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Checked out
Due 2 Nov 2022
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Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult comes a compelling and "multilayered tale of small-town intrigue" (Glamour) about a prep schoolteacher accused of rape by a group of young girls, the woman who stands by him, and the repercussions of the case in a New England town where the past is only a heartbeat away. Love can redeem a man...but secrets and lies can condemn him. A handsome stranger comes to the sleepy New England town of Salem Falls in hopes of burying his past. Once a teacher at a girls prep school, Jack St. Bride was destroyed when a student's crush sparked a powder keg of accusation. Now, washing dishes for Addie Peabody at the Do-Or-Diner, he slips quietly into his new routine, and Addie finds this unassuming man fitting easily inside her heart. But amid the rustic calm of Salem Falls, a quartet of teenage girls harbor dark secrets�??and they maliciously target Jack with a shattering allegation. Now, at the center of a modern-day witch hunt, Jack is forced once again to proclaim his innocence: to a town searching for answers, to a justice system where truth becomes a slippery concept written in shades of gray, and to the woman who has come to love him in this unputdownable novel that will keep you "constantly guessing" (The Dallas Morning News) until the very last pa… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member whitewavedarling
I looked forward to reading this as it sounded right up my alley, but I have to say that it's one of the more ridiculous (infuriatingly so) books I've read. It was my first Picoult novel; it is also my last. The plot had promise and could have made for a wonderful read, but Picoult botched it.
In closing, I cringed repeatedly while reading this book because of the choices that Picoult made as a writer and author. The idea was here and had potential, along with the characters. But in the end, it needed a better writer to do it any justice at all. I would not recommend this book, and I'm afraid that this experience was So disapointing I would not ever consider picking up her work again--perhaps, Perhaps if it were a first novel, but it is not, and this was just too sloppy for me to waste my time with her again.
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Besides turning it into an incredibly predictable story overfull of cliches (things like "he came in from the cold"--literally--obviously meant to sound symbolic and yet sounding false and overdone), it was unbelievable. Once you write a character, you have to stay true to that character, but nobody told Picoult that apparently. She regularly had characters behaving in ways which were simply inconsistent (and thus unbelievable) with the character she'd already presented. Repeatedly. Plot points and actions, as well as legal bungles were also all regularly unbelievable. Simply, Picoult made some very bad choices. Dialogue was often awkward or unbelievable, and some scenes were unnecessary while others were under-written. To top it off, legally, this just didn't work. Picoult would have benefitted from reading some other legal thrillers or watching a season of Law and Order. Perhaps, in real life, mistakes and coincidences like the onest here do happen over and over again to the luck or ill-luck of a particular person, but in fiction, it isn't believable. If I can poke holes in a case that the attorney doesn't pick up until late, if at all, there's a problem with the book; and if cops can be so ignorant and ill-informed (or simply uncaring) as those here, I need more evidence to believe it--especially since Picoult tries to present them sympathetically.In closing, I cringed repeatedly while reading this book because of the choices that Picoult made as a writer and author. The idea was here and had potential, along with the characters. But in the end, it needed a better writer to do it any justice at all. I would not recommend this book, and I'm afraid that this experience was So disapointing I would not ever consider picking up her work again--perhaps, Perhaps if it were a first novel, but it is not, and this was just too sloppy for me to waste my time with her again.
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LibraryThing member sleahey
Small town culture run amok. Convicted--but innocent-- of sexual abuse with a student, Jack Mcbride moves to a new community, where he falls in love with Addie, who has been grieving for her dead daughter for years. Meanwhile, a g roup of teenage girls has formed a coven, with a ringleader damaged
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by her own family tragedy who falls for the new guy in town. The outcome is predictable from the start, and is reminiscent of The Crucible and other tales of witchcraft and victimization. Some positive characters redeem the downward spiral, and Picoult has a way of making us care for her characters, but this novel isn't up to her others. Show Less
LibraryThing member TigerLMS
Jack St. Bride is released from prison after he plead guilty for raping one of his students at a private school. He insists he did nothing wrong, and only wants to settle into a quiet life where he won't get hurt again. He falls in love with a young woman named Addie (who has her own sad stories)
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and hopes things might be looking up. Yet somehow in the quiet town of Salem Falls it all happens again... a story of pre-conceived notions, questioning how well you really know someone, and looking into all manner of relationships-- father/daughter, father/son, man/woman, friends... Show Less
LibraryThing member jbarr5
Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult
Jack St. Bride is back in a small town, teaching after having been released from prison, a crime he didn't commit.
Addy runs the Do or Die restaurant and appliances are failing....and she has to bail her father out of jail and things get worse.
Story also follows teen girls
Also goes back in time to previous years so you gain the knowledge of what has already happened to the characters.
One policeman finds out about Jack's past and makes sure everybody else knows....love the trial and how they are able to find the clues to solve the mystery. so intense and so many little details.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Jack St. Bride is back in a small town, teaching after having been released from prison, a crime he didn't commit.
Addy runs the Do or Die restaurant and appliances are failing....and she has to bail her father out of jail and things get worse.
Story also follows teen girls
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who have formed a magic circle and they make things happen. Lots of colorful characters in town keep this book moving along.Also goes back in time to previous years so you gain the knowledge of what has already happened to the characters.
One policeman finds out about Jack's past and makes sure everybody else knows....love the trial and how they are able to find the clues to solve the mystery. so intense and so many little details.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
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LibraryThing member lycomayflower
I've never read Picoult before because I am always wary of novels which seem to be About a Topic (capitals intentional there). As in, this novel is About Autism. This novel is About School Shootings. This novel is About Child Abduction. This wariness is a clear result of my thoughts on artful
I chose carefully, picking a novel I had heard nothing about and whose topic sounded interesting to me. And I tried to read with an open mind. What I found in Salem Falls was better than I expected it to be, but still left me pretty cold.
The novel is the story of Jack St. Bride, who spent eight months in jail as part of plea bargain when an infatuated sixteen-year-old girl on the soccer team he coached claimed they were having a sexual affair. Jack is innocent, and we are never led to suspect otherwise. When he arrives in Salem Falls just after being released from jail, he finds a job at a diner and tentatively begins a relationship with the diner's owner. That Jack is a sexual offender makes its way around town, and a group of fathers in town make it their business to make it clear to Jack (through vandalism and personal violence) that Jack is not welcome. Eventually Jack is accused of rape by one of the town's teenage girls, a girl who readers already know is mad at Jack (for failing to show a sexual interest in her), craves attention, and was almost certainly high at the time of the alleged rape. The book then becomes a courtroom drama, with a lot of focus on gathering evidence and the presentation of the case in court.
Picoult writes pretty well. Sentences are clear and coherent, the story pulls one along, there are few of the kinds of tics that suggest a writer is not taking care with the craft, and the aspects of the story which probably required research ring true enough. But there is a tendency to overwrite and to over-sentimentalize. Honest, every action doesn't require a simile describing it, especially not if those similes try to give the actions meaning they don't deserve. And scars don't form in the shape of hearts on girls whose hearts have been trampled. Come on.
There were a lot of moments like those, those moments where I thought, "This is manipulation. I'm being told to feel something here, not being allowed to discover a truth along with the writer." I have little patience for that sort of thing, but other problems I had with the novel were probably even more important. These characters were cardboard; there was no complexity to them at all. Not one of them did a single thing that furthered the reader's understanding of the character or of the situation they found themselves in. Everyone behaved as expected; nothing ever asked the reader to stretch for meaning or growth. And that is almost disturbing in a novel whose main focus is a man being destroyed by people who can't seem to conceive of things being not the way they appear.
At about the two-thirds mark, I started asking myself what the the point of this book might be. I'll admit to being fairly well engaged--I wanted to know what would happen, I wanted to see if the story would come out the way it should or if injustice would prevail. And if making me want to turn the pages to find out What next? is all the novel was trying to do, well, then, I'd say it succeeds. But the flap of Salem Falls claims that Picoult's novels demonstrate "'a firm grasp of the delicacy and complexity of human relationships.'" That being the case, I would expect to discover something by reading the book. The novel tells me (and even, maybe, in some instances, shows me) that teenage girls sometimes become infatuated with older men; that such infatuation can lead to trouble, not least because teenage girls often don't have the maturity to deal with their infatuation or understand the full ramifications of acting on them; that good people tend to believe the worst about people who have been labeled as "bad"; that fathers protect their daughters, sometimes to the point of blindness toward their daughters themselves. Okay. Agreed. But I'd have agreed before I read word one of the novel; the story doesn't help me see anything new about any of this, doesn't help me understand any of it better or more fully. And without an arrival at some better or fuller understanding, I sort of feel like Salem Falls is just rolling around in Statutory Rape and False Accusations and Witch Hunts in order to pick up the emotions already associated with those topics and pass them on without adding anything worthwhile to the mix.
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fiction, what it should do, and how it works. I think fiction should arise from discovery and exploration, and little red flags go up for me when I see that a novel is about something specific that we could just as easily be reading in a news magazine. A novel About Adultery seems to me like a very different thing than a novel with betrayal as a theme. I suspect the first of being forcibly made into a story about one particular thing because it is topical; I believe the second has a better chance of arising through writerly discovery. Either book could be terrible. And either book might be very good, I suppose, which is why I decided to give Picoult a try.I chose carefully, picking a novel I had heard nothing about and whose topic sounded interesting to me. And I tried to read with an open mind. What I found in Salem Falls was better than I expected it to be, but still left me pretty cold.
The novel is the story of Jack St. Bride, who spent eight months in jail as part of plea bargain when an infatuated sixteen-year-old girl on the soccer team he coached claimed they were having a sexual affair. Jack is innocent, and we are never led to suspect otherwise. When he arrives in Salem Falls just after being released from jail, he finds a job at a diner and tentatively begins a relationship with the diner's owner. That Jack is a sexual offender makes its way around town, and a group of fathers in town make it their business to make it clear to Jack (through vandalism and personal violence) that Jack is not welcome. Eventually Jack is accused of rape by one of the town's teenage girls, a girl who readers already know is mad at Jack (for failing to show a sexual interest in her), craves attention, and was almost certainly high at the time of the alleged rape. The book then becomes a courtroom drama, with a lot of focus on gathering evidence and the presentation of the case in court.
Picoult writes pretty well. Sentences are clear and coherent, the story pulls one along, there are few of the kinds of tics that suggest a writer is not taking care with the craft, and the aspects of the story which probably required research ring true enough. But there is a tendency to overwrite and to over-sentimentalize. Honest, every action doesn't require a simile describing it, especially not if those similes try to give the actions meaning they don't deserve. And scars don't form in the shape of hearts on girls whose hearts have been trampled. Come on.
There were a lot of moments like those, those moments where I thought, "This is manipulation. I'm being told to feel something here, not being allowed to discover a truth along with the writer." I have little patience for that sort of thing, but other problems I had with the novel were probably even more important. These characters were cardboard; there was no complexity to them at all. Not one of them did a single thing that furthered the reader's understanding of the character or of the situation they found themselves in. Everyone behaved as expected; nothing ever asked the reader to stretch for meaning or growth. And that is almost disturbing in a novel whose main focus is a man being destroyed by people who can't seem to conceive of things being not the way they appear.
At about the two-thirds mark, I started asking myself what the the point of this book might be. I'll admit to being fairly well engaged--I wanted to know what would happen, I wanted to see if the story would come out the way it should or if injustice would prevail. And if making me want to turn the pages to find out What next? is all the novel was trying to do, well, then, I'd say it succeeds. But the flap of Salem Falls claims that Picoult's novels demonstrate "'a firm grasp of the delicacy and complexity of human relationships.'" That being the case, I would expect to discover something by reading the book. The novel tells me (and even, maybe, in some instances, shows me) that teenage girls sometimes become infatuated with older men; that such infatuation can lead to trouble, not least because teenage girls often don't have the maturity to deal with their infatuation or understand the full ramifications of acting on them; that good people tend to believe the worst about people who have been labeled as "bad"; that fathers protect their daughters, sometimes to the point of blindness toward their daughters themselves. Okay. Agreed. But I'd have agreed before I read word one of the novel; the story doesn't help me see anything new about any of this, doesn't help me understand any of it better or more fully. And without an arrival at some better or fuller understanding, I sort of feel like Salem Falls is just rolling around in Statutory Rape and False Accusations and Witch Hunts in order to pick up the emotions already associated with those topics and pass them on without adding anything worthwhile to the mix.
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LibraryThing member forgotten
After an eight-month jail sentence for being wrongly accused of sexual assault on one of his former sixteen year old female studants, Jack St.Bride moves to Salem Falls in hopes to start a new life and put his old one behind him.
He takes a job washing dishes at Addie Peabody's diner, and soon
However, one night after more than a few drinks, he stumbles across a quartet of teenage girls in the woods, where they soon after, once again, ruin Jack's life.
But they too have a secret to hide, and go at all lengths to protect it.
As the book goes on, it turns into a modern-day witch hunt, with what looks like no hope for Jack.
This is the third Picoult book I've read and have yet to be disappointed. I love the way she writes, revealing information little by little, raising all hope then bashing it back down. It's a rollercoaster to read, and a page turner.
The book jumps from present to past. The present works its way from Jack moving to Salem Falls all the way to his trial. The past works back from when he was in jail, to his teaching, right back to living at home with his mother, little pieces of information being released at a time, explaining certain things about the present.
The book is like a modern update of The Crucible.
I loved this book. There are twists and turns at every corner.
He takes a job washing dishes at Addie Peabody's diner, and soon
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forms a relantionship with her. However, one night after more than a few drinks, he stumbles across a quartet of teenage girls in the woods, where they soon after, once again, ruin Jack's life.
But they too have a secret to hide, and go at all lengths to protect it.
As the book goes on, it turns into a modern-day witch hunt, with what looks like no hope for Jack.
This is the third Picoult book I've read and have yet to be disappointed. I love the way she writes, revealing information little by little, raising all hope then bashing it back down. It's a rollercoaster to read, and a page turner.
The book jumps from present to past. The present works its way from Jack moving to Salem Falls all the way to his trial. The past works back from when he was in jail, to his teaching, right back to living at home with his mother, little pieces of information being released at a time, explaining certain things about the present.
The book is like a modern update of The Crucible.
I loved this book. There are twists and turns at every corner.
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LibraryThing member feralchicken
I got about 1 third of the way through this and had to give up - well, I went to the last chapter and found it ended much as I had thought it would.
LibraryThing member pdebolt
This is a pedestrian plot with unremarkable characters and a predictable outcome. I didn't particularly like or dislike any of the characters and I found the plot lacked believable substance. I should have foreseen it when a recently-released prisoner was picked up by a cab driver and taken to an
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idyllic location where he immediately melded into the landscape. This book is nothing special from a special author. Show Less
LibraryThing member KarinKath
Another incredible book from an author who has a way with suspense and plot twists.
This book involves, rape, teenage love/angst, giving up hope, finding love, parental love/fear, molestation, a trial and Wiccan /Pagan practices.
Complex characters are interwoven throughout this suspenseful tale
A book you will not want to put down until you turn the final page.
This book involves, rape, teenage love/angst, giving up hope, finding love, parental love/fear, molestation, a trial and Wiccan /Pagan practices.
Complex characters are interwoven throughout this suspenseful tale
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that will leave you thinking and pondering.A book you will not want to put down until you turn the final page.
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LibraryThing member brokenangelkisses
‘Several miles into his journey, Jack St Bride decided to give up his former life.’ In this way the first sentence of the book introduces you to a key character who is trying to distance himself from a false conviction that caused him to spend ten months in jail. By sharing Jack’s first few
Unable to leave his past behind him, thanks to a mean police officer, Jack soon finds himself subject to another false allegation and feeling the full wrath of Salem Falls. The name of the town creates associations with the witch trials of 1692 but, ironically, the witches in this instance are leading the witch hunt against Jack. The reader is aware of the girl’s dubious behaviour and this involves you in the novel when characters are slow to discover key exculpatory evidence. Furthermore, until very late on in the novel, we do not learn exactly what did happen that night, although we can suspect much of it. This means that, like Adie, Jack’s new love, we have to trust Jack to believe in his innocence.
Altogether then, after the initial explanatory chapters which seem to introduce far too many characters to keep track of, this is a strong plot. The false accusation is balanced by the treatment of another character to allow Picoult to represent a balanced account of how rape affects women and how false accusations of it affect men. However, by the end of the novel it seems that there is not a truly good person anywhere in Salem, as numerous characters are revealed to have suffered from or inflicted sexual assaults on others. It seems strange that in this dark world, Picoult’s characters are so ready to trust again and forgive so easily.
There are some clunking similes, a few unbelievable incidents and the main characters fall in love amazingly swiftly, but overall the writing is fluent, the plot interesting and the use of several characters’ perspectives engages the reader in events. The characters are flawed, making them believable and intriguing. The ending is both predictable and shocking, raising interesting questions about how women who lie about sexual assaults should be treated. This is definitely worth a read and will leave you considering how these kinds of cases should be treated to be fair to victims – both the truly abused and the falsely accused.
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moments of freedom with us, and his bewildered reaction to it, Picoult tries to create sympathy for this character early on. This is important since readers do not find out what actually happened between Jack and his accuser until much later in the book, leaving room for a margin of doubt.Unable to leave his past behind him, thanks to a mean police officer, Jack soon finds himself subject to another false allegation and feeling the full wrath of Salem Falls. The name of the town creates associations with the witch trials of 1692 but, ironically, the witches in this instance are leading the witch hunt against Jack. The reader is aware of the girl’s dubious behaviour and this involves you in the novel when characters are slow to discover key exculpatory evidence. Furthermore, until very late on in the novel, we do not learn exactly what did happen that night, although we can suspect much of it. This means that, like Adie, Jack’s new love, we have to trust Jack to believe in his innocence.
Altogether then, after the initial explanatory chapters which seem to introduce far too many characters to keep track of, this is a strong plot. The false accusation is balanced by the treatment of another character to allow Picoult to represent a balanced account of how rape affects women and how false accusations of it affect men. However, by the end of the novel it seems that there is not a truly good person anywhere in Salem, as numerous characters are revealed to have suffered from or inflicted sexual assaults on others. It seems strange that in this dark world, Picoult’s characters are so ready to trust again and forgive so easily.
There are some clunking similes, a few unbelievable incidents and the main characters fall in love amazingly swiftly, but overall the writing is fluent, the plot interesting and the use of several characters’ perspectives engages the reader in events. The characters are flawed, making them believable and intriguing. The ending is both predictable and shocking, raising interesting questions about how women who lie about sexual assaults should be treated. This is definitely worth a read and will leave you considering how these kinds of cases should be treated to be fair to victims – both the truly abused and the falsely accused.
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LibraryThing member eesti23
This modern take on The Crucible started out with so many names and characters that I was wanting to reach for a pen and piece of paper just to keep them all straight, however the second half of the story was much more interesting and had me thinking "hmmmm maybe just one more chapter". Jack St.
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Bride, a private school teacher has falsely been accused of rape against one of his students. After accepting an 8 month sentence on a plea bargain, he leaves prison wanting to make a fresh start but the residents of Salem Falls have other plans for him, especially a group of young girls who happen to dabble in magic. When he is accused by one of the girls of having raped her we are taken through all angles of the trial and court proceedings, never quite sure how things will turn out. Luckily there are enough twists and turns to keep you from finishing the book thinking "I knew that was how it was going to end". Show Less
LibraryThing member neverlistless
This was the story of a man accused by teenage girls of rape. As a reader, one knows that the man is innocent, but the evidence is definitely stacked against him. This book was definitely thought provoking - how many times has an unfortunate series of events caused a person to be wrongly accused?
At times, I had to put the book down for a few hours because it was just so uncomfortable; I thought Picoult did a wonderful job of making the reader feel the hurt and anger of the situation.
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And how many times have *I* jumped to conclusions before hearing a person's entire story? It bring to mind to the Duke scandal from a couple of years ago and even calls into question some of my feminist beliefs (example: why would a woman claim she was raped and go through all of the struggles that ensue?).At times, I had to put the book down for a few hours because it was just so uncomfortable; I thought Picoult did a wonderful job of making the reader feel the hurt and anger of the situation.
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LibraryThing member DF1A_LizzyM
Salem Falls is another one of Jodi Picoult's page turners. Jack St. Bride comes into the town of Salem Falls after an 8 month prison sentence. By luck he finds a job at the Do-or-Diner and ends up falling for the store owner. He seems to slowly be piecing back together his life when 4 young girls
Picoult has written another suspense that is well worth the read.
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who believe themselves to be witches find out his secret--and threaten to turn his life upside down. Jack's past catches up with him and the horrors of his past become public knowledge.Picoult has written another suspense that is well worth the read.
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LibraryThing member Tessa0210
I liked this book. I had my supspions about the ending from early on in the book but I was still a good read. Jodi Picoult has an excellent way of telling the story from different charachter points of view.
LibraryThing member sarbear
Pulled this off my bookshelf for a quick review. This one reminds me of the movie, "The Shawshank Redemption." It focuses on a man who served prison time for a wrongful rape accusation, and his integration back into society. It gives you a new view of judgements & actions driven by fear. It also
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gives an often overlooked glimpse of the experiences of the accused's loved ones. I'd give this 4 out of 5 stars. A good read that revolves around controversial matters, which is a recurring theme in Jodi Picoult's novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member WomblingStar
A not very believable story and I found the portrayal of the wiccan religion rather unfair but it is an ok easy read.
LibraryThing member gogglemiss
This is the first time I've read Jodi Picoult, and it won't be the last. I couldn't have picked a better one to start with. Once, begun, I had to finish it, the story gripped me from start to finish. The only slight drawbacks, were the flashbacks, which I felt slowed to story down, or kept you
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waiting in suspense, for the outcome. The courtoom scenes were interesting and insightful, Show Less
LibraryThing member CaroTheLibrarian
PLUS –
• Honestly? I can’t think of anything. I really didn’t like this book. I suppose it could have been an interesting topic to look at – justice, being wrongly accused. But…
MINUS –
• I didn’t like any of the characters. I didn’t empathise with any of them and rapidly found
• Honestly? I can’t think of anything. I really didn’t like this book. I suppose it could have been an interesting topic to look at – justice, being wrongly accused. But…
MINUS –
• I didn’t like any of the characters. I didn’t empathise with any of them and rapidly found
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that I didn’t really care what happened to any of them, at which point I sent the book off to a charity shop! Show Less
LibraryThing member bbellthom
Not my favorite Jodi Picoult book, but I still enjoyed.
LibraryThing member Naisy
The absolute unfairness of life situations out of one's control is captured in this story by Picoult. I really disliked teenage girls for awhile after reading this book and as a Mom, it was hard to imagine what life would be like if you lost a child. I thought this Picoult book was pretty good.
LibraryThing member shellyquade
Jodi Picoult is lauded as a writer who makes her readers really think about difficult issues. So I guess I was expecting something new while I was reading Salem Falls.
In a nutshell, Salem Falls deals with the topics of rape and witchcraft.
I wouldn't say that Picoult dealt with it in a horrible
I also, however, thought her book was fairly predictable. The very end of the novel feels like it's supposed to be a twist, something the reader didn't see on a first reading. Well, I saw it, and I saw it within the first third of the novel, which is relatively early.
I did like that the ending wasn't quite so black and white. I was kind of expecting that all of the bad guys were going to be outed, and that the good guy (there was really only one) was going to be exonerated, and if the book had ended that way, I would be decrying it as a piece of unrealistic tripe.
I would say this book is O.K. Nothing amazing; nothing horrible. Unfortunately, nothing special.
In a nutshell, Salem Falls deals with the topics of rape and witchcraft.
I wouldn't say that Picoult dealt with it in a horrible
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manner. I thought she was sensitive, and I thought that she did a pretty good job of showing multiple facets of rape.I also, however, thought her book was fairly predictable. The very end of the novel feels like it's supposed to be a twist, something the reader didn't see on a first reading. Well, I saw it, and I saw it within the first third of the novel, which is relatively early.
I did like that the ending wasn't quite so black and white. I was kind of expecting that all of the bad guys were going to be outed, and that the good guy (there was really only one) was going to be exonerated, and if the book had ended that way, I would be decrying it as a piece of unrealistic tripe.
I would say this book is O.K. Nothing amazing; nothing horrible. Unfortunately, nothing special.
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LibraryThing member Green.S
This book was an ok read. I didn't like the idea that much, but the story was full of drama, suspense, and action. The ending was a bit disappointing, but besides these few things, this book was one of Jodi Picoult's good ones. Try reading it, you might like it!
LibraryThing member susanbevans
Jodi Picoult's Salem Falls is a modern day re-telling loosely based on Arthur Miller's classic tale, The Crucible. After being released from a wrongful imprisonment for statutory rape, Jack St. Bride comes to Salem Falls in search of a new beginning. He finds a job at the local diner working for
Salem Falls is my third Jodi Picoult book, having read both My Sister's Keeper and Plain Truth sometime in the last few years. I am familiar with Picoult's writing style, and so far, have enjoyed everything I've read from her. Salem Falls took a little longer to "hook" me than the others I've read, but once things started to snowball in Jack's new life, I had to see what would happen next.
Picoult's writing is lyrical and the story captivated me, however, there was just something missing when it came to character development. I liked Addie and Jack's characters, but even they lacked a certain something that is difficult to define. The storyline about the girls practicing the Wican faith in Salem Falls was interesting, and were really some of the most engrossing parts of the book. That being said, Salem Falls is still a good read - it just didn't quite live up to the other Picoult books I've read. One thing that Picoult always does well is her endings, and this one is no different. It sneaks up on you out of nowhere - you'll never see it coming and it's one of the most fantastic things about reading a Picoult novel!
As far as recommending Salem Falls to other readers, I would recommend you try another Picoult if it's your first foray into her world. However, if you are familiar with The Crucible you will enjoy tracing the parallels in Salem Falls. Overall I am glad I picked it up, and will definitely be reading more from Picoult in the future.
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it's quirky owner Addie, but finds it difficult to gain the trust of the other small-town locals. He has to register with the local police department as a sex offender, and in no time, the entire town seems to know about his checkered, albeit undeserved past. When a naïve teenage girl is assaulted in Salem Falls, Jack quickly becomes the prime suspect. Salem Falls is my third Jodi Picoult book, having read both My Sister's Keeper and Plain Truth sometime in the last few years. I am familiar with Picoult's writing style, and so far, have enjoyed everything I've read from her. Salem Falls took a little longer to "hook" me than the others I've read, but once things started to snowball in Jack's new life, I had to see what would happen next.
Picoult's writing is lyrical and the story captivated me, however, there was just something missing when it came to character development. I liked Addie and Jack's characters, but even they lacked a certain something that is difficult to define. The storyline about the girls practicing the Wican faith in Salem Falls was interesting, and were really some of the most engrossing parts of the book. That being said, Salem Falls is still a good read - it just didn't quite live up to the other Picoult books I've read. One thing that Picoult always does well is her endings, and this one is no different. It sneaks up on you out of nowhere - you'll never see it coming and it's one of the most fantastic things about reading a Picoult novel!
As far as recommending Salem Falls to other readers, I would recommend you try another Picoult if it's your first foray into her world. However, if you are familiar with The Crucible you will enjoy tracing the parallels in Salem Falls. Overall I am glad I picked it up, and will definitely be reading more from Picoult in the future.
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LibraryThing member ctmsjafe
Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult was a pleasure to read . Picoult talks about the rough times of a new comer to Salem who is accused of lying and rape . I would recommend this book to teens who have went through that stage where you know you haven't done something but no matter what you do everything in
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your power to prove your innocence just like our main character Jack St. Bride Show Less
LibraryThing member carmarie
I love Jodi Picoult! And although this wasn't one of my favorite of hers, I still have to give it to her!