Book: Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult
Pages: 434
Genre: Romance
Source: Bought
Short Synopsis: Jack, a man that has just been released from prison, decides to make Salem Falls his new home, and meets a string of interesting people. As his new life continues, he manages to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and is once again convicted of a crime.
My Thoughts: Though I enjoyed her writing style, I felt that it was a bit too The Crucible-esque.
A handsome stranger comes to the sleepy New England town of Salem Falls in hopes of burying his past: Once a teacher at a girls' prep school, Jack St. Bride was destroyed when a student's crush sparked a powder keg of accusation. Now, washing dishes for Addie Peabody at the Do-Or-Diner, he slips quietly into his new routine, and Addie finds this unassuming man fitting easily inside her heart. But amid the rustic calm of Salem Falls, a quartet of teenage girls harbor dark secrets -- and they maliciously target Jack with a shattering allegation. Now, at the center of a modern-day witch hunt, Jack is forced once again to proclaim his innocence: to a town searching for answers, to a justice system where truth becomes a slippery concept written in shades of gray, and to the woman who has come to love him.
--From Goodreads
I enjoyed Picoult's writing style, and the story line was very addicting, but I just wish it was a bit more unique. In this story, Jack, is just released from prison. He had no where to go, and decided to make Salem Falls his new home, while trying to forget his past.
While in Salem Falls, he stumbles upon a diner and meets the owner, Addie, who gives Jack a new job for helping her with a situation. The story also follows three girls, Gillian, Meg, and Chelsea who practice Wiccan. As Jack finally starts to get his life back in order, he stumbles across the three girls doing something they should not have been doing. And now, Jack is once again, convicted of a crime he claims that he did not commit, but has no recollection of what really happened.
The writing style was very different than I was used to, as there were multiple little stories combined that all centered around the one main story, and was an interesting read. I loved reading about Jack and Addie's story. Addie is a character that automatically trusts people after helping her out of a jam, and continues to remain loyal. Jack is an innocent man with an unfortunate incident, which occurs twice.
The girls all bugged me the most. I guess there was bound to be a bad guy, and Gillian was it. She's the leader of the group, makes all the decisions, and thinks she's better than everyone else. Her friend Chelsea is a little better, but doesn't really do much, and is more like a walking doormat, while Meg goes along with Gillian's plans, but doesn't really get a say in things either. You tend to feel a bit sorry for Meg because she's the girl that's always picked on, but what she does later on, you quickly tend to feel the opposite about her.
I disliked how the whole town went against Jack because of what happened in his past. I know I wouldn't feel comfortable with someone who had a history like Jack, but I wouldn't treat him the way he was treated by the town. The town was quick to judge when they had no idea what really happened in the past and that had nothing to do with them. I was absolutely annoyed with the ending, when though Jack did receive a happy ending, the person that really deserved to be on trial, got off scott free. Overall, it was an okay read, but I just wish things turned out a bit differently.
Would I recommend this book: Eh
Rating: I give this book a 3/5.
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