Customer Reviews

Salem Falls

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have to preface this by saying that I have read all of Jodi Picoult's books, and always wait anxiously for her next to arrive. She is an incredible writer, who always has compelling and interesting plots and characters, but Salem Falls was not up to her usual standards.

It starts with a bang -- a brilliant Ph.D who landed himself in prison with false charges of statatory rape gets out and settles in Salem Falls, a quaint, nothing ever happens, type of North East coast town. I was immediately drawn to his character as well as that of the woman who "takes him in," Addie. She is a woman tied to the past, and psychologically impacted by it -- afraid that those she loves will leave her, and unwilling to accept that those she has lost are truly gone. It takes her many years, for example, to accept that her daughter has passed away.

Aside from these two likeable characters and some less visible ones, the main characters are four teenagers. One of whom accuses Jack of rape, puts him on trial, and has the whole town defending her. And this is where the book lost its draw for me. The punch of a start fizzled out half way through as I began to piece together everything I knew would happen next, and it did. The ending might have been a surprise, had I not guessed it at the very beginning. And had I not been drawn to Jack, longing for him to earn the respect he deserves, I might have given up.

I suppose if I had never read Picoult, this one might have appealed to me. But my expectations were so high that this was a let down. All of her other books are incredible, this one, mediocre in my opinion. But I would still recommend it, just not before any of her other jewels.

SALEM FALLS by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult does it again with SALEM FALLS, a story about a man who is falsely accused of rape. Jack St. Bride was a teacher and soccer coach at a small town high school, when he is accused of rape and is sentenced to 8 months in prison. When he is released, he finds his way to another small town, Salem Falls, to start a new life, hoping that anonymity will give him the peace he is looking for.

The wheels of fate start turning when he has to report in to the local police department and let them know he is a sex-offender. In this small town, gossip spreads fast, and soon the entire town learns who Jack really is. Only two people feel that he is innocent of the crime he was accused of back home: Addie Peabody, who owns the "Do-or-Diner" and her father, Roy Peabody. Both of them are dealing with losses that have greatly affected their current life, and in some way they can relate to Jack as he struggles to escape from his past.

At the heart of this story is the theme of "the witch hunt", as the towns people watch Jack closely with condemning eyes as they wait for him to make his first mistake. He is then accused of yet another rape, this time accused by the only daughter of the richest man in Salem Falls. Jodi Picoult keeps the reader guessing, as even the reader isn't sure whether Jack is guilty or not. As with KEEPING FAITH and THE PACT, this book ends in the courtroom, and it is anyone's guess what the final verdict will be.

This is yet another Jodi Picoult book that I enjoyed a lot. Although it took me a while to get into the story, as I had a hard time relating to the teens who practiced witchcraft, it all came together in the end. Highly recommended, I am giving this book five stars.

I didn't find my first Jodi Picoult novel a huge success and although I enjoyed it and never at any point did I hate it and want to put it down, I found it just didn't grab my attention like I hoped. The problem might have been that I read the Jeffrey Archer's novel `A Prisoner of Birth' early last year which also featured a trial and a suspect that you want to believe is innocent and results in a lengthy trial. Unfortunately Picoult's book paled in comparison and I wish we had read a different one of her novels to start with.

I was intrigued with the beginning of this book, but got bored about a third of the way through and already figured out the end well before I was supposed to. I could appreciate Picoult's writing and marveled at her ability to paint her characters in just a few short strokes so they were memorable even if they only played a small part in the story and if you needed to remember them later, you could.

Unfortunately I wanted more from this book and won't be deterred from reading another of Picoult's novels, but I would recommend Archer's book over this one if you're looking for a fast paced story about a trial.

I really enjoyed this book. At times I was a little annoyed with some of the characters, specifically Gillian and her rich hot shot father, however not everyone in real life is pleasing either. I couldn't put the book down, mainly because I wanted to find out the verdict of course. I really enjoyed Jack as a character and that helped me feel for his character and want to read more!!
I would recommend this book!

I just don't understand how writers can be so brilliant. But
Jodi Picoult is truly one exceptional author, and this is only the first book I've read by her. The writing was excellent. The
pages just begged to be turned.

Jack has been falsely accused of felonious
sexual assault and pleads no contest to get less of a sentencing. Afterwards he heads to Salem Falls to start a new life for himself. Somehow rumors of Jack's past follow him and it's deja vu all over again.

This book was excellent. I laughed, I cried. There's nothing better than a good book, and this is one of them:)

While sipping too-strong coffee in the bookstore cafe, I stumbled across the name Jodi Picoult in a Writer's Digest article on writing page-turners. I was in the mood for reading someone new, so I headed for the P's in the fiction section.

Ugh! What a disappointment when I began reading the cover blurbs! Then I picked up Salem Falls. Witches! That was all I needed, so I headed for the checkout. Yes, I also bought the Writer's Digest.

I must be honest and say that I needed a year to finish this book. However not because I found it unreadable, but because Ms. Picoult strikes a bit too close to home in her descriptions of how modern men must interact with teenage females. One of my male friends was falsely accused by his ex-wife of raping his step-daughter, and the next six months of his life were absolute hell. Reading the first half of this book was very discomforting.

For her accurate portrayal of Jack's paranoia after his first conviction, I give Ms. Picoult five stars. However, Salem Falls is far from being a perfect book and the reader cannot analyze the investigative and courtroom procedures too deeply. Conversely, Ms. Picoult makes suspending belief easy, offering the reader a surprise or a new angle every ten paragraphs or so.

Looking through descriptions of her other books, I do not find anything that particularly interests me, but for readers of this genre, you are in good hands.

This was a good, solid read, even though you have to wonder if this guy has the worst luck or is just not savvy enough to try to keep himself out of compromising situations. You still keep wanting to hear how it turns out. Modern men listen up and take note . . . it seems that most of them that I know have except for the character in this book.

One again Jodi Picoult manages to weave a plot of vulnerability, superstition, and the never-ceasing power of love.
Upon arriving in the small town of Salem Falls, Jack St. Bride is alone, untrusting, and longing for a new life to fill the emptiness that has become him while wasting away in prison. He stumbles into the Do-or-Diner where the young owner Addie, offers him a job on the spot. When Addie offers him this job, she has subconsciously offered up her trust, and from there, the plot unravels.
Addie has lived in Salem Falls her entire life, and has indeed suffered the drawbacks of small town living. As a rape victim and single mother, she too makes her way through life longing to place her trust and hope in someone.
When a young woman in Salem Falls accuses Jack of brutally raping her, the small town is enraged. Jack St. Bride has ruined exactly what their small town stands for--safety--and the citizens of the quiet, close-knit community will go to extremes in order to ensure that their town's reputation is safe.
Readers are in for a truly shocking and genius end that only Picoult could deliver. Perhaps after reading Salem Falls, you too, will question the age old cliche of small-town security....

Very early on I knew what would be revealed on the last page. Yes, I took genetics in college. And despite some overly "feel good moments" I think a lot of the events were realistic. Teen girls with crushes on an older man/teacher/coach? It happens. Teen girls drawn to Wicca? Sure. A man accused of something terrible he hasn't done? That's been known to happen too.
But I think the most interesting questions rise out of the sort of incidental information Picoult gives her readers. Why is it important for us to see the scenes we do of Annalise McBride, Jack's mother? What about a person's past? Is it fair or right that some crimes go unpunished?
For the most part, I'd say this is a well written book. I don't fault Picoult for failing to "surprise" me. While I already knew where she was going, I certainly enjoyed the trip. But I think the best parts of the book (and the reasons I will suggest my friends read it) are the issues and questions that are raised--subtle and not. And while I would not classify it an "issue" book, I think the characters are so well developed their problems become our own.

Jodi Picoult pulls out all of the stops in her novel, "Salem Falls." Jack St. Bride is a handsome young man who was imprisoned after being unjustly convicted for assaulting a female student. After his release from prison, St. Bride comes to the small town of Salem Falls to start a new life.

St. Bride takes a job as a dishwasher in a diner, where he falls in love with the owner, Addie Peabody, another tortured and lonely soul. Can Jack and Addie look forward to a bright future together and at last escape the demons of the past? Alas, Jack's tragic history follows him to Salem Falls, threatening to bring him down once again.

Picoult's novel is a lively mix of intrigue, courtroom drama, and romance. Picoult brings her characters to life, including the intelligent but unlucky Jack St. Bride, the tough but warm Addie Peabody, and the manipulative and scheming Gillian Duncan, a teenager who wants to hammer the final nail into Jack's coffin. There are many subplots along the way, as well as a number of flashbacks. There are so many secrets and revelations in "Salem Falls" that it begins to resemble "Peyton Place." Unfortunately, all of this weight ultimately drags the book down.

In addition, Picoult inserts unsubtle references to the Salem witch trials and Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," making her point that too often, people hastily condemn others on the basis of rumor, innuendo and unfounded allegations.

In spite of its occasional heavy-handedness, "Salem Falls" is an engrossing page-turner. You will care about the characters and you will be anxious to learn the ultimate fate of Jack St. Bride.