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Stephanie Chance
Okay, Okay!
I read this book with my reading group. I did not want to read this book because I thought that it would be too syrupy sweet and appeal too much to the emotions. Surprisingly, except for a few moments of sappiness, I really enjoyed the book. It was not oversimplied, and the characters were mostly believable, if a little flat. Despite my determination not to and having skipped ahead to read the outcome, I did find myself crying at the last chapter. I do not have a sister, and it was interesting to read about the special bonds of this relationship.
Katie
Excessively long and incredibly predictable
I read this book because people raved about it--I cannot concur. The book was full of flat characters, and the children were not written at all like children, just stupid adults. The 'stunning plot twist' could be guessed from the beginning, the foreshadowing was pathetically obvious, and the chapters were far too repetitive. After reading a few of the mother's chapters, i felt like screaming "I GET IT! SHE HAS CANCER! YOU'RE SAD!"
if you really want to read this book, just read the first twenty and last twenty chapters; you won't miss a thing in the middle.
Hellany
excellent idea, poor execution
What makes books like these particularly painful is that at its heart, it's a fascinating topic. Donor rights, children's medical rights, how long and how much a family should have to sacrifice to keep a family member alive... these are compelling and important issues to discuss.
The problem is that Picoult's writing isn't nearly deft enough to handle the topic gracefully. 'My Sister's Keeper' relentlessly meanders, weaving between pointless POV shifts and unnecessary flashbacks. While the witty dialogue itself is one of the bright spots, the voices of all the characters -- young or old, educated or not -- sound virtually identical. The romance between Campbell and Julia is bland and irrelevant, and the choice to make Sara unsympathetic to the point of being monstrous is baffling, considering that she's carrying most of the emotional clout in a highly moral-driven story.
Most irritating of all is that Picoult makes a pretense of bravely tackling a controversial topic (the moral implications of forcing your child to be a donor, and the question of whether or not the donor should want to sacrifice everything to save a family member) and then ultimately refuses to take a stand either way, using several unforgivable cop-outs to avoid answering her own questions.
As far as keeping the hands of everyone involved blood-free and introducing an interesting topic, Picoult succeeds. As a fellow writer and reviewer, however, I was disappointed in her willingness to string the reader along for an entire book --a book whose greatest strength is the overarching moral dilemma -- and then rob them of any sort of believable or compelling conclusion.
Tina_B
Sucker Punch
I was COMPLETELY enthralled with this book, right up until the end. I had never read Jodi Picoult before. Knowing that the movie was coming out, and it looks so interesting, I figured I'd read the book first. This author took what could have been an amazing story, and did nothing less that end it with a cheap shot/sucker punch that is nothing less than a complete insult to the story, the characters and the reader. It was completely infuriating. I called a friend of mine to ask her if she had ever read it. She told me that when she got to the end that she physically threw the book across the room and nearly hit her husband. Ugh. I don't think I'll ever read another book by this author again.
dsv
My Sister's Keeper
This book was required summer reading at my son's high school. I'm glad I read it first. This book may have a good story line but it is inappropriate for teens- to much "smut"- parents beware!
honest opinion
Hated It
I hated this book, I don't see why everyone thinks it is so great. First of all, the way it switched views from chapter to chapter was confusing. I'd start a new chapter and think "I" was Anna, but "I" was Campbell... Second, was all the profanity really necessary? This was the second book I have read by Picoult and I WILL NOT be reading anymore. It was entirely too long, dragged out, boring...I just hated it. I am going to see the movie with my sister since she asked me too, I figure they couldn't have made it near as bad as this novel. I can't say that I am looking forward to seeing it though. If you are undecided on reading this novel, please don't waste your time!!
Kat
Did any of you actually READ this book?
This book infuriated me to the point where burning it once was not enough. It was legally and medically inaccurate. The ending was basically having the hand of God come in and take over. This book was tiring to read through. I do not enjoy reading soap operas. This author obviously does not have a sister.