Decisions, decisions...

Cloe Amaral

My Sister's Keeper
by Jodi Picoult


Picture this: By age 13, you’ve already undergone countless transfusions, shots, and operations, but nothing is wrong with you. Why then? In hopes that you might save your older sister from the leukemia that has taken over her life.

In My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult, the main character, Anna, was born with this role against her will. Until now, that is. Don't want the first half of the story to be spoiled? Refer to my first blog post, Life or Death?  for my first review.

To pick up where I left off, Anna wants to take back not only her body but her life. She was born as a perfect match for Kate but is done being defined by her sisters’ illness. In case you forgot, she is driven to make an unthinkable decision due to the lack of her parents’ understanding--a decision to legally stop providing her sister organs. This couldn’t have come at a worse time, as Kate is in need of a new kidney. It is very hard for Anna to make this decision, saying “I know what’s gonna happen” Anna’s voice gets low. “I never said I liked it” (111). At this point in Anna’s life, she is unsure of her purpose and identity. She’s always just been there, waiting to give pieces of herself when Kate got sick again. With lots of drama and help from the courts, a decision is made. Interested? Read My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult.

This is a compelling, heartbreaking story with lots of dark imagery. It still keeps a balance between humor and sadness and Picoult really shows this through the characters. Although Kate, the cancer patient, is going through a lot, she lives in the moment and doesn’t pity herself. “My sister’s the one who’s always had to imagine life without me”. (162), Kate says, describing how her illness has affected her loved ones. She feels bad for what her illness is doing to her family and I admire that in her character. The main character, Anna, has developed since my last review. She is struggling to choose between her own health/body and her sister’s, but still keeps a sense of humor and determination. Picoult’s writing style adds a lot to the story, as you get to hear every character's point of view and feelings. For example, one chapter is narrated by Anna and set in the present; The next chapter is narrated by her mother, set back in time when Kate was first diagnosed. I appreciate this because although it adds length to the story, you get to be inside each character's mind and know every character in their own voice. Picoult uses a different font for each character’s chapter which makes this idea more prominent.

Although I did enjoy this book, I didn't get to finish it. The plot of this story was very interesting and attention-grabbing at first, but it started to slow down and introduce too many plots. Because the book goes to a different point in time whenever the narrator changes, the plot moves very slowly. If the book moved quicker and was more action packed I would be more motivated to finish it. For example, the storyline of Anna’s lawsuit hasn’t really progressed into a trial yet because the other chapters go back in time. I was very intrigued by the unique storyline at first but the length made me lose interest. Also, the plot about Anna’s lawyer’s love life is not interesting to me and I don’t think it is necessary for the book. I think it should’ve been cut from the story and Picoult should’ve built on Kate and Anna. The book is a bit on the longer side, so if you want to read it you should definitely invest time into it. I read this book once a week in school but it didn't make me want to take up any extra time reading at home. Unlike my last review, I do not recommend this book unless you really like to read and won’t get bored of it. Although, it is a very unique and interesting plot because it is centered around the cancer patients family more than herself. For example, Kate’s mother is destroyed by her daughter getting cancer and wonders what she could’ve done to stop it, saying “I could have rolled Kate in bubble wrap, the danger for her was already under the skin” (170). If a family member of yours has had cancer, you may relate to this book. There are pros and cons to it but I do think the main storyline is one worth hearing. I would give My Sister’s Keeper ⅗ stars.