Change Of Heart is the fifteenth and newest published novel from American author, Jodi Picoult. It is the story of Shay Bourne, a young man convicted of murder and sentenced to death in the town of Concord, New Hampshire. It also is the story of June Nealon, a young mother whose first husband died in a car accident, whose second husband and eldest daughter were killed by Shay Bourne and whose youngest daughter is suffering from a weak heart. Finally, it is the story of Michael Wright, the last juror to convict Shay Bourne and sentence him to his death who becomes the priest assigned to Shay Bourne as his spiritual advisor.

In this book, Jodi Picoult gives her readers her usual style of writing, which involves allowing her readers to think about the issues she presents in her books. And this time, she presents a discussion on how to justify killing a person by killing another person. When a person decides to make things right after having done something wrong, does it justify what he did? Or do his past actions weigh more than the good things he performs? Which weighs more: to be good morally or lawfully?

It’s not her best book, but her loyal readers will not be disappointed in Change of Heart. It may not be the best book to recommend to first time readers, especially since Picoult tended to underdevelop some of her main characters to stay true to the story. But it stays true to the spirit of her writing style.

Have you read Change of Heart? What did you think of it?