I am a huge fan of the american writer Jodi Picoult and find each of her novels fresh and original. Every time, she seems to come up with a successful formula in her storylines and her novel Mercy is no exception.
I was a bit worried when I first started reading the book though as I found it quite difficult to get into. I wondered whether I had been spoilt after reading such fantastic novels as Plain Truth or Nineteen Minutes. However, in true Picoult style she slowly reeled me in to the story and after about one hundred pages I was hooked!
Jodi Picoult is not afraid to tackle difficult topics and in Mercy she probably tackles the most difficult of them all - mercy killing. Jamie McDonald has killed his wife Maggie - but only because she asked him too. She had been suffering from cancer which has been slowly spreading and taking over her body and she had had enough. Because Jamie loved her so much he agreed to do what she asked
- reluctantly!
Jamie's cousin is the chief of police in the small town of Wheelock and he has to arrest Jamie. This leads to a rift between him and his wife Allie because she firmly believes that Jamie was right to do what he did. As the story progresses we see how deeply Jamie's actions have affected them and things are not helped by the arrival in town of Mia and Allie helping with Jamie's defence. Mia is taken on by Allie as a florist but it's Cam who struggles to stop thinking about her daily. Allie's thoughts are all about Jamie's case. Smoewhere along the way they forget to think about each other!
There seem to be two main storylines in the novel. Firstly there is the relationship between Cam and Allie and all it's ups and downs. It makes the reader think carefully about the sanctity of marriage and what vows mean. Coupled with this is the picture of Jamie and Maggie's relationship and what they were compelled to do in the name of love. I found myself really absorbed in this story but unable to side with any of them - it was easy to understand all of their actions. As with many Picoult books the reader is often left wondering 'what would I do?'
The second storyline is the case that is built up against Jamie that results in an ensuing court case. This is depicted really well and is so gripping that you just do not know what the verdict is going to be. In fact she leaves it until virtually the last page before she lets you in on it! I really felt like I was on the edge of my seat as I was reading!
I really liked all of the main characters. They were all well developed and 'real' and I definitely started to care about what happened to them. Allie is probably the most interesting character and she is the one who changes the most through the course of the story. But then she did need to as she was a bit of a wimp at the beginning! I also found Jamie to be a very sympathetic but complex character. The way his torment and grief is depicted is really very moving but as he develops you realise there is an inner strength which helps him to stand by his actions.
There are some very poignant and sad descriptions of the nature of Maggie's cancer but more sad is how this affects both her and Jamie. This is not a novel you would want to read if you or anyone close were suffering from a similar illness as it might be a little too close tohome. Having said that though, this is not a sad story and there are times when it is incredibly uplifting. It's wonderful to read of the strong passion between Jamie and Maggie even though she is so unwell.
I sometimes feel that Jodi Picoult makes her books a bit too complex but that's not the case with this one. It is written as a straightforward narrative and because of this it's easy to read. She does get sidetracked sometimes by the Mcdonald's scottish history , and although this could be seen as mildly interesting, I just found it annoying because I just wanted to get on with the story.
I really enjoyed reading this book once I got into it and it had all the elements I could wish for - strong storylines, honest characters and a gripping climax. The detail of the trial is really excellent too and this really helps to build up the tension of the court room. It might not quite be Jodi Picoult's best but it certainly is an extremely good read - and thought provoking too!
My paperback version has 450 pages, is piblished by Hodder and can be bought on Amazon for £5.49.
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Advantages: Some good characters and descriptions about character emotions. Disadvantages: Was hard to get into at the beginning. Some parts unbelievable.
Mistybrook 05.04.2009 (05.04.2009)
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Review of Mercy - Jodi Picoult
Sep 4th, 2008
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