I enjoy her style of writing and the way in which she seems to effortlessly turn simple words into living breathing human beings in the minds eye. What I love most however, is her ability to fearlessly tackle difficult subjects, challenging the reader to appreciate and understand the point of view of others. This novel in particular concerns a notoriously divisive subject. Abortion. A Spark of Light is not designed to sway the reader to a particular side of the argument, instead it seeks to act as a voice for both sides, educating and informing whether you are pro-life or pro-choice. The characters in the novel fall on both sides, and each story is handled with great sensitivity, empathy and a depth of understanding. The reader is never swayed, simply informed and left alone with their own thoughts. The issue is deeply contentious and so it is, understandably, a hard read at times. Justice could not be done to the subject otherwise. I don't mind admitting that I read often in the close vicinity of a box of tissues.

I am consistently impressed by the sheer amount of research which goes into one of her novels. It's not just the knowledge on the subject she is writing on, in this case abortions, but it is the minute detail she goes into within her characters backgrounds. Jobs or expertise they hold, their background or hobbies they have. It all serves to flesh out a character formed on paper and bring them to life. I always read the acknowledgments keenly, the things that the author witnesses, the interviews she holds, the people who share their knowledge with her; to my mind it is this attention to detail which turns a good story into a magnificent one.

In this novel, I particularly enjoyed the structure of the story. It starts at the most climactic part, amidst tense negotiations, and then works backwards, hour by hour, examining the events which lead both to the shooting and the reasons for the presence of each character in the clinic on that day. It is both clever and completely compelling. As we read backwards in time, the narrative moves forwards, connections are made and the jigsaw becomes complete.

The characters are richly drawn and I wept for them all at different points. By the novels end I was so deeply invested that as I turned the last page I felt as if I had been there with them and shared in their pain. I especially liked the duality of the characters. For each character, each opinion, each decision made, an opposite existed somewhere in the story sitting on the opposite side of the argument.

This is the type of novel that is meant to provoke thought and start conversations and to my mind it is a complete success in this regard. I feel as if I've been offered a fair and empathic glimpse at both points of view. A Spark of Light is bound to be a huge success. From the masterful storytelling to the confident handling of a highly emotive and controversial issue, A Spark of Light had me entranced from beginning to end, so much so that my previous favourite Nineteen Minutes has been usurped from the top of my favourite list!

A good book club read as will raise much to debate

This is a hostage situation with the chief negotiator finding his daughter involved with several other characters whose stories unravel. .This story goes backwards and traces its way back to what brought each of these very different individuals to the same place on the same day and how will it end?
A Jodie Picoult classic..

Give and excellent two-sided view of the reality of abortion. If I thought I had a fixed opinion before reading this then my mind is now full of ambiguity. Really well written.

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton publishers and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure about requesting this book, due to the subject matter, however, Jodi Picoult is such an accomplished writer, I knew it would be a good read. Having said that, I can't say I enjoyed it, so, only 3 stars from me.

The story begins with a man holding hostages in a medical centre and the story is told backwards, which, didn't really work in my opinion. The detective who arrives at the scene in order to negotiate with the hostage taker, doesn't realise that his daughter and sister are inside. It's a controversial subject handled with sensitivity, as you'd expect from this competent writer. It just didn't hold me I'm afraid.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

and wow what a book, you feel every emotion going and the book grips you to such an extent that you need to keep on reading it to find out what happens...

its an emotional rollercoaster of a ride and one that will affect many people on different levels when they read it as it concerns abortions and a health clinic with protesters outside and a gunman who holds the ones inside hostage

the story is told back to front but as the story goes on you fall in love with some of them...as their backstories are emotional and sad,still getting to grips with the little puzzle at the end...

but one thing for sure this maybe my first book by jodi picoult but it wont be my last...

Powerfully written and thought provoking.

There's certainly no book like this one for making you glad you live in England in 2018.

Every woman featured in this novel has a tale that's all too familiar and an ending we could wish were different for her, leading to a building frustration that in this world, at this time, women still should have so little control over their own bodies and be made to live in fear and shame.

There are no black and white answers to the questions raised here, but one thing shines clear - women should be allowed to make their own decisions and live with the consequences. Shame on those who seek to belittle, who seek to pour scorn on and who seek to control any woman, ever, for any reason.

I loved this book, but I did struggle with the approach Picoult has taken, with her stepping back and foward in time, telling everybody's story in a mix of flashbacks that vary from minutes to hours to months to years. It's very cleverly done (it must have been a masterpiece of jigsaw skill) but it does bring its frustrations and I can't help but wish that she had told what is already a complex, demanding story in a simpler fashion.

This just wasn't for me, which was a bit of a shock as I usually love anything by Jodi Picoult and I was so interested by the blurb. Maybe it was the way in which the book was written - it was all a bit back to front and I found it difficult to keep up. I would like to come back to it another day though as sometimes, it's all about timing with books and maybe this just wasn't the right time for me.

I was eagerly anticipating this new Jodi Picoult book so maybe this has made my disappointment all the greater. I knew that the theme was centred on an abortion clinic known as The Center but I wasn’t expecting quite so many gruesome details of the procedures and the aftermath so that was a negative for me.

The story being with a gunman holding several people hostage inside The Centre. Some people are dead and others are injured. The story is then told backwards going back an hour at a time from 5pm to 8am with the Epilogue being 6pm. I find this story telling technique tiresome and has become a gimmick which makes a book hard to follow. Because I was reading an advanced copy on my Kindle I couldn’t easily flip back and forth to different chapters. I got very confused about all the characters, none of whom I liked, as there were too many to follow over the eleven different hours of unlayering details as the day went backwards.

There are eleven main characters, nine of whom are in the clinic:

• George Goddard – the gunman
• Louie Ward – a doctor who performs abortions in different clinics around the USA
• Izzy Walsh – a nurse
• Olive Lemay– an older woman in a lesbian relationship with Peg
• Janine Deuerre – an anti-abortion activist who has infiltrated the clinic security to get information for her cause.
• Joy Perry – just had an abortion
• Wren McElroy – 15 year old daughter of the hostage negotiator.
• Bex McElroy – aunt of Wren and older sister of the hostage negotiator
• Vonita – the clinic owner

Two are outside the clinic:
• Hugh McElroy– the hostage negotiator, and single parent of Wren and younger brother of Bex
• Beth – a 17 year old girl being prosecuted for the murder of her unborn baby by using illegal drugs imported from China

I had real trouble following all the characters given all their back stories were told in reverse order. In the notes at the end Jodi thanks her early readers who had sixteen characters to follow. So clearly I was not the only one struggling with a multitude of characters!

There are some twists in the book but the main one at the end was just frustrating as I found it hard to believe. Both why that person had kept that secret and also the aftermath of that secret and any consequences after the hostage day. Maybe Jodi Picoult is keeping that for a future book. But that was maybe the most interesting thing for me in the book and was never taken any further than being revealed.

There was also no conclusion to Beth’s court case which was another big omission for me.

I will still read Jodi Picoult books as I think she writes well and interestingly but will be more discerning about any new ones in future. I found this was quite depressing at times and I just wanted to finish it and read something more uplifting.

I’m not in a book group but almost wish I was for this book as there would certainly be a lot of material to fill a few meetings discussing this one! I am giving it three stars as I can't say I enjoyed reading it a lot but it had stayed in my mind in the days since I finished it so maybe it deserves more stars. I have to say that I skim read it again in correct order (by bookmarking all the chapters in my Kindle) and it was better on the second reading as I was less confused. I also had all the characters clearer in my head then which is partly why I have listed them in this review in case others would like to have that as the first time I read it I had to keep doing a search for characters to remind myself who they were.

With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I don't usually include Trigger Warnings, but now I definitely will. The book is graphic and can be upsetting, it includes descriptions of abortions, gun violence and death.

A Spark of Light begins with a bang (literally). The story begins from the middle of a hostage situation in the Centre, Mississippi's only health centre that provides abortions. Hugh McElroy tries to stay calm and negotiate with the shooter, but inside he is desperate to run in the middle of the scene because he knows that his fifteen-year-old daughter is held inside.

Jodi Picoult has done a brave decision and told the story in reverse. We begin from the end of the hostage situation and then the time will start creeping backwards hour by hour to show us what has led to this moment. I was intrigued by the choice in narrative but in the end I have to say that it didn't really work for me. I was desperate to know what happens after the first chapter, and so it was frustrating to see us going backwards in the story.

The reverse telling has a bright side to it, nevertheless: because the story begins with action I was gripped by it from the start and the book flowed nicely between action scenes and the debate concerning abortion.

A Spark of Light includes a range of different characters with different motivations and beliefs. Picoult provides an intelligent account of abortion from both sides of the debate. Although the book is not unbiased, I learned a great deal more than I ever have about why someone would be anti-choice

Update: I have finished this story now. And I must say that the rest of the book wasn’t as good as the initial chapter.

The sneak-peak first chapter was amazing in setting up the story, but my enjoyment went downhill from there. And I really struggled to get into it, knowing how events had already played out.

Jodi Picoult certainly doesn’t back away from controversial topics, and she is very thorough in her research, but her books for me over the years have been very hit and miss. I’ve loved some (My Sister’s Keeper, Second Glance and Small Great Things) and really disliked others (The Pact, Perfect March) unfortunately this one is a miss. And largely I think that is because of the backwards storytelling.

I have read one other backwards telling books (All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda) and while I find it to be an innovative storytelling method, I don’t really care for it. It’s off-putting and a little confusing.

Thank you to Jodi Picoult, Hodder and Stoughton, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jodi Picoult always writes a good book, interesting and comfortable. You know what you will read even before you pick it up.

The topic that has been chosen in this novel is a worthy one and time will tell what changes or conversations it will create. It creates a great start though.

As usual Jodi Picoult delivers a well researched novel. She argues the cases for pro life and pro choice through her complex characters. I was not convinced with the reverse timeline.

wow, what a powerful and interesting read. Whichever side of the pro-life/pro-choice debate you're on. I'm glad that I'm living in the UK rather than the US when I read books like this - but nonetheless I'll be thinking about this book for a while. Like Small Great Things, this book will make you think differently about the situation.

The book approaches the timeline in a different way... takes you backwards through the day. It's clever and reveals the background/context to what you've already learned. In the middle, I found this device annoying, but by the end I'd got used to it and thought it added more drama to the reading.

A powerful book - 5* from me. one I'll be thinking about for a while.