Have you ever been asked to do something you really didn’t want to do? What if it would save your sister’s life? If so, would you do it then? In My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult, 13 year old Anna Fitzgerald has been asked to donate a kidney to her sister Kate, who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. Anna has been a medical donor for Kate ever since she was born. Although it could save Kate’s life, Anna thinks she is finished being the obligatory medical donor for her sister. Anna also decides she wants to sue her parents for the rights to her own body, so in the future she can make all medical decisions by herself. The book follows the intense and emotional story of a family in turmoil and a girl with some huge decisions to make.

I really loved this novel. There were so many positive elements. One of those great elements was the diverse characters. There were so many different characters, and they were all very relatable. Because the book is realistic fiction, the character’s all had real traits and personalities, and each reminded me of someone I know. Also, the book is very descriptive; I got a vivid mental image of each character and everything that happens. Every chapter played out like a movie in my head. One theme in the book is family, so another great thing in My Sister’s Keeper is that it touches on different family problems that often occur today, while still keeping the novel interesting. Though many books deal with family issues, few do it in a way that is interesting and beneficial to the reader. Picoult created situations that let readers see the multiple opinions and views of family members with problems. This is a very good thing in the novel. Picoult’s writing choices also contributed to how much I enjoyed the book. For example, each chapter was from a different characters point-of-view, and some chapters were flashbacks from other important times in the characters life. This kept the book from being boring, and also kept me hooked from beginning to end. My Sister’s Keeper also made me particularly emotional when I was reading it. The plot made my look at my relationships with everyone in my family, and made me think about what I would do if I was in Anna’s shoes. These thoughts did make me sad, but also further improved my experience with the book.

Overall, I rate this novel a 9.5 out of 10. Although I recommend it to people ages 12-16, I especially recommend it to those with a sister. Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper is a definite must-read!