Change of Heart, by Jodi Picoult

Bestselling adult fiction author Jodi Picoult delivers again with her newest novel, Change of Heart. It's a heart-wrenching adventure about how a death row prisoner, Shay, and the victim's family come together after eleven years. It brings together a mother who has lost her family twice, a lawyer who lacks self-respect, a priest who wants to pay for a mistake, and a prisoner who people believe to be the messiah. The novel explores the idea of seeing versus believing and the concept of miracles. What the book lacks is momentum. It tends to drag on a bit in the first half, but gains speed after the conflict is clearly understood. This book is not for those who like happy endings and definitely requires some patience. - Reviewed by Sayonika, grade 10.