20 February 2009

my sister's keeper - jodi picoult

jodi picoult || my sister's keeper || 3.5/5.0

i used to work at a bookstore. my opinion about people who read jodi picoult can therefore be considered informed, i think, and summed up in one word: saps!

and yet, thanks to book club i found myself checking out ms. picoult's most well-known novel, my sister's keeper. for those of you not in the know, the story is about a 13-year old girl, who was genetically engineered to serve as a donor match to her older, cancer-ravaged sister.

its full of medical ethics, courthouse tension, and a healthy serving of cheese. i have to admit i had a hard time sympathizing with several of the characters, most notably the 13-year old who drives the drama by suing for medical emancipation. a couple of the side-stories felt a bit contrived, and a bit unresolved.

...and yet. i have to confess that despite my ambivalence towards the story and the writing, i found myself on the verge of tears at the ending. this, i'm afraid, falls into the category of crying when i watch extreme makeover: home edition, despite my dislike of the show's premise and hokey interviews. i guess inside every hardened cynic, there's a bleeding heart yearning to be free.

a quick, entertaining read. i'd recommend it, but don't expect too much.

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