Paperback, 423 pages
English language
Published July 30, 2005 by Washington Square Press.
Conceived to provide a bone marrow match for her leukemia-stricken sister, teenage Kate begins to question her moral obligations in light of countless medical procedures and decides to fight for the right to make decisions about her own body. New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult tells the emotionally riveting story of a family torn apart by conflicting needs and a passionate love that triumphs over human weakness. Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged -- until now. When their parents ask her to donate a kidney, Anna has had enough. She …
Conceived to provide a bone marrow match for her leukemia-stricken sister, teenage Kate begins to question her moral obligations in light of countless medical procedures and decides to fight for the right to make decisions about her own body. New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult tells the emotionally riveting story of a family torn apart by conflicting needs and a passionate love that triumphs over human weakness. Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged -- until now. When their parents ask her to donate a kidney, Anna has had enough. She enlists the aid of a lawyer and announces her intention to sue for control of her own body. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life, even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you?
I chose this book for a film adaptation class and suffice to say I've read the book and seen the movie so many times that I kind of hate it.
Jodi’s books always take a controversial issue, present both sides, and humanize both—which I really love. However, wtf at this ending?! This is the only big fault in all of her books that I’ve read so far. The whole book is amazing, but the ending always seems like an afterthought, like she wanted to wrap it up quickly and happily and move on before having to REALLY delve into some serious moral/ethical decisions with characters. A shiny present wrapped up with a pretty bow, rather than real life (much like Small Great Things). Disappointed in this one, but loved the other 98% of it.
Very good book up until the ending...hence the 4/5
Unfortunately for me, I watched the movie before I even realised there was a book (as so often happens these days). Therefore, when the ending was vastly different, I was shocked and angry. Quite frankly, it was a stupid, clichéd ending.
Not that I was a huge fan of the book, but I thought it deserved a little less of a cliché.
I won’t ruin it for you, though.
Now that I’m thinking about it again, the majority of the book annoyed me. While I liked the characters of Anna, Kate and their brother, I found myself despising the mother with a great passion.
The whole emotional sentiment of the book depends on empathising with the woman. However, I often found myself wishing she’d get caught in one of her son’s fires and die. She did not have a single redeeming quality. Even in the final third of the book, …
Unfortunately for me, I watched the movie before I even realised there was a book (as so often happens these days). Therefore, when the ending was vastly different, I was shocked and angry. Quite frankly, it was a stupid, clichéd ending.
Not that I was a huge fan of the book, but I thought it deserved a little less of a cliché.
I won’t ruin it for you, though.
Now that I’m thinking about it again, the majority of the book annoyed me. While I liked the characters of Anna, Kate and their brother, I found myself despising the mother with a great passion.
The whole emotional sentiment of the book depends on empathising with the woman. However, I often found myself wishing she’d get caught in one of her son’s fires and die. She did not have a single redeeming quality. Even in the final third of the book, when the reader was clearly meant to say, “It’s okay, I forgive you,” I still found her a repulsive, manipulative character who didn’t feel a single shred of love for her youngest child.
Despite other well-developed characters and Picoult’s writing style (which isn’t my favourite but that’s just a personal thing), the book couldn’t be saved. And it all comes down to that bleep of a mother.
I'm not a fan of Picoult's writing style, but the subject matter in this book was intriguing and thought-provoking. Sixteen-year-old Kate was born with a very rare form of leukemia, and her mother is so determined to beat this disease that she and her husband conceive Anna, a "designer baby" genetically engineered to be a donor for Kate. So far, the 13-year-old Anna has donated platelets, blood, her umbilical cord, bone marrow, and now it's assumed that she will donate one of her kidneys in a last effort to save her sister's life. This is what Anna was conceived to do, but instead, she hires a lawyer in an effort to gain control over her body. I'll stop telling the story right there, but will point out that this novel makes some very real observations about what a serious illness can do to a family: the oldest child in this …
I'm not a fan of Picoult's writing style, but the subject matter in this book was intriguing and thought-provoking. Sixteen-year-old Kate was born with a very rare form of leukemia, and her mother is so determined to beat this disease that she and her husband conceive Anna, a "designer baby" genetically engineered to be a donor for Kate. So far, the 13-year-old Anna has donated platelets, blood, her umbilical cord, bone marrow, and now it's assumed that she will donate one of her kidneys in a last effort to save her sister's life. This is what Anna was conceived to do, but instead, she hires a lawyer in an effort to gain control over her body. I'll stop telling the story right there, but will point out that this novel makes some very real observations about what a serious illness can do to a family: the oldest child in this story is a boy in his late teens whose life has taken a bad turn due to the stress and neglect that has been his lot in life, Anna and her father are also stressed emotionally torn, and Kate's life is hell. This illness is all-consuming and very sad. The characters will not stay in your mind very long, because they're not very well developed, but the storyline will. It's certainly something to ponder. The ending was unexpected and I personally thought it was a cope out. Just sayin'
