👶👶👶👶👶 Small Great Things, by Jodi Piccoult

Absolutely astonishing… this novel had me in disbelief and shock from beginning to end. It has been confounding to learn, during this past year of national upheaval, that white supremacists are still active in our nation. This novel certainly brought this dark, reprehensible world, to light. Jodi Picoult always amazes me with her ability to depict starkly opposing points of view, in such detail. She never shies away from delving into moral dilemmas that most people never even consider, and always does her homework thoroughly. Furthermore, she has this unique ability to guide her readers in feeling the slightest bit of empathy toward the most deplorable characters.

I loved Ruth and really felt her myriad of emotions: her anguish, confusion, and ultimate anger throughout the novel. Kennedy exhibited such social and emotional growth as the story progressed, and I definitely related to the cognitive dissonance that Picoult so effectively relayed through her characters. Though Turk was beyond loathsome, his point of view was crucial to the storyline.

The only issue I had with the novel was that the end was tied up so very neatly, that it seemed a bit contrived. However, the author’s note addressed this seemingly unrealistic conclusion, and made it more plausible. It has been stated by some readers that the characters were stereotypical, and while that is true, I can appreciate the necessity to do so, in order to get this incredibly important message across.

Read 7/6/17