My Sister's Keeper

• In truth, readers themselves don't know whose side to take in this story, and to top it off, Jodi Picoult magnificently has each chapter narrated by one of the characters: Anna, Sara, Brian, Jesse, Campbell Alexander, and even the guardian ad litem, Julia. It is tremendously disorienting to discover the intimate thoughts, feelings, and motives that drive each character.

• Get your tissues ready! Jodi Picoult, with great modesty and restraint, leads us through a choral novel where everyone has a voice. It is far from easy for the reader to form a clear-cut judgment; quite the opposite. Each character shares their lived experience, making it difficult to take sides in this beautiful story full of tears, but also laughter and joy. A powerful, gracefully written book that confronts us all with the question: what would I have done in their shoes?

• We can watch the story unfold through the viewpoints of Sara, Brian, Jesse, Anna, attorney Campbell, and Julia. This narrative choice was an excellent one, because it gives you a complete 360-degree perspective.

• A book that takes you by surprise. We are faced with an issue of very difficult resolution that the author handles masterfully. Each character reveals their grief, their lived experiences, and their fears in a manner that is both straightforward and compelling when confronting such a devastating topic. The ending is completely unexpected and presents an angle for resolving the case that no one could have anticipated. Highly recommended.

• I was especially impressed by how genuinely understandable every single point of view is: Anna's, Kate's, mother's, father's, Jesse the brother's, and so on. I believe Jodi Picoult left nothing out and forgot nothing.

1 / 5