My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Title: My Sister's Keeper
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Release Date: 6th April 2004
Genre: Fiction, Family, Romance

Summary:
Sara Fitzgerald would do almost anything for her daughter, Kate. However, when Kate is diagnosed with leukaemia; Sara's love for her daughter is truely put to test.

Anna, a by-product of Sara's mission to save Kate, was specifically designed and conceived to save Kate's life by providing a much needed bone marrow transplant. However, Sara's world is turned up-side down when Anna decides that, after many years, she does not want to help anymore and sues her own parents for the rights to her body.

Review:
The book as a whole was a bit of an emotional roller-coaster. I mean, one minute you would be smiling at the innocence of teenage romance and the next you would be a blubbering mess. Picoult really does know how to engage reader and emotionally connect you to the characters. My favourite character of which is Anna as she is so plucky and loyal (you will understand this at the end of the book). I really admire how she is like an adult trapped in a young person's body; she is wise beyond her years and so understanding... unlike normal children her age. You can really tell how the amount of responsibility she has had in her life has shaped her as a character and influenced who she is. This attention to detail and character development really makes this book what it is.

Even though I read this a couple of years ago the plot has always stuck with me as it
is never dull and is gripping throughout. I think it is the perfect portrayal of family life. However, what I really liked about the plot was that it shows that even though this family is such a horrible situation; they are a normal family with typical troublesome teenagers and everyday problems. What really makes it special though is it perfectly demonstrates the bound between families and the under-dying love they have for each other, no matter what. Awwwww!

I do not want to give anything away but....the ending is something in itself. Wow. Just when you think everything has worked out for everyone... it all goes horribly wrong, in a kind of ironic yet extremely sad way.

Rating: 10/10. Shocker of an ending.

You can buy My Sister's Keeper from Amazon here.