Salem Falls [Import] [Paperback]

Jodi Picoult (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Hodder Paperback (March 20, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034096278X
• ISBN-13: 978-0340962787
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (172 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,382,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up on Long Island with my parents and my little brother, the product of a ridiculously happy childhood. My mom says I've been writing as long as she remembers - my first masterpiece was "The Lobster That Was Misunderstood," at age 5. I honed my writing skills beyond that, one hopes, before I headed off to Princeton, where I wanted to work with living, breathing authors in their creative writing program. Mary Morris was my teacher/mentor, and I really do believe I wouldn't be where I am today if not for her guidance and expertise. I had two short stories published in SEVENTEEN magazine when I was in college. However, when I graduated, a desire to not eat ramen noodles exclusively and to be able to pay my rent led me to take a job on Wall Street (not a great idea, since I can't even balance my checkbook). When the stock market crashed in 1987, I moved to Massachusetts and over the course of two years, worked at a textbook publishing company, taught creative writing at a private school, became an ad copywriter, got a master's in education at Harvard, got married, taught at a public school, and had a baby. My first novel was published shortly after my son was born, and I've always said that the reason I kept writing is because it's so much easier than teaching English.

In fourteen years, I've published thirteen novels: Songs of the Humpback Whale, Harvesting the Heart, Picture Perfect, Mercy, The Pact, Keeping Faith, Plain Truth, Salem Falls, Perfect Match, Second Glance, My Sister's Keeper, Vanishing Acts, and the upcoming The Tenth Circle, this March. Two of my books (Plain Truth and The Pact) were made into Lifetime TV movies; Keeping Faith will be another. My Sister's Keeper is in development at New Line Cinema to be a feature film. And there isn't a single day that I don't stop and marvel at the fact that when I go to work, I get to do what I love the most.

My husband Tim and I live in Hanover, NH with our three kids, a dog, a rabbit, and the occasional donkey or cow.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Where is the old Jodi Picoult?, June 12, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Salem Falls (Hardcover)

I have read every one of Picoult's books and am sad to find that the quality has lessened with every book. In fact, I think "The Pact" was the last semi-plausible and well-written book that she wrote.

This newest book was so full of inconsistencies, errors in procedure (police and courtroom),and sloppiness. There were too many different issues covered and consequently none of them was done well. Picoult needs better editing and much better advice on the legal issues, and she needs to stop churning out books at such a furious pace and be more careful. Readers are not stupid--we know when something can or cannot happen. I, for one, do not like to have a writer make something up so as to manipulate the story. For example--the crime scene was not cordoned off until the next morning. As if that would ever happen, no matter how small the town. But it was written this way to facilitate the direction in which the author wanted the story to go. Shouldn't the action determine the story, not the other way around?

The characters in this book lacked any depth and were like cardboard cutouts. I did not care about one of them with the possible exception of Addie.

It seems as though Picoult is only concerned with the final product, not how the story is put together. I see a novel as a tightly woven tapestry, a blending of many elements into a wonderful entity. In this book, I see disarray and holes in the fabric of the story.

47 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A haunting tale, May 12, 2001

By 

Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Salem Falls (Hardcover)

I must confess that when I ordered this book, I was anxious to read it and put Harry Potter Vol. #4 aside so I can read it. I love Jodie Picoult's writing, and was eagerly anticipating more of the same with this book. I found to my disappointment that it wasn't as riveting as The Pact or as enthralling as Keeping Faith. I am disappointed ~~ while the writing is always lyrical and riveting, the story holds no surprises for me.

Jack St. Bride is accused of raping a girl in Salem Falls ~~ and Jordan MacAffee is his attorney again. Addie, the woman who falls in love with Jack, also undergo a personal revelation as well in this multi-faceted novel. There is a group of teenage girls who practice Wicca ~~ which is interesting. And there's the showdown, which Picoult is known for ~~ but if you're looking for a great Picoult book, I highly recommend The Pact because the courtroom scene there is wonderful! It is suspenseful and breath-stopping. But in this book, it's lackluster and disappointing.

Please don't hesitate to read this book ~~ it is still a good read. It just isn't up to par to her other books ~~ and it could be the subject is familiar to me. What teenage girl doesn't fanastize about her favorite male teacher? And what woman doesn't shudder at the idea of being raped? Or being accused falsely of a crime one didn't commit? And reading about some of Jack's past helps give him a human face in the book ~~ it just didn't explore his personality like I hoped it would. It's almost as if Picoult is trying to write about rape, sex and its effect on women ~~ but something's missing there as it leaves me with more questions than revelations. This is a powerful subject but it misses the mark somewhere.

It is still a wonderful book ~~ just don't get your hopes up too much like I did. It just isn't my favorite Picoult book.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 stars probably but not Picoult's best, February 9, 2002

By 

[e-mail] (United States of America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Salem Falls (Hardcover)

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.