Mercy

It's been a few weeks since I finished this book, but I'm just now getting around to posting a review.  As mentioned in an earlier post, I've been reading all of my Jodi Picoult books as a personal reading marathon. 

Mercy by Jodi Picoult is the story of two couples and the power of love.  I know it sounds cheesey, but it's the best way I can think of to describe the story.  Jamie finds himself at the center of a trial after he admits to killing his terminally ill wife.  Allie and Cam find their own familiar love tested when a stranger blows into town.  Love makes people do crazy things, things they might not do in other circumstances.  This book is a great exploration of just that.

Cover:  Yet another simple but powerful Picoult book.  A man and woman embracing each other.  It's not clear which couple from the book is portrayed in this image, but that's what I like.  It could be anyone.

Characters:  The main characters were Cam and Allie MacDonald, Jamie and Maggie MacDonald, and Mia Townsend.  I despised Cam.  I don't want to share any spoilers, so I'll just say his behaviors angered me.  I felt sorry for both Allie and Jamie.  They both loved their spouse with every ounce of their being despite not getting the same love back.  I was also proud of Allie for the transformation she made.  Mia was simply a big mistake. 

Writing:  I thought the writing was wonderful.  The love Jamie felt for Maggie was so easily conveyed.  The same goes for Allie's love for Cam.

Plot:  I really liked the main story about Jamie killing his terminally ill wife out of love.  It raised a lot of questions.  It made me wonder if that was something I could do.  The subplot of Cam and Allie's relationship drew my attention away at times.  I found myself eager to find out what would happen between them.

Overall: 4/5  Another great story that makes me think.  I love that Picoult's books make my brain work.