Book Review: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

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Title: My Sister's Keeper
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Atria Books
Paperback: 512 pages
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5

In My Sister's Keeper, Anna sues her parents for the rights to her own body, because they keep using her as a donor for her older sister, Kate, who has leukemia. There is a lot going on in this book -- Anna and Kate have an older brother named Jess who is the stereotypical "teenage screw-up"; Anna hires a lawyer named Campbell, who shockingly ends up being the ex-boyfriend of the appointed guardian ad litem; Anna's parents are going through marital problems because of all the stress and lack of communication, etc. Really, it's a typical set-up for a book with pretty typical characters.

Despite that, I really enjoyed the first three-quarters of the novel. It was fast-paced, entertaining, and the characters were so dysfunctional that they were kind of fun to read about. There were some moments when I was able to connect with them, which allowed me to continue with the story. I like the way the point of view shifts from character to character -- actually, this was my favorite part of the novel. Picoult shows a very well-rounded view of the situation, which helped to understand the characters' reactions and where they were coming from. If it was just from one person's point of view, this story would have seemed incredibly melodramatic and unrealistic. Also, it's obvious that the Picoult put in the time to research leukemia and the hospital setting. All of the medical stuff rang true to me, which I appreciated.

But my enjoyment of the book ended when things started to wrap up. A lot of people mention hating the ending, and I didn't at all mind the events that happened, but I did mind the changes that took place in the characters. When everything was nearing a close, all the characters underwent some sort of strange epiphany that gave them perspective and made them better people. All at once, they realized the real root of their problems and just decided to be better people, it seems. I would have liked this to happen more gradually, which would have taken away from some of the drama in the middle, but it would have made the transformations so much more believable. And it happened so quickly that I was just left frustrated and wondering why they all couldn't have realized that two hundred pages ago when their transformations actually could have been helpful.

Also, I HATE when the only reason a couple isn't together is because of some stupid misunderstanding or lack of communication. It's annoying enough (though believable) when this is short-term, but Campbell and Julie spend years in that limbo of lack of communication (and of course, after all those years of heartbreak and what-ifs they still "love" each other). It's just not the most interesting choice to make in terms of relationship issues.

Anyway, I think some people will be able to forgive the ending and get real enjoyment out of reading this story. It's good, but I think the characters and the ending could have been so much more interesting in this type of situation.

Ramblings on Being a TV Addict

I spend a good portion of my life in the world of TV shows.

Thanks to http://kristal.screeninvasion.com for the gif!

I know that I watch too many – the result of a cable subscription, DVR, Amazon Prime, and a Netflix instant streaming account. Of course, that means I’m always partially living in a fictional world. While doing real-life things like going to class and working, I’m also thinking about the books I’m reading or the shows I’m watching – or both. With books, it’s nice, because if I need to visit those characters or places right away, I can put real-life on hold for another hour and continue reading. TV is different, though. I’m at the mercy of the TV scheduling gods. The ones that have somehow decided to put 5 of my favorite shows on Thursday nights and hardly any over the course of the week. Regardless, I still love them, and there is nothing better than sitting back with some food and a drink on a Thursday night to catch up with my favorite shows. But when these weekly updates of these fictional places and people are taken away from me, I become frustrated.

I’m not the only one. On Facebook, Twitter, the half a dozen other social media sites, I see my feelings echoed among my friends and family:

Thanks to http://xgiuls.tumblr.com for the gif!

As if we truly have nothing better to do than to spend 1 hour watching 45 minutes of a show and 15 minutes of too-loud, over-colorful commercials.

With Netflix, it’s different, and it’s strange to compare watching a show live-time to watching a show on Netflix, where all the seasons and episodes are at least a year old and are all posted; no chance of interrupted storytelling, just hours and hours of TV bliss. Twenty-two 45 min. episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Sounds like my kind of weekend.

Thanks http://myhausismessy.tumblr.com for the gif!

But then, I think about people who watched it when it was running on TV. Buffy was popular and had a huge fan base. More than likely, the fans ranted and raved over all-too frequent interruptions in programming. But there are only 22 episodes in a year-long season. Out of an entire year, only 22 weeks contained one new 40 min. episode of Buffy. That means that for 30 weeks of our year, we’re not even watching new episodes of our beloved TV shows (though we may be thinking of what could happen next, and watching reruns).

My question is: How do these TV people do it?! For less than half the year, we watch these shows. But personally, I can get really attached to the people and the world contained within them. They are my friends; I think about them constantly. I think about what they would do in certain situations, and laugh at things they would find funny. Some people look down on TV as superficial, trashy, waste-of-time, unintellectual, or whatever. But I think it’s an art-form that takes an incredible amount of skill, creativity, and ingenuity (and yes, luck). The people who make good TV shows (I’m talking about ALL that are involved – cast, crew, writers, etc.) that others fall in love with are, quite frankly, geniuses. To be able to create such realistic and intriguing situations, and to create characters that I feel like are real people – I hope they don’t use their superpowers for evil.

I write this as I wait for my shows to come back so I can enjoy the last few episodes before the boredom of summer TV re-runs hits. Although, I am taking suggestions for shows I can watch on Netflix. ;) All I can say is that I’m glad for fantastic summer shows like Doctor Who (even though waiting for this last half of the season was TORTUOUS) to take me away during summer.

Book Review: The Girl Guide: Finding Your Place in a Mixed-Up World by Christine Fonseca

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Title: The Girl Guide: Finding Your Place in a Mixed-Up World
Author: Christine Fonseca
Publisher: Prufrock Press
Expected Publication Date: 1 May 2013
Paperback: 175 pages
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Finding your unique voice in a noisy world can be hard—very hard. But not if you have a great guide! The Girl Guide: Finding Your Place in a Mixed-Up World is a must-read for girls in grades 6–8 as they enter the tumultuous world of adolescence. Packed with fun worksheets and quizzes, as well as stories from older girls and women, The Girl Guide covers everything a teenage girl needs to know on the journey toward her own identity. Proven strategies for dealing with stress management, confronting relational aggression, being safe online, navigating the changing mother-daughter relationship, and more make this the ultimate guide for any girl to get through the teen years and discover her unique point of view in the world.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Christine Fonseca wrote a must have book for raising tweens and teens. As a mother of six children, five girls and one boy, I’m always looking for ways to help my girls navigate this internet savvy, computer-dependent world all the while being true to themselves. The Girl Guide is one of those books that every young lady should be required to read.

I absolutely loved this guide. Let me start with the cover: it’s catchy and relevant, most young ladies will be able to identify with the amazing graphic design. Who wouldn’t like a cool picture with the caption, “I Love Me”?

The Girl Guide is an easy-to-read, profound book that allows teenagers to understand it’s the world that is different, not the teenager. I read the book, then put my thoughts to paper, but I also asked my 13-year-old to read it and give me her opinion. I was not surprised when she finished and said, "Wow, that’s good."

Please understand she was not happy having to write her feelings down, she felt writing her feelings was "homework," but once she started, she really loved looking back to see how she felt at the time. The best part for me was when she said, "We should use this book at our youth group." Yes! I felt validated because I felt our youth group could benefit from reading The Girl Guide.

The pages are fashioned in such a stylish way that it’s easy for young ladies to get more of a diary feel, than that of a book. The creative way the book is displayed is a bonus because my kids don’t really like to read the books I recommend, but this book is “hip” and “trendy” -- more my kids style.

The questions the author poses, sometimes in the form of quizzes, are relevant and written is a non-threatening way so that a young lady will feel as though she is not alone in her thoughts. Each chapter complements the previous one, but also touches on topics pertinent to today’s teenagers ending with the final section, “Putting it into Practice.”

I can’t say enough about this book, except that I highly recommend it. I’m picky about the type of books that I introduce to my kids and I must say, this is one of the superior ones.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.*

Book Review: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

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Title: Mansfield Park
Author: Jane Austen
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Paperback: 507 pages
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Taken from the poverty of her parents' home, Fanny Price is brought up with her rich cousins at Mansfield Park, acutely aware of her humble rank and with only her cousin Edmund as an ally. When Fanny's uncle is absent in Antigua, Mary Crawford and her brother Henry arrive in the neighbourhood, bringing with them London glamour and a reckless taste for flirtation. As her female cousins vie for Henry's attention, and even Edmund falls for Mary's dazzling charms, only Fanny remains doubtful about the Crawfords' influence and finds herself more isolated than ever. A subtle examination of social position and moral integrity, Mansfield Park is one of Jane Austen's most profound works.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Mansfield Park was slow going for me, but I finally got through it! Austen takes awhile to set everything up, and I was frequently frustrated by characters and events in the first half, but the last half of the book makes everything worth it. The characters in this book are fantastic; I love the way Austen is able to contrast them so nicely with each other. Mrs. Norris was probably one of my favorite characters of all time -- very similar to Mrs. Bennett, except more mean-spirited. Her ridiculousness frequently made me laugh out loud (and also enraged me on Fanny's behalf).

Despite that, Fanny Price isn't one of my favorite Austen characters. I get that she's lovely, sweet, and virtuous and all that, and that's great, but sometimes I really wished she would just stand up for herself. She got a lot better at the end when we were finally able to see some determination from her, but I was frustrated with her throughout most of the beginning. But we do see a lot of character development from her, and I love that. My favorite part is when she starts showing her family members just how strong she can be (so fantastic!), and the effect would not have been the same if she hadn't been as timid in the beginning, so I get the need for that. Still didn't make it any less frustrating though.

I enjoyed the last half of the book so much more than I enjoyed the first half. It was slow going, but everything started coming together and I really started to recognize the message Austen was trying to get across with these people who pride themselves on being so great and noble, yet who have no moral integrity whatsoever. I don't think Mansfield Park is nearly as entertaining as Pride and Prejudice, but I do think that it contains a more scathing commentary on morals and high society. And once that starts coming through, the novel becomes so much more interesting.

I'm a huge Austen fan and will always recommend her books to everyone, so read Mansfield Park! But really, this one's worth a read. It tackles corruption, adultery, and even slavery, so for those who like to dive into a book and study the larger issues that surround it, this is great for you! It's also an entertaining story about a girl who comes into her own, so for those who just like to be entertained, Mansfield Park works for you too.