Second Glance

Ladies,

I've read the reviews already posted and have to admit, I was more "hooked" on this book than some reviewers were. I started it on Saturday, March 3, knowing that finishing by the 5th would be difficult, but I found that I could hardly put it down. I finished by the 7th, even though I should have been working on school stuff. Sorry I didn't find the time to post until today :(

Anyway, if "love across time" is the professed theme of the book, I found myself really intrigued by what I think is the real theme of the book: who gets to make the choice about living and dying and on what basis should the choice be made? (This, you may remember, was also part of our earlier Jodi Picoult selection, My Sister's Keeper. I wonder if this is something that is in more of Picoult's books.) As the technology that allows us to "play god" increases, when do (or should) we have the right to use it?

Ross tries to kill himself to join Aimee who died by accident. Lia tries to kill herself, while her husband is busy preventing the "unfit" from ever living at all. She succeeds in dying to be with her infant who doesn't die, but lives. Ethan has a "defect" that is going to end his life and he wants nothing more than to live a "normal" life. Shelby chose not to have an abortion and as a result, gave Ethan the chance for life, even if it will only be a short life with great challenges. Meredith was saved from death by Ross. Meredith almost aborted Lucy but chose not to and it was in trying to save Lucy that Ross dies. (Katie, I'm like you . . . I about threw the book across the room when I thought Ross was going to be dead--permanently.) And then there's Gray Wolf who weaves in and out of all of their lives as one identity "dies" and another takes its place.

Speaking of Gray Wolf . . . his suicide is the part of the book that I hate! I suppose it wrapped things up nicely for him to join Lily (his love), Lia (his daughter) and Lily (his granddaughter)in the afterlife, but he had a great-granddaughter (Meredith) and a great-great-grandaughter (Lucy) who had a right to know him, even if briefly. Destroying the eugenics records (such arrogance!) and the pain they represented was very symbolic, but Gray Wolf didn't need to drown himself to do it. (At one point, I thought he was going to burn the records and I was afraid he might accidently set off the dynamite. But, I could have handled his accidental death much better than having him choose to throw away his life!)

I did enjoy the message that came from the interconnectedness of the lives of the characters. What each of us does has an impact on others, even if we don't see it at the time. This book was a great choice! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

--Karen

One more thing, I wish she hadn't pandered to the publishing industry by including the "f" word and the sexual references. It didn't enhance the book or make it more "real." Someday . . .