My Sister's Keeper

by Jodi Picoult

Book Overview

Jodi Picoult tells the story of a girl who decides to sue her parents for the rights to her own body in this New York Times bestseller that tackles a controversial subject with grace and explores what it means to be a good person.

New York T

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743454537
• ISBN13: 9780743454537
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Read in a single go

It was very captivating, I stayed up all night to finish it.

A Beautiful Heartache

Similarly to some of Picoult’s other work, I enjoy that this book is told from many characters’ points of view. The great debate in this story really makes the reader think about all sides and perspectives, while learning to relate to each character.

Beautiful Read

Loved this book!! I’ve read it about 4 times and cry every time. First time was in 7th grade and it is the first book that really touched me. The way Picoult writes is so intriguing and I couldn’t stop wondering how it would end.

Very Emotional Reading

This story just kept you thinking all the time and changing your mind what is right and what is wrong. Surprise ending. Keep your Kleenex ready.

Beautiful, emotional story of a family’s struggles.

Was a little hesitant about reading this book, as I am a transplant nurse. I know many wonderful and sad stories on the issues of the struggles of health. But this book ended up being a great read. It was hard to put down at times and your heart strings are being pulled in all directions. Very touching story that any one of us could be in the same situation. The end of the book was a surprise. Many prayers go to families that struggle. This is a must read.

Very emotional story.

I really enjoyed this book. It was recommended to me by my 7th grade teacher and I love this book. It's been 3 years and it still makes me emotional. The style of how it was written is very clever and adds to the emotion, which is why I like this book. I would recommend this book to any one that wants an emotional addicting story. I would also read Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult also.

my sister's keeper

this book was recommended to me by a friend. All of the characters except one has his or her own voice which makes the story understandable and keeps the suspense progressive because the reader wants to know how each character will react to the big event which seems to be inevitable----but maybe the big event turns out to be a huge surprise. This story takes ambuiguity to a new level.

A beautiful emotional tale.

Have you ever had tears streaming down your face when you have finished a book? You will if you read My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult this is the second book I have read by this author, and it has to be by far the most emotional book I have read this year, maybe ever. My Sister's Keeper follows the emotional story of a family that has one daughter stricken with a very serious rare form of leukemia and the daughter that they genetically matched to be her donor. They also have the eldest son Jesse who is a rebel without a cause and the heart breaking core issue of, just how much is too much to ask a Sister to do? In My Sister's Keeper we are forced to look at some serious and emotional issues is it right to genetically have a child to be another ones spare parts? It truly brings out the old English saying of an Heir and a Spare. Does that mean you love the child who is the donor any less? Does it mean that they should always feel obligated to give, give and give? Who is the selfish one the child who keeps getting or the child who no longer wishes to give? And can you yourself honestly answer any of these questions yourself in Black and white. The writing in this book is amazing; it pulls you into the story so that you can see the pieces fitting together. I can honestly see why this book was made into a movie, the storytelling is painted so well and so vivid you can't help but seeing it as a reel of movie film in your head. I went into this book knowing it was going to be emotional and sad, and I came out with tears on my face and not expecting the ending that came. I will recommend this book to anyone I know who reads, and even those who don't.

Simply amazing, surprising ending yet eloquently written.

I just finished reading my Sister's Keeper and I have to say that this book has been by far the book that has restored my love for the written word. I have read plenty of books and lately, it seems I have made poor choices but as I saw this book and read the back cover, I decided to give it a whirl and I was not disappointed. I could not put it down and finished it relatively quickly. I found myself laughing, crying and screaming at the injustices that this book portrayed. This book is about redemption. This book is about the difficult choices that parent's make, including mistakes that could not be avoided or that is what they try to convince themselves is the truth. It deals with having siblings and sibling rivalry. It deals with loving (or seemingly loving) one child over the others. It deals with growing up. It deals with guilt. It deals with suffering. It deals with compassion. It deals with sisterly love. It deals with a rebel child. It deals, in one word, with life and a reminder that you are not the only one controlling it. The ending of the book was bittersweet to me. As I was reading the chapters, I found myself siding with Anna but then after another chapter I found myself having compassion for Sara. Being a donor is never an easy thing but Jodi Picoult weaves it so beautifully that even though the ending is not what I wanted to see, it is fitting. It is reality. It is simply something that might happen and something that Picoult had the courage to write about. I for one, admire her novel and applaud her courage. As I read some of the reviews, many people were not happy with the ending but I for one, after having a good cry, understood that in life not everyone has a happy ending. Please read this book. You all deserve to have the experience of reading it. Truly inspiring.

I'm still crying....and I think that's a good thing

I have been a fan of Picoult's for many years. I was very hesitant to pick up this book because eight months ago, at 24 I was diagnosed with cancer. Then, the talk of stem cell transplants and blood transfusions was commonplace. My brothers would sit at the end of my bed, asking me what I needed from them and that they would go through the bone marrow tests to see who was a match. I told them, only if you want to. I was in so much pain and the thought of inflicting that on anyone else was keeping me up at night. To this end, Picoult does an absolutely phenomenal (sic) job at telling the story of a young woman with a fatal disease. She doesn't focus on Kate, the daughter with APL. She instead weaves her story around those close to her--her father, her sister, her mother, her brother, her sister's lawyer and the GAL. Sometimes we focus so hard on the person with the disease that those around us fall into the background. And they shouldn't because their pain, their choices, their stories are just as intriguing and poignant. Picoult really did her research and contrary to what another reviewer says here, really brings out the complexity of emotions that surround such grave circumstances. There is no wrong or right sometimes; we just go by feeling our way. Picoult always explores the gray areas, and she really does that quite well in this book. Some of the plot is contrived, some of the characters are never fully fleshed out, but it is still a great read that asks a lot of questions and doesn't offer any true answers. But be prepared to cry. It's a tearjerker on many levels and also very HONEST when describing what cancer, or any disease for that matter, does to the fabric of a family.

Picoult at her best

My Sister's Keeper is a sensitive and thought-provoking portrayal of a family deep in crisis. Anna Fitzgerald is an adolescent who was conceived for the purpose of being an organ donor for her sister, Kate, who has a rare form of leukemia. The story begins with Anna deciding that enough is enough, and seeking legal action to put a stop to it. Both Kate's illness and Anna's actions impact each member of the family--as well as her attorney and her guardian ad litem--in a unique and profound way.My Sister's Keeper pulled me in from the first page and held on straight through to the explosive twist at its conclusion, which has become Picoult's signature. Told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of several of the characters involved, this is a sensitive, deeply moving and thought-provoking story that left me pondering my true moral and ethical beliefs. Highly recommended, My Sister's Keeper is an excellent choice for book discussion groups.