Book Review: Where There's Smoke by Jodi Picoult

Serenity Jones has always known she can reach the other side. Even as a child her incredible psychic ability set her apart from the everyone else. And it has served her well. Now as a famous medium with her own TV talk show (think Oprah but with messages from dead loved ones) she has the world at her feet. But her quest for fame and fortune is at the expense of her psychic instincts and after a reading goes wrong she tries to recover her reputation but when this backfires her world quickly unravels on live TV.

This is my first foray into Jodi Picoult and whilst it isn't my usual genre this short story ebook introduces the character of Serenity Jones. I had a vested interest in getting to know Serenity as she is one of the protagonists in Picoult's novel Leaving Time which I received as a gift ages ago.

I don't want to give away too much of the storyline as it is a very short story, but I was so impressed how Picoult's characters sprung to life in just a few pages. Her style is beautiful and the story unravels seamlessly. Serenity's two spirit guides Desmond and Lucinda are funny and unpredictable while Serenity herself is very cocky and sure of herself. But this story is a refection on the negative influence of celebrity culture and how it can corrupt and distort our morals. Very relevant to the world we live in today.

​Make sure you read this very short novella before you read Leaving Time as it really gives you a much better insight into Serenity's character and will help make the ending of Leaving Time so much more poignant.  But the ending is very, very abrupt so have Leaving Time on hand to continue the story!

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