Skip to main content

My Sister's Keeper

This is my first time contributing here and I thank Tushar for the invite. I read a lot of books when I have the time and I've reviewed a few on my own blog. I decided as my very first post, to review a book that I already have on my blog. So here goes.


My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult has got to be one of the most powerful books I've ever read.

No other book has made me sob like this one.

No other book has made me smile like this one.

No other book has felt so real (in spite of it being fiction)

No other book has made me experience the wide gamut of emotions that I did whilst reading the book.

So what is it about the book that makes it so special?

Well, for me personally, the style of the book was awesome to start of with. Almost every character is presented in first person. How does Picoult do that? She lets each character have a say and have their voice heard in each chapter. Then of course, the story itself is a heart-wrenching one.

The book is about a family...a family with 3 children and one of whom (the middle child) has cancer. The third child was conceived to be a donor for the girl with cancer. She doesn't have a say in the matter until 12 years on, she is frustrated. She has had to forego more things than just donate a bone marrow or blood. She has had to put her life on hold for her sister. And she has had enough. She goes to see a lawyer to get the rights to her own body. And all hell breaks loose when the family finds out. Is there a right answer? I don't know. The mother is livid; the father torn. The daughter that has cancer does not have an opinion in the book i.e. she is the only character whose point of view is not presented to us. The older brother could not care less. The book takes us through all of their thoughts, their feelings, their emotions. The reader manages to empathise with each and every character (which is saying something...) I don't want to give away the ending in case you haven't read the book...but it is possibly one of the most unexpected endings.

The book makes you ask the biggest question: Would I do this for someone I loved?

The answer: I don't know.
I would donate if I had a choice.
But would I like to if I wasn't given one? If I was forced to without being asked? If I were made to feel guilty for not wanting to?

Like I said, if I were in Annie's place, I don't know what I'd do.

What would you do?
Labels:

Comments

d gypsy! said…
gets me interested
January 4, 2009 at 2:02 PM
Akansha Agrawal said…
Hmm... this really sounds interesting, a different take it seems!
January 4, 2009 at 8:45 PM
Dewdrop said…
Interesting... will pick up a copy!
January 6, 2009 at 1:58 AM
ANDROID!!! said…
haven't read it...but surely the next book on my racks!
January 16, 2009 at 2:08 AM
Post a Comment

Also read

Cutting people off isn’t strength—It is a trauma response

Your ability to cut people off and self-isolate is not a skill you should be proud of—It is a trauma response Cutting people off and self-isolating may feel like a protective shield, but it is often rooted in unresolved or unhealed trauma and an inability to depend on others. While these behaviors seem like self-preservation, they end up reinforcing isolation and blocking meaningful connections. Confronting these patterns, seeking therapy, and nurturing supportive relationships can help break this unhealthy cycle. Plus, a simple act like planting a jasmine plant can symbolise the start of your journey towards emotional healing. Why do we cut people off and isolate? If you’re someone who prides themselves on “cutting people off” or keeping a tight circle, you might believe it’s a skill—a way to protect yourself from betrayal, hurt, or unnecessary drama. I get it. I’ve been there, too. But here’s the thing: this ability to isolate yourself is not as empowering as it may seem. In fact, i...
1 comment
Read more

Punjab’s Stilt-Plus-four real estate rule 2025: Game changer or urban chaos? | circle rate hike explained

When the Punjab Cabinet approved the Unified Building Rules 2025, allowing stilt-plus-four floor construction across 40-ft-wide roads, it sparked both celebration and anxiety. For homeowners, it opened a new chapter of vertical prosperity. For urban planners, it may have unlocked Pandora’s box. Add to that a steep rise in circle rates up to 67% in Mohali and you have the perfect cocktail for a cityscape revolution. Is Punjab’s stilt-plus-four revolution a game changer or a warning sign for urban chaos? Punjab’s 2025 building rule reforms are rewriting its urban DNA. With stilt-plus-four floors now permitted on 250 sq yd plots and higher circle rates in force, Punjab’s real estate market is at a crossroads. Is this the dawn of new opportunities or the slow death of livable cities? The answer lies somewhere between ambition and chaos. Urban transformation often begins with good intentions and ends in gridlocks. Punjab’s new stilt-plus-four policy and simultaneous circle rate hike...
Post a Comment
Read more

Legions of Slave Women in the Mahabharata

Awakening to the Bhagavad Gita (series) - 1 For, taking refuge in Me, they also, who, O Arjuna, may be of sinful birth— women, Vaisyas as well as Sudras—attain the Supreme Goal! How much more easily then the holy Brahmins and devoted royal saints (attain the goal); having obtained this impermanent and unhappy world, do thou worship Me. The Bhagavad Gita, Chap 9, Ver 32, 33 So women are of sinful birth! As well as all kinds of workers, business men, entrepreneurs, most of the general population. The only people of virtuous births are priests — Brahmins — and royal saints, meaning saintly royals, meaning noble Kshatriyas. No wonder then that Yudhishthira — to reinstate whom this whole Mahabharata war has been fought — maintained hundreds of thousands of slave women! Take that number again: hundreds of thousands! He had so much gold, he could afford to. He had so much virtue, but he wanted more! Let's find the facts and figures from Draupadi's own wo...
15 comments
Read more