Salem Falls By: Jodi Picoult

Title: Salem Falls
Author: Jodi Picoult
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 434
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Release Date: August 6, 2002
Geared Towards: Adults

"Jack came to Salem Falls, expecting to turn over a new leaf...but was seen as a stain on community. People waited for him to make a mistake that might lead to his exile."

Summary (From Booklist): When Jack St. Bride arrives in the small town of Salem Falls, all he wants is to escape his past. He's spent the last eight months in jail, after being falsely accused of having an affair with an underage student at the school where he taught. In Salem Falls, he gets a job as a dishwasher at a local diner and tentatively begins a romance with the diner's owner, Addie, who is still mourning the death of her young daughter, born after Addie was raped in high school by three drunk boys. As she and Jack fall in love, they both see hope for the future. But their newfound love is threatened when the residents of Salem Falls learn of Jack's conviction and begin harassing him. When, predictably, a teenage girl accuses Jack of raping her, he finds himself back in jail, fighting a serious charge and the town's prejudice. Addie wrestles with her doubts and memories of her own rape, but she believes in Jack and goes on a quest of her own to find out the truth about Jack's initial conviction, even as the Salem Falls trial opens. Unfortunately, the novel spirals down into cliche, toward an all-too-predictable ending.


Wdebo's Review: Yes, like the Booklist person said (A side note-I've been very busy so I wasn't able to write a summary...very sorry) the ending was perdictable, but it was nice. Even though, like all Jodi Picoult books there are slow parts that are just way too slow that make you just want to skip it or just chuck the book to the ground but there still are some very good parts.

The story centers around rape, but it is like a modern day Crucible/Salem Witch Trial. I finished reading The Cruicible right before I read Salem Falls, and I was like, oh wow, this is just perfect. The irony of the whole thing is that in Salem Falls it is the witches that are starting the crying out, instead of well, against the witches, and I seriously hated them still.

I felt horrible for Jack during the whole book, he's so unlucky, seriously....

Cafe Cover Chat: The cover is like all the other Jodi Picoult covers, I like the newer one more, which you can see HERE. Except the dress pants of the model is very weird...(B-)

All in all, a good Jodi Picoult book, not the best of all her works but it's still good.

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)