Recently Read: My Sister's Keeper

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

One of my friends is a pretty avid Jodi Picoult fan. Her books have come up during a number of "book talks" with other friends too, so when Rachel offered me a copy of this I thought I should give it a try.

This is a very emotional book, with a serious and thought provoking ethical debate at its center. I thought it was well written and it definitely held my attention (I finished it in two days), and I got teary eyed in a few spots. I have to warn that this book should be rated at least PG 13 (maybe even R-yikes!) for language and "intimate moments".

Here's the synopsis:

"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 preimplantation 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? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less?"