I chose to reread this all-time most popular and one of the most thought-provoking Jodi Picoult novels! I think most readers have already devoured it or know about it. Some of you may have watched the movie adaptation.

This is truly a heart-wrenching story that makes you think from different perspectives.

It's a story of a family suffering from big tragedies. Little Anna, at the age of thirteen, is sick of being in the hospital for so many operations, including lots of transfusions, shots, and surgeries to help her older sister Kate, who struggles with leukemia. She is sick of not being able to decide what happens to her own body. She was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate. She loves her sister and wants her to live a healthy, long life. But enough is enough! She doesn't want to be her parents' guinea pig for another test or surgery without her consent.

Kate, the older sister, wants to stop fighting. She has already spent her entire life in the hospital. Her parents do everything they can to give her extra years to live, even at the expense of killing their other daughter. But Kate doesn't want to live miserably anymore as her family tears apart.

Sara loves her daughters but keeps forgetting she also has a son. Her only focus is keeping Kate alive, even at the expense of crossing boundaries, and she expects everyone in the family to obey her decisions. (Cameron Diaz was the worst choice to play that character!)

Jesse is the son who lives like a wallflower in his own house. Nobody pays attention to him. He doesn't want to be in the shadow of the family. Unfortunately, he finds other destructive ways to reflect his boiled-up feelings of anger, hatred, and resentment.

And Brian loves his wife and family. But in the end, he has to stand with Kate and the choices she'll make.

Anna sues her family to be the decision-maker about her own body. She doesn't want her body to be cut on the operation table without her consent. And the famous lawyer Campbell, who has his own notorious tactics in court, takes her case. Campbell is the star player. His unresolved love story was a great part to take a big breath from the big family drama.

Overall, it's a character-driven, strong, moving, sad, and one of the best-written books that shakes you to the core! Who's on the right side? Whose side do you support? These are the questions you cannot properly answer after reading this book.

My Sister's Keeper is a captivating family drama that explores complex themes. The story follows thirteen-year-old Anna, who sues her parents for the right to her own body. Created in a medical lab to be a donor for her leukemia-stricken sister Kate, Anna has endured countless procedures since infancy. Now, tired of being seen only as a means to save Kate, she takes a stand.

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“You don’t love someone because they’re perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they’re not.”

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The plot is original and compelling, raising numerous questions that the author leaves for the reader to ponder. I appreciate this approach as it allows for individual interpretation. The lawsuit is messy and complicated, highlighting the brokenness of the family.

The character study is wonderful, with Picoult delving into each character's mind through changing narratives. It's both sad and heartbreaking to see the perspectives of Anna's parents, their hopelessness about Kate's situation, and their desperation to save her at any cost.

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“It is the things you cannot see coming that are strong enough to kill you.”

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However, the ending is a bit disappointing as it was somewhat predictable. Overall, it's a thought-provoking and emotional read that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. 3 1/2 stars.

Whoa, that was a seriously intense family drama. It was so sad, too. A thought-provoking, emotional read.

AGAINST HER WILL

If Jodi Picoult's intention was to astonish readers and make them recoil in horror, she has achieved this beyond all expectations. As the mother of a seriously ill child, she was in a state of desperation, frantically seeking a means to keep her alive. The idea was to conceive a sibling who could serve as a resident "body parts donor" for her older sister. I was outraged by the excruciating, invasive procedures that she had the doctors impose on the younger sibling.

Although, as a mother myself, I completely comprehend how crucial it was to push forward and do whatever was necessary to save her older daughter, I too would do everything... everything, that is, except create an innocent child to be a living body parts donor.

I found myself seething with anger at the mother, and this anger ultimately shifted towards the author. It wasn't until an author/friend of mine reminded me that when a novelist elicits such intense emotions, it is precisely what he or she had intended. So, even though I consider the premise to be a nightmare and extremely disturbing, I will not "shoot the messenger" after all. Instead, I applaud Picoult's outstanding writing style.

Phyllis Eisenstadt

Beautiful, tragic and thought provoking.

These three words can describe many things in life. A beautiful sunset can be both tragic, as it marks the end of a day, and thought provoking, as it makes us wonder about the passage of time.

A tragic love story can be beautiful in its own way, as it shows the depth of human emotion. It can also be thought provoking, as it makes us question our own beliefs and values about love and relationships.

In art, beauty, tragedy and thought provocation often go hand in hand. A painting or a piece of music can be beautiful to look at or listen to, but it can also have a deeper meaning that makes us think and feel.

Ultimately, beauty, tragedy and thought provocation are all part of the human experience. They make us appreciate the good things in life, while also making us more aware of the pain and suffering that exists. By experiencing these emotions, we can become more empathetic, more understanding and more in tune with the world around us.

So the next time you encounter something that is beautiful, tragic or thought provoking, take a moment to stop and reflect. Let the emotions wash over you and see where they take you. You may be surprised at what you discover.

Emancipation
My Sister's Keeper is an immensely captivating novel that delves deep into a torturous moral quandary of going to any length for your child - yet, can one truly choose between one's children? It is a heart-wrenching, sensitive, and compassionate work, masterfully written to present a serious illness through the lens of a novel. The true exploration within the story lies in the sanctity of life, its precious, fragile nature, the ownership we each hold over our bodies, and the respect we must afford to others.

Sara and Brian have a daughter, Kate, who is afflicted with Leukaemia. They decide to have another daughter, Anna, with the intention of grooming her to provide a kidney transplant and stem cells for Kate. However, their plans are completely derailed when Anna decides that she has her own life and will make her own decisions regarding her body. She resolves to take legal measures to achieve medical emancipation from her parents. As this ethical battle unfolds between the legal teams and then in the courtroom, Kate's Leukaemia treatment persists, and she endures all the issues and obstacles that a Leukaemia patient typically suffers. Not only does she experience physical pain, but also emotional and spiritual turmoil. It is extremely challenging to form relationships with other patients and then cope with the deaths that occur. The close bond that vanishes in an instant! It is utterly heart-breaking as it often shatters your hope that this illness is survivable.

My Sister's Keeper is an incredibly sorrowful tale, and having witnessed a family member succumb to Leukaemia, it replayed all the same tragic decisions and experiences. I believe Jodi Picoult beautifully captured the emotions and mental anguish. It was truly authentic! If you endured agonizing moments throughout the book, the final twist will leave you completely stunned.

I would highly recommend this book, as it will have a lasting impact, especially if it is directly relatable to one's own life.

Anyone who has a child has likely, at some point, engaged in a battle with them at bedtime. That's precisely what I do, every single night. There is an abundance of yelling, crying, begging, and pleading. It's an absolute horror show.

Kid #3 falls asleep instantly, so she's not part of the problem. Kid #2 puts up a valiant fight, whining and throwing tantrums, but eventually succumbs to her sleepiness. Kid #1, however, is an entirely different story.

At night, she's afraid of everything and believes that if she sleeps, something will harm her. But she's not invincible; she has to sleep eventually. So, after being reassured that she's safe, she'll lie down and relax – but only in the master bedroom, as in her mind, it's the only place safe from everything.

Once she's been lulled into a state of blissful unconsciousness, either my husband or I will move her to her room. Typically, this goes smoothly without a hitch. But every now and then, she wakes up and completely freaks out because she realizes she's been tricked. By her own parents, no less. She feels betrayed and doesn't believe us when we swear we won't move her again (because we will, and she knows it). And so, due to her general mistrust, fear of everything, not to mention all the sobbing, she's awake for another couple of hours, at least. The whole situation is highly dramatic and truly sucks.

How does this relate to My Sister's Keeper? Well, not exactly, but I do have a point. Let me explain. I spent years avoiding Jody Picoult's books like the plague. They scared me. I don't know why. Maybe it's because every woman over thirty can't stop raving about them, which makes me think they're probably not my 'cup of tea'. It might even have something to do with the fact that the woman can crank out these insanely thick books as if she's some sort of writing machine from hell. I don't know; it just doesn't seem natural. Besides, no author can write that fast. At least, no good author can, right?

But finally, after being convinced that Jody is actually quite talented and her books are intriguing and worthwhile, I relented and picked up Nineteen Minutes. And you know what? It wasn't horrible. In fact, I kind of liked it. Alright, I admit it – I liked it a lot. It wasn't the best book ever, but it was the kind of book that makes you think and stays with you after you've finished reading it. *shrugs* I happen to like that sort of thing.

So, I immediately picked up My Sister's Keeper. And I liked it too. In fact, I was only halfway through the book when I was positive I'd be giving it four stars. Sure, the subplot about the lawyer and the child advocate falling in love was incredibly stupid, but could I blame Jody for including it? No. I'm sure her target audience expects that sort of thing in every book they read. So, I was willing to forgive it. I even forgave all the cheesy clichés.

Because sometimes, I'm able to overlook stupid subplots, ridiculous clichés, irritating characters (and by irritating, I mean'so monstrous they deserve to die a horribly drawn-out and painful death'. Yes, I'm talking about the mother in this book), formulaic writing – that's a word, right? – and even the lack of good editing when a story has piqued my interest. It happened when I was reading Twilight, and it happened while I was reading this book.

Besides, I'd already come to the conclusion that I'd like this book because I liked Nineteen Minutes. I even had visions of myself adding Jodi Picoult to my list of favorite authors, adding the entire body of Jodi Picoult's published works to my TBR list, and happily reading said books on the beach over summer break – it was going to be so awesome!

But then, when I was nearly finished with this book, Jodi Picoult went and ruined everything. EVERYTHING! I don't even have the desire to finish this book. I feel manipulated, betrayed, lied to, cheated, and totally violated! I also feel incredibly stupid for thinking that Jodi Picoult was a good writer. Because she's not. She totally sucks, and I hate her.

So, even though I've wasted hours of my life reading and thinking about Jodi Picoult novels, it hasn't been all bad. I've learned two things from this whole experience. First, I should trust my initial instincts when it comes to books. Second, I'm an a-hole for lying to my kid. It's no wonder she doesn't trust me, and she'll probably need years of therapy because of it. I wouldn't blame her if she threw me in a really bad nursing home someday.

I gave this book two stars because it isn't horrible until the end. That's when Picoult whips out the most manipulative, unnecessary twist, and thus ruins the whole experience.

Now let us never speak of this again.

Oh, the tears!

I cried an enormous amount while reading this book. I was truly astounded by the extent of my own emotional response!

The story is incredibly touching, with characters that are so skillfully developed and a writing style that is truly masterful.

Every page draws you in deeper, making it impossible to put the book down.

It's a literary gem that you simply cannot afford to miss!

Whether you're a fan of heartwarming tales or just looking for a great read, this book has something for everyone.

So, don't hesitate. Pick up this book and prepare to be moved to tears!

Trust me, you won't regret it.

Of all the Jodi Picoult books I've read, and I've read quite a number of them, this one stands out as my absolute favorite.

This novel presents a harrowing and heart-wrenching scenario. The parents of a child with cancer decide to have another baby through IVF, hoping that the new child will be a genetic donor match for their sibling with cancer. I had come across similar stories in newspapers and magazines about families attempting such a thing, but until I read this novel, I never truly considered what occurs beyond the birth of the child.

In this story, Anna has been repeatedly hospitalized since her birth and throughout her childhood. Doctors have been taking blood, platelets, bone marrow, and more from her to give to her older sister Kate, who has been fighting leukemia for years. Now, Kate needs one of Anna's kidneys to survive, but Anna has had enough and decides to take her parents to court for the rights to her own body.

Each chapter is narrated by a different family member, allowing us to see everyone's perspective. This adds depth and complexity to the novel. At times, I found myself sympathizing and agreeing with Anna, who is now 13 years old and doesn't want to be forced to endure painful medical procedures to save her sister's life, especially when Kate wants to give up. In the next chapter, I was brought to tears by the mother, Sara's, love for her children and her feelings of utter despair in such a desperate situation.

This novel is a beautifully written, heart-breaking, thought-provoking, and painfully poignant tale. It also has a shocking and unexpected twist at the end. Five stars!

This novel truly had a profound impact on me. There were moments that simply broke my heart, and others that were so overly sentimental that I felt as if I was reading a Hallmark card.

Aside from the excessive use of clichés, the repeated fire and star metaphors became tiresome, causing me to skim through those sections.

The ending, while very powerful and nearly bringing me to tears, left me disappointed. Anna's death was a letdown as the entire novel centered around her struggle for the right to decide what to do with her body, yet that power was ultimately taken away.

Perhaps the ending was a cheap attempt to neatly conclude the story, but in reality, no perfect ending would have been possible. I would have preferred to see Anna make a decision, one way or another, and then have both her and Sara face the consequences.

Other than the ending, the most moving part of the novel was Kate's brief romance with Taylor. Could it get any sadder?

I understand the mixed reviews this book has received, but I liked how the chapters alternated between different characters' perspectives. This allowed the reader to gain a comprehensive understanding of all sides of the controversy.

At times, I found myself sympathizing with Anna, while at other times, I thought she was being selfish for even questioning the act of donating a kidney to her dying sister. Evoking these opposing emotions in the reader was likely Picoult's main objective, and she accomplished this well.

However, it remains a mystery to me why Picoult did not include any chapters written from Kate's perspective until the very end. One would expect a book focused on a cancer patient to have chapters written by the patient herself, but that was not the case.

Campbell, with his sidekick dog Judge, was the quirkiest and funniest character, adding much-needed humor to a depressing subject. However, the entire subplot about his renewed romance with Julia was completely unnecessary and had no relation to the main theme of the novel.

In fact, I would go as far as to say that Julia's presence 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? It made me feel like I was reading The Breakfast Club.

Another weakness I noticed was the wording of Anna's perspective and dialogue. While kids today may be smarter and more precocious, much of what came from 13-year-old Anna was not believable at all.

I found this book to be quite frustrating. On one hand, I truly admired the author's writing style. It was so engaging that I had a hard time putting the book down. However, on the other hand, I felt that the author took the easy way out when it came to the ending. Some of the characters didn't get the opportunity to fully realize their potential.

~~SPOILERS BELOW~~
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I found Sara to be extremely unlikable. I'm not sure if I'm the only one with this opinion, but I thought she was incredibly selfish. All she cared about was keeping Kate alive, regardless of whether Kate wanted to live or not. She used Anna merely as a means to an end, to keep Kate alive. I don't believe Sara ever had any genuine love for Anna, which is truly sad. The whole emancipation hearing would never have occurred if Sara had just stopped for a moment and listened to what Kate really wanted.

I did enjoy the fact that each chapter was narrated by a different character. I even liked the use of different fonts for the different characters. I think this was one of the only ways to truly understand all the different viewpoints of the characters.

As for the ending, I think the author took the easy way out. Once again, Anna is sacrificed for Kate, but this time it's not by Sara, but by the author. I would have preferred to see Sara deal with the fact that Kate didn't want to continue living as she was. As soon as the car crash happened, I knew exactly what was going to occur. It wasn't really a surprise at that point.

I feel that Sara should have had to suffer with the knowledge that she didn't really love Anna. She only had her to help Kate, and I think she should have been forced to face that fact.

The fact that Campbell gave such annoying answers as to why he had Judge (his dog) really drove me crazy. I don't think it was that big of a deal, but the way the author handled it really annoyed me.

Throughout the book, Anna was the one who was constantly making sacrifices. And in the end, she made the biggest sacrifice of all. I would have liked to see Sara sacrifice something instead. Have I mentioned that I really didn't like Sara?

This book was truly stunning. In terms of writing, style, plot, and character development, it was nothing short of amazing. It is one of those rare books that you simply can't put down. For me, it had a special charm as it took me back to my Lurlene McDaniel days. Does anyone remember her? She used to write books about teenagers and young children with terminal illnesses, and I was completely addicted to them. So, when I saw a friend reading this book and she described it to me, the young reader in me immediately jumped up with excitement.

Boy, was it a well-chosen book. Picoult writes from the perspectives of several key characters, which gives the reader a comprehensive and well-rounded view of the story. At first, the switching between characters can be a bit disorienting, and you have to constantly remind yourself that it's a new character. However, as you get into the rhythm of the book, you realize that this is the only way it could have been written. One thing Picoult does exceptionally well is make you feel torn. In a case like this, you really don't know who to support. Sometimes you find yourself siding with Anna, and at other times, you desperately want to shout your support for Sara, the poor mother in this difficult situation.

With the readers' knowledge of the other characters' points of view and perspectives, the whole case becomes much more complex, and it's difficult to have a clear verdict. In the end, a decision is made, and while reading the book, I was constantly wondering what Picoult was going to do. Because no matter what, one side that you fully support is going to lose. The way she ends the book is both solid and emotionally unsatisfying. The ending is by no means bad; quite the contrary, it's beautiful and settling. But at the same time, you don't know whether to be relieved that there is a definite ending without any debate, or to cry. I won't give away the details, as I may have already said too much. But this book is truly incredible, and I highly recommend that you try to read it as soon as possible.

This book is a curious blend of a YA novel, chick-lit, and a medical drama.

On the one hand, the writing is quite accessible, making it an easy read. However, the plot, especially towards the end, completely lacks any semblance of credibility.

What could have been an interesting and important topic has been turned into a trivial, melodramatic kitsch. It's truly a waste.

I gave it 1.5 stars.

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I had previously avoided Jodi Picoult's books because I had the impression that she writes what is commonly known as light entertainment literature for women or chick-lit, which is usually too fluffy for my taste.

But I decided to read this book anyway because the topic really interested me.

It's about a family with three children. The older daughter has leukemia, and the younger one is a 100% compatible donor. When the younger daughter is 13 years old, she no longer wants to be a donor and hires a lawyer to be released from the medical guardianship of her parents.

I had expected a medical drama with interesting moral challenges, but I got something completely different.

It only occurred to me later that this book had won a YA book prize. But upon closer inspection, I'm not sure why. Just the fact that the protagonist is 13 doesn't seem sufficient, especially since this character often speaks, thinks, and acts as if she were 36.

The author also apparently felt the need to weave in a massive storyline with a love drama of two main characters. This makes the classification as a YA book even more incomprehensible to me, as I can hardly imagine that teenagers would be interested in the amorous struggles of medieval people.

So I found it a problem that the book didn't really know where it wanted to go: was it chick-lit, YA, or maybe a medical drama?

Unfortunately, this wasn't the only aspect that I found difficult.

The protagonist is a replacement part factory created through genetic engineering for her sister. Here, no one seems to see a moral problem.

The mother is portrayed as a horrible person who trampled mercilessly over everything that stands in the way of her goals and never doubts for a second that only she is right.

Then, at the end of the book, this same mother suddenly transforms into a warm-hearted, loving person who suddenly develops an eye for the needs of other people.

THE END. Such an ending can only be regarded as completely laughable and unreasonable.

Moreover, from the very first page, the book clearly tugs at the heartstrings. I would have thought that the topic was complex and difficult enough that this wouldn't be necessary.

I should have stuck with my original assessment and stayed away from this author.

1.5 stars, but only because I found the writing easy to read.