I heard about My Sisters Keeper in high school when one of my friends had choosen to do the book for a book report. When she described the storyline to me, I instantly knew this was a book I'd like to read.. yet, it fell out of my mind shortly after. Than a year or so later; there was buzz about the book being made into a movie. So, being me I had to read the book before the movie came out (by the way I hate when I watch a movie and than later find out it was based on a book, because I like to read the book first) and boy, I am happy I read the book first!
The concept of the book is about a family who has one son and one daughter, and are living happily until there daughter is diagnosed with Leukemia. In order to save there daughters life they conceive another child to use here umbilical cord blood. This works for a while, until Kate relapses and Anna is needed again. This becomes an ongoing process. Now Anna is thirteen and her sister Kate's condition is getting worse, Anna is expected to give help her sister out, this time involving a major surgery. This is when Anna makes a daring choice. Anna hires a lawyer to have the rights to her own body, so she is basically suing her parents.
Her whole life Anna has not been able to be a normal child, because she has been expected to be there for Kate. She feels like the odd man out because she was purely conceived to save Kate, not because her parents wanted another child. Since Kate got diagnosed the family focused on Kate and Kate's needs. So, it wasn't only Anna who felt left out, their eldest son Jesse, felt invisible as well. Leading to a life of drugs,alcohol and crime.
This decision pulls the family apart. Jesse understands why his sister is doing what she is doing and surprisingly so does her sister Kate. Who doesn't understand is their mother,Sara. Sara grows to resent Anna and eventually fights her in court justifying why she has done what she has done. The kids dad and Sara's husband Brian's relationship, also becomes strained when he questions what he and Sara did. Wanting to give Anna the love and support she needs without, throwing his love for his wife and Kate away either.
The whole story is told in chapters, but each chapter is a different characters perspective, memories and feelings. The book is truly original, engaging and heart wrenching. It made you think! What would you do? Was it right for them to do what they had done? Was Anna being selfish or was she justified? Personally, I understand why the parents did what they did by conceiving Anna, however.. I do not think they were right to use her as their personal medical miracle. To expect that out of her was wrong on so many levels, and I truly grew to hate the mother the most, cause although she thought she was doing what was best for her daughter, she was being selfish and tore that family apart. As for Anna, that wasn't an easy decision for her to have made, but I feel she was justified in her choice. I loved the book and would absolutely suggest to everyone to go and read it. The ending is what will get you the most and what will bring the story full circle in my opinion.
As for the movie... I was utterly disappointed. That movie did not deserve the title of "My Sisters Keeper" for it was loosely based on the book. Had I not have read the book before hand and had to book not have been a widely known and loved book, the movie probably would have been alright. I wasn't happy with some of the changes, but I shrugged it off.. until the end. The ending of the book is the most pivotal, part of the whole story. It is what i think made the book so well received and the writer,director whoever...changed the ending in the movie! This wasn't even a slight change this was a completely different ending. This enraged me, still enrages me that, they would take a beloved book, make a movie out of it and really only use the books title. Very Disappointing. Go read the book, but skip the movie.
Currently Reading: Asylum by Patrick McGrath
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