Bad Endings

Have you ever read a book, got totally caught up in it, were emotionally invested in the characters, desperate to find out what happens... and then suffered through an ending so bad it just completely ruined the entire experience?

Let me introduce you to My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. It's about a thirteen year old girl who was born to be a stem cell donor for her sister who is suffering from leukemia. Over the years, Anna has gone through medical procedure after medical procedure in order to keep her sister alive. Now her sister needs a kidney and Anna hires a lawyer in order to get medically emancipated from her parents. Of course, Anna does love her sister and the decision to do this is heartbreaking for all.

The story is told from multiple points of view and is very well written and evocative. There's a subplot romance between the lawyer and another character that is kind of distracting, but overall I was absolutely drawn into the story and really wanted to know what would happen with Anna and her sister.

And then.

And then.

The author does the unthinkable, completely changing the entire story and taking these fascinating choices out of the hands of the mere mortals with a deus ex machina ending that she should be ashamed of. I recommend reading the book up until the end of the trial and then making up your own ending. It would be far more satisfying, I assure you.