Another Jodi Picoult book, and another that came to me second hand (my mother in law originally bought this as it was the book at her book group). Having read My Sister's Keeper I can certainly see why this book would stimulate enough discussion at any book group due to the subject at its heart.
The main character in this book is thirteen year old Anna. Her sister is fighting leukaemia and Anna was a "designer baby" conceived to be a perfect genetic match for her sister and to help her sister live. She has now reached the stage where she wants to question her life choices and whether or not her only purpose is to provide for her sister.
The book is written so that each chapter is written in the first person from a different view point; Anna, her sister Kate, her brother Jesse, her mother, her father and her lawyer and her guardian ad litem. I really enjoyed the variety of viewpoints in the book and certainly felt that it helps the reader to understand where each of the characters is coming from and why they make the decisions they do.
Decisions and choices are two things that feature quite heavily in the book – why we make them, what our influences are and how they affect other people. It also questions how love for family can alter the decisions we make. Several of the decisions made are one that some readers may questions, but that's something about this book that I enjoyed – challenging the reader.
Without wanting to give too much away, I have to say that the ending surprised me a bit. It wasn't quite what I expected, but after sitting and thinking about it I can certainly understand why the author took that particular decision.
Overall I'd say that this is another good read. Again Picoult seems to get quite deeply into the subject and produces characters that you can believe in and share their feelings. Well worth reading.
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