A lovely short story about two young girls from different worlds who are childhood friends. One is the child of the lady of the house the other is the daughter of the housekeeper and black. When they both get sent off to the same prestigious school their friendship is tested and their differences become more obvious than they could ever have expected and Ruth starts to learn that life doesn’t treat people fairly. A great short story about how the world can see colour even if we all hope it wouldn’t.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publishers, for the opportunity to listen to this. Jodi Picoult is an author I always enjoy reading, and Shine is a small yet powerful glimpse into the world of a young Black girl navigating a new, elite school. As she begins to see how being different can place you outside the invisible circle of acceptance, the story quietly builds into a poignant reflection of identity and belonging. Just when you think she might retreat into her shell, her mother’s actions push her to shine—because she deserves to, just like anyone else. A short, moving story that leaves a mark.

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

Shine
Jodi Picoult

🌟🌟🌟🌟

As you know, I never read blurbs and always try to go into books totally blind - so it was a little bit of a shock to see just how short this book was (especially for a Jodi P book!)

However, this story is actually a prequel to Small Great Things and introduces us to some of the main characters in that novel (I think....I haven't read SGT yet)

This was a super quick read at only 40 pages - but as expected - the author manages to pack so much into this that I already feel connected to the characters and feel invested in their stories.

We meet Ruth, who is heading for her first day attending the Dalton school - this prestigious school for the rich and famous is so far from her Harlem upbringing and she soon discovers that it's going to be harder to fit in than she'd expected.

Being the only black girl in the whole school this book deals with the issues and prejudices of not only the other children, but the adults there too.

It was really interesting to see how the relationship between Ruth and Christina changed between home and school and really made me think about how peer pressure affects not only the person being singled out, but also the person being pressured.

Even in this short read, the author manages to evoke feelings and emotions and also gives us pause to think about our own actions and how the things we say and do can affect others.

A great little read and it has piqued my interest in reading on to Small Great Things to hear more about Ruth and how her story plays out over time.

Unfortunately I felt that this book was too short to really get into and enjoy and the ending felt quite abrupt. Shame because I usually adore Jodi’s books

Jodi Picoult always manages to capture the importance of raising conversations around important subjects that can be hard for us all to truly sit down and discuss and during Shine I felt so unbelievably seen and understood and it made me realise just how much I also haven't had these important conversations. The story follows Ruth who has just started her first day in third grade at Dalton, a prestigious institution on the upper east side of New York. After previously attending a school in Harlem Ruth is able to pin point the differences quickly and despite being the smartest kid in her class Ruth begins to feel different and isolated and comes to the conclusion that her classmates and teachers may only see her as a dark skin girl in their class. She notices the girl she thought was her friend treats her differently around the popular girls and while hurting and not understanding what and why things are happening to her Ruth tries to stay strong and hope that one day she will be seen for who she really is.

I first want to talk about the audio for this book. Shine was narrated by Rachel Handshaw and I thoroughly enjoyed her narration style. I was able to distinguish between each character with the changes in voices in accents and despite speaking for a young child character I could still pick up on the innocents and youth and it did honestly feel as though I was listening to the internal thoughts of a child. I felt as though the emotion was picked up well through signs and the overall delivery of the speech. There was obviously a lot to this narration considering this was an immersive listening experience. The background noises, music, sounds of the kids in the background, traffic sounds really did bring this story to life and put me as a reader/listner truly in the book. I found it didn't take away from the writing but instead added to it. The writing was full of such important messages and emotions and the immersive listening experience added to those emotions and made everything seem so real.

The story itself really did feel personal to me. As a woman of colour I remember these experiences, those feelings, the embarrassment and confusion and self discovery with hard life lessons along the way. Now, this book did focus heavily on race and realising your differences and how you are treated differently as a child from a child's prospective based on race however, there was also a brilliant focus on class and wealth privilege too. Ruth was really learning about her place in life right now, understanding herself and where she comes from and how some in the world perceive her. I felt her innocence and desire to feel apart of something and it truly touched me to read this.

I would highly recommend this book for all kinds of readers and its one I know I would come back to and re read.

Small Great Things is one of my favourite books by Jodi Picoult which I read a couple of years ago so naturally I gave in when I realised an opportunity was available to read and review the prequel, Shine. In Small Great Things, Picoult explores racism and the impact from the perspective of three characters from very different walks of life, including Ruth who is introduced to us as a middle aged African American nurse who grew up in Harlem. Shine is a short novella, a glimpse into Ruth's childhood as an 8 year old who experiences early racism and microaggressions when attending an elite Manhattan school on scholarship. Although an interesting concept, I wasn't thrilled by the delivery. It felt almost descriptive, scratching the surface when establishing a POV (query the credibility of a white author talking about the experiences of racism suffered by an 8 year old black girl) and for anyone who has read Small Great Things, you cannot help the comparison and sadly this one fell short in terms of impact, personally. I'm glad I read Small Great Things first, there is alot more scope to flesh out the characters and plot and dealing with a complicated topic with the sensitivity and pause that it requires. I know some readers have rated Shine highly and I hope it means they will read both books because Small Great Things showcases Picoult's finest writing. Thank you Bolinda Audio and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest unedited review.

very short book centred around two school girls, one white one black. How they are perceived in the classroom and how their upbringing influences their own opinions on what is right and wrong. Set in 1970's USA a different generation came to terms with equality and what it meant to them. Not sure why it is a very short book, could have done with some more depth or coming of age maturity to give a sense of purpose and closure. Perhaps there is none? Thank you #NetGalley for the audio book to read and review.

Shine is a prequel to Small Great Things, the 22nd full length novel by American author, Jodi Picoult. The audio version is narrated by Rachel Handshaw. Eight-and-a-half year-old Ruth Brooks has just started at a new school. She loves learning, especially about the stars. She’s the only black girl at the prestigious Dalton School; she’s there on a scholarship, and she’s smart. But even though no one is openly racist, it’s still there.

Ruth’s mother, Lou works for Ms Mina, and Ruth’s best friend is Mina’s daughter, Christina. But at school, Christina is different. Ruth isn’t included. Her teacher, Ms Thomas is always kind and inspiring; her classmates are not; her older sister Rachel opens her eyes to reality; her Mama is fiercely supportive. An excellent taste of Small Great Things.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Bolinda Audio

Shine may be short but it’s full of impact. The author is able to cover themes of race and privilege in such few words masterfully. The audiobook was such a great listen, I felt immersed and emotional. The story also looks at young friendships and belonging in such a sweet way. The characters all felt very age appropriate and I couldn’t help feel for them. Definitely worth a listen.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Not sure about this little novella. It’s a short prequel to Small Great Things but to me it could be classified as an 8 to 12 read.
It’s 1979 and Ruth has been enrolled in 3rd grade at a prestigious school in NYC, it’s a far cry from her previous school in Harlem. It’s the same school that Christine attends, Christine being the daughter of the family that Ruth’s mother works for. Although very bright, possibly the brightest in her class, the children can’t seem to see past her brown skin. Ruth also quickly finds out that the fun loving friend she has at home treats her differently at school.
Once again Jodi shines her light on prejudice and how one small child must forge her own path to become the person she wants to be.

#Shine. #NetGalley

Love this author and most books she writes. This is a prequel to Small Great Things but it’s a re-release from 9 years ago. Short story, about an hour listen and the narrator does a great job telling the story. Highly recommend this series.

I had read Small Great Things a few years back and enjoyed it despite its difficult content. This is a prequel where we see young Ruth in the late 70s and what she experienced and felt as a black girl in a very white school, as well as her family dynamics with a mother who worked for the family of one of her classmates. Difficult, sad and insightful, this sets up the other book nicely and is a great addition if you’ve already read it.

Production wise, this was exceptional. Rachel Handshaw gives a heartfelt performance and executed the various voices very well and very distinctly. The sound effects really added to the story, creating a very immersive experience from the point of view of a child, without being gimmicky or cheesy. Overall, I definitely recommend!

Thank you to Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook for review; all opinions are my own.

Shine, written by Jodi Picoult, is a short story prequel to Small Great Things, a book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The book starts alongside Ruth, attending her first day at Dalton, a school to which she has earned a scholarship. It’s not just her intellect which makes Ruth stand out from her fellow students, but the colour of her skin.

Shine gives the reader a small window in to Ruth’s formative years. It shows us the daily issues she and her family faced. The casual racism, and far more blatant, shocking words.
It also gives a hint of the challenge ahead, one she will face in her vocation; and that is the story found in Small Great Things.

It’s been many years since I read Small Great Things but moments from that book have never left my mind. It was good to be reunited with those characters, particularly Ruth and her mother. This short story provides a useful insight into Ruth’s childhood as well as the first experiences of racism she endured. I don’t know if I was a fan of the sound effects thought. They were jarring rather than complementary and were more likely to disengage me from the book than enhance my listening experience. I thought the narration was good though.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a chance to review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

🎧3.5-3.75⭐️

I had this short story which is a prequel to Small Great Things set in 1979 read by Rachel Handshaw. It has sound effects which I’m not over keen on. I enjoyed the narrator, but felt that her voice was too old for an eight and half year old girl.

This is Ruth’s story when she goes to a prestigious school which Christina attends. Ruth’s mom works for the family.
Ruth and Christina play in the house but things are different at school where Ruth is very conscious of her skin colour and being different.

I was interested in this after listening to Small Great Things, but I don’t feel it really adds much to understanding Ruth’s character. I enjoyed the quick easy listen.
Generally I’m not a fan of short stories and wouldn’t use a credit for it, but would listen if included in the audible catalogue.

I didn’t realise when I requested that this is a rerelease of an old short story. The narration is good and this is a story about a young black girl who feels like she doesn’t fit in at school. It’s a pleasant enough listen but far too short and feels incomplete.

I was just about to begin Small Great Things from my audible library when I noticed this prequel was available to download from NetGalley, so naturally I had to listen to it first. Short, punchy and emotional, I’m now looking forward to the main event even more. I assume I’m about to meet adult Ruth, with the knowledge of how early in her life she had to deal with racism.

Great production, lovely narration.

Huge thanks to Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧