Rating: 
Summary: Clearly written but predictable.
Review: Picoult certainly raises valid questions, and she writes in a nice clear style. However, the plot to this book is made up of equal parts of "Agnes of God", "Nell," "Contact" and a little-remembered suspense novel called "Baby". In other words, there's nothing new under the sun. If you liked this book, you might want to watch "Agnes of God" if you haven't seen it. It is a beautifully photographed and superbly acted film that handles the same themes and questions.
Rating: 
Summary: WHAT A TRULY WONDERFUL BOOK!
Review: In the mist of my collection of serial killers, crime, suspense and political thrillers, I manage to pick up one of those wonderful, beautiful books, that leave you breathless and begging for more when it finishes.I absolutely loved this book by Jodi Picoult. Faith is a 7 yo girl that is having a very tough time going through her parents divorce. She calls upon her imaginery friend 'Guard' to help her through it. She is actually calling God and seeing her - yes, her! Through a number of miracles and other examples of Faith and her God, the media comes to town, bringing with it, believers, those who want to be healed, TV athiests and of course, reps from Rome. This is not just a book about Faith and whether God actually exists or not, it is cleverly entwined with Mariah & Colin (Faith's parents) and they deal with the fact that their 7yo daughter might or might not be a visionary plus the fact they are divorcing and who gets custody of their little miraculous daughter. This book is so much more than what I can describe in a review, it is beautifully and cleverly written, the characters are wonderful and you want to keep reading just to see what happens next to Faith and her 'family'. This has definately got to be one of the best books that I have read for a very long time (that isn't a thriller) and I highly recommend it!!
Rating:
Summary: Could "Guard" really be a woman?
Review: Seven-year-old Faith is caught in the middle of her parents crumbling marriage and in much need of a friend to confide in. That is when her imaginary friend "Guard" steps in. Not long after, miracles start to occur around Faith, and this small town in New Hampshire starts to realize that Faith is not only speaking to "God", but that her God is a woman. The faithful start to arrive on Faiths' doorstep in search of miracles; along with the media led by a card carrying atheist whose TV show thrives on disproving such hype. They are all found camping out, waiting to have a moment, or a word with Faith. In the mean time the custody battle between Faiths' parents flares up leaving her torn between them as well as more confused with each passing day. The complications heighten when this innocent child exhibits the bleeding hands of the stigmata, leaving the doctors completely baffled. Jodi Picoult is an author that will keep you coming back for more and will easily make a fan out of you. She takes a story and makes you question it every turn of the page. Something that may appear to be blatantly true is transformed into the totally unexpected, you will find yourself doubting just about everyone in the book at one point or another. I suggest another of this authors books if you haven't had enough, "THE PACT, A LOVE STORY" which is about a teen suicide, another great read. The end of every chapter leaves you wondering about the veracity of each characters statement. Sometimes she does it with just one word, turning your idea of things "head over heels" when you thought you had it all figured out. Picoult is a truly talented author and worth watching and reading, you will certainly be entertained.
Rating:
Summary: If you were bored by "Open House"
Review: If Oprah wanted an interesting book about a divorced woman, this should have been the one. For every predictable ploy in Open House, we have mesmerizing and unthinkable events unfolding in Keeping Faith. At the same time , the pain Mariah feels upon discovering yet another betrayal by the man she had built her life upon, is palpable to the reader. Jodi Picoult has incredibly managed to inject a plethora of issues in our present-day society :media manipulation, faith healing, the health profession, dirty tricks and otherwise of the legal profession, religious manipulations, our spirituality and concepts of divinity [to name only a few]. Throughout it all, a woman struggles to keep afloat, and ultimately defines what truly matters in her life. It is a fascinating journey, impossible to put down, and will definitely be a selection in my book club. An imaginative writer with fascinating topics!
Rating: 
Summary: Frustrating
Review: I was really looking forward to this novel because the storyline really intrigued me. However, I couldn't get past 100 pages and even those were a huge chore. Picoult's writing was unimpressive. Her characters and dialogue were plastic. The situations were overwhelmingly derivative and farcical. I have no problem becoming immersed in another world or believing the unbelievable when directed by a capable author. In other hands, this could have been a great story. But with Picoult, there was no getting past the fact that this was fiction, and poorly written at that. Truly disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Tiresome and Trite
Review: I am not one to rail against novels; if I don't like something, that's well and good, but I'd rather let others form their own opinions on things. I so disliked this book, though, I have been driven to say something to counter all the positive reviews. The novel is entirely trite and predictable. I could anticipate the events, the actions, what the characters would say (no shock when the Jewish grandmother would exclaim "oye!") - even the last page of the book. Every hot topic was pulled out to drag in the reader: an affair, a divorce, an attempted suicide, a possible god-sighting, miracles, stigmata, love, good vs. evil, Christian vs. Judaism, exploitation, mental illness, gender empowerment, and a court room climax. Eye-rolling plot aside, it did not read well, either. The speaker would often shift from first person to third with a pattern that I couldn't pick out. Chapters would begin with feeble assertions ("The Priest had never seen a crowd so large." or "The Private Investigator had learned never to trust anyone." etc.) that sounded as if a high schooler was composing his first creative writing paper. The book screams for a Lifetime adaptation for movie of the week, and begs to be chosen for Oprah's book club (though it is not of that caliber). Spiritual novels about love and family can be a joy to read, but everything rang so false in this book that I'm still kicking myself for wasting time on it.
Rating:
Summary: Our 7th Reading Club Selection
Review: I get so happy when I make a selection for my Reading Group that really meets the needed criteria for a wonderful group discussion! "Keeping Faith" certainly fits the bill. The subject of this book first intrigued me, as did my interest in reading one of Jodi's books. I jumpd into reading the book thinking, I hope the storyline is not too contrite, too predictable and most of all not too "science fiction". I was pleasantly surprised. I found the characters well developed and almost to the point that if I saw them walking down my street, I would recognize them. This book, in my humble opinion, involves three life changing factors: Faith, Trust and Healing. Having Faith leads you to achieving the trust in your relationships and that is which allows healing to occur. In this book, through the fast paced drama and constantly weaving plot structure, we are positioned in the lives of people who have lost their Faith, rejoin them when they are questioning and reclaiming it, and finally at its conclusion, observe them move forward in their lives acompanied by the healing which all were in search of. Our discussion is scheduled for September and I can hardly wait to discuss the characters, and the components of this novel. One question I will be asking is, What was the greatest miracle Faith performed? I am sure to get many differing responses! I cannot wait to read another of her books..I hope they are equally as entertaining and mind challenging.
Rating: 
Summary: A recommended vacation read!
Review: In a nutshell, "Keeping Faith" is about a woman, Mariah, coping with her failed marriage and her low self-esteem, while her daughter, Faith, begins having conversations with her "guard" (GOD). The adults (doctors, Rabbis and Priests) try to determine if Faith is having real visions or whether Mariah is inculcating some sort of sickness on her daughter for attention. Meanwhile, Ian Fletcher, the national charismatic t.v. Atheist intervenes in Mariah and Faith's lives (along with other news media) springboarding Faith into national scrutiny. This is a very interesting book to read. "Keeping Faith" probes our deeply held beliefs and our societal values (with a court room drama). It also has romantic twists and turns. Plus, it captures daily struggles we all have and what it would be like to be an instant celebrity. I would recommend this book to my friends, as friends recommended it to me.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting Story
Review: It has been quite a while since a story has so captivated me as Keeping Faith has this past week. It is not a perfect book, there are some mistakes in terminology, however, the characterization and the plot more than make up for it. This is also a book with so many different levels, and it will not leave you after you read it. I have found myself contemplating the symbolism during the past couple of days, though I have already finished it. Jodi Picoult is a new author for me. Amazon's recommendations kept suggesting that I read one of her books. I do not regret picking up this one. I definitely plan on reading the other ones. If you are looking for a book that is plot-driven, but with depth of character and thought, you will like this book.
Rating:
Summary: Even a cynical reader will find this compelling
Review: Stigmata. Issues of beatification. Spirituality. None of these are topics that would lure me to a section of a bookstore, no less to the cash register. Nevertheless, this compelling story of a girl who sees something -- maybe God -- kept me up until 2AM, and then back up at 5AM to finish it before work. At its core, this is a book about a relationship between mothers and daughters. Faith sees God. Faith's mother loves her daughter. Faiths grandmother loves her daughter. These three well-drawn characters cope with the adversity of the judgement of others, the adoration of strangers, and the accusations of the alienated with full human dimension and fine insights. The additional dimension of the catholic church struggling with the vision of God as female, fringe and mainstream rabbis offering talmudic (and eccentric) thoughts, the medical providers dealing with the unexplainable medical events around faith, and an atheistic investigative reporter provide the perfect adversaries to read a moving story of mother love and all of the forms it takes. This book is a great read.
|
