My Sister's Keeper (Paperback)

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Review
'This is not just a great page-turning unputdownable read - it deals with sensitive intelligence with one of the major ethical issues of the day' - Claire Rayner "Rarely have I read such an eloquent portrayal of the family in crisis. Every character: real. Every situation: true. Picoult defies you to put this novel down once you've begun it. I do the same." -- Elizabeth George "[My Sister's Keeper] is a brilliant presentation of the kinds of dilemmas often engendered by the very gifts of modern medicine... The clear, true voices of [Jodi Picoult's] characters offer just the right mix, allowing moments of comfort, love and humor to lighten the heavy emotions brought into play when there is no single 'right' answer to a question of life and death. And the interplay of story elements allows for constant, compelling surprises, leading up to the greatest surprise of all as the book ends. Do not expect a miracle. Do expect a powerfully poignant, page-turning read." --San Antonio Express-News 'A remarkable achievement' - Poisoned Pen 'brilliantly told' DAILY MIRROR 'Anna's conflict between love for her sister ('without her, it's hard to remember who I am') and the desire for her own freedom is well portrayed. And Picoult writes with an evident understanding of the damage serious illness can do to a family.' -- DAILY MAIL 'The difficult choices a family must make when a child is diagnosed with a serious disease are explored with pathos and understanding in this 11th novel by Picoult (Second Glance, etc.). The author, who has taken on such controversial subjects as euthanasia (Mercy), teen suicide (The Pact) and sterilization laws (Second Glance), turns her gaze on genetic planning, the prospect of creating babies for health purposes and the ethical and moral fallout that results ...Picoult ably explores a complex subject with bravado and clarity, and comes up with a heart-wrenching, unexpected plot twist at the book's conclusion.' -- Publishers Weekly '*Starred Review* Expect to be kept up all night by Picoult's latest novel, but it's much more than a page-turner; it's a fascinating character study framed by a complex, gripping story. Thirteen-year-old Anna Fitzgerald walks into the office of lawyer Campbell Alexander and announces she wants to sue her parents for the rights to her own body. Anna was conceived after her older sister, Kate, developed a rare form of leukemia at the age of two, and has donated bone marrow and blood to her sister. Now she has been asked to donate a kidney, and she intends to refuse. Campbell is a jaded young man who nevertheless decides to take her case pro bono. Anna's parents are shocked when they learn of her lawsuit, and her mother, a former civil defense attorney, decides to represent them. Anna refuses to budge on her position despite the fact that she clearly loves her sister and longs for her family's happiness. As the gripping court case builds, the story takes a shocking turn. Told in alternating perspectives by the engaging, fascinating cast of characters, Picoult's novel grabs the reader from the first page and never lets go. This is a beautiful, heartbreaking, controversial, and honest book.' -- Booklist "Picoult's timely and compelling novel will appeal to anyone who has thought about the morality of medical decision making and any parent who must balance the needs of different children. Highly recommended." --Library Journal 'This astonishing novel is beautifully and thoughtfully written, and focuses on difficult moral choices.' -Good Housekeeping "Picoult is known for writing fictional page-turners that address controversial issues, and her latest novel is no exception... My Sister's Keeper is a thrill to read." --Washington Post "My Sister's Keeper is a terrific book... [It] is full of insight, inspiration and heartbreak." --San Jose Mercury News (California) "My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult is the amazing, gut-wrenching, sad, funny, insightful, moving and thought-provoking story of this American family. This new novel is by far her best achievement and a leap forward in her literary oeuvre... In a graceful portrait, masterfully written in high-pitched prose, Picoult raises the ethical, moral, constitutional, personal and mostly unanswerable questions about how anyone can make a life-or-death decision about a terminally ill loved one for whom extreme measures must be taken to play for more time. Where does the patient's right to stay alive infringe upon the life of someone else (in this case, a sister)?" -BookReporter.com "My Sister's Keeper is a bravely topical novel." -The Advertiser (Australia) "My Sister's Keeper has the emotional tenacity to fuel tears and talk as it becomes a book club must-read." -New York Daily News "Picoult has a real gift for clear, straightforward prose, but she's also quite adept at creating unforced, natural-sounding dialogue." --The Kansas City Star "My Sister's Keeper is a thrill to read." -Chicago Sun-Times "Here, the author of Salem Falls and other works gives readers a thrilling and intelligent book that entertains, educates and addresses the medical, ethical and moral problems of a family engaged in the support of a terminally ill child... It is difficult to find a book combining a timely moral dilemma with well-drawn characters for whom one cares. Picoult has written such a book." -The Boston Herald "[My Sister's Keeper] skillfully examines life's most sacred relationships." -- Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI) "With a strong, topical theme, Picoult gets into the heads of her well-developed characters." --The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia) 'My Sister's Keeper is a real page-turner ... The ethical issues of parents versus children and moral dilemmas of producing children to harvest them for the greater good seems an unlikely plot for a novel, but Picoult's storytelling skill meshes it all together into an absorbing and thought-provoking tear-jerker with a "wow" ending.' Daily News (New Plymouth, New Zealand) 'Picoult has hit upon a bioethical nerve and raises several provocative questions.' - Calgary Herald (Alberta, Canada) "[Jodi Picoult] has created something of a trademark among her 10 other novels about mother-child relationships." --Courier Mail (Queensland, Australia) "This one is not light reading, but Picoult, in her 11th novel, has the knack of holding her readers to the end." -Hartford Courant 'Author Jodi Picoult has been called a clairvoyant for choosing soon-to-be cutting edge topics for her novels. She hits a new societal nerve in My Sister's Keeper ... compelling and believable.' - Richmond Times Dispatch '[Jodi Picoult] vividly evokes the physical and psychic toll a desperately sick child imposes on a family, even a close and loving one like the Fitzgeralds... There may be no easy outcomes in a tale about individual autonomy clashing with a sibling's right to life, but Picoult thwarts our expectations in unexpected ways... a telling portrait of a profoundly stressed family.' --Kirkus Reviews 'This beautifully crafted novel will grab readers with its stunning topic ... the tightly woven tale seamlessly bounces from past to present ... Picoult's style borders on the poetic' -- People Magazine 'It is not every day that I thank Richard and Judy but I am indebted to their book club for bringing to my attention MY SISTER'S KEEPER ... Picoult's rich characterisation means the Fitzgeralds become more than a fictional family. The scientific debate gets personal ... MY SISTER'S KEEPER is emotionally riveting and will test your tear ducts to the limit - particularly the final, gut-wrenching twist ... Picoult tackles a controversial subject head on with a sense of wisdom and sensitivity. If there's only one book you read this year, make it this one.' * * * * * review -- Daily Express 'Very compelling.' -- Heat 'Gripping, thought-provoking, heart-breaking, MY SISTER'S KEEPER is a novel absolutely of our times.' -- Wrexham Leader 20050311 'A real tear-jerker...It's an absolutely wonderful book.' -- Sophie Anderson, Sunday Express 20050311 'The drama unfolds through the eyes of the main characters in a gripping, compulsive, intriguing read with a great ethical dilemma at its heart.' -- Stevenage Comet 20050331 'Terrific ... bringing us these issues from the point of view of a 13 year old girl is a great idea' -- Dr John Marsden 20050331 'I loved it, I read it in two nights ... Absolutely no argument is left unturned' -- Amanda Donahoe 20050331 'Fascinating and highly topical ... I found it a real page turner ... Every scene is powerful ... A dramatic ending ... shocking and made me cry' -- Richard Madeley 20050331 'Picoult has become a master - almost a clairvoyant - at targeting hot issues and writing highly readable page-turners about them ... [[I]t is impossible not to be held spellbound by the way she forces us to think, hard, about right and wrong.' -- Washington Post 'This beautifully crafted novel will grab readers with its stunning topic ... the tightly woven tale seamlessly bounces from past to present ... Picoult's style borders on the poetic' -- People Magazine "Rarely have I read such an eloquent portrayal of the family in crisis. Every character: real. Every situation: true. Picoult defies you to put this novel down once you've begun it. I do the same." -- Elizabeth George 20040920 'This astonishing novel is beautifully and thoughtfully written, and focuses on difficult moral choices.' -- Good Housekeeping 20040920 'This is not just a great page-turning unputdownable read - it deals with sensitive intelligence with one of the major ethical issues of the day' -- Claire Rayner 20040920 'A real tear-jerker...It's an absolutely wonderful book.' -- Sophie Anderson, Sunday Express 20040920 'Brilliantly told' -- Daily Mirror 20040920 '*Starred Review* Expect to be kept up all night by Picoult's latest novel, but it's much more than a page-turner; it's a fascinating character study framed by a complex, gripping story... Told in alternating perspectives by the engaging, fascinating cast of characters, Picoult's novel grabs the reader from the first page and never lets go. This is a beautiful, hear... --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
'This astonishing novel is beautifully and thoughtfully written and focuses on difficult moral choices' (Good Housekeeping )

'She is quite a find, in Anita Shreve territory, an author tackling gritty problems ... So watch out, she's well worth supporting' (Sarah Broadhurst, The Bookseller )

'This beautifully crafted novel will grab readers with its stunning topic ' (People Magazine )

'Expect to be kept up all night by Picoult's latest novel, but it's much more than a page-turner; it's a fascinating character study framed by a complex, gripping story. . . ' (Booklist ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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328 Reviews 5 star:  (228) 4 star:  (51) 3 star:  (25) 2 star:  (14) 1 star:  (10)           Average Customer Review 4.4 out of 5 stars (328 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   32 of 33 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly written, 11 Feb 2006 By  Laala Kashef Alghata (Bahrain) - See all my reviews This review is from: My Sister's Keeper (Paperback) Despite Jodi Picoult being a bestselling author, I picked up her books by accident in a bookstore. The first novel I read by her 'The Pact' lead me to buy another three within a month. This book was the second one I read, and it is most brilliantly written. There are plenty of books out there which can make you think. However, these are divided into two categories - those that make you think about YOUR life, and the way you view things, and then those who make you think about the characters. Picoult's books make you question your stance on some topics. You may emerge bearing the same beliefs, but you will have an amazingly articulate and detailed understanding of why the other side thinks the way it does. Cloning and designer babies are a controversy in our world today. Picoult explores this with Anna a thirteen year old who, after an escalating series of donating parts of herself to her sister, is now being asked to donate a kidney. Anna is the only perfect match for her sister, Kate, having been especially designed so that their DNA matches perfectly. Anna is fed up of being in admitted whenever her sister is, fed of being sick and donating her life to her sister. She sues her parents for the right to her own body. The story follows their family as it goes through the courtroom and ends on a twist. This story is marvelous and should not be passed. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   96 of 101 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Heart-wrenching, 18 Jun 2005 By  O. Doyle "celticshedevil" (Ireland) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    This review is from: My Sister's Keeper (Paperback) I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but had heart a few people talk about it so I bought it from Amazon. It's a heart-breaking novel that had me in tears on quite a few occasions. Kate is diagnosed with lukemia at age 2 and her parents decide to have a 'designer' baby, Anna, who they hope will save Kate from the certain death. Within hours of being born Anna has donated stem cells from her umbilicle cord....the first of many procedures. Thirteeen yrs later Annas body is still being used to keep her sister alive. This is when Anna decides to fight for the right to have control of her own body. The twist at the end came out of nowhere and had me in tears yet again. Its a very thought-provoking book which questions the morals behind 'designer' babies. I defy anyone to read this book and not get a lump in their throat. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   112 of 118 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely surprise of a book, 28 Jan 2005 By  "greeneyedgracie" - See all my reviews This review is from: My Sister's Keeper (Paperback) I bought this book only because it was in the 3 for 2 sale at Waterstones, never having heard of it, or the author, before. Reading it got slightly uncomfortable at points - for one, the moral dilemma at the crux of the plot had me squirming because it's one of those situations you just don't wanna think about - secondly, characters take it in turn to narrate chapters, and though this generally works well, the fact they all use the same introspective reflective tone can get a bit eerie. One review inside the cover says the book ends with a big twist, so I started trying to spot it from the start - no chance, it came totally out of nowhere. And when it finally turned up, it had me bawling my eyes out (I haven't cried at a book since I read "The Last Battle" (Chronicles of Narnia) at the age of about 8). Seriously, I cried for about 10 minutes, and I don't even have kids. At the same time, the book isn't an emotional blackmail attempt using cliches as tear-jerkers, but simply, gently and originally written. It comments in a roundabout way on families, parenting, and growing up. I'm tempted to get hold of some more of the author's work, but I'm worried it won't live up to this one. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 328 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Another Brilliant book by Picoult! I am currently working my way through Jodi Picoult's fantastic novels. I wanted to read this one before I go and see the film next week. Read more Published 3 days ago by KMB67 5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal This should be a book that is forced to be taught in schools everywhere. Sure there are a few swear words and some sexual situations but the utter strength of morality is... Read more Published 3 days ago by aspiring_critic 1.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic idea, horrific execution Let me start by saying that the idea of the book is a fantastic one, so it is a massive shame seeing how horrible it turned out to be. Read more Published 12 days ago by YF 3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting concept The concept of this book is very interesting; a young girl in conflict with her parents. This subject is thoroughly explored from all angles including the emotional, the moral... Read more Published 13 days ago by Geoff Naylor 5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely mind blowing. A wonderful read which i will never forget i'm 16 year old girl and at the weekend it was my cousins 26th birthday, she and her sister invited me to see the film version and it had everyone in the cinema in tears from the... Read more Published 16 days ago by Laila 5.0 out of 5 stars My Sisters Keeper I purchased this after reading some reviews on Amazon. It is the first book I have read by Jodi Picoult and I shall read some more of her. Read more Published 17 days ago by S. Shaw 5.0 out of 5 stars Definate must read!!! This book makes you laugh and cry, the author is able to open your eyes to the full picture giving every characters thoughts and feelings on the events within the story. Read more Published 18 days ago by Ms. C. L. Ryan 5.0 out of 5 stars live for the moment I know this book has many reviews, but I also know that there are people like me who just dont give into the 'hype'. Read more Published 18 days ago by A. MAHMOOD 3.0 out of 5 stars My Sister's Keeper Too upsetting and realistic for my liking - it made me depressed and sad. I cried myself through the book. I was too generous - I should have only given it 2 stars! Published 19 days ago by Eli 5.0 out of 5 stars Superb! I read this book within 2 days whilst on holiday - I couldn't put it down. In typical Jodi Picoult style it's written from several peoples' perspective, however, the story 'flows'... Read more Published 22 days ago by jildo Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 328 customer reviews...

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