Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
"When a father’s life hangs in the balance, which sibling should get to decide his fate?"
Lone Wolf is a story about Luke Warren; an animal conservationist who has spent most of his life around wolves. Observing pack behaviour, caring for them as a zoo keeper, and most notably living with a wild pack in Canada, for which he is famous. All this changes when Luke is in a car accident with his seventeen year old daughter Cara, and he is left comatose in a vegetative state. Doctors give a bleak prognosis, and the central debate lies around whether his daughter Cara, or son Edward, should decide whether or not the hospital end his life support.
Cara has lived with Luke since he separated from her mother, and they are inseparable. Edward on the other hand has lived in Thailand for the last five years, after leaving following a mysterious argument with his father. Cara wants to keep his life support going, and Edward wants to end it. It seems pretty straightforward who would best know their fathers' wishes, right? Well it's not that simple; Cara is only seventeen and isn't legally allowed to make that decision, Edward has written proof of his father's wishes in such an event, doctors cannot say Luke that will never wake up, and Cara has significant evidence of similar cases with a happy ending.
As ever, Jodi Picoult presents you with an impossible dilemma - is life worth living in a completely vegetative state, and who should make that call? Twists and turns aplenty, fascinating insights into wolf pack behaviour and complex characters; this is an enjoyable read. I have to say it's not my favourite Jodi Picoult novel (I also have to admit I often find her books repetitive and dull in places), but it's a good read nonetheless. If you like books which make you think about 'moral' codes and ethical decisions, Jodi Picoult novels can be a good place to start. I say start, as I'm still to be convinced about many of her books!
Have you read Lone Wolf? Do you share my Jodi Picoult woes?
Must admit I really dislike Jodi Picoult's style of writing, it's so annoying. It sounds like an interesting plot, and handled by another author could be good, but I just know I'd hate her way of writing!
ReplyDeleteI actually quite like Jodi Picoult books - I agree that they are repetitive and all follow the same formula, but I find myself hooked nevertheless!
ReplyDeleteI have this on my kindle and is one of my next must reads
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