My Sister's Keeper summary:

My Sister's Keeper is a wondrous adventure that takes on an emotional roller coaster. It's a page-turning book that I couldn't put down for one minute because my mind was captivated by the way Jodi Picoult crafted the intriguing plot and used intricate detail. The story's formation is very similar to The Poisonwood Bible's. Each chapter is a part of the story that is told by the characters of the book. Basically, the Fitzgerald family is in a major crisis. All their lives, they have had to make life or death choices in order to save Kate, Sara and Brian Fitzgerald's daughter. At a very young age, Kate was diagnosed with APL, which is a terminal cancer. In desperate attempts to save Kate’s life, Sara and Brian "created" a baby that would be a perfect donor for Kate. Whenever Kate needed a blood transfusion, platelets, or bone marrow, Anna was the one who donated these things.
Although Kate was slowly dying, it was almost as if Anna was never really living. All her life, she accepted the fact that she was only created to save her sister. It didn't matter if Anna wanted to play hockey, which was her hearts desire, or interact with friends like any normal child should. She was trapped within the hands or her parents that only used her whenever Kate needed to undergo medical procedures. But enough was enough. At one point, Anna couldn't take all the hospital trips, needle incisions, and blood withdrawals. She didn’t have any control of here body and thus filed a lawsuit for medical emancipation. Anna hired a straightforward lawyer named Campbell who was always accompanied by a service dog. They spent a lot of time together to create arguments that would free Anna of her own state of being “trapped.” But this process was very difficult. All throughout the book, Anna couldn’t make up her mind because as much as she loved her family and wanted to do the right thing by giving Kate any part of her body, she was tired of going through such procedures. Anna’s heart was constantly torn and in order to save her from being persuaded into donating a kidney, Campbell requested if she could be under the supervision of a temporary guardian. But what Campbell didn’t know was that the chosen supervisor was his ex-girlfriend Julia whom her always loved but drew himself out of the relationship because of his condition.
In the past, Julia and Campbell were madly in love. They shared intimate moments together and exemplified the true meaning of love, the kind of love that you only see in fairy tales. Sadly, after Campbell's 18th birthday, he got into a tragic car accident and began a life of unexpected epileptic seizures. Because he loved Julia and didn't want her to life with such a burden, he broke up with her so that she could have a life of happiness a freedom. However, all these years, Julia believed that there was always something wrong with her; that she just wasn't good enough for Campbell. It was fate that brought them together on this particular case.
As each chapter passes, you learn about how each character views the situation. You realize that this entire case is very difficult because although the Fitzgerald family is doing everything in their power to save Kate, they have to come to an end. This case was mainly brought up because doctors claimed that Kate now needed a kidney transplant and they would proceed with surgery if the kidney were donated from Anna. A long battle with torn decisions and opinions continues to happen until the Judge finally makes his decision. Judge Desalvo has finally decided to let Anna have control over her body in addition to Campbell assisting to all medical procedures. You may have thought that this entire upbringing was a result of Anna's weariness of going through a lot for Kate. But in the end, there is a twist. Deep down, Anna was always willing to do what she needed for her sister because she loved Kate. In return, Kate persuaded Anna to file a lawsuit because she couldn't stand seeing her in such misery and was convinced that it didn't make sense to go through anymore when she was already dying.
After all the frustration, stress, and emotional burden the Fitzgerald's went through, the book ended with a tragic accident. From the first page, you could tell as a reader that someone was going to die. The obvious choice would be Kate because of her condition. However, this wasn't the case. The day right after the trial had ended; Anna was brutally hit by a car. When she got to the hospital, doctors announced that she was brain dead and was only breathing through a respirator. Knowing that Kate still needed a kidney, Sara and Brian agreed that they would proceed with the transplant. Miraculously, this transplant is a permanent cure. Kate has not had a relapse since and forever carries her sister in her heart.
There are many connections that one can make to My Sister's Keeper because it deals with issues of family. Every family has conflict and unfairness, but this is mostly a result of parents trying to protect you. It is understood that they ultimately want the best for you and also want you to have a better life than they did. Sara and Brian did these things to Anna because they loved Kate so much that they couldn't bear to live life without her. I am sure that if Anna were in Kate's shoes, they would do the same thing. There is also an issue of when parents don't listen to their children. All my life, I have been an obedient daughter to my parents. But sometimes, I find their rules and restrictions extremely unfair because they just don't understand the life that I currently live in. I know that they just want to protect me and do what's best but sometimes I eat myself alive with all my frustration. In fact, I sometimes wish my parents didn't love me so much so that I could be free to make my own choices and learn from the mistakes that I made. Another theme of this book is sacrifice. When you love somebody unconditionally, you are willing to do anything to keep him or her happy or in this case alive. Even though Sara and Brian didn't literally sacrifice Anna to save Kate's life, she did have to die in order to save Kate. If Anna didn't get into that car crash and continued to live a normal life, Kate would have probably died within a couple of months. It all seems unfair but then again, who said that life was ever fair?
I can't explain how this book has really changed my view on life. Before, I was really frustrated with my parents for their over protectiveness but I realized that's all they know how to do. They only want me to know how much they love me because when they were kids, their parents never expressed unconditional love. I am grateful for my parents and shouldn't have been so self-centered. Instead, I should live a life of love and acceptance. I have to accept the fact that my parents are doing everything in their power to express their love. In return, I just have to respectively obey because that's the only way I know how to love them back