Discuss the very ending of the novel, which concludes on the one-year anniversary of the Sterling High shooting. Why do you suppose the author chose to leave readers with an image of Patrick and Alex, who is pregnant? In what way does the final image of the book predict the future?
i confess, this was the aspect of nineteen minutes that i enjoyed least. i spent the majority of this book entirely caught up in the plot, literally catching myself with accelerated heart rate at certain points, unable to fall asleep or set the book aside until i'd at least finished the chapter i was on. there were a few parts i found to be a bit contrived, some of picoult's descriptive verbage somewhat prosaic. otherwise, though, the action of the story kept me moving forward with great anticipation.
and then came the ending, and for me, a bit of a letdown. the book is not a pretty story; it is not polite, or soft. it is a story of hurt and rejection, and for goodness' sake, people, a school shooting. and while there are repercussions for josie's actions, that alex and patrick are together and expecting a child just seems so entirely cheesy to me that i couldn't wrap my mind around it. nor could i disentangle myself from the drama of the final courtroom scene quickly enough for this perky, rapid-fire ending that didn't allow for much debriefing.
immediately upon completing this book, i was compelled to buy another picoult novel: my sister's keeper. i found that the plot was just as engaging, and i literally rescheduled my weekend to pore through it at a rapid pace until i finished it. and finish it, i did: in tears, which i haven't done in years. the ending was just as jarring, with little time for processing the dramatic twist that had just been spun on the story. it seems to me this must be a picoult trademark, then: that the dénouement be void of resolution, save for something such as a hopeful pregnancy, like a sloppy bow slapped on an otherwise-thought-provoking package.
what do you think, fellow bloggers and book club members? were you equally affected by the ending, or did you appreciate it? i'm curious.
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2 comments:
I loved the book from start to almost finish!
I was disappointed too. and bothered, because like you, it seemed a little insensitive after the courtroom drama, the school shooting and all that went into that.
I haven't read my sisters keeper but have it on order at our library.
The ending really bothered me, too.
The pregnancy I could live with, though it seemed far-fetched and unnecessary for the plot completion.
What really got to me was that Peter committed suicide by hanging himself. Realistic, maybe, but I would have preferred that the author left us wondering. It, too, was unnecessary for the plot completion.
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