My Sister's Keeper

Since Jodi Picoult is apparently teenagers' favourite author nowadays, I assumed this would be one light, chick-flick of a novel. My bad. For stereotyping along the lines of melodramatic romance novels (think Danielle Steel ) of my time a good 10 yrs ago .

Taste and preference I must say have changed quite a bit if this book was a judge.


Jodi Picoult's observations and deft protrayal of people and life : From relationships in the family- the immense love, joy yet obligations, selfishness, thorns and conflicts to how nurses are the caregivers rather than doctors who "fidget as if they need to be somewhere else" - are empty of stereotypes and refreshingly realistic.

Fleeced out poignantly are feelings that one tries hard to deny, embarrassed to face - that a sister's death, "may be the worst and yet the best thing that happens " for the protagonist Anna who took her parents to court so as not to donate her kidney to her sick sister Kate.

"If you don't get sick, you don't get well", that " (A relapse) is definitely coming back cos I have to pay for the good times now "claimed Kate during a period of remission accurately tells of how figments of senseless fears & "Murphy" laws haunts, however rational a person may be.

While many critics deemed the ending as unsatisfactory and far too neat, it worked for me. Life is always full of ironies and vagaries anyway, isn't it?

All in all, a moving novel to kill time, get in touch with one's emotions, think and reflect a little on those moments of truth and induce some tears ( which I needed to by doctor's endorsement anyway:P). More of that in a next post - if any. Ha.