Goodreads | My Sister's Keeper

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Hearts of Iron	1	40	07/01/2008 01:46PM
JODI PICOULT ASKS US A FAVOR!!	32	614	16 days ago, 08:13AM
Why did Sara and Brian really have Anna?	18	201	08/05/2008 01:52PM

Lindsay rated it:

(review of isbn 0743454537)

03/17/08

bookshelves: misc

recommends it for: Jodi Picoult fans, chick lit fans

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Have you ever read a book that really pissed you off? Pissed you off so much all you could do was rant about it until everyone told you to just shut up? This is that book for me.
Picoult's dialogue is excellent, but her characters annoy me and the ending of this book was such a cop-out I almost wrote her an angry letter about it, but decided against it, as she'd never read it anyway.
Basically, "My Sister's Keeper" is about a family with three kids - I forget their real names, so I...more Have you ever read a book that really pissed you off? Pissed you off so much all you could do was rant about it until everyone told you to just shut up? This is that book for me.
Picoult's dialogue is excellent, but her characters annoy me and the ending of this book was such a cop-out I almost wrote her an angry letter about it, but decided against it, as she'd never read it anyway.
Basically, "My Sister's Keeper" is about a family with three kids - I forget their real names, so I'm giving them fake ones: Token Boy Child, Leukemia, and Spare Parts. Mom and Dad find out about Leukemia's unfortunate diagnosis when she's just two, so they decide to have another baby - not to replace Leukemia when she inevitably bites it, but to provide Leukemia with spare parts for organ transplants. Spare Parts gets tired of being held back by her sister's needs - and in turn, Leukemia gets tired of holding her sister back; Spare Parts isn't allowed to go to overnight camp and is being forced to quit playing her favorite sport because Leukemia needs a new kidney. Spare Parts goes to a lawyer in an attempt to get medical emancipation from her parents. She winds up winning it, but dies in a car crash. Mom pulls the plug immediately, Leukemia gets a new kidney, and - even better - Leukemia is magically cured of her illness altogether. Also, there was a stupid subplot about the lawyer and social worker falling in love.
The mother character annoyed me the most here; she didn't love her daughters equally, and it showed. It really showed. She loved Leukemia the way you love a child. She loved Spare Parts the way you love that child's trust fund or college savings. She played favorites and made no attempt to hide it.
This whole book infuriated me - the very idea of having another kid just so your sick child can have her own personal organ bank sickens me. It really does. You're supposed to have a child because you will love that child, not to fill the needs of another child....less

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Nola rated it:

(review of isbn 0743454537)

04/09/08

bookshelves: fiction---drama

Read in April, 2008

recommends it for: parents, christians,

I hate novels where parenting is questioned, simply because I too often find myself thinking, “Well I would never do THAT.” I then have to do the whole knock-on-wood routine and hope that I didn’t just invite divine retribution for being too judgmental. So it was with Jodi Picoult’s novel My Sister’s Keeper. After reading the summary of the novel, I knew that I would never make the choices that the parents shown did. After reading the novel, I found myself questioning what I might rea...more I hate novels where parenting is questioned, simply because I too often find myself thinking, “Well I would never do THAT.” I then have to do the whole knock-on-wood routine and hope that I didn’t just invite divine retribution for being too judgmental. So it was with Jodi Picoult’s novel My Sister’s Keeper. After reading the summary of the novel, I knew that I would never make the choices that the parents shown did. After reading the novel, I found myself questioning what I might really do if my child was facing death.

In case you missed the summary, My Sister’s Keeper is the story of Anna, a thirteen year old girl genetically conceived to be a match for her leukemia-positive sister. Within minutes of her birth, she was a donor for Kate, sharing her cord blood to save her sister’s life. By the time she is thirteen, when the novel takes place, she has been in the hospital almost as much as Kate, donating things such as blood and bone marrow. After being asked to donate a kidney, she seeks legal emancipation from her parents. And so the story begins.

One of the things that bugged me was the chapter-by-chapter switch of the point of view. It was very well handled and, once I got past the irritation stage, I had to admit that it helped the story along. And so we skip through the minds of Anna, her lawyer, her court-appointed guardian ad litem, her brother, her father, and her mother – in short, everyone close to Anna except her sister. Each of these perspectives is given in the present, with the notable exception of her mother. Instead, we trace the mother’s path of learning that her daughter has leukemia, and what decisions led her (and Anna) to the current moment. This, too, was initially annoying, but proved well-chosen; I’m not sure the same impact would have been made if we simply had the mom looking back. It would have been far easier to judge her at that point than it was to see her experiencing her pain.

In fact, it was from Sara’s perspective that I learned the most, and that I questioned myself. If my young daughter, the light of my life, was threatened with death, how far would I go to save her? I don’t think that I honestly would have even thought up the idea of conceiving a child specifically for that purpose, but what do you do once the idea has been planted? Furthermore, it is clear that Sara loves and cherishes Anna, even as she worries incessantly over Katie. True, she neglects her, but she also neglects her son, who had been born prior to the diagnosis, turning most of her attention to her sick child. And though this also made me pass judgement, it also made me wonder – would I be able to balance my attention on all my children if one were struggling through a life-long illness? How easy would it be to make small decisions that hurt the others to save the one?

In short, I hated this well-written, well-developed, well-plotted book because it made me think. The moral and religious side of me rejects the notion of a test-tube baby conceived for a specific purpose, but the mother in me wonders. If my child were starving, how easy would it be to remain true to my moral perspectives and not steal (assuming, of course, the government weren’t around to save me)? If someone threatened my child, how far would I go to protect them? In short, when it comes down to crunch time, how true would I stay?

To fall asleep, I have to assure myself that I would, of course, be perfect in all things. And then knock soundly on the nearest wood, and pray I never have to find out.
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Lisa rated it:

(review of isbn 0743454537)

06/08/07

Read in May, 2007

As I said before: I'm still reading this book but I'm not sure why. My mom lent me the book and she loved it, everyone tells me they loved it and I'm sort of hating it while I read. I just want to finish it and move on. Maybe I'll change my tune when it's over.

Well... I hate it less, but I'm still not in love with it. I think I know the problem, though. It's Jodi Picoult. My mom loves her, my sister loves her, everyone I know loves her and I can't stand her. She just writes in ...more

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Leila rated it:

(review of isbn 0743454537)

01/04/08

Read in December, 2007

It’s impossible to talk about this book without discussing the ending but I promise to give warning before I do so it won't be spoiled for those who haven't read the book yet.

I had two main concerns going into this book. The first was that it would be nothing more than a political commentary on stem cell and embryo research. While it does touch on these issues, the book does not take a stand or attempt to pontificate a political stance to the reader. While I am sure the author has her ow...more It’s impossible to talk about this book without discussing the ending but I promise to give warning before I do so it won't be spoiled for those who haven't read the book yet.

I had two main concerns going into this book. The first was that it would be nothing more than a political commentary on stem cell and embryo research. While it does touch on these issues, the book does not take a stand or attempt to pontificate a political stance to the reader. While I am sure the author has her own beliefs, she does an excellent job of not pushing them through the story of this family. Ultimately, that there is no “winning” scenario.

The second concern that I had was that the story would not be believable. I couldn’t help but ask myself how a mother could possibly love one daughter so much that she would give up any semblance of a life to be by her side at all times, yet completely disregard the life of her other daughter; born specifically to save the first daughter. This seemed beyond belief to me, and this disbelief would surly make it difficult to develop a connection to the characters. The first few chapters were a little difficult due to this initial impression of the situation. Then the author uses a prior time line, starting with the discovery of leukemia in her 2-year-old daughter that intermingles with the current time line to help with the character and plot development. This alternate time line, combined with memories described by the characters in the current time line lead to a very compelling and believable train of events that lead up to the decision.

The story is also told from the view point of the 6 people who are closely involved in the court case; Anna, Kate, their mother, their father, their brother, the attorney, the court appointed guardian ad-litum. The different view points also help the ready understand the complexities in the situation as all of the characters struggle internally with what the right decision is. This also helps to understand the mothers motives, which on the surface can seem selfish and even cruel.

The only complaint I have about the characters is that there are certain characteristics that are the same for all of the characters. It smacks you in the face at times and reminds you that this is just a story and that is unfortunate. The main instance of this is the dry, cynical, sarcastic sense of humor that is shared, not only by every main character, but even by the extras. The sister relationships (there are 3 of them) also show too many similarities.

**SLIGHT SPOILER**

The biggest complaint I have about this book is the ending. After such a believable start and such great plot development, the ending comes completely out of left field. It serves as nothing more than a way for the author to avoid having to make a decision regarding the girl’s life. I sincerely hope that the ending was not the original but was forced on the author by the publisher. There are more than 3 endings that could have made this a 5 star book; the one published was not one of them.

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Kate rated it:

(review of isbn 0743454537)

04/25/08

bookshelves: 01-regular-fiction

Read in April, 2008

*reviewer note: I discuss in some detail my issues with this novel, although I do not give away any relevant events that transpire in the novel.*

Anna was born to save her sister. She was created as a perfect genetic match in order to become a perfect donor match for her sister, Kate, who has been battling leukemia since nearly infancy. Anna is now 13, and after several proceedures and operations for donation to her sister and a kidney donation for her sister now on the horizon, she is tire...more *reviewer note: I discuss in some detail my issues with this novel, although I do not give away any relevant events that transpire in the novel.*

Anna was born to save her sister. She was created as a perfect genetic match in order to become a perfect donor match for her sister, Kate, who has been battling leukemia since nearly infancy. Anna is now 13, and after several proceedures and operations for donation to her sister and a kidney donation for her sister now on the horizon, she is tired of feeling like she has no choice in any medical decisions that affect her. She has decided to sue her parents for medical emancipation in order to gain control over what happens to her body. What comes next threatens to tear her family apart.

My Sister's Keeper was not afraid to investigate moral and ethical issues that arise from continuing science and medical research. The way the novel handled the difference between ethics and morality was its strength.

Unfortunately, there were too many detractions for me that led to my disappointment rather than my enjoyment of the novel.

First, I felt that the strong language the novel was peppered with was completely unnecessary. I do not buy into the belief that even 13 year old children use such profanity as the author of this novel suggests. There are circumstances that stretch our limits, but the use of profanity is a weak way to demonstrate how severly tried a character is. Instead what came to mind as I read this book is a quote I heard many years ago: 'profanity is a weak mind trying to express itself forcefully'. I do not think that any author wants to think that her words, her work, her novel is weak, but when she uses such language in *all* her characters at one point or another, it only makes her writing come across as feeble.

Second, many of the characters were beautifully written, full of life and feeling, even if I did not like them. The strength of this story is what was concentrated around the events of Anna and her family. Unfortunately, the author widened the story-telling to involve the personal lives of Anna's attorney and the guardian ad litem assigned to her. And coincidentally, these two characters have a past relationship, which the reader is then forced to relive through these character's angsty and self-pitying memories. These characters' flat, cliche, and stereotypical past has no direct bearing on Anna's situation and only serves as a tangent to the main story, a tangent I could have done without.

Finally, the ending was more than a disappointment. Without going into detail, I felt it betrayed the spirit of what this novel was trying to present in regards to the ethical and moral medical decisions that these characters had to make.

This story could have been so much more; it had the potential to be so much more. The concept was original and timely, but the delivery fell short. Not recommended....less

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Sammy rated it:

(review of isbn 0743454537)

06/13/07

bookshelves: the-best

Read in January, 2005

This book was stunning. In writing, in style, in plot, in character! It truly is one of those books that you really can't stop reading. Especially for me, because in a way it took me back to my Lurlene McDaniel days. Did anyone ever read her? She was always writing books about different teenagers and young children with terminal illnesses. I was addicted to those books. So it was no surprise when the young reader in me sort of jumped up when I saw a friend of mine reading this book and she descr...more This book was stunning. In writing, in style, in plot, in character! It truly is one of those books that you really can't stop reading. Especially for me, because in a way it took me back to my Lurlene McDaniel days. Did anyone ever read her? She was always writing books about different teenagers and young children with terminal illnesses. I was addicted to those books. So it was no surprise when the young reader in me sort of jumped up when I saw a friend of mine reading this book and she described it to me.

Boy was it a book well chosen. Picoult writes from the views of a few different key characters, allowing the reader to get an extremely well-rounded look at the story. At first the jumping from character to character is a little jarring and you have to keep reminding yourself that it's a new character, but eventually you get into the vibe of the book and wouldn't have it written any other way. The one thing Picoult does perfectly is make you torn. You really don't know who to support in a case like this. At times you find yourself leaning towards Anna, and other times wanting desperately to shout your support for Sara, the poor mother in this situation.

With the readers information of other characters points of views and knowledge, the whole case is a lot more difficult to have a desired verdict towards. In the end a decision is made, a decision that, while reading the book, I was constantly wondering what Picoult was going to do, because either way one fully supported side was going to lose. But the way she really ends the book puts results to rest in a solid, yet emotionally unsatisfying ending. The ending it by no means bad, quite the contrary it was beautiful and settling, but at the same time you don't know whether to be relieved that there was an extremely closed ending without debate, or to cry. I won't tell you why, and I may have said too much already. But this book is just incredible and I highly advise you try to read it as soon as possible....less

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Lobeck rated it:

(review of isbn 0743454529)

06/30/07

bookshelves: eating-toe-jam-is-better-than-this

Read in May, 2007

recommends it for: people who like trash pop fiction

this book is a shameless and unskillful manipulation of human emotions. i felt dirty when i was done with it. the story is on par with cheap natural disaster movies like deep impact that are formulated to tug at your heartstrings in very predictable ways. the author painfully over uses the dramatic blackout technique where she writes a line that's trying too hard to be clever or profound and then fades to black - aka, leaves extra space before the next paragraph or ends a chapter - sometimes ...more

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Amy rated it:

(review of isbn 0743454537)

07/07/08

Read in July, 2008

This novel had moments when it just broke my heart, as well as other moments that were so cheesy I felt like I was reading a Hallmark card. Apart from the overuse of clichés, the fire and star metaphors got old, and I found myself skimming over those sections.

The ending was very powerful and nearly brought me to tears. However powerful it was, I was disappointed that Anna died; the entire novel was her struggle for the right to choose what she does with her body, but that power of decisio...more This novel had moments when it just broke my heart, as well as other moments that were so cheesy I felt like I was reading a Hallmark card. Apart from the overuse of clichés, the fire and star metaphors got old, and I found myself skimming over those sections.

The ending was very powerful and nearly brought me to tears. However powerful it was, I was disappointed that Anna died; the entire novel was her struggle for the right to choose what she does with her body, but that power of decision was ultimately taken out of her hands. The ending was perhaps a cheap attempt to neatly tie things together when in reality no good ending would have been possible. I would have instead liked to see Anna make a decision one way or another, and then for her as well as Sara to face whatever consequences came of that decision.

Other than the ending, the other most moving section of the novel was Kate’s brief romance with Taylor. Could it get much sadder?

I know there are mixed reviews on this, but I liked how the chapters alternated between the perspectives of different characters. This allowed the reader to really understand all sides of the controversy. I found myself at times sympathizing with Anna, while at other times thinking her selfish for even questioning the act of donating a kidney to her dying sister. Evoking these opposing feelings in the reader was probably Picoult’s main purpose of writing this book, and she did a good job of that. However, why Picoult did not include any chapter written from Kate’s perspective until the very end is a mystery to me. One would think that a book centered around a cancer patient would include chapters written by the patient herself, but I guess not.

Campbell with his sidekick dog Judge was the quirkiest and funniest character of the bunch, which definitely added some much-needed humor to a very depressing subject. However the whole subplot about his newly reinvigorated romance with guardian ad litem Julia was completely unnecessary, and bore no relation or relevance to main theme of the novel. I would even go so far as to say that Julia’s presence at all in the novel was more of a distraction than a necessity. And the whole section about Campbell as the popular rich jock who falls for the dorky outsider in high school? Gosh, I felt like I was reading The Breakfast Club. Another weakness I found with the novel was the wording of Anna’s perspective and dialogue. I know kids these days are smarter and more precocious than ever, but much of the dialogue and insight (and swears!) that came from 13-year-old Anna were not believable at all.

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Rebecca rated it:

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03/11/08

bookshelves: fiction

Read in March, 2008

recommends it for: anyone who enjoys controversial, depressing topics

I really don't know what to say about this book. Sometimes you read a book and it doesn't quite intrigue or move you in the way that it has for others. I give the book 3 stars for being original.

Anna was conceived artificially. Her sister, Kate, has leukemia and her type of leukemia is treated best if the donor is a family member. Since Jesse, a foul mouthed rebellious teenager, was not a match for Kate, the parents had another baby so they could use the baby's cord blood for Kate. Ov...more I really don't know what to say about this book. Sometimes you read a book and it doesn't quite intrigue or move you in the way that it has for others. I give the book 3 stars for being original.

Anna was conceived artificially. Her sister, Kate, has leukemia and her type of leukemia is treated best if the donor is a family member. Since Jesse, a foul mouthed rebellious teenager, was not a match for Kate, the parents had another baby so they could use the baby's cord blood for Kate. Over the years, Anna is repeatedly used to save her sister. When Anna reaches the age of 13, Kate is in need of a kidney and Anna apparently does not want to be the donor. I never believed for one minute that any young girl could handle watching her sister die. The descriptions of Kate being torn down by leukemia are heart breaking. It is exhausting just to read about what child cancer patients have to endure. That is why this book is not particularly fun to read. It is a heavy subject and not one I was running to finish. And at the end of the book, I rolled my eyes when the author, Ms. Picoult, chose to take an unrealistic, ridiculous turn with the book. It seemed like the incident happened for nothing but added drama. NO wonder this book is being made into a movie! How the book ended made the entire story take a dive for me.

Each chapter has a different person's view of the situation. The mother's voice progressively moves from past to present, which can be a bit confusing. I thought the book could've been more concise. I was often anxious instead of enthralled. I believe that the book had many good parts, which caused me to ponder. I think the book to be unique and interesting, but I would not read it again! I also was very upset at how the father overlooked the serious crimes of his son. He was sympathetic to his son for having to grow up being somewhat ignored because of his ill sister. Give me a break. Jesse's crimes were horrible and he should've had a consequence. I think it is a father's duty to teach his son morals. You aren't allowed to break the law simply because you had to be the lonely brother of a cancer stricken sibling! The point of adversity is to grow. One should always be accountable. I cannot imagine a harder situation for a family to endure, but that is where some faith and counseling could've really improved this family's life! The book would've been a lot better for me if the family ever found a way to properly deal with their grief. This book offers plenty of subjects to discuss for a book club!

And, on a side note, if swearing bothers you, the "f-bomb" is used repeatedly. ...less

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Marissa rated it:

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03/31/08

Read in March, 2008

recommends it for: Anyone unless you absolutely hate sad stories

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I read this book for the book club that I belong to.

I don't really know how to write a good book review, but I can say that this book is very well written. She ties the characters together really well, and you easily come to know them. The end is REALLY REALLY sad... I cried like crazy... but I still thought it was wonderful. I didn't find it predictable at all.

The book is about a 13 year old girl, Anna, who was genetically engineered to help her sister Kate who has been suffering fro...more I read this book for the book club that I belong to.

I don't really know how to write a good book review, but I can say that this book is very well written. She ties the characters together really well, and you easily come to know them. The end is REALLY REALLY sad... I cried like crazy... but I still thought it was wonderful. I didn't find it predictable at all.

The book is about a 13 year old girl, Anna, who was genetically engineered to help her sister Kate who has been suffering from a rare form of Leukemia. Although it is apparent that Anna was a well-loved girl in her family, everyone feels like their lives revolve around Kate. All decisions made in the family are based upon Kate's wellness. After numerous treatments, Kate's body is starting to fail her and she would need a kidney transplant to give her even a fighting chance to live longer. This is when Anna decides to sue her own parents for the right to make medical decisions on her own, and 'hires' Campbell to represent her. (He actually represents her for virtually free... partly selfish reasons in the beginning)

The lawyer, Campbell, owns a service dog and each time someone asks him what it's for (because he's not blind) he makes up some funny reason, and it keeps you wondering throughout the whole book what the real reason is. It was actually quite funny. I guess I could have figured it out if I thought really hard, but the answer ended up surprising me in the end.

One of the reasons I love this book is because it really illustrates the kind of love we can have for our sisters. Because my sisters are my best friends, I could really relate to the characters in the book. It was kind of funny because although Anna is suing for the right to her own body so she won't have to donate a kidney to her dying sister, the love she has for her sister is undeniable and you really wonder what her motives are. Toward the end I did start to figure it out, but not until I was about to find out the real reason she did it anyway. I was not surprised when I found out the real reason, only because by that time it is only obvious that Anna would do such a thing.

If there was anything I DIDN'T like about it it would be some of the language written in there. The F word is in there a few times, and that is my least favorite word in the English Language.

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Holli rated it:

(review of isbn 0743454537)

04/29/08

Read in September, 2004

Each chapter is told from a different character’s point of view and the tape had a different person reading each voice. Even though the action took place only over a few days, flashbacks were woven in so that you got a good idea of the entire history of this family. The author did a good job dealing with a difficult and complicated subject. Although there were times when I felt like the mother was “the bad guy,” I still felt for her and her difficult situation. In the end you realiz...more Each chapter is told from a different character’s point of view and the tape had a different person reading each voice. Even though the action took place only over a few days, flashbacks were woven in so that you got a good idea of the entire history of this family. The author did a good job dealing with a difficult and complicated subject. Although there were times when I felt like the mother was “the bad guy,” I still felt for her and her difficult situation. In the end you realize that everyone is doing the best they know how and there are no easy answers. I enjoyed the astronomy imagery that Picoult included in the novel, that along with the quotes that began each section, gave the story a poetic, lyrical feel. The only weakness in my opinion, was the character of Jesse, the older brother. His character was a little too predictable and I felt like she didn’t really finish his story.--HR

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her keen insights into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she tells the emotionally riveting story of a family torn apart by conflicting needs and a passionate love that triumphs over human weakness.
Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.
My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life, even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you? Once again, in My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult tackles a controversial real-life subject with grace, wisdom, and sensitivity.

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Sarah rated it:

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06/23/08

Read in May, 2008

recommends it for: Lisa, I think you might like this author.

I was curious about Jodi Picoult because she's a local author, relatively speaking, and quite prolific. She's known for building a story around a thorny moral dilemma, and this book is no exception. What happens when a child who was conceived (think: designer genes) specifically to be a donor of platelets, marrow, et al. for another seriously ill sibling decides she no longer wants to be a donor? What rights does she have, given that she's not 18? Does the possible benefit to one child legitimiz...more I was curious about Jodi Picoult because she's a local author, relatively speaking, and quite prolific. She's known for building a story around a thorny moral dilemma, and this book is no exception. What happens when a child who was conceived (think: designer genes) specifically to be a donor of platelets, marrow, et al. for another seriously ill sibling decides she no longer wants to be a donor? What rights does she have, given that she's not 18? Does the possible benefit to one child legitimize possible harm to another? And what about the right to die?

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I felt the story was flawed by various aspects of the story that just didn't ring true. For instance, the family members are basically all thoughtful, loving people who really want to do the right thing (OK, the son is messed up for a while, but he's really not a bad person either). Yet they seem not to be able to talk openly about the most crucial medical decisions. I can appreciate that when the stakes are so high, even a communicative family might not feel able to say what they really feel/fear. But the one person who could--the daughter with leukemia--is relatively silent. It just didn't make sense to me that she wouldn't have been more forthright, especially since she and her donor sister were so close.

Also, I found the subplot of the long-delayed romance between the patient advocate and the lawyer totally implausible. I have read the Picoult's books are geared to young adults, and this storyline certainly confirmed that for me. Only a very young person would find it believable that two people who broke up in high school would not have been able to move past that relationship in 15+ years, and would still carry a torch for the other. Plus the huge secret about the real reason for the lawyer's service dog is totally blown out of proportion. Maybe at 18 this guy didn't like to talk about his risk for seizures, but by age 32 you get over such reticence, especially if you walk around with a seizure-sniffing dog. These and many other details that didn't hold water distracted from the compelling arguments at the heart of the story.

Despite my annoyance with this particular book, I like the way the author builds a story around an important and difficult issue.

I listened to the audiotape in the car, and can't recommend the narration--I found several of the voices harsh, flat, and unappealing. ...less

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Corinne rated it:

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08/31/08

Read in August, 2008

I've been hearing about this book for years. My sister even told me the entire plot at some point in time, although I didn't remember how it ended (thank goodness). Even though I knew the idea of the book before I read it, I wasn't prepared for what an emotional and intellectual battle it would be.

For the two people who haven't yet read it, the story is thus: Kate has a rare form of cancer. In an effort to save her life, her parents use IVF technology to create a baby that is a perfect genet...more I've been hearing about this book for years. My sister even told me the entire plot at some point in time, although I didn't remember how it ended (thank goodness). Even though I knew the idea of the book before I read it, I wasn't prepared for what an emotional and intellectual battle it would be.

For the two people who haven't yet read it, the story is thus: Kate has a rare form of cancer. In an effort to save her life, her parents use IVF technology to create a baby that is a perfect genetic match, so that the baby's cord blood could, theoretically, save Kate's life. Turns out, the cord blood bought Kate time, but in the end, wasn't enough. That baby, now a 13 year old named Anna, has been used as a "donor" her entire life - taking her blood, her bone marrow and now - her parents want her to donate a kidney. And Anna's had enough.

She files a lawsuit against her parents - suing for the right to make her own medical decisions. You can see how this book is full of ethical, nearly impossible to answer, questions. And Picoult uses one of my favorite narrative tactics and writes each chapter telling the story from a different character's point of view - the dad's, the mom's, Anna's, her brother Jesse's, her lawyer's. Most noticeably, though, is the lack of Kate's point of view. We learn what we need to know about her from her family's eyes and experiences. Picoult paints a well-rounded picture of this family and these characters. They are fleshed out, flawed and entirely human. People make bad choices, they doubt and they struggle. My opinion on how to solve everyone's problems changed every time I read someone else's view on the issue - everyone has valid concerns that can't be discounted.
The only flaws in the book, for me, were the sarcastic humor (which fell flat and didn't appeal to me) and the foul mouths of several of the characters, including the 13 year old, which just grated on me.

Despite those couple things, this book made me think and it made me cry. I can't say it ever made me laugh or feel warm and fuzzy, necessarily, but the ending surprised me and pulled everything together in a way that I didn't quite expect. For the emotional punch and the ethical issues, this book is definitely worth reading.”...less

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Britta rated it:

(review of isbn 0743454537)

12/18/07

Read in March, 2006

"I have only known her for two years, But if you took every memory, every moment, if you stretched them end to end - they'd reach forever."

"What I really want to tell him is to pick up that baby of his and hold her tight, to set the moon on the edge of her crib and to hang her name up in the stars..."

"A photo says, you were happy, and I wanted to catch that. A photo says, you were so important to me that I put down everything else to come watch."

"If...more

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Kathryn rated it:

(review of isbn 0743454537)

08/04/07

Read in August, 2007

This book was an extremely difficult read for me. I had to force myself to continue reading, as I didn’t want to feel as though I had wasted $14.00 by not completing it. It took about a month for me to finish the book and that is an unusual amount of time for me as I generally finish books in less than two weeks. I actually found myself scanning the pages and only reading the dialogue so I could move along towards the end.

What I really didn’t care for was that the story moved as slow ...more This book was an extremely difficult read for me. I had to force myself to continue reading, as I didn’t want to feel as though I had wasted $14.00 by not completing it. It took about a month for me to finish the book and that is an unusual amount of time for me as I generally finish books in less than two weeks. I actually found myself scanning the pages and only reading the dialogue so I could move along towards the end.

What I really didn’t care for was that the story moved as slow as molasses and the subplot of the relationship between Campbell and Julia was completely unnecessary.

Furthermore, the author chose too many narrators for the story. There are a total of seven and the switching from one to another became annoying.

Basically, the story is this: Anna is a young girl that was genetically created at her parent’s request to help save her sister Kate’s life as she has acute promyelocytic leukemia. Anna gets an attorney so that she can become medically emancipated and no longer have to participate in any more medical procedures. Later, we find out that Anna doesn’t have a problem with helping her sister. Rather, it’s Kate who doesn’t wish to go on living in agony anymore. She wants to be allowed to die and she has asked her sister to not donate one of her kidneys to her. Anna becomes medically emancipated and then ends up in a car accident where she becomes brain dead. One of her kidneys is taken from her and Kate goes into remission and Anna dies. That’s the story and could easily have been told in under 200 pages instead of 423.

I must add that this book does serve as a catalyst for a great discussion on many levels and topics. Some of which are extremely controversial such as: (1) Is it morally and ethically alright to genetically create a child for the sole purpose of being able to harvest bodily fluids and organs from them in order to save or prolong someone else’s life? (2) At what age does a child have the right to say “NO” to undergoing medical procedures? (3) At what lengths do we go to in order to save another human beings life? (4) When does the legal system have the right to interfere in the dynamics of the family?

...less

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Kim rated it:

(review of isbn 0743454537)

08/01/08

Read in August, 2008

This is definitely a powerful makes-you-think kind of book. At the age of two Kate is diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant to survive. Her parents decide to have another child, genetically designed in a lab to be a perfect match for Kate--Anna. When Anna is born her cord blood goes immediately to Kate and throughout the years she is subjected to many medical procedures to keep supplying Kate with the transplants she needs to survive. But at the age o...more This is definitely a powerful makes-you-think kind of book. At the age of two Kate is diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant to survive. Her parents decide to have another child, genetically designed in a lab to be a perfect match for Kate--Anna. When Anna is born her cord blood goes immediately to Kate and throughout the years she is subjected to many medical procedures to keep supplying Kate with the transplants she needs to survive. But at the age of thirteen, with the knowledge that Kate will die without a kidney transplant, Anna puts her foot down and files a lawsuit against her parents for medical emancipation.

It's unclear throughout most of the book why Anna wants to file this lawsuit. She loves her sister and has always willingly undergone procedures for her in the past. She never gives a good reason and the other characters assume it's because she's thirteen and that's just the way thirteen-year-olds are. But near the end her motives are explained in a way that felt very right and satisfying. The whole book is an exploration of morals and ethics, and yet, disappointingly, it felt as though everything we and the characters learn is just tossed out the window at the end.

I felt that the Campbell/Julia relationship side story should either have been explained in more detail or left out completely. Maybe it was meant to further explain how medical decisions can affect families, but it seemed unnecessary. The story would've been just fine without their relationship, and in fact Julia seemed entirely superfluous. Did she contribute in any way?

I liked how the story was told from all the characters' points of view. It was great to know what everyone was thinking and what everyone's opinions were. But seriously, did every character really need their own font? I found the font switches annoying.

Overall, this book had some problems, but the touching story and thought-provoking substance far outweighed those. It had an ending that, even if you managed to stay dry-eyed throughout the rest of the book, was certain to make you cry. Reading this book on the bus, I nearly missed my stop on multiple occasions because I was so engrossed. Mostly very good....less

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Heather rated it:

(review of isbn 0743454537)

01/30/08

Read in January, 2008

recommended to Heather by: Rory's Book Club
recommends it for: Adults, Book Clubs

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I found this book frustrating. I really liked the author's writing style - I had a hard time putting it down. But at the same tine I think the author took the easy way out with the ending and didn't give some of the characters the chance to reach their potential.

~~SPOILERS BELOW~~
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I found Sara really easy to dislike. I don't know if I'm the only one, but I found her to be amazingly selfish. All she cared about was keeping Kate ...more

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