Title: Sing You Home
Author: Jodi Picoult
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Adult Fiction, Chicklit, LGBT
Pages: 466
Publisher: Atria Books
Year Published: 2011
Format: Physical Copy
First Line: "One sunny, crisp Saturday in September when I was seven years old, I watched my father drop dead."
"Every life has a soundtrack. All you have to do is listen.
In the aftermath of a series of personal tragedies, Zoe throws herself into her career as a music therapist. When an unexpected friendship slowly blossoms into love, she makes plans for a new life, but to her shock and inevitable rage, some people- even those she loves and trusts most- don't want that to happen.
Sing You Home explores the delicate boundaries of identity, love, marriage, and parenthood. What happens when the outside world brutally calls into question the very thing closest to our hearts: family? Once again, Jodi Picoult gracefully brings the hidden tension of life sharply into focus in this poignantly honest novel."
My Rating: 4/5
I know that Jodi Picoult is a very popular author for chicklit and adult fiction, but this is the first novel of hers that I have read. And I really enjoyed it. I came to realize though that Jodi Picoult is to chicklit, what Nicholas Sparks is to romance. A standard if that makes sense. Not to say that I didn't enjoy this story. I think that this book does an interesting job of questioning values and relationships, especially the idea of families in the modern day.
I also think that Jodi Picoult does a great job of hitting hard right from the start, which makes me interested in reading more of her works.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
I have come to terms with the fact that I might be trash for the drama in Jodi Picoult's books. I'm really looking into the idea of looking into more of her books (kind of hoping that some of her books come up in the bookclub I thought). I really think that Jodi Picoult tackled important subjects in this story. Homophobia, the idea of the modern family, mental health, etc. These were all important themes throughout the story line. I can understand how this is alittle much for some people, but to me these were important subjects to think about.
Characters:
Zoe: I think that this concept may be difficult for people to understand, but this story is an interesting account about sexuality and how sexuality is fluid. I liked the way that Zoe described how she was attracted to Vanessa. She very much describes that she is attracted to people rather than the gender. I also enjoyed her perspective as a music therapist it made me happy to see someone taking their love of music to help those around them.
Vanessa: I liked Vanessa. She was willing to fight for Zoe and give it her all. She also didn't force her into anything she wasn't comfortable with. She is straightforward with her sexuality and doesn't hide it from Zoe which I think is an important aspect to consider.
Max: I really liked him at the beginning of the stoyr, but as i watched the story unfold I found myself getting extremely frustrated with him. I understand that people change with their experiences, but Max totally flipped into another person after joining the church (not that I think this happens to all people who join a religious group).
Reid: He might be my least favorite character in this whole story. He thinks that he can buy the embreos near the end of the story he wants to have kids but doesn't care about the cost that it would put anyone else under. He also is very suspicious. I can't explain it all, because I don't want any biased that I might have towards certain religions to come front and centre, so let's just say I hated him.
Liddy: I do wonder more about her childhood and how she gained such a personal relationship with God and the idea of religion. I understand that she was a pastor's daughter, but it's also made clear that he engaged in drinking and possibly other "sins". I'm curious about her back story but happy to see her happy with Max at the end.
Pastor Clive: I honestly think that he thinks he is doing the right thing, but I enjoyed in the court room when his beliefs were brought into perspective. You can't only take things you need as direct quotes, when there are so many others that are not appropriate to this day and age.
Wade: He's a smooth talking son of a gun, but that didn't win him any favors by the end of the story line. I truly hope that his career went downhill from here.
Angela: I loved her. She was sassy, full of passion for her job and just honest with those around her. Although she herself doesn't identify as gay, she is able to defend gay rights and rights of those that often go unheard.
Lucy: I wonder more and more about her life. About what happened to her by the end of the book and if she was able to survive in Pastor Clive's house until she was 18. I can't say that I was surprised by the fact that she was his step daughter, in fact I started to wonder about it about half way through the book, then brushed that idea aside. I hope that she got the help she needed before it was too late.
Moments to Remember:
Final Line: "That, really, she is the luckiest girl in the world."
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
