I can only say one thing that stood out about this book is Jodi’s trademark way of touching an issue that usually seems black and white and bringing out the intricacies and the complications that can and usually does surround those issues.

I don’t want to spoil this story but it is profound, powerful and a story that deserves to be heard. This showcases the ugly reality of life and whether or not you stick to your beliefs or that they can be challenged by the way you think and feel about issues.

I have to say also that the characters such as Wren are complicated but yet they’re human, they’re flawed. That is what makes this book so relatable for me. I can feel their anguish, their dilemma, the pain and the emotional turmoil they experience.

This is a book worthy of a read but I’d recommend that you sit and have a few hours to yourself because you will not want to put this book down!

Thank you to Net Galley and to the publishes, for giving me the opportunity to read, enjoy and review this novel..

Jodi Picoult explores the issues around female fertility, birth control and the the Pro Choice / Pro Life agenda. She sets the novel around the work of one women's clinic in the Southern States of the USA, where Christian religion has such an influence upon ideas of the community. In effect the staff at the clinic are working under siege conditions on daily basis, making their way into work through a barrage of protest and abuse.

In her usual fashion she introduces a set of disparate characters, places them in the setting for a range of reasons and slowly reveals the backstories which have brought them to one catastrophic day. We see the life of the clinic through the eyes of service users and providers, all now drawn together by the actions of one individual, a lone shooter, for whom protest has become personal and who is responding in the only way he seems to understand.

The action is driven forward by the work of the negotiator, trying desperately to engage and work with the shooter to protect the people within the clinic.

These leads to a tense and well driven narrative, which, nonetheless, provides the reader with many opportunities to pause and reflect upon the issues. Both Pro Life and Pro Choice arguments are well developed and the reader is left to make up their own mind about this and about the cliff hanger final chapter.

A really relevant read for the Trump era.

There was a lot I liked about this book. The characters were well thought out, with plenty of background and easy to understand. I thought that the connections running between characters was very clever. The writing style was fluid and engaging, making it very easy reading. I liked the way that the book began at the end, working back throughout the day from the main event. My only criticism is that I felt slightly cheated at the end of the book, I would have liked the epilogue to contain some conclusion for all of the characters but was left unsatisfied. Overall a good book, but I was disappointed by the ending.

This was exactly what I've come to expect from a Jodi Picoult book: beautiful storytelling, complex characters, heartbreaking decisions and a topic that sparks debate and discussion from its readers. Jodi expertly handles the question of choice by centring her story on a hostage standoff at a women's health clinic, where abortions are one of many services offered to the women patients. I loved every page of this incredible book and would recommend to all.

Jodi Picoult is not afraid to pick a controversial subject and they don't come more "hot potato" than abortion. Never have I felt so privileged to live in the UK and benefit from the NHS and the services they provide. The thought of driving for hours, appealing to a judge and forking out money I didn't have in order to gain an abortion is awful. There are several different situations happening in this book and unusually the action happens backwards. I was a little dubious about this as I like to be surprised and how can you be if you already know the outcome but fear not Ms Picoult has not stinted on the surprise element. I'm still not completely sold on the backwards storytelling but I still enjoyed this novel very much.

As with any Jodi Picoult book, you are guaranteed an in-depth, well researched and thought provoking read and as usual I wasn't disappointed. Part of jodi's magic, is that there is rarely a right or wrong answer, but well reasoned points of view that even when you are sure of your beliefs, leave you wondering, what would I do. Highly recommended.

I was unsure whether this was meant to be a novel about a group of people finding themselves in a terrifying situation or a vehicle for the author to present her views on the main subject matter (abortion and choice for women). I found myself engaged with the former, where both staff and clients at a women's medical centre find themselves held hostage to a gunman who has already killed a number of them. Although I found the reverse timeline presentation somewhat irritating, each person's story - including those at the centre, the gunman and the lead policeman/hostage negotiator was dealt with sensitively and with imagination. We learn what brought them to this point and this time and although from the beginning it's clear that abortion is a main theme, it's not the only function of the clinic. The stories are credible, fascinating, and engender empathy even for the gunman or the less-than-heroic characters we find there.

It was people's personal stories that kept me going to the end, though, because I didn't appreciate the way the theme of abortion - or rather, the particular view of the author - was portrayed. I felt a 'balanced view' was given only token recognition as it was pretty clear from the outset what the author's opinion was on the matter; indeed, so strong was the sense of outrage that I felt I was almost being forced 'at gunpoint' as a reader.

It was disappointing, particularly from an author of this stature, that the examples used were at the extremes of what we know to be people's viewpoints on this controversial matter: people were depicted as either rational, brave and compassionate pro-choicers or irrational, unkind, fundamentalist (and usually religious) 'antis'. Nowhere did I find those people (who may even form the maority) who might not fit into this black/white division - who might feel that abortion is to be avoided if it all possible as there is human life at stake, but who also feel compassion for the mother and who wish to help and support practically and emotionally whatever she decides to do.

The result seemed to be merely a vehicle, I'm sorry to say, for railing against one extreme and upholding the other. The epitome of this thinking comes through clear and strong in the words of the doctor, referring to women who choose abortion as, "Warriors, every one of them ... he was reminded of their grit, their courage in the face of obstacles, the quiet grace with which they shouldered their troubles. They were stronger than any men he'd ever known". This reasoning seems a little facile, like calling someone a hero just because they choose to become a soldier. My point is not whether I agree or disagree with the author's viewpoint regarding abortion, but with the assumption that women who do choose do go through with this act are somehow more brave and heroic than those who do not, or indeed that either decision implicitly endows 'character', which could end up being demeaning to a woman making either choice.

So yes, an engaging and interesting depiction of ordinary individuals caught up in an extra-ordinary situation, but for me at least, a black and white presentation of a sensitive matter that I did not feel gave me deeper insight into the topic but rather came over as a forum for evangelising regarding the author's strong opinions on the subject and most definitely paying lip service only to 'a balanced view'. I am not familiar with this author and it may well be that this is the kind of thing her readers normally look for and in fact enjoy - and it's fair to say that this is a good a purpose for a book as any other, so long as the reader is aware that that is what to expect. It's not for me, though, and I doubt I'll read others by the same author.

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picolt a five-star read that will make you think. I have been a huge fan of this author for a long time, and usually buy the paperback and then once I’ve read it, it goes to my mum who will pass it to my aunt and will pass it to my nanna, but this time I couldn’t wait I had to get the ebook as soon as I could, that being said I will buy the paperback once I see it so we can keep the tradition alive. That being said I don’t know if this one will be as popular with them all as the others we have read, as this author has a great talent for writing subjects that divide opinion, she isn’t one to shy away from difficult and complex subjects and this is a great example, balancing the pro-life and pro-choice debate and the story is fast paced and from many different points of view which can get a little confusing at first but keep with it as it such a great way telling the story, you will see people who shouldn’t get along thrown together and have to face the future together and then people who love each other thrown apart. Wren may be the main character in this story as she has a powerful story to tell, but there are so many other voices no matter which side of the fence you stand on this will challenge your views in the best was possible. The only negative I could find was that it ended to soon, I was so into reading it that it ended before I even realised I was near the end. What a powerful and compelling read this is, I can’t wait to hold the paperback in my hands for a re-read as I am sure I will be reading it several times and finding new details in ever read.

Wow!!
Was gutted to come to the end. Cannot wait to read the rest of this book and find out what happens and why it happened
My only complaint was I didn’t realise this was only the 1st chapter and I am not sure how I am going to manage the wait until release date to finish reading

I enjoyed this book but found it a little hard to follow at times as it started at the end and worked backwards by the hour to the beginning. Also found that things didn't really get tied up at the end and things were left open. However was a very difficult situation handled well.

Where to start. My emotions are all over the place. The story follows numerous characters during a hostage situation at a women’s reproductive health services clinic (The Center) in Mississippi. The story starts at the end and works backwards by the hour, frustrating and a little confusing at times, but it worked so well. Amongst the hostages are a pro-life protestor, a pregnant nurse, a lady who has just had an abortion, a young girl, Wren, who is there for contraceptive advice and the doctor who performs the procedures, and a few others caught in the crossfire, oh and let’s not forget the shooter. Throughout the story we learn their history and what has brought them to The Center this particular day, interwoven into the story are a few twists and turns that are totally unexpected, leaving me in awe of the author and her writing. The epilogue goes back to the beginning and we learn the outcome of this tragic story. I would however like to say I would have loved to know more of the after effects, I had so many questions about the ‘what next?’ How do you recover from a situation like this? The author’s note at the end left me quite tearful, and whether you are pro choice or pro life I’m sure the pages in this book will leave you reeling, they certainly did me. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

The subject of the book is very important and I liked that the reader is never pushed to be pro-life or pro-choice or asked to pick a side. We are also given different perspectives and Picoult's storytelling is very good, as usually. I was not a big fan of the story to be told in reverse. though.

I enjoyed this book although it was a little hard to follow from the start as it started in the present time and then followed with the events leading up to that time .
A very interesting and informative book .

Wow!
Absolutely blown away.
This book certainly did not disappoint, I could not put it down.

A very interesting and sensitive subject which causes debate amongst hundreds and thousands of people. The book was fast paced and very well researched.

I will be recommending this book to everyone. Another fabulous novel by Jodi Picoult!

An interesting,if somewhat repetitive read, that came to a rather unsatisfactory abrupt end. This book would make good reading for any woman considering an abortion.

I always loved Jodi Picoult for a holiday read, books that were quick and gripping and entertaining. Then I read Small Great Things last year and it totally changed the way I thought about her as an author, it was a much meatier read, touching on politically and socially charged topics. A Spark of Light is similar in that it looks to explore harder-to-discuss topics, in this case abortion. I think it's a really important conversation to be having and I admire her for writing it considering the current political climate. I liked that she explored the argument from both sides and tried to give understanding to each. I am pro-choice but I appreciated how she tried to portray both ideals fairly. I really enjoyed it and i felt compelled to read on, but I do think that the writing at times was a little contrived. I would still recommend it to others and I think it will open a platform for conversation on this abortion.

A Spark of Light was a very interesting book, from the concept to the execution and I really liked it. It tells the story of a hostage situation in an abortion clinic in Mississippi, and the abortion debate in America is an interesting subject in its own right but Picoult writes the book backwards, starting at 5pm and works back to the beginning of the day. It follows the stories of ten people: Wren, Hugh, Bex, George, Beth, Izzy, Joy, Janine, Olive and Louie who all contribute to the abortion debate in the USA.
Firstly, I loved the decision to tell the story backwards. You meet the characters at the end and as the day moves backwards, you learn more about who they are and how they ended up in the position they are in. It’s a very effective way of telling the story and a different one which makes it stand out. Telling the story from the end also leaves room for a couple of revelations, which I didn’t see coming. They were nice little twists which just tied everything together.
The thing I have always liked about Picoult’s writing is that she is not afraid to take on controversial topics. She’s covered a lot of them over the years, school shootings, paedophilia, underage sex are just a few of them and now abortion. I found it to be very sensitively handled, especially seeing as how controversial abortion is in America. I liked how she showed both sides of the argument, she took the time to explain why women chose abortions and she explained why people are opposed to abortion. It was a very balanced book, in my opinion, and I very much appreciated that Picoult didn’t try to push one agenda over another. I also liked that Picoult wrote at the end about her research for the novel, again it was very balanced, and the bibliography would be very useful for anyone who wants to read more about the subject.
The characters were also another strength. You can see all of their points of view and, although I am not opposed to women having abortions; it’s their choice, even the pro-life/anti-abortion characters were sympathetic. You can understand why they believe the things they do, even the shooter who holds the clinic hostage. They all felt like real people with real dilemmas and it just made the book feel like it was having an actual debate rather than just preaching.
A Spark of Light isn’t perfect, it ends very abruptly and I think I would have preferred to have the epilogue be a little bit longer, just to see what happened to the characters after the event. It all ended a little bit too quickly for me, especially since the end happened at the beginning so a wrap up would have been nicer. On the whole, I really enjoyed it.
I read A Spark of Light at the same time as The Poppy War, a book I really did not enjoy and this book actually stopped me from hitting a reading slump because I actually enjoyed it. I liked the opening up of a debate and I liked that it was not preachy towards one side to the other. I found it to be a sympathetic and though provoking piece with realistic characters you can empathise with. On the whole, I found A Spark of Light to be a very good book.

I received this superb first chapter sampler through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Corvus in return for an honest review. Thank you most sincerely for my copy. I am and always have been a huge fan of Jodi Picoult’s novels and I could not resist taking this opportunity to read the first chapter of her latest novel, always knowing I would read the entire novel upon release. Wow, what a terrific story she has envisaged in this scenario of widely differing opinions about the controversial subject of abortion: the rights of women to make choices about their predicament and what happens to their bodies, balanced finely against the right to live. The statistics quoted are all verified by experts in their field. The emotions, opinions and ideology of the characters in this story are laid out and examined and what a fabulous, engrossing debate it is. Luckily I was later selected to read and review the entire novel. What an honour and a privilege. I am now ready to amend my review in the ‘spark of light’ I have gained from reading the entire novel, some parts twice over.
The controversial Centre for women's reproductive health is infiltrated by a protester with a gun. It is a hostage situation with the gunman barricading himself in. A negotiator works his way inside, professional, well balanced and calm, but inside boiling with concern for his daughter who is one of the hostages, along with his beloved sister. This is the point at which the ‘back’ story starts. From then on it tells the story backwards, counting down the time. It tells the reason why everyone is currently at the hospital and puts forward their reasons for their choices. Some characters are working in the centre; some are there for advice only, some for prescriptions and others supportive family or friends are patients. One is an infiltrator there only to gather information to use against the Centre. They are all taken hostage; only a few escape or are later released. Some are killed, others wounded. Jodi Picoult is neither judge nor jury, she just lays bare the facts in front of the reader and this is what I really love about her writing. It is involving, intriguing and very exciting. It is your job to decide for yourself which side of the debate you take. Jodi Picoult is an incredibly intelligent and talented wordsmith full of empathy, compassion and understanding about the subject she has chosen. You may change your opinion once you are fully acquainted with the statistics and ideology. Her meticulous research has used both primary and secondary sources and I truly believe she has presented a comprehensive and balanced précis of each side of the argument. The characters she has created are an eclectic mix, as in any hospital facility. You are bound to feel for them as you come to read more and more about them. This is one of the author’s greatest achievements. Her carefully crafted characters are appealing and you feel like you are involved in their story. I loved reading this poignant novel from every aspect. It’s a 4.5* review from me and a recommendation that this is an excellent read.

I know that this author is prolific and has a big following. I am afraid that I really disliked this book. While comfortable with flashbacks which enhance a story, this was mainly flashbacks. Almost every character had their memories recorded and it seems to me that there is no timeline. It is difficult to see which opinions are held when. I think that this is important given the debate which still goes on about abortion.
I certainly see that the topic is important but I don't like the way this is written.
I know that this author has many fans but I am not one of them - sorry.

I have read and loved all of Jodi Picoult's previous books. She isn't afraid to tackle any subject and this book being about abortion is no different. However I didn't enjoy it. There were too many characters to keep track of and I didn't like how the storyline was in reverse. This is definitely the worst book I have read by one of my favourite authors.