My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult (December/05)

I am attempting to catch up on the books that I have read, so be patient.

I got this book for Christmas from my boyfriends parents. I had bought it for a friend for Christmas and found it sounded good, so I was happy when I received it. It is a fitting title for this novel, as the main character is in essence "her sisters keeper". I particularly like the question found on the back of the book: "Can a parent love too much? Or is too much never enough?" I find that is sums up the actions of the book quite well.

You see, Anna, the main character, was conceived to save her older sister who developed leukemia when she was little. Anna was given specific genes so that she would be a perfect match for her sister when she was born, and thus began her life of surgeries and procedures to extend her sisters life. When she is thirteen years old, though, she finally challenges her mother over the constant hospital stays. She has always been defined by her sister, and it seems that she wishes this to end at this period in her life. Her decision is a brave one because it has the potential to tear her family apart and destroy her sisters chances to live, but it also has more to it than it seems and has some surprising endings in store.

This novel is one of the saddest novels I have ever read. I like how it is told from everyones perspective but Kate, the sick sister. She has always been the centre of attention in the family, and now we are seeing what the other members of the family are thinking. The mother, Sarah, takes the novel back to when Kate was just born. The father uses firefighting and astronomy to explain the events in their house. In the end, though, it is what Anna thinks that is important.

I give this book a 4.5 out 5. I have some issues with the ending, and I can't give a perfect grade to something I question.