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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
This ending... I'm not sure how I feel about this book..
This book was incredible! I was hooked from the first page, and couldn't put it down. The characters were all well-developed and had intriguing personal stories. It was thought-provoking, heart-breaking, and amazing.
This was my second time reading through this unique novel. As a parent, I think the behavior of the story parents is appalling, but reading about the tact taken and the obvious favoritism causes one to stop and think-- mull over--the core point; can one child be forced to relinquish their body parts to save another? I like books that make me think and this one does.
Nobody in a Jodi Picoult novel thinks or speaks like a human being. I don't know anyone who lives their lives as a series of stitched-together metaphors, nor anyone who finishes every conversation with a one-liner that is both pithy and heart-wrenching but only in reference to the inner monologue of either themselves or, more perplexing, their conversation partner. That's how these vessels for pathos exist, though.
They all have approximately the same inner voice, too. Sure, the bad kid who does drugs says a naughty word once in a while, but that's about it. Everyone has their one thematically appropriate hobby or fascination that they can draw metaphors from. Everyone thinks back to scenes and draws poignant emotional lines that really don't mean that much when you think about it. It gives the book a kind of beat that makes it pretty readable, I guess, but that's the nicest thing I can say about that.
Everyone seems very upset by the ending of this book, and I guess I can see why. I'm coming at it from another angle, though. With all the talk of fire, I honestly thought one or both of the girls would die in a fire, making the whole thing moot but making the point that this is what happens when you try to control life - random horrible shit. It felt like that was what the book was gearing up to tell us. But then some other random horrible shit happened instead and it left me cold because... Is that really all we're going to get for the fire theme? Hug it out, brother's story is over, none of it had anything to do with anything? Ugh.
Actually, apart from how Picoult's schtick wore on me, the biggest bother for me was the service dog story. It was glaringly obvious from moment one (well, maybe moment two, when I realised he was joking about the iron lung) that the guy had seizures. Not only did this possibility pass by literally everyone in the story somehow, but the lawyer himself seemed to think that this was just... Look, I get it. Seizures are probably really hard to deal with. I once knew a lady with epilepsy, and she couldn't drive because of it. There's probably a million little ways it messes up your life. But it's not something that needs to be hidden away because it's just too awful to mention. It's not so embarrassing that you should break up with the love of your life rather than admit to it. Instead of his exhausting game of coming up with joke maladies every time, he could just say "seizure detection" and everyone would say "oh, right, sorry" and that would be that. Yes, people suck for assuming, and I know perfectly well from experience that invisible disabilities are something for the individual to learn how to handle in their own way. It's not like the guy doesn't have the right to conceal or make jokes. I'm more bothered that this is how Picoult decided to portray it.
They all have approximately the same inner voice, too. Sure, the bad kid who does drugs says a naughty word once in a while, but that's about it. Everyone has their one thematically appropriate hobby or fascination that they can draw metaphors from. Everyone thinks back to scenes and draws poignant emotional lines that really don't mean that much when you think about it. It gives the book a kind of beat that makes it pretty readable, I guess, but that's the nicest thing I can say about that.
Everyone seems very upset by the ending of this book, and I guess I can see why. I'm coming at it from another angle, though. With all the talk of fire, I honestly thought one or both of the girls would die in a fire, making the whole thing moot but making the point that this is what happens when you try to control life - random horrible shit. It felt like that was what the book was gearing up to tell us. But then some other random horrible shit happened instead and it left me cold because... Is that really all we're going to get for the fire theme? Hug it out, brother's story is over, none of it had anything to do with anything? Ugh.
Actually, apart from how Picoult's schtick wore on me, the biggest bother for me was the service dog story. It was glaringly obvious from moment one (well, maybe moment two, when I realised he was joking about the iron lung) that the guy had seizures. Not only did this possibility pass by literally everyone in the story somehow, but the lawyer himself seemed to think that this was just... Look, I get it. Seizures are probably really hard to deal with. I once knew a lady with epilepsy, and she couldn't drive because of it. There's probably a million little ways it messes up your life. But it's not something that needs to be hidden away because it's just too awful to mention. It's not so embarrassing that you should break up with the love of your life rather than admit to it. Instead of his exhausting game of coming up with joke maladies every time, he could just say "seizure detection" and everyone would say "oh, right, sorry" and that would be that. Yes, people suck for assuming, and I know perfectly well from experience that invisible disabilities are something for the individual to learn how to handle in their own way. It's not like the guy doesn't have the right to conceal or make jokes. I'm more bothered that this is how Picoult decided to portray it.
While not the best book I ever read, I still thought this was a captivating read and thoroughly enjoyed it. My only real complaint was that the end was a bit disappointing. I don't understand why some authors choose to end books this way, but it seemed unnecessary and a bit of a waste. Even so, would recommend.
One of my top five favorite books. An absolutely wonderful story. Each chapter is written from the perspective of a different character which made me constantly switch loyalty and sympathy.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult - For me, My Sister's Keeper is still a conundrum I have not been able to unravel or figure out. In simplest of words, and I borrow them from the book itself, it revolves around the debate about quality of life versus the sanctity of life. What do you choose, or choose to respect, when respecting both seems impossible. Anna, the protagonist, is her sister's keeper. And by keeper, it means that she was conceived with the sole purpose that her existence facilitated countless surgeries, transfusions & shots for her sister Kate and that she always had a donor for medical necessity on standby. Unlike the rest of us, she wasn't a surprise or happy accident or planned because her parents wanted a sibling for their child. Through pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, she was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate. And like most minors, she was neither offered a choice nor had any agency in the decision making after her birth. I mean, even you and I cannot imagine why a sibling would refuse or challenge that role, right? But wait before you make up your mind. It is a tough life to experience when, from the moment you are born, you are girl with a sick sister. Sure, people are extra generous and kind to Anna, bank tellers give her extra lollipops, no one is rude to her face. But it is a lot for the healthy sibling to take in. Like being whisked off from a sleepover or a birthday party to the hospital because your sister has an emergency. This is a brief overview of how Anna's life is. That is, until one fine day, she decides she doesn't want to do this anymore, she doesn't want to be her sister's keeper any longer. If I dip my toes even a little into why and how of this, it will spoil the story for anyone who wants to read it. So I will just stop. The book has its flaws, there are parallel storylines which are weak, predictable & sometimes they will make you wonder are they even there in the first place. Hang in there for Anna's sake. I don't know if you would have the answer to my earlier puzzle - quality of life or its sanctity - but it will make you think.