Rating: 
Summary: A three on the Jodi Picoult scale
Review: Jodi Picoult has been my favorite author since I read "Plain Truth," shortly after it was first published. I've read everything she's written; she just has such a knack for gripping me around the heart and wringing it dry. Usually, however, I love the book, despite (or possibly because of) the emotional trip.I have a way of reading her books, though--I read the first 50 pages or so to establish the plotline and the characters, and then I read the end. I do this to determine if I can read the middle. It's as though if I read the whole book, the characters become truly real. Sometimes, their pain is just too much, even though it's not happening to me and the characters are not, in fact, real. (This is a sign of a tremendous author). I couldn't read "The Pact" the whole way through for this reason. I spent hours with "My Sister's Keeper" last night and I can't read this one either. There is just too much anguish. A rating of "3" for Jodi Picoult is light years ahead of a "3" most other authors. This book is amazing, without question. But it doesn't rate a "4" or a "5" unless I can read the whole book.
Rating: 
Summary: LOVED THIS!!!
Review: This was my favorite Jodi Picoult book yet. Once you start it you can't put it down (not to sound cliched but it'd true!!) The ending was a real shock to me, and left me comtemplating it long afterwards.
Rating: 
Summary: Read the back of this book and skip the rest
Review: I picked up this book because of all the buzz surrounding it, and the premise actually sounded compelling. This was the first Piccoult book I had read so I had nothing to compare it to.
Here are the main flaws:
1) The characters are completely cliched, everyone from the rebellious son, to the cold-hearted lawyer's bimbo secretary. Then if that's not bad enough, several of the characters have complete personality turns mid-stream to tie everything up neatly at the end.
2) The writing itself leaves a lot to be desired. There was little originality. Everything felt pre-written or rehashed. Worse was her constant need to hit the reader over the head with her "main moral point" of a particular chapter. Banal stuff like: "Sometimes life is hard." Okay, so maybe not that bad, but she certainly doesn't give her readers any credit for their abilities to infer themes/symbols etc. She just whacks you over the head with it.
3) The Ending. Obviously I won't give it away, but I agree with the other readers that she completely builds the story up to a point and then doesn't have the nerve to bring it to a hard decision.
I just don't like books like this. The book feels pale and lifeless and devoid of life, or spark, or something that makes a book really compelling.
It does, however, raise an interesting moral question. But I believe it's raised on the back cover. So my suggestion to you is: Read the back of the book and call it a day.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful reading
Review: This book presented the characters as people you could relate to.It was one of those novels you could not put down.Feelings ranged from happy to sad for the reader.
The real emotions of the characters came though.When I finished
I felt apart of this family.
I recommend this book and think it is the best novel I have read in a long time.
Sincerely
Leah
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down.......
Review: This is Jodi Picoult's best yet!! The family dynamics were fascinating. A very thoughtful read. The ending blew me away. I thought "The Pact" was godd, this one tops them all.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book!
Review: This is a story of Anna Fitzgerald who is 13 years old. Her sister Kate has been diagnosed with cancer since she was a baby-
Kate's doctor gave the idea to the parents that they could possibly have another child who could be the donor of umbilical blood cells to the sister Kate. The parents, Sara and Brian conceived a child thru a petrie dish that would match exactly to Kate's blood type for the purpose of putting Kate in remission.
After so many years of "trying to save Kate" Anna decides that she no longer wants to be Kate's savior and files a lawsuit to insure that she no longer is a pin cushion and donor for her sister.
This story is written in the seven voices of the characters of this book. Example- the first chapter is written by Anna in first voice so you can imagine and feel how Anna feels. The most heart wrenching for me were when the mother "talks" in her chapters and she explains her love for both of her children. Very tough-
This storyline affects everyone in the family- the brother, Jessie has emotional and drug problems stemming from his sisters'critcal situation. Anna- of course because she is expected to donate without thinking of the consequences to her or her body. Brian-the father and how he works himself to escape the turmoil of his homelife. Sara-the mother who wants to "save Kate" at all costs and how this affects her as a mother, and wife. Kate- the child with the cancer- how all of this effects her and how all these medical procedures wreck havoc on her body.
Cambell- Anna's lawyer who is hiding a secret that comes out further in the book and how this 13year old child affects his life.
Julia-the Assigned gardium ad liteum for Anna and her past with Cambell.
Great book- almost alittle scary because this could be a "real life" story- especially with all the modern medical technology that we have today!
Rating:
Summary: A child's illness tears a family apart.
Review: Jodi Picoult's "My Sister's Keeper" is about the terrible toll that a long-term, life-threatening illness takes on a family. Brian and Sara Fitzgerald are the devoted parents of two children, Kate and Jesse. When Kate is diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia, her parents decide to have another child who will be genetically compatible with Kate. This child, Anna, donates bone marrow to her sister and helps prolong her life. However, as time goes on, Kate relapses again and again, and Anna is asked to undergo further painful procedures to help her sister. Anna feels like a victim herself. She wonders if her whole life will be defined by Kate's illness.
Jodi Picoult effectively explores how Kate's medical condition affects the dynamics of her family. The Fitzgeralds and their children experience a roller coaster of emotions--hope when Kate goes into remission and disappointment when she has a setback. Sara and Brian are exhausted from constantly being on the alert as Kate's condition changes, often without warning. Kate's illness affects her siblings psychologically, as well. Anna and Jesse feel that they are extensions of Kate. The sick sister is the center of attention, since she is the one who may die at any moment. Jesse becomes a surly, rebellious, and destructive teenager. For a long time, Anna is compliant. However, when Kate's kidneys begin to fail, Anna refuses to donate one of her own kidneys to save her sister's life. She even retains a lawyer who initiates a court case on her behalf.
"My Sister's Keeper" is a well-meaning book with a heart-rending and dramatic theme. Picoult tells her story from different points of view in alternating chapters. This approach enables the reader to empathize with and understand how each individual feels. However, too many contrived plot developments ultimately weaken the novel's impact. In addition, the writing is often heavy-handed and maudlin. A romance between Anna's lawyer, Campbell Alexander, and Julia, a woman whom he loved years ago, is forced; it doesn't fit in with the rest of the novel. Most disturbing of all, instead of honestly handling Anna's decision about whether or not to donate her kidney, Picoult takes herself off the hook in a manner that had me shaking my head in disbelief. This is too bad, since "My Sister's Keeper" had the potential to be a compelling and thought-provoking story about how far we should go to help the people we love.
Rating: 
Summary: interesting idea, poor writing
Review: I picked this up for the intriguing premise. But the book hardly lived up to its potential. The writing was rambling, full of philosophic cliches and preachy moments that made it hard to get into. The author also seemed to be throwing in far too many subplots; for instance, the brother's arsonist escapades distracted from the real story. Many characters were quite one-dimensional - the mother's single-minded devotion to Kate might have made her a good villain, but surely not a very realistic character. I was especially disappointed by the girls' characters. After reading the book description, I expected Anna to be a strong teenage girl character (always fascinating to read about.) But in this story she's nothing more than a pawn in this philosophical exercise. All in all, a less-than-worthwhile read.
Rating:
Summary: The ending is a total cop-out
Review: To deal with the moral issues around the concept of a child born specifically to save her sister's life the author takes the scenario to extremes. She tries to cover all points of view by having a different character narrate each short chapter. This coupled with the timeline not being in order made for a bit of a confusing read. This would be excusable if the story weren't so over the top. For example, the father is a fireman and during the one week the story takes place, he is rushing to a several fires per shift and even saves a young child from a burning house with seconds to go. Even for a NYC firefighter I think this would a bit over the top. Why doesn't he take a week's vacation during this crucial time? Then there is the brother, who is rebelling against his role or lack of one in the drama. His juvenile delinquency is so over the top and his turnaround too dramatic that it pushes the limits of reality again. The worst is the mother however; she is extremely one-dimensional and is portrayed to be obsessed with being the perfect mother. She never has any regrets about anything and is clueless about her other two kids. She makes a bit of a handy villain but she is totally unreal.
Even all this could be forgivable except that the ending to soo ridiculous and such a let down. The author wants to tackle the hard issues, but obviously she can't make a decision herself when the morals are fuzzy. Therefore she writes in an impossible tragedy and an impossible miracle for the final few pages of the book. What a total cop-out. I thought the point of the book is that sometimes we have to make decisions where there are difficult choices and no good solutions. Luckily, deciding not to read this book should be relatively easy!
Rating:
Summary: A moral and ethical dilemma
Review: Anna is conceived by her parents, with the help of genetic science, as a stem cell donor for her then two-year old sister, Kate, who is dying of leukemia. A perfect donor match, Anna's cord cells would be used and there would be no damage to the newborn. As the the next 13 years, however, Anna must submit to countless invasive procedures in order to donate platelets, stem cells, and bone marrow to save her sister and best friend. When Kate requires dialysis as a result of kidney failure from the transplant, Anna is asked to donate one of her kidneys. As the teen struggles to form her own identity apart from that of her dying sister, the entire family and medical community must deal with the moral and ethical consequences of their decisions.
This is Jodi Picoult at her best. The characters are well-written human beings, with normal imperfections, not cookie-cutter characters.
|
