I am now halfway through the novel "Change of Heart" by Jodi Picoult. The book is about a murderer named Shay Bourne, Shay was given a death sentence by court and he has been awaiting his sentence for eleven years. He was moved to a new part of the jail at the beginning of the story, this part is 1-tier (a place for the worst of the worst criminals) Shay is coming off as an almost Jesus like figure because miracles occur while he's there. It's really hard for me as the reader to accept this character because I can't bring myself to forgive him for murdering a seven year old girl and her father. This is the first book I've read where a guilty murderer has been portrayed as a "good guy" in a story.I think this a really hard topic to write on for three reasons: you have to get the reader to forgive the main character for the story to continue; the main character has never actually narrated in this story so far; the reader has so far heard nothing that would make them want to forgive the main character.
If you are someone like me- who can get so caught up in books that I'll cry if a character I'd grown attached to dies, flinch if something surprising happens, or laugh out loud if something really funny happens. Then you'll know that forgiveness is hard in real life and books. It's hard to forgive a character that murders a seven year old girl for apparently no reason and then her father. It's hard to forgive a crime that severe that seemed to be done for no purpose, especially when that family, the one he destroyed, had only been kind to him. There were pictures described at the beginning of the book that were of the girl and her father after they had been shot, there was evidence all around that Shay Bourne was guilty of killing these two innocent people. Hearing all of this at the beginning makes you develop an opinion for the character, and considering what you hear about its not a very good one. It can be hard to forgive one who is so obviously guilty.
Shay Bourne has never narrated. There has been lawyers, attorneys, the mother/wife of the victims, another imprisoned murderer, a nurse, but never not even once has Shay Bourne spoken for himself. The story is centered around a mystery man, the man behind the curtain, the one you hear about but never know exactly what is going on in his head. Most great stories include being able to connect with the main character, this is a great story but it doesn't really offer that. Shay is such a drastic character- he murders a little girl and then refuses to kill a fly and somehow brings a dead bird back to life. He murders two innocent people and then decides to donate his heart to the little sister of the girl he killed. After a while you just have to admit that you truly have no idea who Shay is and what he might do next.
The only reason Shay offers as to why he killed them was "She's better off dead". This was in reference to the little girl he killed, the seven year old, smart, beautiful, healthy, little girl who's life he ended. It is so difficult to understand this guys reasoning- he offers barely any explanation as to why he decided to kill but he never says anything about not being guilty. It's so confusing! you start to finally like the character and assume that there was a mistake and he's not so bad after all, and the he says something like "she's better off dead". It throws you off you're just left there hanging with you're hopes crushed and you realize that you have absolutely no idea who this guy is and why he did such a terrible thing.
A book where you have to work hard to imagine the main character not being guilty is a hard book to read. Jodi Picoult in general is great at writing books with a suspense like storyline. I'm still holding on to the idea that the crime was not entirely his fault. I'm still hoping that he'll say something unsuspected that reveals the true murderer. I'm still thinking that they're all wrong and there was a mistake. I'm still wishing that this guy wont die. Because, yeah he did something terrible, but he eventually begins to grow on you, you finally begin hoping that he'll be okay. Because I finally realized that a good book is not only those that make connect, but those that, in the end, can give you hope
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