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Contributors | November 10, 2009

Zachary Lazar: IMG Evening's Empire

0 comments By Zachary Lazar

Without knowing it, I'd always had two unspoken arrangements with the world. The first was that I would not trouble it with unpleasant conversation... Continue »
  1. $17.49 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

    Evening's Empire: The Story of My Father's Murder

    Zachary Lazar

My Sister's Keeper

by Jodi Picoult

My Sister's Keeper Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her keen insights into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she 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. 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? Once again, in My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult tackles a controversial real-life subject with grace, wisdom, and sensitivity.

Review:

USA TodayPicoult's characters are so compelling that the reader hopes this won't be the last time we meet.

Review:

People (Critic's Choice)[Second Glance] is a fast-paced, densely layered exploration of love, the pull of family and the power of both to transcend time.

Review:

USA Today

Picoult's characters are so compelling that the reader hopes this won't be the last time we meet.

Review:

Washington PostPicoult has become a master — almost a clairvoyant — at targeting hot issues and writing highly readable page-turners about them....

Review:

The Boston GlobePicoult writes with a fine touch, a sharp eye for detail, and a firm grasp of the delicacy and complexity of human relationships.

Review:

Booklist (Starred Review)My Sister's Keeper is a beautiful, heartbreaking, controversial, and honest book.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 7 comments:
www.gileslachance, September 15, 2009 (view all comments by www.gileslachance)
My Sister’s Keeper is a novel by author Jodi Picoult. It tells a story from several perspectives of a genetically engineered child named Anna who was born for the purpose of saving her sister Kate from leukemia. As Anna gets older, she begins to think more independently. One day, she finally decides that she has had enough of being a donor for Kate and chooses to sue her parents to have control of her medical rights. As a result the characters of the novel fight and argue over what decisions to make for the two siblings based on the things they see as right and wrong in this controversy. This book explains a controversial topic that many readers may like. One scene from the story is where Sara, Anna and Kate’s mother, becomes shocked and furious to hear that Anna has decided to sue her parents despite all the support that Anna had given to her sister in the past without complaint. This complication puts pressure on family members and increases the tension in between them. The message of the book is that not everyone can be treated equally in life even if that is what happens to be desired. Decisions will sometimes have to be settled for either one way or the other when there are no other choices. As this book teaches an important aspect of life, it is a very valuable book to read and comprehend. It provides each character’s ideas and how they view the freedom of one and the survival of another which is an effective way to understand how each may feel about the matter. One of the main ideas of this novel is that it argues over people’s rights and whether one should be judged different based on how they’re born.

“There should be a statute of limitation on grief.”
-page 421, My Sister's Keeper
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Katelyn Schuster, September 15, 2009 (view all comments by Katelyn Schuster)
Anna was born for a very specific purpose. She was genetically engineered to be an exact match for her sister Kate. Kate has had leukemia since she was very young. This disease has summoned her to undergo tons of procedures. To undergo these procedures Kate needs a donor. This is where Anna comes in.
From the moment she was born, Anna has been donating many things to help her sister live just one more day. When Anna arrived, her cord was cut and her blood was immediately put into Kate. This helped Kate for a little while, until she relapsed. Then Anna had to go through much more painful surgeries such as donating blood, plasma, and a bone marrow so that Kate would go into remission. Though these treatments have helped Kate’s leukemia get better, they have caused great damage to her kidneys, forcing her to undergo one last surgery in hopes to survive.
When their parents hear that there is a way to save their daughter they jump right on that wagon and say all speed ahead. Too bad their train didn’t stop at the station close to their own home just once for them to remember that in order for Kate to get the transplant, Anna will have to undergo the surgery as well. Anna also will only have one kidney, forcing her to protect it from harm the rest of her life instead of falling back on a spare like everybody else. This is a big decision for the family to make and Anna wants a say. It seems like no one listens to what she has to say and that causes a riot inside her little head. Anna wants the world to give her a choice and she wants her voice to be heard for once. She takes a stand and does something that nobody wants to deal with. Anna files a law suit against her parents.
As the story goes on Campbell, the lawyer that Anna hires helps her try to get her rights of medical emancipation so that she can have control over her own body. “It’s not suicide, if you are already dying.”Kate announces. There are many twists in this story that you will not expect. This book is very suspenseful; you will not be able to put it down. This book really makes you think and you will be asking yourselves a lot of questions even when you are done. I definitely recommend this book, especially to teens and young adults.
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Mackenzie, September 15, 2009 (view all comments by Mackenzie)
My Sister’s Keeper review
My Sister’s Keeper is an amazingly compelling book about a girl (Anna) whose sister (Kate) was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 3. Anna was specifically born to be an exact genetic match to her sister so that she could help with Kate’s struggle to survive. Anna has under gone countless procedures to help Kate. Throughout her life Anna’s only role in her life has been to keep Kate alive. Now at the age of thirteen she does something about it that could tear her family apart forever and maybe mean the death of her sister. The story tells of the hardships of the family and Anna’s decision through the eyes of all characters involved. Such as their delinquent older brother Jesse, there worried mother Sarah, there firefighter dad Brian, and a few other interesting characters.
This book is beautifully crafted and incredibly creative. Each characters voice is very distinct. The author’s use of figurative language helps the reader understand what is really going on and creates wonderful mental pictures. In the beginning of some chapters the author includes quotes and lines of poetry from other novels and poetry. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read it. It explains the value of life and to never take the ones you love for granted. Also it shows the complexities of the legal system.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781439157268
Author:
Picoult, Jodi
Publisher:
Pocket Books
Subject:
Literary
Subject:
Family life
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Mothers and daughters
Subject:
Domestic fiction
Edition Description:
Mass market paperback
Publication Date:
May 2009
Binding:
Mass Market Paperbound
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
500
Dimensions:
6.09x4.93x1.11 in. .55 lbs.
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