Book Reviews of Salem Falls

This book had me pissed off almost the entire time....but that's the great thing about Picoult's writing. She pulls you into the story so much, that you feel what the characters feel. I could not put it down because I wanted so badly to see how everything would play out. A suspicion I had about a character early in the book was put to rest when nothing had come of it near the end, but then BAM!!! Right there it was in the very last sentence, and I was literally left with my jaw hanging to the floor. Great book!!

"Salem Falls" was hard to put down. The characters' experiences provide different viewpoints on similar topics, that is, false accusation of rape vs. reactions of rape victims. Presented in flashback form, characters are developed and their motivations become understood. Jodi Picoult is effective at adding to the layers of the story as well as in peeling back layers of the different characters' personalities. She is also good at making situations real, and attacking issues in our society today, and this novel is a great example of that...I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read.

This is the second book I've read by Jodi Picoult. It took me a few chapters to get into it, and I'm sure glad I didn't give up, as I usually do. It's an engrossing story and kept me reading well into the night.

Picoult is an excellent writer. She keeps the reader very involved. It was hard to put this one down, and there are surprises down to the very last paragraph.

Jodi Picoult writes about current social issues. In Salem Falls she addresses child molestation and the shadow that follows those who have been accused of child molestation. Really good book. Hard to put down because of the writing and subject.

How could one man be so likeable and have such a shitty life?? I, as another reviewer, was mad at man kind and those snot nose girls thru most of the book. But to put this book down is impossible, being mad is what spurs you on page after page. Before i knew it it was way past time for me to turn out the lighs, I had finished story, and i was in love with Jodi Picoult books. Such emotions this book will bring out! You will find yourself rooting for the looser and loving him.

As usual Jodi Picoult makes you think. Story about a man wrongly accused of raping a young girl & how it changes his life forever. Spends time in jail & then when he tries to move on with his life in a new town word spreads about his past. Will he again be sent to jail? Did he commit rape? You'll have to read to find out!

This was the first Jodi Picoult book I read, and I bought it new because she is so popular with other PBS members. I was not disappointed. Her style and the small towns shoe writes about remind me of The Gilmore Girls, but with more crime. The characters, while not all likable, are believable and she does a good job of at least making their behavior understandable under the circumstances.

I have heard some criticize Picoult for not being literary enough, but I don't think that criticism is warranted - she writes entertaining books that will make yuo think.... though perhaps not very hard.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down. I've been reading all of Jodi Picoult's books and haven't found one yet that can compare to My Sister's Keeper - until this one! She has a way making you empathize with her characters. She even brought back some characters from The Pact. And I can say, she truly surprised me in the end with this one.

This is a definite read for all Picoult fans.

Jodi Picoult doesn't ever disappoint.Great book!!

A good story, I didnt find it as good as Nineteen Minutes but it still held my interest.

I just finished this book and really liked it. I almost couldn't continue reading after the sexual assault charge was brought against Jack. I was so mad at the girls. But I'm glad I overcame it and finished the book. It is very engrossing. I was not surprised by the last few sentences. I had been suspicious from the beginning and just knew that was how it would play out. I strongly recommend this book.

What a GREAT book! I would recommend this to anyone! Jodi Picoult is the best. I say each book I read is my favorite...this one is no different!

What a great story!! This is the third book I've read by Jodi Picoult - My favorite so far - I intend to read them all! Once I started reading the first page, I was so drawn in that I could not put the book down. Absolutely recommend to all!!!

Another fantastic book by Jodi Picoult. She really has a way of drawing you into the characters and making you see all sides of the story. The twist at the end of this one was a little more predictable than some of her other books, but that didn't detract from the story. Highly recommended!

The past eighth months Jack was a prisoner convicted of statutory rape. He was offered a plea bargain and his only way to get over with it was accept the offer even if the accusations against him where a mere fiction of a young girls diary.

Trying to get his act together, get a life back he arrives in small town Salem Falls and gets a job as dishwasher in Addie Peabody's Do-Or-Diner. Dutifully he registers at the sheriffs office as a sexual offender.
His relationship with Addie soon intensifies bound through Jack's closeness and fear of being touched and Addie's mourning for her daughter who died years ago. When everything seems to be going it's way the town learns of Jack's former conviction there is no way they are willing to accept a person like him in their little, peaceful town.

Gillian Duncan as a close circle of friends, a coven. The girls are trying to witches, doing good for the people in their town when one of their spells actually works. They decide if their powers are such strong they also could do good for people who have been done wrong by others. Seeing Jack for the first time Gillian develops a crush on him and has to live with his rejection. Only she doesn't want to accept it.

So it happens that Jack after he got terribly beaten up, had a fallout with Addie, runs drunkenly through the woods when he disturbs one of the girls rituals.
The next day he's arrested for the rape of Gillian Duncan.

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What disturbs me most was the fact that Jack is a character I am used to from my own child/teenage hood. A caring person, a teacher rarely seen these days and certainly bound to suspicion in the United States. It showed me again the differences in attitude between where I come from and where I live today. Being a male teacher and/or coach and being male in the U. S. seems to be just what it is these days: a hot seat I never would want to sit in. It is terrible to know what can be interpreted into a friendly slap on the back.

However, the book keeps a few surprises that aren't mentioned in the books description but as you read they just seem normal, fitting into the plot.
Although I think the ending fell out quite flat without much surprises at that point, it is entertaining from the beginning to the end.

I love Jodi Picoult, but I couldn't continue reading this book. I got a sense that this was going to be one of those books where bad stuff just kept happening, making the reader really frustrated. So, I quit because it wasn't what I was looking for.

This is the first book I read by this author and I fell in love with her style. I read this book in one day it was so good. The ending had my jaw hit the ground with disbelief. Definitely something worth getting!

I love Jodi Picoult books and this one was awesome! It's amazing how someone can be accused of something and go to jail for something they didn't do. Enjoy!

I couldn't finish this one. With Picoult, I feel that it's either a hit or miss and to me this one was a miss. I couldn't keep reading because the plot was too far fetched.

This was a very good book. The first one I've read by the author. Kept me reading until very late.

In the beginning 1/3 section of the book, I began to think this was finally a Jodi Picoult book that I would not like. The beginning was not drawing me in. It took me awhile to get into it, but once I did WOW! I should have remembered from reading her other books that she never lets the reader down. As always she allows the reader to view different sides of the story, and feel for the various characters. As one reviewer before me stated, the last line of the novel confirmed my suspicions about one of the characters. Don't let the beginning of the book stop you from reading the rest; you, the reader, will want to finish, as the end will bring many surprises as Jodi Picoult's other books have done.

A book that makes you think that no one has the right to jump to conclusions about a person's guilt or innocence especially in charges of rape. A good reminder of that fact.

Modern day Crucible. Interesting take, reads a bit like a CSI episode.

not my favorite book by this author

Another great story by Jodi Picoult!

This book of Jodi Piccoult's is second on my favorite list, only to "The Pact."

I loved this book!

Salem Falls is the story of a modern-day witch hunt in a town searching for answers, and of a justice system where truth is painted in shades of grey.
If you haven't been introduced to Jodi Picoult, after reading this book, you will be hooked.

This was a great story of a man who is accused of raping a young woman. It parallels The Crucible and is such an engrossing story.

Another excellent book By Picoult, and with the famed twist in the end!

Thriller of a novel with a small town setting. Jodi Picoult has nailed another societal "issue" with her signature attention to detail and gift for dialogue.

Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Audio Book

All Jack St. Bride wanted to do was find somewhere quiet to start his life over; somewhere people wouldn’t know who he was or what baggage he brought with him. Unfortunately for him, a small town is not the place to do this. In a small town people come together to protect their own from outsiders at ANY cost.

Gillian Duncan has everything a teenage girl could want – her father is the wealthiest man in town, she is pretty, and has a bunch of girlfriends. She is also carrying around some heavy secrets, such as…she’s a witch. One night when her and her friends are celebrating a pagan ceremony things get very out of control. When the dust settles Jack St. Bride is accused of felonious sexual assault on Gillian Duncan – the second time in a year he has been accused of this type of crime! Jack adamantly denies this charge, as he had with the previous one, but no one believes him. How will he ever get out of this situation? How many times does lightning strike the same place?

I had started reading this book in hardcopy about two years ago, but I didn’t get very far – for reasons that I can’t remember now. Once I started listening to the audio book I quickly fell into the story. The story jumps back and forth in time between Jack’s youth, his first charge of sexual assault, and the present (the second charge). It was relatively easy to follow these time shifts because Jack’s life is so radically different. One of my favorite characters was Jack’s lawyer, Jordan McAfee. His perception of Jack from when he first comes to town, to representing him as his lawyer and flip flopping as to whether he believes him or not mirrored many of my own thoughts. If you have read The Pact, another Picoult book, you might recognize him as the defense attorney for Chris.

The ending will absolutely blow you away! A traditional Picoult book with that hook ending that you never see coming, but once you read it, you recognize all the signs that were pointing there all along. Amazing!

4.5 out of 5 stars!

A good book--not the best Picoult book I've read but not the worst either. It was very interesting all the way through.

Another great Picoult book. So far I have not read a book of hers that I have not loved. I read this book in 2 days - lucky for me I was on a road trip so I had plenty of reading time in the car! The characters completely captivate you. GREAT READ!

Wonderful author. Can't put her books down when I start to read one!!

Good book! It is not one of my favorites she has written, but it a good story about the relationship of girls, their coaches and their parents. There is a twist at the end, sort of saw it coming! If you have teenage girls or girls at all, you will enjoy this book!

Another great Jodi P. book!

Powerful! Secrets, lies...love and truth, small town and very real life. Read it cover to cover in one day, didn't want to put it down...

Wow! What an amazing book! Can't seem to get over how easily Jodi Picoult manages to suck you into a story and keep you interested the entire way through. I am fast becoming a hardcore Picoult fan, and can't wait to read the stack of her books I've acquired through this website after reading My Sister's Keeper. Salem Falls is incredible!

Great story! As usual, well-written.

Another very good novel by the author. Hard to put down and some surprises along the way. If you enjoy Jodi Picoult don't miss this book about small time intrigue, witch craft, and truth.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very fast read, could not put it down. I highly recommend!

great page turner.

LOVE CAN REDEEM A MAN -- BUT SECRETS AND LIES CAN CONDEMN HIM.

Another Picoult book that I loved and read in a day. Couldn't put it down. Intense story with great characters.

Loved it! I've just found this author and can't wait to read more!

Excellent book. I couldn't put it down. It goes to show how a person can be wrongly accused of something and how it affects their lives for a long time after.

great read. I really enjoy this author.

Excellent book!

A stranger comes to a small New England town with a secret that he hopes to keep buried in his past. As he quietly finds a job and falls in love with a local woman, his new beginning in the community is threatened by allegations made by a group of malicious teenagers who play at witchcraft. A dark read about the secrets hidden in small towns.

This book was an awesome read, Jodi Picoult is fabulous. There is a large brown stain on the bottom of this book but does not affect the reading at all.

WOW- Her bestyet. I couldn't put it down- great plot

I really liked this book. Very interesting. Not a difficult read.

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