A review by juleskr02
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

as i read this novel, i constantly thought about how i could do nothing else but compare it to the film adaptation, but by the end, i was caught by such surprise that those comparisons didn’t even matter. 

my sister’s keeper has been my absolute favorite film for the longest time. there isn’t a viewing where i don’t cry. so of course i was ecstatic when i could finally land my hands on a copy of the book, especially paying only $1 for it from a thrift store! i had no idea what was in store for me, truly. 

there were plenty of similarities between the book and film. i mean, the plot has to stay the same for the film to be a true adaptation. and i found myself identifying a good chunk of lines in the book that were identical to those of the film. but as always, the book is way more gruesome and sad than one could even imagine, considering the film is already super depressing. by the end of the novel i was in tears as the ending completely threw me for a loop. 

the way this book is written is so smart. my favorite books are always the ones written in first person, so having this book written in first person from a plethora of points of view was a treat. jodi picoult plans the story out with a specific schedule, the plot following consistent weeks with each character’s part in different fonts. it’s really clear in reestablishing the different parts of the novel. something i also really took notice of is how each character was written. like how sara’s parts were always from the past, up until the trial. i think that really symbolizes her lack of acknowledgment in moving on and letting go. and the last point of view being from kate is just so powerful. i also love that it’s jesse who has the first and only mention of the exact words of the title.  

i really enjoyed campbell and julia in the novel. that’s something that doesn’t get touched upon in the movie, and i think it’s adds a bit of romance to a story that overall lacks that quality. and they also make the courtroom scene that much better, specifically campbell!

this book touches on such serious topics that are written yet in a beautiful manner. this novel wrecked me, but i expected nothing less since the film did the exact same. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings