** spoiler alert ** 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.