My Sister’s Keeper
Jodi Picoult
Allen and Unwin
2004
423 pages
"If you have a sister and she dies, do you stop saying you have one? Or are you always a sister, even when the other half of the equation is gone?"
My Sister’s Keeper is a novel by the famous author Jodie Picoult. It is probably her most well known book. Even to those who her name means nothing to, the book name rings a bell. This book is all about choices, and about trying to separate right from wrong. It’s not always that easy. Just a warning now; this book is not for the fainthearted.
Anna’s life is a lie. It all started when her parents discovered that her older sister Kate had leukaemia, and wouldn’t survive unless she got a blood transfusion from a perfect match. And so Anna was born.
Anna gave her first blood transfusion at less than a month old. Since then she was involved in several more transfusions, mainly blood but also bone marrow. She was never given a choice in the matter. In fact, the first time she gave blood being conscious of doing so, her mother didn’t even tell her what was happening. She just told her that Kate needed something from her, with no mention of a needle beforehand.
Now Kate needs a kidney. Donating a kidney includes going under an anaesthetic from which you may never wake. Once again she is being given no choice, but without this kidney Kate will die. Yet Anna decides to do the unthinkable; she goes to a lawyer and sues her family, refusing to give it up.
There are several characters in this story that you bond with, and feel like, rather than just being a character, you’ve met them. Firstly there’s Anna, the main character and person with whom, emotionally, you bond with the most. Then there’s Sara and Brian, her parents, a lawyer and a fire fighter. There is, of course, Kate, the sister who has leukaemia, and Jesse, Kate and Anna’s older brother, who was sort of abandoned when they found out that he wasn’t a match. He went rebel, and likes making trouble for his father by lighting empty warehouses on fire. However, deep down he does care for and very much sympathise with Anna. There’s Campbell, the lawyer that Anna hires who at the start seems to only be in it for the money, but by the end has really warmed to Anna, and Julia, who is Anna’s guardian ad litem, whose job it is to befriend Anna, work out what is best for her and then tell the judge. She and Campbell also have a history, having been high school sweethearts, and this is also explored in this amazing novel. There’s also a handful of minor characters, including Kate’s boyfriend Taylor, Sara’s sister and Anna and Kate’s aunt Suzanne or Zanne, Kate’s doctor Dr Chance, and Judge, Campbell’s dog he takes everywhere with him, who you don’t find out the reason for till the end of the novel.
This book really makes you think. Who is in the wrong here? Anna just doesn’t want to give up her body, is tired of the limits that come with having a sister with leukaemia, and wants to have some attention for once. Sara wants to save Kate, and is prepared to do anything to do so, even if it means consequences for Anna. And Brian, he thought that Anna’s blood would only be used for one transfusion, and then she would be able to lead a normal life. It really makes you wonder what you would do in each character’s position.
One interesting aspect of this novel is that every main character that I have described writes a chapter or two. This set out allows you to always see everyone’s point of view, and always sympathise with everyone. This is one of the many things that make this book really interesting and different to any other I’ve ever read.
The main theme of this book is what someone will do for someone they love. Sara obviously cares for Kate very much, and is ready to sacrifice anything, even her other daughter. You can tell that Sara would be prepared to throw herself off a cliff for Kate, and most other parents would understand exactly how she feels. How far would you go to save someone you love? Would you be willing to sacrifice everything for them? I know I would.
This is a great book that never ceases to amaze me whenever I remember the surprise ending. A movie was released in 2009 starring Abigail Breslin as Anna, however the ending has been changed, so while it may be a great movie featuring amazing actors, it is not truly the original story. When Jodi Picoult discovered that they had changed the ending, she said "Having the ending changed would certainly not have been my choice. I wrote the ending very intentionally because I wanted to leave the reader with a certain message. And changing that ending changes that message. However, I am excited to see the movie and to judge it on its strengths." Some fans were very upset and angry when the news was released, and one 16 year old even sent a petition to the producers! I personally have decided not to bother with the movie, as I don’t want to ruin that great ending for myself.
This book is fabulous! It’s well written and leaves you begging for a sequel. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone in year 7 and over, but make sure that you will be able to take it before you start. It is a sad book that has many depressing moments. I would rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars! I can try to tell you all about this book, how great it is, but the only way you can truly experience this book is to read it yourself. So what are you waiting for? Go read!
