2017 Oct 22
For over a decade, Jenna Metcalf obsesses on her vanished mom Alice. Jenna searches online, rereads journals of the scientist who studied grief among elephants. Two unlikely allies are Serenity Jones, psychic for missing people who doubts her gift, and Virgil Stanhope, jaded PI who originally investigated cases of Alice and her colleague. Hard questions and answers.
It’s safe to say that Jodi Picoult’s novels are incredibly popular, moving, and out of the ordinary. Leaving Time was all of this, and yet rather different because it strayed from Picoult’s usual type of storyline – usually involving a courtroom ending. In Leaving Time, the author dabbles with a topic she has never written about before – psychics and life after death. As unusual as this may be, she pulls it off exceptionally well.
Undoubtedly, the main backbone of this novel was the elephants. The countless stories and analogies weaved into the novel were interesting, although it may slightly too much for many readers. The manner in which Picoult writes is entrancing, and the imagery in this novel was breathtaking. Whether this book speaks to you or not, the curiosity to reach the ending will always win! The surprisingly dramatic twist at the end was certainly unexpected – especially for a Picoult novel. However, it certainly will make you want to reread the book to piece it all together – and maybe skip the elephant parts the second time around.
Rating: 4/5
