"Change of Heart" by Jodi Picoult
This review will contain spoilers. If you have not yet read the book, please DO NOT READ until you are finished. Then share your thoughts and review of the book by posting a comment!!
1)If you were June Nealon, would you have accepted Shay's heart for your daughter?
Although I believe it would be terribly difficult, I would accept Shay's heart for my daughter. I believe that it would give her a prolonged life which would also be of good quality. I don't believe that the fact that the heart belonged to Shay would change the person that her daughter already was.
2)Why were so many people quick to believe that Shay was a messiah? Did you find the fact that people would deify someone on death row believable?
This question can really bring about alot of debate. It is controversial. That doesn't mean that we're not going to answer it though. This is a forum for stating your beliefs and your convictions. If you feel like you can't do that, isn't it similar to not having freedom of speech? Just a thought. As far as the question goes- I believe that people were so quick to believe that Shay was a messiah because they were looking everywhere for hope. Hope is a powerful thing. It can change people's lives. I believe that those that believed that Shay was a messiah were looking for an answer to their problems on Earth- whether that be their sick child or their own discouragements. Without hope there is fear. They are equal opposites. You cannot fear for death, yet be optimistic about fighting a fatal disease. Fear and hope can not coexist.
As far as people deifying someone on death row, I believe it is possible. Just because someone was convicted of a crime punishable by death, does not mean they are necessarily guilty. As Picoult showcases in this novel, Shay Bourne was NOT guilty in his mind. He was hung unnecessarily. It does go to debate though- Do you think we as mortal humans have the right to decide whether we are helping someone by killing them? Tough question to ponder.
3)Did June ever forgive Shay? Do you think she came to believe he may have been innocent?
I absolutely think that June forgave Shay. I know it did not come easy, however I also believe that she came to the realization that he was innocent.
4)Do you think Picoult did a good job developing the characters? Were they believable?
One of the many reasons I adore Picoult's novels is the mere fact that she wraps you into the characters as if you are actually in their shoes. She has a real knack for getting inside their heads no matter who the character is. The beginning of the novel was not quite believable. I later found out that the characters in "Change of Heart" were from a previous novel in which makes more sense. To think that June Nealon had gone through so much in the first chapter or two of the book was a stretch. I kept telling friends of mine that I feel as though she could have written a novel just about the first chapter. Apparently she actually did. Good.
5)What do you think about the death penalty? Did Change of Heart make you question your beliefs?
I am not for the death penalty. I believe that we cannot take the place of God and do not have the power to determine life. I have always felt this way. I feel the same about abortion. Who are we to choose to end a life. That's God's job. Also, I feel that we have free agency for a reason. It is to test us here on Earth so that we can learn to make the correct decisions. If there were no consequences for bad decisions, then why would anyone choose the tougher (and righter) way? Change of Heart did not make me change or question my beliefs. I did happen to think that Picoult was going to make Shay Bourne a saviour in the book. I was ecstatic with the way she chose to end the book. I truly hope they make this into a movie. It would be a great and suspenseful one!!
6)What role did Lucius play in the story? Do you think Shay healed him?
Lucius was an odd character. I didn't agree with his actions. I believed he did belong in jail. I think the way we see what goes on behind bars is through Lucius. Without his character, we wouldn't have been able to see the conflict amongst the other inmates, the remorse that Lucius had for Bourne, and the "miracle" that Bourne performed. As far as that goes- I think Shay healed him in the sense that he gave him hope. Again, without hope all is lost. Shay performing "miracles" allowed the inmates to have hope that he would help them. The mind is a very powerful thing. Lucius believed that he could be healed in the depths of his mind and was able to do so, temporarily. OR, another way to think could possibly be that everything was just awesome timing. Lucius was in a temporary remission that coincided with Bourne being an inmate. With the human mind, I truly believe that if one honestly told themselves that the sky was really white,(not blue) that they could believe it as if it were the only way for the sky to be. You can talk yourself into anything, which is what I think the people who believed that Bourne was a saviour did.
7)Picoult says she tried "to write about religion responsibly". Do you think she succeeded? Did Change of Heart make you question your beliefs?
I think Picoult wrote a terrific novel. It makes the reader question what they believe in. It talks about controversial topics such as the death penalty, rape, and social injustice. It speaks of the Bible amongst other "scripture" that I wasn't familiar with. She truly is a gifted author who researches her topics quite extensively and it shows.
8)Why do you think June invited Shay's sister over at the end?
I think June inviting Shay's sister over at the end shows her compassion toward Bourne and her forgiveness of the situation that took her daughter's and her husband's lives. It was her way of making the wrong, right. She was redeeming herself and it made for a terrific ending.
9)Rate Change of Heart on a scale of 1 to 5.
On a scale of 1-5, I would give "Change of Heart" a 4 1/2. I thought it was thought-provoking, well-written, and an honest-to-good suspenseful read. I would recommend it to anyone over 18. I thought the topics were not meant for a younger audience. Anyone who is going through trials would enjoy getting lost in this book, realizing that their trials are far less than others written about in this novel. Overall- Great job Picoult!! I will continue reading your books. You are my favorite author.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1.) Having had lost a child, there is no question in my mind that I would have accepted Shay's heart for my child. It would be hard, but I believe it would be harder to let my child die when I knew there was something or better yet, someone that could save her.
ReplyDelete2.)I agree that hope was driving factor behind so many believing Shay was a messiah. The other prisoners were so quick to believe because they were the ones who needed to have hope the most at that time.
3.) I'm not sure I buy into June forgiving Shay as much as it was a better understanding of him and what had happened. Let's face it, her child was still dead no matter what the circumstances were.
4.) I think she did a great job of developing the characters in this book. I liked the fact that the book started off with a little drama. I have read some of her other books and a few of them seemed a little slow at the beginning.
5.) Tough one. I do support the death penalty because frankly I believe that some criminals do not deserve to live especially if they have taken the life of another person in cold blood. I felt sad though that Shay did not speak up for himself that could have led to reasonable doubt in the minds of the jurors. I also wasn't too surprised at his sister's story because I sort of saw it coming. I thought Picoult really led the reader down that path well.
6.) I came to like Lucius a little bit and feel that his role in the book was to provide insight for the reader into the lives of the other prisoners. He was a little bit of a loner in the prison just as Shay was (not really a career criminal) so I wasn't surprised he (in a way) befriended Shay. To me it seemed as if he took on a big brother role to Shay. I don't know if I really believe Shay healed Lucius. If I did then I would also have to reason that he made Lucius sick again possibly out of spite. That is one question to really think about.
7.)I thought Picoult did write about religon responsibly but I never really questioned my beliefs after reading the book.
8.) I think June had Shay's sister over at the end of the book in the hopes that she could answer some questions that still lingered in her mind about Shay or maybe just to get a better insight into him. I think that somewhere in June's mind or heart she suspected that there was more to the story of her husband and child's death than Shay shooting them both in cold blood. I think she deep down, really didn't want to believe he would do that.
9.) I would rate it a 4.
Denise- I LOVED your comments!! Thanks for posting.
ReplyDelete