Jodi Picoult's newest novel, Change of Heart, has topped both the New York Times hardcover and paperback best-seller lists for weeks, and received rave reviews. Change of Heart is being dubbed one of Picoult's best books yet, but I disagree.

While I am a die-hard fan, I feel that Change of Heart is ­extremely dragged out. Like most of her novels, it is narrated by a number of characters, each personally connecting with the reader in a way that forces you to empathize.

Eleven years earlier, Shay Bourne murdered June Nealon's husband and daughter and is sentenced to death. Fast-forward to the present, and June's other daughter is growing up with severe heart problems. The story focuses on Shay's decision to donate his heart to June's daughter ­after he's put to death. The only problem: lethal injection stops the heart.

Change of Heart follows a series of events surrounding June and Shay that ­focus on ­religion and the law. While the plot is exciting and intense, 464 pages are far too many to tell this story. Picoult includes an enormous amount of detail, but unfortunately I feel this leaves the reader uninterested.

In conclusion, this book might be better for a first-time Picoult reader. The story is ­decent but follows the same route as all her other books: you think you have it all figured out but then there's a twist at the end. I give it two and a half out of five stars.