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Book Reviews of Vanishing Acts

Vanishing Acts
Vanishing Acts
Author: Jodi Picoult
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ISBN-13: 9780743454551
ISBN-10: 0743454553
Publication Date: 11/15/2005
Pages: 432
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 1759

3.8 stars, based on 1759 ratings
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

296 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

soraidh avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 20 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 24
Every time I pick up a book by Jodi Picoult I am amazed all over again. She writes like I imagine I can, with a deft twist of plot and an even defter (more deft) turn of the phrase. As I read her books I find myself wishing I had someone I could stop and share a sentence or paragraph with. Her writing makes you want to call up your best friend and say, Listen to this, isnt this the most fabulous thing youve heard?

Delia Hopkins dreams of a lemon tree and from there starts a story that spins her world out of control. Soon she finds herself in Arizona with a young daughter, an alcoholic fiance, and the man whose presence has completed the triumvirate of friendship since childhood. With her world tipped upside down and sideways Delia has to work her way through to the other side; while she learns that it isnt the memories of our lives that are the most important thing.
Fulltimer avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 179 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 18
This is the first Jodi Picoult book I read and half way through I ordered all the others available on PBS. This is an amazing author and I wish more people wrote like her. Each chapter is through the eyes of one of the main characters and it makes the book so much richer and we understand so much more because we see the same story through different eyes and this gives us the story as a whole instead of from only one perspective. You will think you know exactly what is going on in this book and then it twists just a little and changes everything.
obsidianfire avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 133 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 14
I almost put this book down when I found out what the father did, because I was scared it would have a horrible ending. I'm so glad I kept reading. Great book. I couldn't put it down, and there were many twists and turns along the way. This is my first book by her, and I'm now sure it won't be my last.
c-squared avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 181 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
Told from the POV of all the main characters, this classic Jodi Piccoult book makes you ask yourself what you'd be willing to do to protect your child. A tear-jerker & a page turner to the end.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 37 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
It was ok- the ending was lame; Picoult wrote herself into a corner. The idea is cool, though, and I like her style. Instead, though, I'd recommend My Sister's Keeper- it's amazing.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 102 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
This is another wonderful book by Picoult: lyrical, touching, frightening, sensible and sensitive, thought-provoking. Full of well-drawn, real characters and specific details of place that take you on that journey, too. A joy.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Helpful Score: 5
Out of all the picoult books I have read, this one was very boring. You can skip the entire book and read the last six or so chapters and you'll have the entire story down.
MOMSBOOKS avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 64 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
Good book, wonderful characters, interesting situations, lots of suspense. I personally have a background in psychiatry and had some problems with the reactions of various folks to the situations in which they are placed...especially toward the end when the pace becomes more rapid.
It is about Delia, a young lady raised by her Dad whose two best friends are guys she grew up with. The tale revolves around her alleged kidnap by her father (from her mother who had custody) 28 yrs. ago when she was 4.Her father, Andrew gets jailed for his crime even tho in Arizona where he is jailed, what he did would no longer be considered a crime. Sooo ignore the shaky premises and enjoy the fiction!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 38 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Another excellent Picoult read! I had to put the book down a few times, as I have 3 and 4 year old daughters myself, but overall, it was a very good book. The ending left a lot of things open to interpretation as to where the characters wound up later, but the storylines did wrap up pretty well.
hallelujaheart avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 96 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
A young woman finds out she's not whom she thought she was and questions whether her father's motives were selfish or was he just protecting his child.

Good but not great. Had trouble staying interested.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 32 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
The author explores how life, as we know it, may not turn we hoped; how the people we have loved and trusted can suddenly change before our eyes.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Helpful Score: 3
I just finished this book last night. It was really good overall. I think I am building myself up for a bigger twist at the end, so on the final page I still had more questions. But I think Jodi does that on purpose!

The Hopi traditions section got to be a little much and didn't really mesh well with the rest of the story.

A good read, but not her best.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 17 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Love Jodi Picoult, this book does not dissapoint. As with all of her books it makes you see every side of the situation.

A young woman finds out that the mother she thought was dead is actually alive and that she had been taken from her at age four. She discovers the reason she was taken and has to deal with the emotions of meeting a mother she thought was dead and a discovering a father she adored lied to her.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This was a really thought-provoking book, and written in a format that was different from anything I've read before. I enjoyed it.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
My first Jodi Picoult book and I am hooked. I really enjoyed her writing style and plan on coming back for more. I hope her other books are as good as this one.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 51 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This is my second Jodi Picoult novel that I have read. The first one had left me slightly disappointed and thinking that she just wasn't my type of writer, but I am very glad that I gave her a second chance. I really enjoyed this book. I especially enjoyed the fact that this story had several narrators. It was laid out in a way that was not confusing, and I felt really added to the story by allowing the reader to get into the heads of the characters and see how differently they all viewed everything. Overall, I found the book to be very thought-provoking and something that I could easyily relate to.
Bibliocrates avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 252 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This was my first Jodi Picoult read. I have heard from many Picoult fans that this is not her best work so I was hesitant to pick it up, but I'm glad I did. The story, although a bit slow going at times, was compelling and thought-provoking, showing that sometimes there is justification in doing the wrong thing for the right reason. The characters were incredibly flawed but that is what made them interesting. I'm glad I read this book, good, but not great, will read more Picoult in the near future.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 63 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Not one of my favorites. I felt like she tried to do too much in one novel, and while I usually have trouble picking up her novels, this one I sort of put down and didn't feel like picking it up. Still worth the read, though.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Wonderful book, right when I thought I knew the ending, it took another unexpected turn. The multiple viewpoints made it impossible to put down!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Helpful Score: 2
I loved this book! I read it in less than two days, and it was a great read! You will enjoy it!
rushbo avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 13 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Very good book. Delia has a great life. A father who loves her, a handsome fiance, and a wonderful best friend. She has a young daughter and is a search and rescue worker with a bloodhound. However, she begins to have flashbacks and begins questioning things, which opens up some doors to her past that she is not sure need to be confronted. This book was very well written and kept me interested from start to finish.
daedelys avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 1218 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This was an okay, even though it was an earlier publication by the author. However, if I continue to run across a pattern of lack-of-originality by the author, I may have to abandon reading future novels. The book is filled with cliches we've already seen on television programs. I honestly think Picoult would make a great politician due to her ability to appeal to mainstream by sensationalizing tragedies we've seen in the media.

There were some parts that dragged out and were filled with fluff that makes you think the author writes her books hoping that they are made into movies for tv. It definitely had too many filler pages with nonsense. Including how to make meth with pretty detailed instructions so that readers can play "Breaking Bad" the home game. :P She also manages to plagerize herself by reusing a prison inmates suicide in another book.

Overall, I finished this because I had nothing better to do. Luckily, I've read later novels by the author and haven't minded them.
Chemeria avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 31 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
UGH!!!!!
This was a GREAT book, up until the ending few chapters I just wanted to throw it I was so mad. She went through the whole book with such detail such ... grace(?) until the end, and then.....She rushed it. It was like she got bored with the story so sad.. it was realy SO SAD. She might of been leaving it open for a second book, but that would make little to no sense.
If you want to read her books, I wouldn't suggest making this the first book you read of hers.

:(

NOt to happy with it.
Sorry.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Helpful Score: 2
Nicely done. alternating point of view, complex layers of right and wrong
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 52 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I love books that make me think, and this is definitely one of those. In Vanishing Acts, Jodi Picoult explores the impact of our decisions. Would you break the law if you knew it was the right thing to do? Would you change someone's life forever in order to save them? Would you sacrifice everything? And even after the consequences come to bear, would you do it all over again - every bit of it?

This is one of those rare books that makes you take out your long-held beliefs, brush off the dust, and give them another look with a much more critical eye. Anything that manages to do that, in my opinion, is worth the read.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 24 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Good read, provokes emotional turmoil in yourself. But like alot of her books the ending leaves you asking what happened. Did she loose interest or just run dry of ideas. I wish she would finish her books with the gusto she has in the beginning.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 71 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I always find her books slow going in the beginning, then the writing and the complexities suck me in and I do not want the book to end. This also is a book worth reading.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This was a great book. It kept me intrigued throughout the whole book. I highly recommend this book to others.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Helpful Score: 1
This is a wonderful book and it keeps you guessing until the very end!!
bears1 avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 16 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book. One of Picoult's best.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 46 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A story about a woman who learns her identity has been changed without her knowledge, and the reasons why unfold, as we learn of her father's secrets and her past life. Great mystery, I was addicted to it. The only negative I can say is...I could have done without the prison scenes, and the activities that occur there, as were implied. Other than that, I enjoyed it, another page turner by Picoult!
Leeankh avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 139 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is a beautifully written and crafted novel, but I did not find myself as drawn in as I should have. For some reason, I did not connect emotionally to most of the characters. However, it is such a well crafted novel that I still enjoyed myself and didn't have any trouble finishing it. There is a strong chance that I will read another novel by this author in the future, even though I did not LOVE this book like so many others.
pamwoitas avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Helpful Score: 1
This is the first book I have read by Jodi Picoult. It was a good book. I am anxious to read My Sister's Keeper. I intend to read others by this author.
sh0rtstak avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 89 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Unfortunately I read My Sister's Keeper as my first ever Picoult novel. This was my 2nd and it paled in comparison. It was good enough to continue reading and I did enjoy the story it just didnt grab me as Picoults previous novel. However, I've found a new author to continue exploring as she does write a great story that will keep you looking for more.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 74 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is one of the best books I have read by this author. I could not stop reading.
scrapbooklady avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 472 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. I find some of her work brilliant and others not as compelling. "Vanishing Acts" falls into the latter category. This book was predictable and at times a bit uninteresting. The ending went out of the way to be unconventional. But in doing so it left it unsatisfying. That said, even a less-than-wonderful Picoult novel is better than 90% of the fiction published today, certainly it's always better written.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Another great book by Jodi Picoult. This book makes you wondering what you would do if you were confronted by the same situations. I highly recommend this book.
waterbearer avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 62 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A woman finds out that her life my not have been exactly as she currently remembers it. You end up going back and forth between being ticked off to having sympathy for some of the characters. An amazing story that unwinds.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Helpful Score: 1
This book was very good. Picoult has an amazing gift of storytelling.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 30 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed this book-- I really like Picoult's writing style, you get the story from a vareity of sources which I think adds so much to the book.
srfbluemama avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 80 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This was a good book, but I didn't like it as much as some of her other books. But just like the others I've read, you definitely walk away with things to think about.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 18 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Another great book by Jodi Picoult! She has such an awesome writing style. If you are a fan of her books, then this book will not disappoint. Loved it!!!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 28 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Enjoyable read.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Great book.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Helpful Score: 1
Jodi is a wonderful writer and she does it again in this book. The opening chapter sucks you right in, and you can't put it down until you know why he id it.
booknookchick avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 117 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Having just finished The Tenth Circle and feeling there just wasn't a character easy to root for, Vanishing Acts was completely different.

Loaded with a variety of interesting characters and a plot with enough loose ends to keep me interested, I hoped this book wouldn't end in her typical style that often leaves a reader feeling uneasy. Picoult came through for me.

The moral and ethical mine fields created by lies told to each other in this novel has me wondering. Does anyone have the right to lie or keep a secret out of love? Read the book and decide for yourself.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 24 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
One of my favorite...this author really has you hooked from the beginning! Another book you can't put down!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 636 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Well, I think is the first or second time I have re-read this one. And it is pretty good, though it feels a bit more incomplete than her books usually do. Mostly because the ending is a little too open. . . two major parts of the plot were not really definitively concluded.

But, it's still an emotional book, especially in its dealings with alcoholism. Again, it brings back a Native American theme. The prison sequences are a little stupid and also go rather unresolved.

All in all, this isn't her finest work, nor is it her worst. It's somewhere in the middle.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 69 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
this is another excellent book by the author this book is a great read. The charcters stories are deeply woven together. I would definetly recommend this book to anyone.
Leeankh avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 139 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is a beautifully written and crafted novel, but I did not find myself as drawn in as I should have. For some reason, I did not connect emotionally to most of the characters. However, it is such a well crafted novel that I still enjoyed myself and didn't have any trouble finishing it. There is a strong chance that I will read another novel by this author in the future, even though I did not LOVE this book like so many others.
daedelys avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 1218 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This was an okay, even though it was an earlier publication by the author. However, if I continue to run across a pattern of lack-of-originality by the author, I may have to abandon reading future novels. The book is filled with cliches we've already seen on television programs. I honestly think Picoult would make a great politician due to her ability to appeal to mainstream by sensationalizing tragedies we've seen in the media.

There were some parts that dragged out and were filled with fluff that makes you think the author writes her books hoping that they are made into movies for tv. It definitely had too many filler pages with nonsense. Including how to make meth with pretty detailed instructions so that readers can play "Breaking Bad" the home game. :P She also manages to plagerize herself by reusing a prison inmates suicide in another book.

Overall, I finished this because I had nothing better to do. Luckily, I've read later novels by the author and haven't minded them.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 50 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I sometimes feel like Jodi Picoult is the Steven King for mommies. She takes all my worst nightmares for my children and puts them down on paper. This was another wonderfully told story and I loved seeing the story develop from different points of views of the main characters. This is one of my all time favorites. I found myself thinking about this book for weeks after I had finished it, wondering what I would have done in this situation, the power of memories and how they can be altered into what we think happened. All the characters had vanished at one point and it was the finding of them that brought the story together. Can't recommend high enough.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 13 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Takes on issues of repressed childhood memories and child custody in a fast moving story.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Helpful Score: 1
Excellent book. Jodi Picoult has a knack for character development that really sucks you in from the beginning.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This book was very readable but not as good as some other Picault books. I would recommend it as it does leave you guessing.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 11 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This was a great book. Very interesting and though provoking story line. Also easy and quick to read.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 40 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
pretty good.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 128 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is a riveting story with rich characterization. I couldn't put it down.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I so love Jodi Picoult and this book was just another that didn't disappoint. A true page turner with some twists and turns.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 17 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I like Jodi Picoult, but didn't think this was one of her best. It felt like she chose issues to make a statement about, then worked the story around it. It was worth reading, but not as good as My Sister's Keeper or Plain Truth
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I love this author! It is a story about self discovery and finding out that your name isn't as important as the life you lived, and that sometime people may have the best intentions, but dont always make the right choices. A must read.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 113 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Not my favorite book by Picoult. Very slow going and too predictable at times. I found myself putting it down several times and reading other books before I finished it.
booklit avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 473 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A story that deals with excessive drinking as well as kidnapping. Each character was very real. I just love Jodi Picult's books. An amazing story teller.
phonelady61 avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 10 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I think this was one of picoults best . I really liked the whole book and totally understood it . I loved it and had trouble putting it down .
snowglow avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Helpful Score: 1
There's as many truths to a story as there are people to tell it. This book uses five voices to tell a suspenseful and complex tale of love and frindship. Great drama.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 24 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Not my favorite of the Picoult books. Well. My least favorite so far, really. I didn't really get "into" it at all, but it did pick up during the last 1/3 of the book. But most of her books don't take that long for me to become interested in them.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 14 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
What can I say? Jodi Picoult is my new favorite author. I've read three of her books so far and have all her other's on my wish and reminder lists. Loved it! I also highly recommend My Sister's Keeper by the same author.
texasreader avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Jodi Picoult succeeds once again with a surpise ending that keeps you guessing to the last page.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 10 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Another winner by Picoult. What happens when you discover that you are now who you thought you were?
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 12 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A "Can't put it down" book...
dbs avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 329 more book reviews
I found all the different narrators confusing and still found some characters' motivation unclear, but writing crisp and evocative. Will try another Picoult.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 20 more book reviews
I give this book 2 stars. It was VERY predictable.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 15 more book reviews
Great book - like most of Jodi Picoult's books.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 60 more book reviews
Think "Face on the Milk Carton" all grown up. This was a terrific book. You will NOT be able to put it down!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 4 more book reviews
Good book. Quick read. Very creative.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 26 more book reviews
This is a great read. A young woman stumbles upon secrets from her childhood. Well put together, nicely written.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
A relational story with many interesting questions. Has a soap opera quality.
MCRN avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 2 more book reviews
32 YO Female finds out she was kidnapped by her father as a young child. Follows dad to Arizona for trial, meets mom and mom's new husband, learns stuff she did and did'nt know. A very good read.
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Good read-fast too.
flowerchild1969 avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Not one of her best........I would give it 2 stars.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 7 more book reviews
Wow! I found this book to be well written and very compelling. The story is told in the voices of 4 or 5 main characters, and each truly has his or her own voice.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 19 more book reviews
Wonderful, quick read that really makes you think about life!
jdyinva avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 408 more book reviews
One of her better reads. Recommended.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 15 more book reviews
Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. She writes in the voices of her characters. This one written in 2005 has you so involved. Delia suddenly finds she was kidnapped and raised by her father when she was a very young girl. She now has a child of her own. She has to deal with her father's arrest for her kidnapping, reunion with her mother (whom she thought had died), and her fiance's addiction. I could not put this book down!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 11 more book reviews
This is another great book by Jodi Picoult!! She has an amazing and addicting writing style that makes you want to read all of her books!!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 3 more book reviews
Good book, suspenseful.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 337 more book reviews
Another complex and thought-provoking read by Picoult. This story centers on a child who was kidnapped by her father -- but starts with her as a grownup, deeply happy with the only parent she remembers. Facinating story of how your past, whether or not remembered, colors your choices in the present.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 103 more book reviews
THe story explores how life as we know it might not turn out the way we imagined;how the people we've loved and trusted can suddenly change before our eyes;how the memory we thought had vanished could return as a treat.
justkima avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Another great Picoult read!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 4 more book reviews
A litle slow, but worth it in the end.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 9 more book reviews
I love Jodi Picoult's books, they are page turning reads that make you want to stay up all night to finish!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 2 more book reviews
Excellent read if you loke this author it does not disappoint
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
I loved this book - it's well written, mysterious, with lots of details about all kinds of topics. I couldn't put it down.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 5 more book reviews
Loved it! lots of twists, really kept me reading :)
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 32 more book reviews
Very well written and I enjoyed the characters very much so!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 8 more book reviews
I liked the way this author had written this book in such a way that she gave all the characters a way to speak for themselves
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 22 more book reviews
Jodi Picoult always leaves you in suspense till the end. Loved this book!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 137 more book reviews
Wow, this was my first Jodi Picoult book. I found this story to be well written, with great attention paid to characterization. The plot was unusual and thought provoking. I think I will now be requesting more of Ms. Pocoult's works.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 5 more book reviews
THIS WAs a great book
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 5 more book reviews
it was good
bellzey avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on
I did not like the writing style of this book. This was a very wordy book. I have several other Jodi Picoult books on my list and I hope they are written in a different way.
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I like her books and each one has a moral we need to use in our lives.
maurak avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 16 more book reviews
Disappearing Acts is deftly and dramatically takes on questions of honesty, loyalty, redemption, responsibility, fidelity, and identity, addressing a fascinating premise: What if you found out that the father who you love and trust had actually kidnapped you, and deprived you of a mother who you spent your life mourning? It is easy to root for Picoult's heroine, Delia Hopkins, a likeable character who balances her devotion to her young daughter and the single father who raised her with a fascinating career career finding missing people as the handler of a bloodhound trained to track human scent. Her daily life is buoyed by the steadfast friendship of two men who love her, childhood neighbors: one, Delia's fiancee, an unstable but devoted alcoholic in recovery, confronting his own childhood neglect as he tries to parent the daughter he has with Delia, and two, their best friend Fitz, who is in love with Delia but is quietly sacrificing his own chance at happiness in order to see her happy.

Picoult keeps the plot moving with ever-more complex scenarios, challenging the reader to ask when breaking the law may be justified, what punishments are fair for what crimes, and whether it is possible to ever truly find redemption for past mistakes.

What makes the novel most interesting -- multiple points of view including Delia, her husband Eric, her best friend Fitz, her father Andrew, and her mother Elise -- is also the novel's greatest weakness. Although the frequent shift in perspective allows the reader access to each character's internal dialogue as the plot progresses, no character is allowed to fully develop, and the shift in time and perspective is somewhat choppy. At times, what is unspoken between the characters stretches credulity: we have access to their internal dialogue, but it is difficult to understand how the characters can function under such stress when they seem seldom to talk to each other about huge emerging issues. And while the storyline focusing on the incarceration before trial of Delia's father is harrowing and riveting, it stretches credulity that he would endure so much and take on so many challenges and dangers without communicating about any of it with his beloved daughter or attorney.

Picoult also touches on thorny issues related to incarceration and addiction, alcoholism and parenting, and child sexual abuse and recovered memory, not enough to be preachy or didactic, but just engagingly enough to pique thoughtful questions. Overall, it's a somewhat flawed novel structurally, but a highly enjoyable and thought-provoking read. At its end, I wished for a sequel, wanting to find out how these characters had rebuilt their lives after so many cataclysmic changes.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Liked this book. First book I have read by this author and will enjoy reading more.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Excellent book, the type you don't want to put down. Love how she weaves you into the story and you don't ever want untangled.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 15 more book reviews
I really thought this was a well written story. The story kept me interested the entire time.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 18 more book reviews
Another great book by Picoult
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Excellent book! I love Jodi Picoult
LeahG avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 320 more book reviews
This is the first book Ive read by Jodi Picoult and I found it a lot more interesting than I thought it would. I never once got bored while reading this story. Quite the contrary. I wouldn't wait to read the next page.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 17 more book reviews
This was soooo good! You definitely do not expect what happens! I love all Jodi Picoult books so far!
ncbones avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 17 more book reviews
Loved this book and author's style ... could feel and relate to the characters and story.
pipi avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 43 more book reviews
I read this book at the incessant urging of my best friend and can't understand why she was so insistent. It is a fairly good book with a twisting, detailed and very involved plot, but I never could form a firm bond with the main character - Delia Hopkins. I really did not much care what happened to her which of course colors my opinion of the book. Her story was interesting but I never really connected with her.

She was brought up by her father who "kidnapped" her at an early age and she did not meet her mother until she was 28 years of age. By then she had her own daughter who was around the same age as Delia when she was "kidnapped." Delia had 2 men in her life - next door neighbors on each side of her that she grew up with and who were both "in love" with her as adults.

The story takes place while her father is being tried for his crime of running off to another state with his daughter Delia and telling her that her mother is dead. Jodie Picoult knows how to tell a good story which holds your interest through all 418 pages. But really just not my kind of book.
Readnmachine avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 1478 more book reviews
Not necessarily one of Picoult's best, but it's a well-written and engaging story, if somewhat predictable.

A young woman's life is turned upside-down when she discovers the father she loves has been lying to her for 28 years about her own history.
daedelys avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 1218 more book reviews
This was an okay, even though it was an earlier publication by the author. However, if I continue to run across a pattern of lack-of-originality by the author, I may have to abandon reading future novels. The book is filled with cliches we've already seen on television programs. I honestly think Picoult would make a great politician due to her ability to appeal to mainstream by sensationalizing tragedies we've seen in the media.

There were some parts that dragged out and were filled with fluff that makes you think the author writes her books hoping that they are made into movies for tv. It definitely had too many filler pages with nonsense. Including how to make meth with pretty detailed instructions so that readers can play "Breaking Bad" the home game. :P She also manages to plagerize herself by reusing a prison inmates suicide in another book.

Overall, I finished this because I had nothing better to do. Luckily, I've read later novels by the author and haven't minded them.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 46 more book reviews
This was my first Jodi Picoult novel; I am hooked. It provided an intense development of characters and life-affecting situations. I highly recommend it.
spacie1024 avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 4 more book reviews
This was the first book I had ever read by Jodi Picoult. I really enjoyed it. The story was original, I liked the characters and I liked that the book was told from a few different perspectives (from different characters). I did think the ending was a bit abrupt, but I can forgive that. Very good book!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 101 more book reviews
This was the first book of hers that I read and I liked it very much, though I didn't expect to. I expected it to be much more sensational than it was. It really showed the working of close relationships, and what is important in life as well as studying what is "right" and "wrong."
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 31 more book reviews
Picoult has a tendency to be predictable and shocking all at once. I cant say whether I liked or hated this book !!!! Plain Truth was MUCH better.
jahwoman avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 20 more book reviews
I am once again amazed with the writing of Jodi Picoult. I believe this is the fourth book I've read by her, and believe me, after the second one, she had already become one of my favorite authors. I was so surprised with every event which took place as the story went on, and I definitely didn't expect it to end the way it did. Jodi Picoult is amazing and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time reading this book!
Lavendergrey avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 20 more book reviews
This book was fairly good, but not nearly as good as others by Ms. Picoult. I feel she got bogged down with details that weren't necessary to the storyline. I even skipped a couple of sections, because I didn't feel like I was enjoying what I was reading and it wasn't really important to the outcome of the book, as far as I could tell. Otherwise, the story was a good one and the end was pretty good.
swimtchr avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 27 more book reviews
Another good Jodi Picoult book! As always, she writes about topics that can be very controversial. This one involves the issue of parental kidnapping and whether there are times when this is the right thing to do. Jodi examines the legal, moral and emotional issues of all those involved. Very good read!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
This was the first book I read by this author, and I was hooked. It is a romance/mystery. Most of her books revolve around some kind of court case.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 6 more book reviews
Great book! I couldn't put it down. Jodi's books are full of substance ~ definitely recommend!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 28 more book reviews
Great read by Picoult. This wasnt one of my absolute faves, but still a very good book, and as always left me anxious wanting to unravel the story and learn the truth.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 17 more book reviews
Another great read by Picoult. She definetly makes you feel for the characters in this book.
WISSA2278 avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 19 more book reviews
From the back cover:
How do you recover the past when it was never yours to lose?
Delia Hopkins has led a charmed life. Raised in rural New Hampshire by her beloved, widowed father, she now has a young daughter, a handsome fiance, and her own search-and-rescue bloodhound, which she uses to find missing persons. But as Delia plans her wedding, she is plagued by flashbacks of a life she can't recall ... until a policeman knocks on her door, revealing a secret about herself that changes the world as she knows it - and threatens to jeopardize her future. With Vanishing Acts, Jodi Picoult explores how life - as we know it - might not turn out the way we imagined; how the people we've loved and trusted can suddenly change before our very eyes; how the memory we thought had vanished could return as a threat. Once again, Picoult handles an astonishing and timely topic with understanding, insight, and compassion.

a wonderful read... i finished it in 2 nights. :)
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 9 more book reviews
I love all of Picoult's books. This one is great.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 19 more book reviews
Once again, a solid and lively story from Jodi. A true page turner.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Great book. I liked even better than "My Sisters Keeper"
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
I really enjoy Jodi Picoult's books, but sometimes they are too intense for me and I actually wish I could scratch some images out of my brain after reading them (e.g. Nineteen Minutes). Not so with this book. It is well written, it's Jodi Picoult after all, but did not leave emotional scars.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 12 more book reviews
Enjoyed this one, seemed to move faster than some of her other novels.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 18 more book reviews
This is another great book of her's however it did take me a while to get through it. I guess I just felt it was slow moving for me. Not a book I'd hold on to, but I did enjoy it.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 58 more book reviews
As always Jodi Picoult has written another GREAT book.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 18 more book reviews
Jodi Picoult's books always seem to be based on an intriguing premise. In this novel, a young woman, about to marry her child's father, who is a recovering alcoholic, discovers she is not who she believed she was, but had been kidnapped by her father. Ironically,she works with a bloodhound and is trained to track down missing persons. As she slowly uncovers her past, and meets the mother she thought was dead, there are intertwining stories about prison life, law, alcoholism, and of three childhood friends who tell this tale from their different viewpoints. I enjoyed the book very much.
IntrepidOne avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 157 more book reviews
I really liked this book. I was rooting for the main character all the way! Another great one by Jodi Picoult.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 3 more book reviews
Great book, you become familiar with all characters. It would be amazing to find out that you are somebody different than you thought you were and just how would you feel. Lots of twists that keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to find out what will happen next.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 11 more book reviews
The ending is unpredictable! Don't quit until you read every chapter.
debs avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 650 more book reviews
Book kept me interested from cover to cover. Great character development (as always with Picoult) and riveting story.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 3 more book reviews
This is the first Jodi Picoult book I've read. Started out slow but sucked me in. A little predictable but an excellent read and the writing was amazing.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 116 more book reviews
A classic Jodi Picoult book that fans of hers will enjoy. It has what readers expect from Picoult: courtroom drama, family drama and thought-provoking debates on topical themes. I enjoyed the chapters on Native American culture. Can't say that I "enjoyed" them, but the chapters on life in a prison seem well-researched. Will leave the reader questioning what is memory and its role in identity?
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 21 more book reviews
Great read.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 5 more book reviews
Great story. I love this author, her books are captivating.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
very good book
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 23 more book reviews
excellent mystery and very touching
mamajamma avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 25 more book reviews
I have read this book it is good but not her best, Where in the world does Jodi come up with this stuff?? She really is a great writer.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
This was the third book I have read by Jodi Picoult, now on my fourth. I found that I didn't enjoy this one as much as I had her other books. My Sisters Keeper and Keeiping Faith kept me very interested and wanting to keep reading, not so much the same for this one. I just couldn't get interested in it. Wasn't horrible, just not one of my favorites..
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 22 more book reviews
Another good read by Jodi Picoult. Her novels are written to make you think about different issues. The issue in this one is one of what would you do if your life isn't really what you thought. How do you deal with all of the ramifications of discovering who you were(or are)? You get to know each of the main characters as they tell their stories and there is an unexpected twist at the end.
cosie3 avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 8 more book reviews
I just finished reading _Vanishing Acts_ by Jodi Picoult and it was very riveting! Imagine finding out when you're 32 that your beloved father kidnapped you and you had a mother living far away that you thought dead. Imagine seeing your father taken away by police charged with kidnapping (you)! Imagine being close to your wedding with your best friend from childhood on and handing him the daunting task of defending your father in another state!

In her usual great way, Jodi has woven intricate patterns of plots, subplots and surprises! Read it - you won't be sorry!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 38 more book reviews
Great book
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Great book. I couldn't put it down!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 191 more book reviews
Excellent book.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 49 more book reviews
From Amazon.com
From Publishers Weekly
"Each of the five narrators in this excellent audiobook speaks intimately to the listener, capitalizing on the emotional complexity of Picoult's heart-wrenching tale. Delia Hopkins, read with simple grace by Gibson, immediately seizes the listener's attention when she relates how, on an ordinary day in smalltown New Hampshire, her beloved father, Andrew, is arrested for having kidnapped her, 28 years earlier, from the mother she long thought was dead. Delia's fiancé, Eric, and her best friend, Fitz (both of whom are given appropriately cultured New England accents), add dimension to this multifaceted exploration of love and identity, but Delia's parents, read by Jenner and Washington, offer the most noteworthy performances. Jenner successfully conveys the rainbow of personalities Andrew encounters while being held in an Arizona jail. Washington, meanwhile, embodies Delia's darkly tragic mother, who emerges as both a gentle healer with a dulcet Southwestern accent and a mother who was never there for her young child."

Piccoult is one of my "guilty pleasure" authors. I have read many of her novels and can't seem to put them down once I start reading.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 4 more book reviews
ENJOYABLE BOOK WITH SOME TWISTS AND TURNS. I CAN'T WAIT TO READ ANOTHER OF JODI PICOULT'S BOOKS.
DaniLynn avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 28 more book reviews
This is a great book. It is a little different than some of her other books, like Plain Truth. But, as usual, she really makes you feel like you know the characters.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 43 more book reviews
Not one of her better books.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 48 more book reviews
I enjoyed this book, once I started I could not put it down. Typical Picoult book containing many controversial issues. Great bookclub selection, can't wait for our discussion.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 60 more book reviews
Wonderful book of frienship and the father/daughter bond
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 6 more book reviews
I found parts of this book to be interesting but overall I didn't find it to be as gripping as I am used to with Jodi's writing.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 16 more book reviews
Typical Jodi Picoult. Not as depressing as My Sister's Keeper.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 8 more book reviews
wonderful.... I would reccommend this to anyone who loves her books.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 46 more book reviews
Great book -- typical for the author in that it provides lots of perspectives on the same incidents, as well as twists and turns in the plot.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 95 more book reviews
Once again Jodi Picoult writes another wonderful book
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 8 more book reviews
GREAT BOOK!!!!
sunnymoody avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on
A story of how an everyday family deals with secrets of the past,as they gradually come to light. Well written, good development of characters.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 42 more book reviews
This is a very powerful book. I stayed up all night to finish it.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 6 more book reviews
Another great book by Jodi Picoult!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 5 more book reviews
Good combination of character drama and unravelling mystery
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Wonderful read.
JamieB avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 26 more book reviews
Great book! Once you start reading it, you can't put it down!
skywaywaver avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 148 more book reviews
I love all of Picoult's books that I've read so far, but this is the one I liked the least.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 6 more book reviews
Jodi Picoult is a great write. I would highly recommend this book.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 14 more book reviews
In this book, Jodi Picoult explores what happens when a young woman's past - a past she didn't even know she had - catches up to her just in time to threaten her future.
One night as she is planning her wedding, a policeman knocks on her door, revealing a secret that changes her world as she knows it. In shock and confusion, the heroine, Delia, must sift through the truth, even when it jeopardizes her life and the lives of those she loves.
Another wonderful, contemporary read by this most excellent writer!
mickeygirl74 avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 28 more book reviews
This was the 2nd book I've read by Jodi Picoult. I enjoyed it. It was a fast read and I liked reading from different points of view!
celeria avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 174 more book reviews
Beautifully detailed and rich, characteristic of all Picoult's books. Some common elements permeate the book, including a deep friendship that stretches back to childhood and a somewhat sensationalist trial, but the characters are uniquely compelling.
zoehunter avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 21 more book reviews
I loved this book..what a fabulous read!
daedelys avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 1218 more book reviews
This was an okay, even though it was an earlier publication by the author. However, if I continue to run across a pattern of lack-of-originality by the author, I may have to abandon reading future novels. The book is filled with cliches we've already seen on television programs. I honestly think Picoult would make a great politician due to her ability to appeal to mainstream by sensationalizing tragedies we've seen in the media.

There were some parts that dragged out and were filled with fluff that makes you think the author writes her books hoping that they are made into movies for tv. It definitely had too many filler pages with nonsense. Including how to make meth with pretty detailed instructions so that readers can play "Breaking Bad" the home game. :P She also manages to plagerize herself by reusing a prison inmates suicide in another book.

Overall, I finished this because I had nothing better to do. Luckily, I've read later novels by the author and haven't minded them.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 39 more book reviews
This was the first Jodi Picoult book I read. I was completely caught up in it and couldn't put it down. Thus began a long, long relationship with Jodi Picoult novels. This is one of her best!!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 85 more book reviews
While I give this book a 4 star for writing. And it's a good story and all...I don't ever want to read another one of her books. I found the detailed description of drug production to be completely unnecessary and a crime in and of itself. It didn't do a damn thing for the story...in fact it pulls the reader right out of the story, along with the rap songs...and think of the harm it could do! Yeah, I get it jail sucks...don't want to be there! There are a hundred other ways the author could have expressed that...including with the drug production without the details. Okay, there's my rant. She's a good writer...there were no surprises in the plot, but it was carried out with expertise.
Lissa avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 224 more book reviews
good book
ilovedale3 avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 524 more book reviews
Very good story!
RoyalCatwoman avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 278 more book reviews
Delia Hopkins has led a charmed life. Raised in rural New Hampshire by her beloved, widowed father, she now has a young daugher, a handsome fiance, and her own search-and-resuce bloodhound, which she uses to find missing persons. But as Delia plans her wedding, she is plagued by flashbacks of a life she can't recall...until a policeman knocks on her door, revealing a secret about herself that changes the world as she knows it---and threatens to jeopardize her future. With Vanishing Acts, Jodi Picoult explores how life---as we know it---might not turn out the way we imagined; how the people we've loved and trusted can suddenly change beofre our very eyes; how the memory we thought had vanished could return as a trheat. Once again, Picoult handles an astonshing and timely topic with understanding, insight, and compassion.
momjovi avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 33 more book reviews
Another great book by Jodi Picoult!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 32 more book reviews
Not the BEST one of Jodi Picoult, but still a very good story.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 7 more book reviews
Very good. One of her best books.
4Hmomnm avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 79 more book reviews
This is my first Picoult book, I found it drug on and on in parts and I got bored with it, I made myself finish it so I would know how it ended. I am going to try another one of hers before I decide if she is just not my kind of author.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 33 more book reviews
OMG, this is one of the BEST books I've read in a long time. Riveting, and well written. A must read.
maggiemaynj avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 32 more book reviews
Not my favorite,Picoult book. I found it a very slow,moving book.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 21 more book reviews
The story had a lot of twists but in the end it all worked out for the best for all the characters. I will read this author again.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 3 more book reviews
This book lost me for a while. But when it pulled me back in I couldn't put it down and ended up awake until the early hours of the morning trying to finish it. Her character adaptation is truly remarkeable.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 24 more book reviews
All of Jodi Picoult's books are amazing... this one is no exception!!
MsScarlett avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 19 more book reviews
This is the second book I have read by Jodi Picoult, and I am definitely becoming a fan. This was a good read.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 19 more book reviews
This was an awesome story about how far people will go for those that they love.
megabyte avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 4 more book reviews
Compelling!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 18 more book reviews
One of her best, in my opinion. If you are a Jodi Picoult fan, and haven't read this one yet, put it at the top of your "gonna read next" list.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 30 more book reviews
Flashbacks surface and lead a young mother to discover a mysterious past that could ultimately effect her future and that of those closest to her.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 15 more book reviews
I couldn't put it down!!
kermitreads avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 53 more book reviews
If you like JP books, then this one will not disappoint. I little darker than her other books, but still a great read. And while I should not be surprised by this point- I am was still taken away by the "twist ending". Loved it. Love JP.
charlimo avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 23 more book reviews
GREAT BOOK!!!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
It was not my kind of book
daedelys avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 1218 more book reviews
This was an okay, even though it was an earlier publication by the author. However, if I continue to run across a pattern of lack-of-originality by the author, I may have to abandon reading future novels. The book is filled with cliches we've already seen on television programs. I honestly think Picoult would make a great politician due to her ability to appeal to mainstream by sensationalizing tragedies we've seen in the media.

There were some parts that dragged out and were filled with fluff that makes you think the author writes her books hoping that they are made into movies for tv. It definitely had too many filler pages with nonsense. Including how to make meth with pretty detailed instructions so that readers can play "Breaking Bad" the home game. :P She also manages to plagerize herself by reusing a prison inmates suicide in another book.

Overall, I finished this because I had nothing better to do. Luckily, I've read later novels by the author and haven't minded them.
BoxerBabe avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 21 more book reviews
This was a very interesting story. It really made you think about both sides of the coin.
celticscrapper27 avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 54 more book reviews
One of my favorite Picoult books so far. I like the story told by different characters in different voices. Heart-wretching as always, but a story of several different kinds of love
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 222 more book reviews
Wow, great book. First I have read by her, I want to read more.
tripletmom avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 225 more book reviews
Good book, didn't love it as much as her other stories. A woman deals with finding out her father kidnapped her as a child. Now her father is on trial.
cindyrdw avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 37 more book reviews
I could not put this one down. It was wonderful!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 14 more book reviews
What a great story, Jodi Picoult never fails to keep her readers captivated
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 115 more book reviews
This was the first novel I have read of Jodi Picoult. I can't wait to get my hands on more. Great read.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 13 more book reviews
so good. couldn't put it down
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 58 more book reviews
Good book, although the ending is a bit anticlimactic. Worth the read though!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 7 more book reviews
fab. great just like any Jodi Picoult book hard to put down.
zazzle avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 18 more book reviews
Great read - Jodi Picoult has a beautiful writing style and the story is engrossing. I couldn't put it down!!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Another great Jodi Picoult that you leaves you on the edge of your seat! Always love the depth of her characters and this is facinating look at a family in turmoil.

A good read!
Booklover57 avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 44 more book reviews
another great and heartwarming story from Jodi Picoult...
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 213 more book reviews
Another great book by Jodi Picoult! I just loved it.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 17 more book reviews
Excellent!!!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 16 more book reviews
Enjoyable read - Picoult makes the characters so real.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 75 more book reviews
This is my second Jodi Picoult book. The ending wasn't as amazing as "My Sister's Keeper" but it was still a quick, fun, read. She has a very interesting style that is easy to get through, so much so that I hadn't realized that I had been reading for 5 hours until I finished the book!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 17 more book reviews
FOUND THIS TO BE A GOOD BOOK ON MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS. THE PLOT IS WELL DONE, THE CHARACTERS SEEM TO CHANGE BEFORE YOUR EYES AND THEN CHANGE BACK. INTERESTING.
Granites2001 avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 88 more book reviews
Another great Jodi Picoult Read.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
My first Picoult, and I am hooked.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 4 more book reviews
A hard-to-put-down-until-you're-finished book
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 2 more book reviews
I felt there were a few snags in the middle, but the ending was well worth the journey. Another book from Picoult that makes you think.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 99 more book reviews
With Vanishing Acts, Jodi Picoult explores how life as we know it , might not turn out as we imagined. very very good read.
auntietilly2 avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 35 more book reviews
good griping story from Jodi. I just need a break. Written like many of her others.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 17 more book reviews
I have yet to read a Jodi Picoult book I didn't like; however, this one is a real diversion from her other novels. It moves into the eerie realm of life on another plane with a compelling central character named Delia Hopkins.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 106 more book reviews
This was my first Picoult novel, and I loved it. Great characters, completely compelling story, enjoyable twists-and-turns. Best of all-- the psychological aspects attached to the characters, including issues such as alcoholism, repressed memories, self-identity, parenting, are flawlessly executed.
JudyinCT avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 16 more book reviews
Like all of Picoult's books, this is another winner!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 32 more book reviews
Great book; on par with "Plain Truth." I couldn't put it down!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Another great Jody Picoult book!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
IF LOVE JODI PICOLT! A WOMAN LEARNS THAT SHE IS NOT WHO SHE THINKS SHE IS WHEN HER FATHER IS ARRESTED FOR KIDNAPPING HER WHEN SHE WAS FIVE YEARS OLD - HE TOOK HER FROM HER MOTHER. THE AUTHOR EXPLORES THE FEELINGS OF THE MOTHER, FATHER DAUGHTER AND THE DAUGHTER'S FIANCE WHEN THE FATHER IS JAILED. TRULY A GREAT BOOK.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 17 more book reviews
Typical Picoult-style. Good story.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 10 more book reviews
great characters lots of surprises
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 9 more book reviews
From back of book: Delia Hopkins has led a charmed life. Raised by her father, she now has a young daughter, a fiancé, and her own search-and-rescue bloodhound, which she uses to find missing persons. But as Delia plans her wedding, she is plagued by flashbacks of a life she can't recall . . . until a policeman knocks on her door, revealing a secret about herself that changes the world as she knows it.

A very good read. One of those books I found hard to put down.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 35 more book reviews
Great read again! Love you Jody P
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 35 more book reviews
Loved it! This was my first Jody Picoult book, and it was awesome!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 8 more book reviews
Absolutely loved this book! I didn't put it down. I don't think I did anything for an entire day except read this book. Absolutely amazing.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 32 more book reviews
I just joined a book club. This book was the book of the month. I loved this story. At the ending of the first chapter the was a surprise which really prompted me to continue you reading to find out what happened. Delia and the other characters in this book seem to come alive. Each character is written in a different chapter, however they all go together. It is really easy to follow and a great read.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 4 more book reviews
I was given this book as a 30th birthday gift...what a great gift it was! Great read, great story, great love.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 99 more book reviews
as usual a well-written novel from Picoult.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 30 more book reviews
Really similar to a lot of her other books....if you haven't read any you'll find it interesting but if you have, you'll know the ending.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 7 more book reviews
Another thought provoking book from J. Piccoult that seems to be ripped out of the headlines. It was hard to put down.
savedbyhisblood avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 36 more book reviews
another great book by a wonderful author
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 32 more book reviews
Great story. I love all of Jodi Picoult's books.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 412 more book reviews
Another great read by Picoult. Deals with the issue of parenthood--what makes a good-or at least, suitable-parent--and the ambiguities of memory. As usual in her novels, there are no neat endings.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 61 more book reviews
Very very good novel by Picoult, with her usual unique story line and multifaceted characters and plot.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 9 more book reviews
The subject matter alone is worth the five stars. But as it digs deeper and deeper into the story line and the detail of the subject...just perfect!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Not bad, but not one of my favorites of hers
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 97 more book reviews
A great book! Very interesting relationships and characters.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 68 more book reviews
A beautifully written story. I couldn't put this book down because of the emotions in it. It's a great story about a woman uncovering her hidden past and choosing between two loves.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 45 more book reviews
A thought-provoking book, I enjoyed it.
pj avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 208 more book reviews
Delia led a perfectly happy life living with her father growing up. Her mother had passed away years before and she has a daughter and is engaged. But she keeps having flashbacks or memories that she can't figure out. Then one day a policeman knocks at her door and life as she knows it completely changes. Could her life be a total lie, could the father that she trusts so much be nothing but a liar?
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
Great book. Love her.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 10 more book reviews
With this book it is how life as we know it might not turn out like we imagined it to.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 26 more book reviews
I really didn't care for this book!!! Even tho i am a huge Jodie Picoult fan, i didn't think this was up to her usual standards!!!!
BeckyWalker avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 120 more book reviews
I enjoyed this audiobook very much. It was interesting without being unbelievable or corny. The subject matter was serious and the characters well-developed. Jodi Picoult is becoming a favorite author with each book of hers I read.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 15 more book reviews
This was another terrific read from Jodi Picoult. Nice Twist.
ElleS avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 112 more book reviews
I thought the end could have been a few more pages- but the story line of a girl who is abducted by her father and only finds out about 20 years later is very interesting!

Ellen
animlgrl avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 84 more book reviews
I'm not the biggest Picoult fan...I can only read one of her books once in a while, or I get tired of the way she writes. I liked some of her others better, though I did find this interesting because it occurs partly in Phoenix, where I live. A pretty easy read.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 8 more book reviews
Got this book for my wife. She loved it! As usual, Jodi Picoult provides the reader with an excellent story.
Tunerlady avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 581 more book reviews
Excellent - well written....she's a GREAT author!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 31 more book reviews
Another at least 4 star Picoult novel.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 85 more book reviews
This book was very different from the ones I usually read.. Excellent writing & I love books written in the first person!! Subject matter was pretty intense at times but so well written, I just couldn't put it down. My first of her books, but certainly not my last!!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 175 more book reviews
This book kept my interest with the twists and turns right up to the end, about a father who takes his little girl away from her mother at age 4. She believes her mother is dead for 28 years, and when she meets her, her life unravels and things are not what she thought.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 22 more book reviews
Really good mystery. Her world get tossed upside down when her father is arrested for kidnapping her years ago. Her husband is a lawyer and takes the case but it doesn't look hopeful. She drags her young daughter to Arizona for the trial and investigation. Where she finds out her mother isn't dead but alive and well.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 34 more book reviews
I have not read many of Jodi's books, but totally enjoyed this one.
pcphibbs avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 82 more book reviews
Another one of Jodi Picoult's excellent stories of what happens in everyday life. Highly recommended.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 31 more book reviews
Excellent.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 32 more book reviews
As a flaming Libertarian (socially liberal, fiscally conservative), I stopped reading this book just shy of halfway because of the liberal tripe. I'm used to reading books with liberal slants, but this was unnecessary (Sheriff Jack, nay, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, I do believe.) It's just pitiful for such a good writer to be so petty. I'm done with Jodi Picoult. DONE.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
A hard read after the completly dramatic and heart wrenching MY SISTER'S KEEPER
This book was OKAY - predictable and easy read
blessed1 avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 127 more book reviews
I'm never disappointed by Jodi Picoult's books. This one was amazing. I carried it everywhere I went just in case I'd have a minute to read. I highly recommend it!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on
This book was very good! It was very engaging and kept me coming back to read more!
tish avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 384 more book reviews
this was the first book i've read by this author and i'm impressed.
the story is difficult for me ...a child/woman waking up one day to find out that what you thought was your life was all a lie. there were so many words and sentences that made me gasp in recognition.
i will read more by this author
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 711 more book reviews
Delia Hopkins has led a charmed life. Raised in rural New Hampshire by her beloved, widowed father, she now has a young daugher, a handsome fiance, and her own search-and-resuce bloodhound, which she uses to find missing persons. But as Delia plans her wedding, she is plagued by flashbacks of a life she can't recall...until a policeman knocks on her door, revealing a secret about herself that changes the world as she knows it---and threatens to jeopardize her future. With Vanishing Acts, Jodi Picoult explores how life---as we know it---might not turn out the way we imagined; how the people we've loved and trusted can suddenly change beofre our very eyes; how the memory we thought had vanished could return as a trheat. Once again, Picoult handles an astonshing and timely topic with understanding, insight, and compassion.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 174 more book reviews
Would you believe this is my first Jodi Picoult book? It won't be my last!
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 162 more book reviews
This was a great book
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 8 more book reviews
If you like Jodi Picoult's books, you'll enjoy this page-turner.
ElleS avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 112 more book reviews
Excellent story- Jodi Picoult definately has you thinking!

Ellen
glbirch avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 205 more book reviews
great read
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 22 more book reviews
fabulous- love JP
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 391 more book reviews
UNBELIEVABLE+++++ How does she continue to write so well
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 109 more book reviews
Well written.
loveleah avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 12 more book reviews
I'm starting to think the Piccoult writes with a specific formula that culimnates in a court trial. This book wasn't my favorite.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 5 more book reviews
This book was excellent....I couldn't put it down. Lots of twists and turns yet spellbound.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 3 more book reviews
Hated to lay it down and couldn't wait to pick it up again.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 43 more book reviews
This was predictable, but a good read. Not one of Jodi's better books.
beachgirl72 avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 6 more book reviews
This was an unusual book for me. It was a bit difficult for me to get into but finally engaged.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 46 more book reviews
Jodi Picoult never fails to satisfy me when I want a good book to read. I have read so many of her books, and the amazing thing I find about her is that her books are not at all predictable. I have found with many authors that have published a lot of books, you only have to read a few chapters to know how they are going to end.
bethanywilliams avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 11 more book reviews
the story is wonderful for a young mother. very suspenseful
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 10 more book reviews
Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. She did not disappoint me with this book. A suspenseful insightful story that was hard to put down. Loved it.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 203 more book reviews
I haven't read this book yet, but my mother reccomends it highly.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 203 more book reviews
Copyright 2005. This trade paperback printed Nov 2005.
Goldengal avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 16 more book reviews
Good read but I was a liitle dissappointed inhow it all wrapped up
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 209 more book reviews
jodi picoult what more do i need to say?
lionjill avatar reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 57 more book reviews
Jodi Picoult sticks to her tried and true formula with this story about a woman who learns many years after the fact that she was kidnapped as a child. Thorny ethical and legal issues as well as exhaustive research and the use of multiple storytellers are the hallmarks of this author's style. It works for this novel well enough, but I did find myself skimming some of the overly described scenes. It kept me up late, wanting to get to the end.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 35 more book reviews
Delia Hopkins has lead a charmed life. Raised in rural New Hampshire by her beloved, widowed father, she now has a young daughter, a handsome fiance, and her own search & rescue bloodhound, which she uses to find missing persons. But as Delia plans her wedding she is plagued by flashbacks of a life she can't recall, until a policeman knocks on her door, revealing a seccret about herself that changes the world as she knows it--author Jodi Picoult, explores how life as we know it might not turn out the way we imagined, how people we've loved and trusted can suddenly change before our very eyes; how the memory we thought had vanished could return as a threat.
reviewed Vanishing Acts on + 10 more book reviews
It is ok. This is the 3rd one I have read by here frist was my sisters keeper that was very good. The 2nd was the packt. That was good as well. This one I ust can't get in to. I was in to at frist. then it got to be like the ather 2 books I read by her. Maybe it was becouse of the lawer jail thing that thay all have in commine. If you like these books then it is for you just not for me.