Next to my family, my favorite way to spend time is to read. With the exception of horror and fantasy, I read and enjoy almost every kind of book. But every now and then there's that one book that comes along and stops my whole life. When I find one of those, nothing else much matters. I completely fall into the story. I take the book with me to the bathroom. I take it in the car. I read it while I am waiting for the microwave. I read it as I walk from room to room. I don't put it down for a second. I am so engulfed in these characters' lives that I don't want to miss a moment of it.

Today was one of those days and My Sister's Keeper was that book. I can't even remember why I put this book on hold. I think I saw it at Walmart (in one of the very rare occasions I sadly visited this establishment whose politics and employee treatment I vehemently oppose) and I had heard of the Jodi Picoult many times before and wanted to read her. I can't tell you what made me pick up the book last night over the 22 books I have checked out. But I can tell you that since I picked it up, I didn't put it down until I finished it. I spent a good time crying afterwards just to get all the pent up emotion out.

Jodi Picoult has a way with words. Not only does she create the most relatable characters, but she knows how to take emotions and wrap them around such simple, natural words that you wonder why no one else thought to express that emotion in that exact way before. It's like you know exactly what she means.

This story is tragic. It's horrifying. It's a situation no parent ever wants to be in. From the outside, you can take sides, you can judge. But when you see the story from all the points of view, you can see the conundrum so well. You know there's no easy answer here. Even from the very beginning, you know it's not going to end well. But still, like the parents, you keep hoping. But the author doesn't disappoint. She doesn't cop out. She doesn't create a Hollywood ending. To the contrary, all the way to the very twist at end, the story holds true to its point.

Life is too short and no one gets to have a say at how things turn out.