My Sister's Keeper

After hearing so much about this particular book, I decided that I should read it and see what I think. First of all, I have to say that I am a little concerned with how many people seem to love reading depressing books. Why is that? When I was younger, I read stries with heroes and knights and very clearly marked "bad guys" because it was an escape. I could fall into another world. With these books, I fall into a world that is worse than my own, which I suppose could make me grateful for the life I have but also makes me rather depressed because I know this stuff really goes on in other peoples' lives.

With that said, this My Sister's Keeper was still a very engaging book and one that was good enough for me to read, even if I was depressed by what was happening in the plot. Anna, a thirteen year old girl, was concieved as a genetic match for her sister Kate, who was diagnosed with a particularly harsh form of luekemia at age two. Since she was born, Anna has undergone several procedures to help her sister but now, when her sister's kidneys begin to fail, Anna may have other ideas and has hired a lawyer to sue for medical emancipation.

This story is told from several points of view, including Jesse, the eighteen year old brother and resident troublemaker, Sara and Brian, parents to Anna, Kate, and Jesse, Campbell Alexander, Anna's attorney, and Julia Romano, Campbell's ex-girlfriend from high school. It is a very well written narrative and the characters are well rounded and dynamic, even if the story takes place over a period of ten days. I liked that the font was different for each character, further seperating each individual and helping to give each of them added personality. I liked the side stories; if nothing else, they added to the process of humanization.

This book and Picoult's writing has the habit of raising many questions in the readers mind about what could or should have been different and what you might have done in the character's place. It is a mark of Picoult's skill that you do ask these questions and know enough about the characters to love them, even if you disagree with what they have done. The one flaw in that, for me, was the mother. I wasn't sure of her feelings until the very end but I still don't know what could have been done differently.

The one thing I disliked about the book would be a sudden plot twist near the end that I thought was simply too much. I won't say any more than that, so each person can decide for themselves, but I disliked Picoult's choice there.

My Sister's Keeper was a good book. I am not sure how many books like this I could read before being really depressed but this was a good story and I think Picoult did a good job handling rather sensitive material, though I feel she must live in a very dark sort of world. It seems to work for her but I think I am going to go read something fluffy soon, for the preservation of my sanity.

Rating: 4.5

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