Rating: 
Summary: Predictible, Yet Riveting
Review: Jodi Picoult pulls out all of the stops in her novel, "Salem Falls." Jack St. Bride is a handsome young man who was imprisoned after being unjustly convicted for assaulting a female student. After his release from prison, St. Bride comes to the small town of Salem Falls to start a new life.St. Bride takes a job as a dishwasher in a diner, where he falls in love with the owner, Addie Peabody, another tortured and lonely soul. Can Jack and Addie look forward to a bright future together and at last escape the demons of the past? Alas, Jack's tragic history follows him to Salem Falls, threatening to bring him down once again. Picoult's novel is a lively mix of intrigue, courtroom drama, and romance. Picoult brings her characters to life, including the intelligent but unlucky Jack St. Bride, the tough but warm Addie Peabody, and the manipulative and scheming Gillian Duncan, a teenager who wants to hammer the final nail into Jack's coffin. There are many subplots along the way, as well as a number of flashbacks. There are so many secrets and revelations in "Salem Falls" that it begins to resemble "Peyton Place." Unfortunately, all of this weight ultimately drags the book down. In addition, Picoult inserts unsubtle references to the Salem witch trials and Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," making her point that too often, people hastily condemn others on the basis of rumor, innuendo and unfounded allegations. In spite of its occasional heavy-handedness, "Salem Falls" is an engrossing page-turner. You will care about the characters and you will be anxious to learn the ultimate fate of Jack St. Bride.
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