Author: Jodi Picoult
# of Pages: 423 (paperback)
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Rating: ★★★☆☆
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 challenged...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.
Review: A long time ago, I saw someone watching a movie about, from what I could tell, a girl who does not want to donate to her sister anymore. I walked away without ever knowing how it ended and never expected to hear anything about it every again.
But then I was at my local library and saw a poster with a book recommendation on it. It caught my interest because the book's cover had JODI PICOULT in big letters on it. Although I have always thought it was strange when the author's name is bigger than the title, it is obviously effective because it caught my attention. I began to read the synopsis and then realized it was the same plot as the movie. I got my hands on a copy as soon as I could and cracked it open eagerly.
Only to be disappointed.
There are point-of-view changes. And not just between two people; it switches between Anna, Brian, Jesse, Sara, etc in first person. And to make it worse, Picoult threw in a few flash backs too. It's a terrible mix. I am beginning to question her writing style since the only other book I've read of hers is Between the Lines which she co-wrote with her daughter.
Nevertheless, I tried my best to enjoy it. It was pretty good besides the POV, but it didn't make a strong emotional connection with me until the very, very end (which, by that time, was too late). The writing was borderline sloppy, but not the worst I've seen as far as structure.
If you are interested in the plot, then yes, I recommend it.
No comments:
Post a Comment