My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

My Sister's Keeper

Author: Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Pages: 448
Format: Trade Paperback
Category: Adult Fiction
Rating: Pick it!

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.
Synopsis courtesy of Good Reads.

Where to begin with this. I can remember the exact day in 2007 when my sister's friend Melissa told me about this book. Like me, she's an avid reader and we usually like the same type of novels so I trusted her recommendation right away. She handed the book to me and told me "you will not expect what happens at the end, so be prepared".

Right from the beginning, we meet Anna. She immediately sets the tone for her character. You can tell that Anna is a witty thirteen year old with a little attitude but I love her. This is no surprise to anyone who knows about the book or has at least seen the movie trailer, but the main premise of My Sister's Keeper  is about Anna suing her parents for medical emancipation. That means Anna would have full legal rights to make medical decisions for herself without her parents consent. In the summary, you're told that Anna was a "designer baby", created to be the perfect match for her sister Kate, and the book touches upon whether that is something morally right or not.

This story, for me, is hard to put into words. Of course, it's not just about Anna and Kate, we also see many chapters narrated by other characters; Sara (Mom), Brian (Dad), Jessie (brother), Campbell (Anna's Lawyer, apparently he once tried to sue God... and won) and finally Julia (court-appointed Ad Litem). Since there are so many voices in the story, I found myself getting confused or forgetting what happened the last time I had read the book, but rest assured, I picked it up pretty quickly. I thought it was rather creative giving all the characters a voice, it makes them all seem more real to me. I didn't just see them as characters, but as people in the story with feelings and separate lives.

While getting closer to the end, I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what the ending was going to look like. But I was very very wrong. Melissa was right, I did not expect what happened nor could I have thought of the complete turnaround in the book.

As soon as I finished reading the last word on the last page, I wiped every tear off my blotchy face, went up to my sister (she was making Sunday lunch) and hugged her. Reading My Sister's Keeper truly made me grateful for everything my sister has done for me, and I couldn't imagine a better sister to have. If you are looking for a light read, that is all fun and smiles.. DO NOT read this book. I felt like I cried for hours while reading. It is filled with heaviness but in a good way if that's at all possible. Although this is not my first Jodi Picoult read, this is definitely my absolute all time favourite. Please, please, please pick up Jodi's book the next time you pass it in the bookstore, I promise you haven't read a story like this and you will love it, just keep a box of tissues on hand. And on that note, I would say that My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult has been officially marked!