Saturday, July 28, 2007

My Sister's Keeper


A Brief Review
Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate - a life and a role that she has never questioned… until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister - and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable… a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life… even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you? What happen when emotion catches up to scientific advances?
My review
Just as what the rest of the readers had claimed, “My Sister’s Keeper” is really one of the finest story books I had ever come across. It comprised a mixture of happiness, love, sorrow and amusement. The author truly did an amazing work in term of enthralling her readers.

It took me somewhat seemed like 5 seconds to be fully captivated by the characters inside the story. It held me up all night to finish it! It is a book that emphasized on the love of sister’s hood, parental love and how strong family bond could really be in times of difficulties. Anna (the main character) was a thirteen year old adolescent that never stop questioning herself her true meaning of existence in this world. For her, being born to this world is not purely by an accident, or because her parents drank too much on certain night, or because birth control isn’t 100%, or for all sorts of other reasons that really aren’t very flattering. Her existence to this family is mainly for the fact that, she has the perfect genetic composition that could save her dieing sister. From the age, as young as one month old, she started donating her white blood cells in order to keep her sister alive. Hence, from the very beginning of her life, it seems to her that, without the existence of her sister, she won’t be around. Therefore, it took her great courage to be able to stand in front of the law suit and speak up for herself, even if it meant taking away her beloved sister’s life.

This book not only permits the reader to stand on Anna’s prospective, but instead, it allows us to experience the feeling and thoughts made by people who are connected to Anna (her parents, her sibling, her lawyer, the judge, her guardian etc). It is not those kind of stories that have a clear separation between the “good guys” and the “bad guys” where the reader could, within a split second, make up their mind on whose side they should be bias to and whose side they could put all the blames on. Through this story I truly appreciate the wonder of parental love. Understanding how strong the connection between parents and their children could be. In addition, how complicated it would be for a mother to make decisions between her two children and deciding an option in terms of their best interest. It was not easy for a mother to look into all her children’s interest when she had a dieing child to look after. It was not easy to be fair to all children when she knew that one of them needed her more than the rest, and that it was not difficult to unintentionally neglect her other children when she had such a huge burden over her shoulders.

Through this story, I understand that it is without a doubt that any parents would give away their lives in order to save their children’s, but sometimes, love is just not enough... In reality there are more to be considered than just love. Love is not enough when it comes down to which child of yours you are going to save when both of them are in danger. I think the ultimate question that comes down would be which child would you choice to save over the other? I reckon that this story really shows that who we are isn’t so much about what we do, but rather what we’re capable of when we least expect it…I think that all of us have an ability within us that is yet to be discovered and that only in times of real needs that our true self will come into view.
once again, "My Sister's Keeper" an excellent book that i recommend :)
Some comment from other reader...

"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, heartbreaking, controversial, and honest book."
—Starred Review, BOOKLIST
“Picoult explores a complex subject with bravado and clarity, and comes up with a heartwrenching, unexpected plot twist at the book’s conclusion.”
—Publisher’s Weekly
“Expect a powerfully poignant, page-turning read.”
—San Antonio Express-News
“This beautifully crafted novel will grab readers with its stunning topic…Now go discuss it with your book club.”
—PEOPLE magazine
“This new novel is by far her best achievement, and a leap forward in her literary oeuvre.”
—Bookreporter.com
“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
“MY SISTER’S KEEPER is a thrill to read.”
—Chicago Sun-Times
“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

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