Women's Health October 15, 2026 0 Comments

Unlock the Emotional Powerhouse: The 5 Jodi Picoult Books Every Goodreads Reader Can’t Stop Talking About!

Over the past three decades, Jodi Picoult has crafted 30 novels that don’t just entertain—they reach deep into the very heart of today’s most pressing issues. With over 6 million Goodreads ratings under her belt, you might wonder: which of her stories strike the strongest chord with readers, and what keeps us glued to her pages? Is it her uncanny ability to marry emotional depth with gripping plots? Or perhaps the way she tackles complex themes with such humanity that you can’t help but feel every twist and turn? Buckle up, because we’re diving into the top five Jodi Picoult books that fans can’t get enough of—and trust me, they’re anything but your average read. Ready to uncover what makes these tales so unforgettable? LEARN MORE

Jodi Picoult has published 30 books in the last 30 years, and in that time, she has amassed quite a following. Her emotional novels shine a light on modern-day issues, and they have received more than 6 million ratings on Goodreads. But which of her books received the highest scores? And why do readers find the books so captivating? Below, we reveal the top five Jodi Picoult books according to Goodreads fans and reveal what readers love about them.

‘Hollow Bones’ – 4.46 average rating

Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult - Ballantine Books — Ballantine Books

Picoult’s most recent novel was published last month and it has already received more than 300,000 ratings on Goodreads. The plot follows Molly Fitzgerald, a young woman who lost her mother in the devastating 9/11 attacks when she was 2 months old. She now works at the Rhode Island Department for Emergency Preparedness and is married to a man named Jesse—who was featured in Picoult’s novel My Sister’s Keeper (more on that story, below). When a bit of unexpected news upends their entire lives, Molly is forced to reexamine everything she thought she knew about herself and her family. A moving, gripping tale.

What Goodreads users are saying: “What I loved most about this story is how it balances massive emotional themes with intimate character moments. Trauma, motherhood, marriage, grief, identity, fear of losing people you love—it’s all here, tangled together in the messiest, most human way possible. Some scenes genuinely hurt to read because they felt too real, too raw, too recognizable. There were moments I had to stop reading for a second just to emotionally recover before diving back in. And yet I could not stop turning the pages.”

‘Small Great Things’ – 4.36 average rating

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult - Ballantine Books — Ballantine Books

In 2016, Picoult published this novel, which has since garnered more than 400,000 ratings on Goodreads. The plot begins when hospital nurse Ruth Jefferson checks on a newborn baby in her unit only to learn that she’s been reassigned to a different patient after the baby’s parents are revealed to be white supremacists who don’t want Ruth, who is Black, taking care of their child. Soon after, the baby goes into cardiac distress and Ruth debates whether or not to go against the parents’ wishes and perform CPR. When she finds herself charged with second-degree murder, she is forced to reexamine everything she thought she knew about humanity, the medical field and the law.

What Goodreads users are saying: “It is a very emotional and powerful story. Although it is a fictional story I feel it is so important and everyone should read this and listen to the message carefully! This story stirred so many emotions inside me. It was heartbreaking, frustrating, maddening and sad. There were parts that made me cringe but most of all it has left me feeling hopeful. I highly recommend it to everyone. I enjoyed the author’s note at the end that went into detail on why she wrote the book and what she hoped to accomplish.”

‘The Storyteller’ – 4.30 average rating

Published in 2013, this dual-timeline tale has more than 200,000 ratings on Goodreads. In modern day, Sage Singer, a baker, joins a support group to overcome the grief she’s experiencing from her mother’s death. There she meets a 95-year-old man named Josef Weber, who asks if Sage is willing to listen to him discuss his past and then eventually help him end his life. She reluctantly agrees and is soon transported back to World War II, where Josef worked as a Nazi SS guard at Auschwitz, something he has kept a secret for decades. A beautiful historical fiction tale that will leave readers guessing.

What Goodreads users are saying: “This was an amazing read…you will not be able to put this book down until the ending.It is a highly emotional read that deals straight on with concepts of the consequences of Good versus Evil, justice and punishment, forgiveness or hatred, all centering around the topic of the holocaust and genocide. Jodi Picoult weaves an unforgettable story based on historical facts and memorable characters that will keep you thinking long after you finish reading the novel.”

‘Nineteen Minutes’ – 4.18 average rating

Nineteen Minutes - Emily Bestler Books — Emily Bestler Books

Picoult wrote this novel in 2007 and it has since received more than 400,000 ratings on Goodreads and has also become one of the most banned books in America. One day, Peter Houghton opens fire on a school in New Hampshire. Josie Cormier is one of the victims of the shooting and is supposed to be the key witness, but she claims she cannot remember what happened. Meanwhile, Josie’s mother Alex is the superior court judge assigned to the case, since she’s the one of the few in the small county, and the case hits close to home for her in more ways than one. This novel is devastating and hard to read at points, but it’s also timely and gripping—and a beautiful tale of friendship, love and family relationships.

What Goodreads users are saying: “Nineteen Minutes ends with stunning results. We think we know exactly what happened, but as the story progresses and we delve deeper into various characters’ psyche we begin to realize everything is not what it seems. I don’t want to spoil anything, but if you’re like me you’ll begin to suspect things earlier on. I’d say more, but sometimes I just have to let the book speak for itself. It’s such an amazingly sensitive story, to critique it too much might skew your own opinion going into it. The writing is beautiful, the characters complex and real. That’s all I’m going to say, I think you need to find the rest out for yourself.”

‘My Sister’s Keeper’ – 4.11 average rating

With more than 1 million ratings on Goodreads, this 2004 novel—which was made into a movie starring Cameron Diaz and Alec Baldwin—has become one of Picoult’s most famous. At just 13 years old, Anna has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions and medical procedures to help her older sister Kate with her leukemia battle. One day, Anna has had enough of it and decides to sue her parents for the rights to her own body, which causes the family to explode. What follows is a devastating legal battle that tears apart a family and raises the question: how far would you go to help your sister?

What Goodreads users are saying: “This book was incredible! Devastating though for sure! There are really no words to describe how moving and engrossing this story is. You can see both sides of the debate but at the same time it is so hard to choose which is the better side compared to the ethical side and possibly even realistic. My quick and simple overall is just one word for this book: AMAZING!”

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