Reviews tagging 'Grief'

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

39 reviews

slowly_dying_inside's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

My Sister's Keeper was an experience. Jodi Picoult writes the best character-driven plots I've ever read. I went into this book knowing it would completely and utterly destroy me, but I also knew I had to read it. I've needed to read this book for over ten years, I've just always known there would be dire consequences. 
This book ends with a devastating blow that the movie (which is excellent and I love it and I cry EVERY TIME even though I know what's going to happen) never showed. The amount of hope-dwindling depressing events that occur throughout this book could crush even the toughest of tough guys. I loved this book, but I don't think I will ever reread it for that reason. 

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Content Warnings

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

aaronreadsatad's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Ableism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

daralexandria's review against another edition

emotional mysterious relaxing sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Medical content and Medical trauma

pewterwolf's review against another edition

emotional sad

• 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

3.5

This is one of those books where it feels like every one has either read or know the vague outline of. And the author of this is one of those authors that I have been meaning to read for YEARS, but I keep putting off due to the Hype Monster that surround them and their novels.

this is very much not my typical go-to read.

And yet, I found this quite a compelling read. Even though it took me a few weeks to read (mainly because I was focused on other things so reading took a back seat), I kept coming back to this messy family drama and these quite unlikeable characters. Ok, mainly unlikeable is the wrong word. Flawed and selfish.

The parents are so focused on her ill child, they forget about their other children (the mother more than the father). The eldest son is forgotten and considered a disappointment by his parents so he acts out. Anna feels like she has no voice or choice, but is uncertain over her choices and Kate who wants some control over her life but is unable to due to her illness.

I think that, yes, even though these characters are really flawed and make/do quite unlikeable things, I found them really interesting to read as, yes, they are flawed and make some really questionable decisions, but you see where they are all coming from.

It’s a nice relief to have Anna’s lawyer, Campbell, and Julia, the court appointed Guardian ad litem storyline running alongside. We have Campbell who has a service dog but we don’t know where and we have Campbell and Julia having a teen romance, but Julia (and the reader) don’t know why Campbell
ended it.

So, as you guess, I did like it. I didn’t love it, but I think that’s because I was on my guard with it. You see, I knew that the movie adaptation of this was changed and, even though I haven’t seen the film, I knew what the ending was changed from so I knew where this was going so I couldn’t invest in these characters like I should have. But would I have liked this twist in the tale had I not known? I have no idea. I would be shocked and I think I would have been very annoyed/angry over it.

And yes, I was very aware that this book was trying to emotionally-manipulate me on multiply occasions.

While I’m not sure if this book deserves all the attention that it has received, I am glad I have finally got round to reading it and I do plan to read more Jodi Picoult in the coming months (I have my eye on either Nineteen Minutes, Small Great Things or A Spark of Light, but we shall see where I go next…)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Blood, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

mika_the_librarian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, and Fire/Fire injury

manta_moony's review against another edition

emotional sad tense 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

4.25

Really good story, could be a bit repetitive at times. The male characters had this annoying trait of of talking about women a bit weirdly but it’s easy to look past it. The main protagonist was very likeable and the multiple perspectives was done really well

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Content Warnings

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

parmnoodles's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

This was a very intriguing read. The different characters really drew me in and as always, I loved the multiple point of views. The ending is what is holding me back. I was feeling a solid 4⭐️ throughout my read, but I’m caught up on how the story went in the last few pages. I know that the movie changes the ending so I wanna watch that and see how I feel. I haven’t read a book like this in a long time, it reminded me of how I felt when I read Looking For Alaska for the first time in middle school. I cannot justify why lol. For now I’m going to drop to a 3.75 but I can see myself changing this as time goes on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

slaywithsteph's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I knew I was gonna cry, and I did, and my heart is broken.

If you liked the movie, you’ll like this, too. The movie cut out a lot about the characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Moderate: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Alcoholism

annieb26's review against another edition

emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Medical content, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Grief

aploinard's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Terminal illness

Moderate: Child death and Grief