Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Allt för min syster by Jodi Picoult

39 reviews

hannah_beth_charles's review against another edition

hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I found myself skipping paragraphs because some of the metaphors were so boring and unnecessary that I found it was a waste of time. I also hated Picoult's writing style and the way she made the men's POVs full of vulgar language or shallow thoughts, like "boys will be boys".

I think that Anna's death was Jesse's punishment for starting fires and putting other's lives at risk. It's not fair for him to just be let off without punishment. The ending was quite surprising but and almost lazy. There's no way that Anna would have an unstrained relationship with her parents after she tried to sue them, and Kate's death would be blamed on Anna. Anna needed to die for the story to conclude. Kate becoming a ballet teacher is unrealistic and I know it was her dream, but she hadn't done ballet before, and ballet isn't a sport you can just do. It takes years of training.  

I couldn't care less Campbell and Julia's relationship. They're both toxic and Julia is desperate to be different. Julias losing her virginity on a gravestone was just odd.

I hated that throughout the novel, Sara was trying to be redeemed as a good mother or at least trying her best in a complicated situation. She had Anna just to save Kate. She probably wouldn't have had Anna if Kate wasn't sick. What irked me most was at the end when she said that she would send her one child in a fire to save the other child and she was willing to risk losing them both. That is so selfish because Sara sacrificing their lives. That's not fair and is plain wrong. She is not put in any danger.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Car accident

Moderate: Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Addiction and Alcohol

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Grief

Moderate: Suicide and Car accident

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content and Vomit

houimk's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Chronic illness

Moderate: Medical trauma and Car accident

Minor: Grief

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

mirandyli's review against another edition

emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

This is a pretty sad but unrealistic book that nevertheless brings up some interesting ethical questions.

Anna is her sister Kate's "savior sister," meaning she was born to specifically as a genetic match for her sister, who has leukemia. Anna is now 13, and needs to donate a kidney in order to save Kate's life. Kate tells her she doesn't want to live anymore in a twist at the end, but Anna dies anyway in a car crash and is pronounced brain dead, donating the kidney before she dies. Pretty unrealistic story, but sad and thought-provoking.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, and Car accident

jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Wow. I spent the entirety of the book thinking I’d know how it would end because I saw the movie. I was wrong. Like violently wrong in a way that has be concerned for the author.

After all that Anna did, she fucking died randomly. She finally got what she wanted and so did Kate. And then she dies bro I can’t imagine how the judge feels. Ohmygod, what if it was a drunk driver. She was always destined to give her a kidney

. I can’t do this anymore. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

thebowandthebook's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

Hard book. Difficult subject. Handled okay, but found the subplots very meh, and dramatized. 

irritated with how Jess's misdeeds were handled, and the graphic picture of his braces was disturbing. In addition, the sexual subplot with Campbell and Julia annoyed me, it became less about the case and more aggressive sexual tension. Lastly, how Campbell didn't seem to have any remorse for the accident, no apologies, just oh yeah she'd want to donate her kidney... didn't seem realistic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, Medical content, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

bethanyhacquoil's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Alcoholism

jillgoober's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I can't say much about my thoughts on this book without spoiling it. Just know that if you've seen the film, you are in for a big surprise ending. I've decided that overall this was a good novel but I (unpopular opinion possibly) much prefer the film ending to the book ending. I was so floored at the absurdity that is the book ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Ableism