Change Of Heart by Jodi Picoult

"Would you give up your vengeance against someone you hate if it meant saving someone you love? Would you want your dreams to come true if it meant granting your enemy's dying wish?" When I read this quote in the back of the novel for the first time, I became intrigued by the topic and idea of the novel. I mean, it is not often that a person has to decide between continuing to feel hatred or letting someone they care for die. I picked up this book having a feeling that it would be very thought provoking and meaningful, and indeed it was.

After reading this novel, I was impressed by how strongly Jodi Picoult developed the characters. The character, in my opinion, that she developed best was Shay Borne. In the beginning of the novel, you go from thinking that Shay is truly a criminal and just wants to be redeemed for his wrong doings by giving Claire, a girl who has pediatric myopathy, a new heart before he is sentenced to death by lethal injection. However, as the novel goes on and continues, you get a chance to see the type of person that Shay is, and you see that he is not a cold blooded killer who killed June's husband Kurt and daughter Elizabeth. Then, when you find out that he is truly innocent, that is actions were merely to protect Elizabeth because Shay had witnessed Kurt abusing her, you see a side of Shay that is heroic and compassionate. What is confusing for the reader to grasp is why Shay would not tell his side of the story to the police or his attorney. The answer that Shay describes to his spiritual adviser, Father Michael, is that he doubts anybody will believe him since his record is not the cleanest to begin with. Also, because he knows that the DNA evidance proves he murdered them since his fingerprints were found on the gun. So, he just took the blame like he had done with his sister when she had burned the house down. I think that there is more to Shay's thinking th at even the author wanted left to interpretation. After all, there are many reasons as to why Shay could have done this.

Whether his actions were because he sees himself as worthless or that he truly wants to be kind and compassionate and seen as a hero is a matter of opinion. Out of all the books I have read by Picoult my favorite is this one because of how emotional the book is and how much I learned through this book about learning to see different sides of people and not to be judgemental. I even learned just simple basic facts about the death penalty. Another aspect of this novel I found interesting was how she discussed religious beliefs and the justice system in America, since currently many people do not talk about this. The way she does this though, however, is one that is fair and non biased.

One specific part in the book that I found memorable and well written was in the epilogue when Claire says "I have been someone different now for three weeks. It's not something you can tell by looking at me; it's not even something I can tell by looking at the mirror. The only way I can describe it, and it's weird, so get ready, is like waves: they just crash over me and suddenly, even if I'm surrounded by a dozen people, I'm lonely. Even if I'm doing everything I want to, I start to cry." I find this quote very powerful and meaningful because I think this is where readers begin to see that Claire is beginning to understand exactly what Shay was feeling, and Shay is trying to reveal to Claire, in his own weird and crazy way, that his actions were truly for a good reason.

I would highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy novels that teach you life lessons and anyone who enjoys characters that reveal their true selves as the book continues. This novel is surely one that nobody should pass up on--it is truly a moving and powerful read.