book review - My Sister's Keeper

I know, it's been a little book bonkers over here lately - I will calm down soon, I promise. 
So here's my first book review, I hope you'll join in and add your review to the Link too, spread the word - it'll be more fun if lots of us play along.

This is the first book I've read this year, (I don't find much time to read so I'm feeling chuffed I've managed a whole book by March!)

'My Sister's Keeper' by Jodi Picoult. 

This is the story of a family and how their lives are centered around the middle daughter, Kate, who has leukemia. 
To save her life a younger daughter is conceived to be a bone marrow donor. But it doesn't end there. 
By the age of 13 the younger sister, Anna, has had countless procedures to save Kate's life. She is then expected to donate a kidney, this is when she proceeds with a lawsuit to sue her parents for rights over her own body.

This is a heartbreaking book, as a mother of two I kept trying to put myself in the parents shoes and wonder what I would do. I couldn't. 
Most mothers would donate any body part to save their own childs life - but is it fair, is it right, is it immoral to expect a young sibling to do so? 
It had me in tears many times and wondering just what is the right answer. The book is written from all the characters points of view, so you really feel their turmoil. They are all making difficult choices with the best of intentions. Who could chose one child over another, who's doing the right thing?
 
As the book progressed I found it hard not to side with Anna a little. Her whole life was defined by being a donor, having a sick sister, spending their lives at the hospital and a childhood overshadowed by sorrow. But as the court case unfolds it becomes clear where her heart really lies. 

The ending is not what I expected, it's bittersweet and it's a shock. I don't want to give it away but it came back to me day after day and made me appreciate how lucky we all are to be healthy.


This is a sad story, but it gripped me, I just had to get to the end. If you're up for an emotional journey, this is a good one.

Now it's your turn, you can review any book - a cookbook your family would starve without, a pattern book you've made things from (share some pictures please!), a novel you hated,  a children's book your little ones love... anything goes!

I'll leave the link open for a couple of weeks so you have plenty of time. 
Can't wait to read what you're reading...