Rating: 
Summary: What A Powerful Novel
Review:
What A Powerful Novel Though this book is written in a fictitious form, I could feel the Non Fiction feelings breaking through. Wether or not this author used a real life cercumstance to write this or the story came out of thin air, does not matter to me. What does matter-What does speak clearly to me in this hard to put down book is that abuse comes in all forms. this child, her spare parts,the fact that her birth was only to save her sister is heartwrenching to say the least.In my eyes this book ranks up there highly with a few of the Non Fiction books, such as Nightmares Echo and Sickened.
Rating:
Summary: Can Not Imagine It
Review:
I can not imagine it, and thought this story is fiction-you know without a shadow of a doubt that it does happen. Is this no less then a form of abuse? to know that you were born simply to save anothers life? It is sad and haunting and hard to put down!
recommended reads: Nightmares Echo, A Child Called It and If I Knew Then
Rating:
Summary: This is a "Keeper"
Review: "(M)aybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what were capable of when we least expect it."
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult is a heartwrenching story told by a multitude of amazing characters. The plot revolves around a family whose youngest daughter, Anna, was created to be a genetic donor for their other daughter, Kate. Now 13 years old, Anna is bringing her parents to court - for the right to be medically emancipated, so that she can make her own decisions about what she does or does not have to donate - just as Kate desperately needs Anna's kidney.
Kate was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia when she was only 2 years old. Back then, the eldest child, Jesse, was 4. Now, Jesse is a rebellious teenager; Kate is 16 and in relapse; and Anna feels both taken for granted and invisible. The father, Brian, is a firefighter with an interest in astronomy; the mother, Sara, is a former lawyer who stopped practicing when she had children. Other main characters include Campbell Alexander, the lawyer Anna sought out to try her case, and a court-appointed guardian named Julia.
The chapters alternate between characters, always told in first-person. The only main character who doesn't speak in first-person chapters is the one at the heart of it all - Kate. Other characters of importance include Campbell's service dog, Judge, though Campbell refuses to say why he needs him; Julia's twin sister, Isobel aka Izzy; and Sara's older sister, Zanne.
It is an absolutely beautiful story. At first, I thought that being told from all of these points of view would hurt the narrative; soon, I realized, it helped it, as Picoult is able to establish a different 'voice' for each of the characters. The bulk of the novel takes place over the course of two weeks. Flashbacks are interwoven seamlessly, mostly through Sara's eyes, but also through dialogue as people discuss the past, glimpse photographs or reveal truths about themselves . . . and others.
Read it. Keep a pad and pen nearby to write down quotes - along with facial tissue to wipe your eyes.
Rating:
Summary: I just finished My Sister's Keeper...
Review: And I feel both elated and depressed. Elated to have ingested what was quite possibly the best novel I have read. And depressed because it is finished. The beauty of reading a book by Jodi Picoult, is that when you are done, you are undoubtedly smarter. Each one of her books deals with a topic in a way that is new and untouched - whether it be family and obligation (My Sister's Keeper), the Amish community (Plain Truth), or the paranormal (Second Glances). My Sister's Keeper explores the obligations of family under duress and how people deal with the uncertainty of life. There is no way to describe this book other than fantastic, moving, touching, and surprising. More than one twist will keep any reader on their toes. I am looking forward to meeting Picoult on her tour in March.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking!
Review: I believe it was in Reader's Digest Magazine that I first heard of and read about My Sister's Keeper, and Jodi Picoult. The thing that hooked me was a comment that the author's teenage son, having read the book and been moved to tears by it, was so touched in fact that he needed time to digest it before he could discuss the story with his mother. At that moment, I knew I wanted to read this book.
At once it is a simple and complex story: teenage girl (Anna) wants the right to refuse to be a medical donor for her older sister (Kate), so she finds a lawyer willing to take her case pro bono. Of course, if she gets her wish, her sister will die, as she's suffering from leukemia and kidney failure. Throw in all of the typical issues plaguing teens, and families in general for that matter, and you can see how this story can quickly grow intricate.
As a parent, I can certainly understand the mother's point of view. Sara wants to do everything possible to save her first daughter, Kate. At the same time, however, I can completely understand Anna's fear, anger and frustration.
Ms. Picoult has made it incredibly easy to fall in love with her characters here, even the ones you believe at first sight to be the bad guys. And she does a masterful job portraying the everyday complexities of family life. You can't help but care about these characters. You might even find yourself taking time after reading this book to ponder your own life and family.
I highly recommend this book to writers of any genre, and any reader who appreciates reading about characters you can fall in love with and care about.
Rating:
Summary: BEST BOOK I EVER READ!!
Review: I HAVE NEVER READ ANY OF JODI PICOULT'S BOOKS BUT I WILL READ ALL OF THEM NOW! I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYBODY.
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: Still in Shock
Review: My father brought this novel home for me to read yesterday morning, and since I have finished it and started to read it again. The storyline is close to my heart, as though I have never dealt with anything as life threatening as cancer I have seen the inside of a hospital room often.
The main character, Anna, has a voice that perfectly captures the essance of a thirteen year old who has had to grow up before her time and the other narrarators have voices that keep them different and keep the story going.
There is so much to offer in this book and I don't quite know how to describe it, the ending is unexpected yes, and perhaps seems wrong to some but I think it solves the books main problem well, because where else could she have gone with it without making it too "happily ever after"?
Rating:
Summary: Solid writing, good story, touching and worthwhile
Review: MY SISTER'S KEEPER grabbed me and didn't let go till I reached the end, and then it slammed me to the ground. The only other book that had this much of an impact on me was McCrae's THE CHILDREN'S CORNER. I was soooo taken with the characters, that I could actually feel their individual pains and concerns. Jodi Picoult's way of writing this novel with each chapter dedicated to each character, and their individual thoughts of what was happening, was great. No extra descriptions of scenery, clothing, detailed activity, etc., just plain feelings. Also, her research into the subject of childhood luekemia and the treatments of this disease, was phenomenal. The ONLY down part of the writing was keeping the secret of why Campbell Alexander had a 'Service Dog', til near the end. Because of her description of him, I figured out early on what his problem probably was, so I did wondered why the mystery. It was the only distracting part of the book. I'm looking forward to reading more of her works. Also recommended------------------- "The Children's Corner," by Jackson Tippett McCrae
Rating:
Summary: You'll need the kleenex for this one
Review: One cannot read this book and not wonder, "What would I do in this situation." And herein lies the book's greatness. Picoult is no stranger to off the beaten path topics (euthanasia, suicide, etc) but what she has created here, with MY SISTER'S KEEPER, is like no other work of hers, for simply by writing such a powerful story, she has allowed us to put ourselves in her place; to think about what we might do when dealing with illness. Do you shape the family and your life around this sickness, or do you try and control the direction your life, as well as the family member who is ill, will take? None of this is easy stuff, nor should it be. A word of warning: Don't read this book at night--you simply won't be able to get to sleep--there's just too much here in this jam packed page turner. And I don't mean page turner in the DA VINCI CODE or BARK OF THE DOGWOOD sense. No, this is a psychologically complex book that will cause you to think, probably more than you'd like to. It's my contention that when you look up "Food for Thought" in the dictionary, you'll see "See MY SISTER'S KEEPER." It's just that good.
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