'My Sister's Keeper' by Jodi Picoult - Book Review

My Sister's Keeper is the story of a girl who sues her parents for a right to make her own medical decisions. Anna was conceived after her older sister was diagnosed with leukemia. She is a perfect match for her sister, and spends her life in the hospital donating blood, marrow and whatever else her sister needs to live. As a teenager, she sues so that she will not have to give her sister a kidney. My Sister's Keeper covers the life of this family during the trial. Each chapter is told from a different character's viewpoint. It is one of Picoult's best books.

If you are new to Jodi Picoult's writing, My Sister's Keeper is a good place to start. It is arguably Picoult's best book, and definitely her most well known. It was released as a movie in June 2009, although the ending of the book and movie are not the same. Picoult's books follow a certain formula -- chapters told from different viewpoints, characters that you love to hate, major tragedy and family drama, and usually a big twist at the end. In some of Picoult's books, this formula combines with stories that seem overly emotional and contrived. In My Sister's Keeper, however, Picoult creates a fascinating story that raises interesting questions for book clubs to discuss.

My Sister's Keeper is a page turner that you won't want to put down, but it is also an emotional roller coaster. Don't read it if you don't like to cry. If you decide to pick it up, I recommend doing so with a friend or book club. This is one you are going to want to talk about when you finish it!