Fans of bestselling author and Hanover resident Jodi Picoult will relish racing through the pages of the author's latest book, "Lone Wolf," but they also might find themselves underwhelmed by the plotline. Released in February, "Lone Wolf" chronicles the story of a wolf biologist named Luke from Beresford, N.H., who becomes braindead after he is in a car accident with his daughter Cara. Much of the novel surrounds the way in which Luke's family his ex-wife Georgie, his estranged son Edward and Cara deals with the agonizing dilemma of whether or not to take Luke off life support.
In "Lone Wolf," Picoult, famed author of "My Sister's Keeper" and 17 other bestselling novels, showcases her unparalleled talent for researching her book's subject. In her chapters about Luke's obsession with wolf packs, she includes detailed biological and zoological information about wild animal life, including how Luke lived and traveled with wolf packs, cared for their young and even ate animal carcasses with them. In her descriptions of Luke's vegetative state, Picoult uses complex medical terms and highlights past life support cases. In her illustrations of Edward's life in Thailand, after he runs away from home, she delves into the nuances of Thai language, geography and cultural patterns.
Readers can picture how Picoult, who releases a new novel each winter, carefully crafts each narrative in a thorough process of meticulous research. It is this deliberate attention to detail that that has earned Picoult admiration from readers and respect from critics. Her ability to truly transport her readers into the world of the novel shines through in "Lone Wolf."
Picoult also infuses details of her New Hampshire homeland into the story. From her mention of N.H. Gov.John Lynch to Edward's quip about how "the cellular service in Nowhere, Thailand is still better than in the White Mountains, New Hampshire" and how "the tallest building here is three stories," Picoult grounds her story in an authentic setting familiar to her loyal readers.
The strikingly flat characters in "Lone Wolf" also come as a surprise to Picoult readers. Throughout much of the novel, Cara appears as a bratty teenager singularly obsessed with antagonizing her brother and other family members. Luke's affair with a graduate student was conspicuously uninteresting, especially when contrasted with the captivating, fact-laden passages about his love of wolves. That Luke's affair was what propelled Edward to angrily go to Thailand at age 18 and Edward's sudden decision to return home to New Hampshire forever is exaggerated and unrealistic.
The lack of a truly intricate plotline, the disappointing conclusion and flat characters lead "Lone Wolf" to pale in comparison to other Picoult novels such as "Salem Falls," "Plain Truth" and "Sing You Home." One must wonder if Picoult was distracted by the other project she has in the works this year: Her first young adult novel, "Between the Lines," which she co-wrote with her daughter, Samantha van Leer, is to be released in June. Yet, Picoult's ability to craft gorgeous prose and riveting courtroom drama no doubt strengthens "Lone Wolf." Although encased in a predictable plotline with unimpressive and overly sentimental ending, "Lone Wolf" still exhibits Picoult's unmatched gift for detail and talent at creating an engaging page-turner.
