Book: My Sister’s Keeper
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publisher and Publication Date: Washington Square Press, 02/01/05
Pages: 423
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Chick-Lit
Rating: 
My Review in a Nutshell:
I love this book. I hate this book. There’s no happy median, I am not swayed more to one end of the spectrum than the other. I simply love it, and hate it. I love the characters, unique plot and surprising twists. Then, the ending happened. Making all of my ugly tears and heartfelt book hugging when I needed to take a moment to regain my composure- feel pointless. As contradicting as this is, I would still suggest My Sister’s Keeper to lovers of chick-lit.
What’s It All About?
Fourteen-year old Anna Fitzgerald’s conception was based solely due to her dying sister, Kate, needing a bone marrow transplant. Per Anna’s parents and scientists, they genetically engineered Anna to be a perfect genetic match. But it didn’t end there, Anna has been poked, prodded and gone through numerous surgeries to save her sisters’ life. Never feeling loved by her mother, or more than a tool to save Kate, Anna makes the bold decision to sue her parents for the rights to her own body. But the clock is ticking, Kate needs a kidney transplant or she will die. My Sister’s Keeper rotates between several characters’ perspectives, including the entire Fitzgerald family as well as Anna’s lawyer, flashing between past and present events leading to Anna’s court decided fate.
My Thoughts?
Who is going to win the case? Is the sickly sister going to die!? What the hell is wrong with this “Mom”!? I sped through this story like a bat out of hell. The thoughts of the characters are so raw, realistic and even disturbing at times. Jodi Picoult did not shy away from writing about the Mother could barely love her child, or the child who resented her dying sister and sometimes wished she would just perish. Yet, when it came time for Jodi to make a decision on how everything would end, she bailed on us, completely destroying what could have been one of the most interesting, heart wrenching and beautiful novels I’ve read to date.
My advice to you is to read 85% of it, then put it down, rent the movie and watch it. Because guess what!? Hollywood changed the ending. This will be the first and last time that I am grateful for Hollywood messing with a books’ plot. I still haven’t seen the movie, this was in a time before DVR and after the demise of Blockbuster. Sigh. I’ll put it on my to-do list.
My Favorite Quotes:
“You don’t love someone because they’re perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they’re not.”
“Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it’s not because they enjoy solitude. It’s because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.”
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