Set in Comtosook, Vt., Jodi Picoult’s 2003 novel “Second Glance” focuses on an Abenaki land space that is to be turned into a shopping mall. If the Abenaki (a Native American tribe) can prove that one of their ancestors was buried on the land, it cannot be built on.

Ghost hunter Ross Wakeman arrives in the town and begins to investigate potential paranormal activities occurring in the area. Along the way, he uncovers a decades-old unsolved murder from the 1930s, and he learns that all is not as it seems with the details about the case.

Similarly to other Picoult books, the book flashes back and forth between different time frames, in this case, the 1930s and 2003. Like Picoult’s other books that flash back and forth between the past and present of the novel, this adds flavor to the plot line that keeps the reader going.

Like in her other books, Picoult keeps the reader guessing as the story flows. The plot of the novel seems to be all over the place, but like in her other novels, everything comes together in the end. 

Not only is the plot unique, but the characters play their part in keeping the book interesting. A handful of characters’ true identities are not explicitly revealed right away—their motives, and their true selves, are revealed in the climax of the story.

What makes “Second Glance” unique is its question about the value of love across time. The underlying question of the book is “Do we love across time, or in spite of it?” While the book does not provide a solid answer, it gives answers to both sides of the question, and makes the reader think as the story goes on.

For those interested in a love story that isn’t so “la de da,” read “Second Glance.” The book will show readers how people can love across time, and the consequences of loving one that you can’t have, no matter how hard you try.