Second Glance

Starred review from March 31, 2003
It is August in Comtosook, Vt., yet suddenly the temperature fluctuates wildly, rose petals mysteriously fall like snow, patches of land are completely frozen and roiling garter snakes cover the ground. Suspense and the supernatural are artfully interwoven in this 10th novel by Picoult (Perfect Match,
etc.), in which a man desperately seeks to join his fiancée in death, and a 1930s eugenics project comes back to haunt a small town in Vermont. Ever since his beloved Aimee was killed in a car accident, Ross Wakeman has deliberately put himself at risk, hoping to die. When nothing works, and a job with a paranormal investigator brings him no closer to Aimee, he moves in with his sister, Shelby, in Comtosook. As chance would have it, strange phenomena are plaguing the town, and Ross is drawn into an investigation of a piece of land that local Abenaki Indians claim is an old burial ground. In the process, he meets lovely Lia Beaumont, who has some mysterious connection to sinister goings-on 70 years before in Comtosook. Many more characters are essential to the elaborate, engrossing plot, including Spencer Pike, once a eugenics expert and now a tormented old man in a nursing home; Meredith Oliver, a genetic diagnostician with an uncanny resemblance to Lia Beaumont; and Ross's eight-year-old nephew, Ethan, who suffers from a condition that makes him allergic to sunlight. Picoult's ability to bring them all vividly to life is remarkable. Firmly rooting her otherworldly tale in everyday reality, she produces a spellbinding suspense novel offering insight into the human spirit and the depths of true love. (Apr.)Forecast:With this foray into the fantastic, Picoult proves there's little she can't do. National advertising and a 14-city author tour should help propel the book onto bestseller lists.

December 1, 2002
Hired as a "ghost hunter," over-the-edge Ross Wakeman is really hoping to encounter his long-dead fianc e. Instead, he encounters lovely Lia-and a crumbling gravestone carrying her name.

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2002
Ross Wakeman has been hunting for ghosts, hoping to reconnect with the love of his life, Aimee, killed in a car accident years ago. After leaving his job with a renowned but deceitful ghost hunter, Ross seeks solace in Comtosook, Vermont, with his sister, Shelby, and her son, Ethan, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder. Ross finds himself searching for another ghost when he is hired by Rod van Vleet, who wants to tear down a stately old house and build a strip mall. But the house might be haunted, and members of the Abenaki tribe are claiming the land as a burial ground. While investigating the house, Ross meets Lia, a beautiful young woman who seems to share Ross' interest in the land. Ross is surprised to find himself falling for Lia, and his fixation on her leads him to a 70-year-old mystery. Ross, Shelby, and Eli Rochert, a police officer who has taken a shine to Shelby, uncover the murder of a young woman and its startling ties to eugenics experiments carried out in the 1930s by some of Vermont's most prominent citizens. Best-selling author Picoult mixes shocking fact and compelling fiction to produce a mesmerizing tale of love and second chances.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)

Starred review from March 17, 2003
It is August in Comtosook, Vt., yet suddenly the temperature fluctuates wildly, rose petals mysteriously fall like snow, patches of land are completely frozen and roiling garter snakes cover the ground. Suspense and the supernatural are artfully interwoven in this 10th novel by Picoult (Perfect Match, etc.), in which a man desperately seeks to join his fiancee in death, and a 1930s eugenics project comes back to haunt a small town in Vermont. Ever since his beloved Aimee was killed in a car accident, Ross Wakeman has deliberately put himself at risk, hoping to die. When nothing works, and a job with a paranormal investigator brings him no closer to Aimee, he moves in with his sister, Shelby, in Comtosook. As chance would have it, strange phenomena are plaguing the town, and Ross is drawn into an investigation of a piece of land that local Abenaki Indians claim is an old burial ground. In the process, he meets lovely Lia Beaumont, who has some mysterious connection to sinister goings-on 70 years before in Comtosook. Many more characters are essential to the elaborate, engrossing plot, including Spencer Pike, once a eugenics expert and now a tormented old man in a nursing home; Meredith Oliver, a genetic diagnostician with an uncanny resemblance to Lia Beaumont; and Ross's eight-year-old nephew, Ethan, who suffers from a condition that makes him allergic to sunlight. Picoult's ability to bring them all vividly to life is remarkable. Firmly rooting her otherworldly tale in everyday reality, she produces a spellbinding suspense novel offering insight into the human spirit and the depths of true love. (Apr.) Forecast: With this foray into the fantastic, Picoult proves there's little she can't do. National advertising and a 14-city author tour should help propel the book onto bestseller lists.

February 15, 2003
This intelligent novel gets off to a jerky start, with too many characters appearing in too rapid a succession. Suicidal widower Ross Wakeman might appear as the main character, although we also meet a 102-year-old Native American, an eight-year-old who may be communing with ghosts, and Ross's nephew, who suffers from XP, an ailment that makes sunlight lethal. The narrative revolves around the possibility of contacting the dead, but Ross, among others, can't seem to arrange a meeting with an actual ghost. Part 1 ends with a satisfying punch when an alluring specter finally materializes, while Part 2 offers a rollicking good ghoul story and whodunit. Finally, the characters coalesce into a coherent group, and the author throws in a nasty bit of Vermont history. Although readers might be frustrated with the opening, the book as a whole will make them glad they persevered. Picoult's memorable visual images and evocative language made Perfect Match a success, and Second Glance will be, too. Public libraries should acquire this multifaceted work. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/02.]-Diana McRae, Alameda Cty. Lib., San Lorenzo, CA

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.