Across her prolific career, author Jodi Picoult has published almost 30 novels. But none stand out quite like her 2004 book, My Sister’s Keeper. The story is moving, gripping, and filled with “never saw that coming” moments, which is why it is one of the top book with a “best twist” according to Goodreads.
Picoult’s popular fiction books are often characterized as family sagas with massive dilemmas and often procedural or legal implications, and My Sister’s Keeper fits just that. The story has been wildly popular, becoming a #1 New York Times bestseller and a NielsenIQ Platinum Bestseller and has gone on to be translated into more than 30 languages.
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My Sister’s Keeper follows 13-year-old Anna Fitzgerald, who was born to be a genetic match and medical donor to her older sister, Kate, who is dying of cancer. When Anna’s parents are going to force her to donate a kidney to Kate, she sues them for medical emancipation. Anna’s lawyer, Campbell Alexander, fights for the case to be seen in front of a judge, revealing heartbreaking truths within the Fitzgerald family, and an ending like no other novel in Picoult’s bibliography.
Upon being published in 2004, critics called My Sister’s Keeper “a thrill to read.” Readers agree, calling it “just incredible” and “hugely compelling.”
In 2009, the book was adapted into a movie starring Cameron Diaz, Alec Baldwin, Sofia Vassilieva, and Abigail Breslin. While the movie was ultimately a success, notably the ending was completely changed. Picoult was not in support of this, and claims she was thrown off set when she objected to the major change.
Movie drama aside, My Sister’s Keeper is a novel that stays with you long after the last chapter. It is a book about morals, human weakness, and the question of what it actually means to be a good person. In today’s day and age, it’s a novel to keep coming back to, over and over again.
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