30 Days of Books - Day 18

A Book That Disappointed You

Definitely My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult.  I borrowed this book from the library because I was hearing about a lot of people reading it.  I was on a waiting list so decided to her previous books.  I read The Pact and Vanishing Act before I finally got to read My Sister's Keeper. 

Warning there are spoilers ahead for the book and movie!  After reading these three books I have come to the conclusion that Picoult takes a topic that is making headlines, has the characters take sides.  Each side or position may be controversial in some way, but that doesn't matter because something happens so that there is no controversy in the way the novel ends.  It's like Picoult chooses topics that will get people to read, but doesn't want to annoy anyone and takes the safe way out.  I know a lot of people did not like the way the movie turned out.  But I loved it compared to the book.  It felt true to life, rather than fake and saccharine sweet.  In the movie, Anna wins her case against her parents and does not have to give her sister, Kate, her kidney.  I haven't watched the movie in a while but I think Kate makes it to her prom and dies.  In the novel, Anna wins the case but then is killed in a car crash and her kidney is given to Kate. Therefore both sides are satisfied, Anna wins, but Kate gets the kidney.  Kate goes on to live a long and healthy life.  This pissed me off and the book almost became a wall-banger.  It was such a cop out by Jodi Picoult that I felt I had been played with.  I have not read one of her books since.