_janellealexa's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Terminal illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
madilikestoread's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The ending was very unexpected! I cried multiple times, especially near the end of the novel. I loved that there’s multiple POV’s as well as Kate and Anna’s relationship. Overall, this is a beautiful book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Terminal illness, Grief, Death, Cancer, and Child death
Moderate: Car accident and Suicide
sarahbroccoli's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Medical content
giuliana_ferrari's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book is an interesting ethical discussion on the implications of engineering a baby to serve as your child's donor. And although the borderline obsessive reasonings from the mother of the dying child are exposed in subtle and not so subtle moments, I felt like the author didn't want to take it as far as agreeing that Sara was in fact a bad mother. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but both mother and father made it clear throughout the book their terrible choices that led to a young man becoming an arsonist and a younger child becoming nothing more than a petri dish to save the other sister's life. No matter how strongly they tried to defend themselves in their narratives, they neglected their older child for the sake of the sick one and literally designed a baby to serve a specific purpose. That's why I'm so bothered by the ending: Anna dies so Kate can live, and suddenly the mother is all grieving and suffering and wishing she could have Anna back, although she slapped her child for suing them and ignored and neglected her son . Although I understand their situation was a terrible, unpredictable, emotionally exhausting one, the family basically gave me a crash course in what not to do when you have more than one child and one is severely ill. And in all of this the author seemed content in defending the parents and voicing that a mother would do anything for their child, even if that means being a terrible parent. On and all the book could have gone to a deeper discussion of morals and rights of choice, but instead focused a bit too much on the soap-opera moments of cancer devastating a white middle-class family with religious undertones. Am I being unsympathetic? Maybe. But it could have been much more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Cancer, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Child death
zoejjj's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Okay obviously I cried like a baby I have three sisters and if I was put in a position like this I have no clue what I would’ve done!! The part where Anna is in the shower and Kate is talking to her, saying I can lose you as a sister but I couldn’t handle losing you as a friend? I was trying to do chores while listening this and was cryinggg!!
Nobody in this book is hateable. Not even Sara. She is written as an incredibly driven woman who will stop at nothing to save her daughter. Unfortunately her other kids get forgotten in the process but she regrets, she makes it right. “This is her pond but my lily pads”? Shaving her head for Kate? Honestly Jesse got the wayyyy short end of the straw but he also almost killed someone.
The ending is… so so. I wish Jodi would’ve committed to Kate dying. In the end, Anna’s choice was taken away from her AGAIN. Was the whole lawsuit pointless? Maybe! Sure it’s (possibly) realistic bc life does not care but this book isn’t meant to be realistic like that. The ending is out of left field for the topics this book is dealing with.
Nobody in this book is hateable. Not even Sara. She is written as an incredibly driven woman who will stop at nothing to save her daughter. Unfortunately her other kids get forgotten in the process but she regrets, she makes it right. “This is her pond but my lily pads”? Shaving her head for Kate? Honestly Jesse got the wayyyy short end of the straw but he also almost killed someone.
The ending is… so so.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Car accident, Drug use, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Cancer, Child death, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Drug abuse, and Blood
Minor: Sexual content and Vomit
maddi_sen13's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
This is one of the rare times a movie is better than its book. The concept is good, but the execution fell flat. The multiple point of view changes, only so we learn this tragic 15 year story of Julia and Campbell, adds nothing to the story. If you took their b plot out, the story wouldn’t have been effected. The most interesting character to me was Jesse, and even his own points of view don’t center on him. There was so many chunks of the story that was unnecessary.
The whole story felt way longer than necessary.
The whole story felt way longer than necessary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Death, Grief, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, and Cancer
Moderate: Blood, Suicide, and Vomit
lmy612's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Child death
sarahemhavens's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Begrudgingly and not, I’m giving this five stars. So many things made me violently angry in this book. The mom? Absolutely can’t stand her. She should thank her lucky stars she’s fictional and her name is Sara, no h; because oooooh if I met that lady I’d slap her SILLY. Jodi Picoult, I love you and your writing is phenomenal and incredibly impressive (research skills: 😗🤌), but you’re sick and twisted for this one. And I’m sick and twisted for loving it. Pls just read this book and experience this for yourself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Terminal illness
ultraviolet98's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
While I won't spoil the ending here, this book doesn't have an answer to the question it poses, and while some may think that's a flaw, I rather think that's the whole point. It's a good ending--not satisfying, but good.
I also have no idea why the author included so much of the sordid past between Julia and Campbell, especially the more racy parts of Campbell's inner dialogue. Whether they were in love and what her skin smelled like, or the birthmark under her breast really had no relevance at all to the central question or themes of the book, was distracting, and felt really crass to include in a story like this.
I also have no idea why the author included so much of the sordid past between Julia and Campbell, especially the more racy parts of Campbell's inner dialogue. Whether they were in love and what her skin smelled like, or the birthmark under her breast really had no relevance at all to the central question or themes of the book, was distracting, and felt really crass to include in a story like this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Mental illness
obsessor_of_books's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Cursing, Vomit, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Grief, Car accident, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness