Rating: 
Summary: This is why I read.........
Review: I was hooked from the first chapter. Engrossing story, real characters, warm and wonderful. This may have been the first of Jodi Picoult's books I've read, but it won't be the last.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: I was intrigued by the title of the book and the back cover. I couldn't put the book down. From the opening paragraph it hooked me. I enjoyed learning about the Amish ways as well. I have now read two more of Jodi Picoult's books, and enjoyed them also. Keep up the good work!
Rating: 
Summary: A good read
Review: This is the first book by Jodi Picoult that I've read. I plan to read more. I found it to be a very good read, a real page turner. The ending was pretty much predictable by the time I got to it, but all in all it was a good book. It's an easy read and you'll learn something about the Amish way of life.
Rating:
Summary: One of her best books!
Review: Have to admit that I went into this book being a tad skeptical... but I was proven wrong within the first chapter.
The book is compelling and one that you cannot even consider putting down.
It's the one book that I tell everyone to read!
Rating:
Summary: A mesmerizing, addictive story...
Review: My very first novel by Jodi Picoult has lived up to all the hype I've been hearing about for so many months. I don't know what's taken me so long to finally read one! Having closed the last page in Plain Truth just a few moments ago, my mind is now reeling from all that I've read this past week. I have a feeling this story will be with me for quite awhile.Plain Truth tells the story of an 18-year-old Amish girl, Katie Fisher, who secretly gives birth to a child out of wedlock. Mysteriously the baby disappears and a few hours later is found dead in the barn located on the Fisher farm. After an initial investigation, Katie is charged with murder and a Philadelphia attorney, Ellie Hathaway, is set to defend her case. Adding to the fascination of this particular murder trial is the fact that Katie Fisher is Amish, and the Amish convictions are very different from others in the English world. The fact that an Amishman, who by nature does not believe in confrontation and violence, would kill another is entirely unheard of. Plain Truth is a very intricate and richly detailed tapestry of Amish life and a court case that shocked the small town of East Paradise Township. Each page turned revealed a little more of the mystery and added to the bewilderment and beauty of the story. There is much to be said about this novel because it is so much more than just what is written on the back of the book. It is truly a three dimensional piece of work that kept me in awe and rapt attention until the surprising (and completely unalluded to) ending. A novel of true page-turner status that will reveal bits and pieces, layer by layer, until the very end.
Rating: 
Summary: Good insight into Amish culture
Review: The novel Plain Truth focussed on the murder of a baby in an Amish village and the trial that followed. There were many elements in the plot, and I thought they were brought together quite well.
The author has described Amish culture extremely well. The details of their culture have been skilfully woven into the plot, being revealed gradually as the novel progresses. Almost every aspect of Amish life is covered, and the reader gains a good understanding of it without feeling like they have read an encyclopaedia.
The main fault of the novel was that the circumstances and events surrounding the plot seemed to have been made just so the plot fits in well, rather than the plot being made so that it fits into the setting and the circumstances. So although the plot flowed well, some of the details seemed very unrealistic.
I found parts of the trial long and boring because it seemed like a repeat of information that the reader already knew. The surprise ending was disappointing, because it was unclear and left the reader in suspense, and also changed my view on everything that had already been written.
This is not a bad novel, however, and is worth reading simply for the vivid portrayal of Amish culture. I would reccomend it to those who are interested in finding out about different cultures.
Rating:
Summary: The Plain Truth
Review: This is an awesome book from Jodi Picoult. It helps to demystify the Amish community a little & to understand some of their culture.
The story keeps you wondering to the end & I couldn't put it down.
Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Great concept, poorly executed
Review: Though Picoult is obviously a writer of much talent, she was clearly off her game in this book. The corny -- to say the least -- dialogue (example: "[s]he began to take short, shallow breaths; each one rustling, as if she might unwrap it to find the candy of his name") made it difficult for me to take this book seriously. The so-called "legal" aspects of the novel were even worse. Why, for instance, did Picoult insist on claiming, over and over again, that a lawyer's stock-in-trade is her ability to lie? As a lawyer, I found Picoult's characterization in this regard insulting; trial lawyers are hired to present the facts in a light most favorable to their clients, which is a far cry from outright dishonesty. And the clearly objectionable questions during the trial absolutely set my teeth on edge! The book would have been so much more believable -- and so much better -- had the trial been "conducted" under real-life rules instead of fictionalized plot contrivances. Picoult's peek in to the Amish culture, however, ultimately saved this book from being a complete waste of time. Unfortunately, the book's sappiness and inaccuracy ruined what was otherwise a brilliant plot.
Rating: 
Summary: Beach book candidate
Review: Having not read Jodi Picoult's other novels, I can't compare PLAIN TRUTH to her earlier work, which has been favorably reviewed. I did consider PLAIN TRUTH a disappointment. Primarily a mystery, which unravels itself long before the supposed dramatic revelation. Characters stereotypes. Self discovery dilemmas cliched. Writing style unremarkable. The Amish setting is an interesting device to juxtapose value systems and to force critical evaluation of one's own definition of the "truth". Unfortunately, the narrative follows a predictable course once all the characters have been defined.
Rating:
Summary: PLAIN TRUTH
Review: This book takes place within Salem. The Amish family,the Fishers, lived in a farm out in Salem. One morning something hit the Amish family that would impact their life for a long time. Katie Fisher was said to have had a baby and murdered herown innocent child. Many including Katie lied and denied the birth and the killing of the baby who was found in a Amish barn. One brave woman stood up and took complete control and supervision over Katie. This woman's name was Ellie. She moved onto the Amish farm and changed her ways of life. They all faught and didn't want her to move onto the farm. They didn't want an Englisher living with them through their Amish lives. When the time came for Ellie to leave, they all cried and begged for her to stay. Ellie already lost two children unwillingly, so the lost of this child would have rought unhappiness throughout the household.
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