Recommended by: Ms. Rocha

Plot: Anna has been genetically engineered to be a perfect match for her older sister who suffers from a rare form of leukemia. Since her birth, Anna has undergone many surgeries in order to help her ailing sister. As the novel opens, Anna has hired a lawyer to represent her in a medical emancipation suit to allow her to have control over her own body. The novel is told from the points of view of the parents; Anna; Campbell, the self-absorbed lawyer; Julia, the court-appointed guardian ad litem; and Jesse, the troubled oldest child in the family. Throughout the novel, the reader comes to understand how the current situation impacts many people (even those not directly related to the family).

Why read? Like most of Jodi Picoult’s novels, My Sister’s Keeper brings a voice to a controversial issue that you thought you previously understood and supported or condemned. The insight and research with which the novel unfolds will cause you to question your assumptions. After coming to sympathize with characters on both sides of the genetic engineering debate, you will be left with many questions (and few answers) after reading the novel. The ending will have you reconsidering the gray areas of many issues that you may have previously believed to be black or white.

Recommended by: Jillian C.

Plot: This is about a family with three children. The oldest and only boy is the troublemaker of the bunch. The middle child, Kate, has had cancer since she was four years old. Kate's parents decided to have another baby after she was born in hopes that when Kate needed blood or things to help her get better, this new baby (named Anna) would be able to provide these things for her. Now that Anna is getting older, she is tired of all that she has been doing for her sister, and she feels like she was never wanted in the first place. She files for medical emancipation against her parents, and her whole family gets turned upside down.

Why read? You can really relate to each character, it is a quick read, and obviously, a very controversial and thought-provoking book. It is by far my favorite book I’ve ever read.

Recommended by: AG
Plot: This story is about a young girl who is struggling between a decision to let her sister live or die from leukemia Her sister, Kate, lives every day as a struggle and needs bone marrow and blood every now and then. Anna is tired of continuously giving Kate her blood, bone marrow and eventually organs so she sues her family for medical emancipation.

Why read? Since this book is told from the perspective of every single family member, one really gets to know what it feels like to live life diagnosed with a deadly disease like leukemia and how much it affects those around you.