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Most Helpful Favorable Review
25 out of 29 people found this review helpful.
Ban the lady's negative review
I agree with everyone else. The lady that wants the book banned is living in some sort of 3rd dimension. Jodi Picoult has and probably always will, write about controversial subjects. What sets her apart from others is that she does so with such brilliance and subtle...Read More
I agree with everyone else. The lady that wants the book banned is living in some sort of 3rd dimension. Jodi Picoult has and probably always will, write about controversial subjects. What sets her apart from others is that she does so with such brilliance and subtlety. She is one of the finest writers of our time. If someone doesn't like a book, what they need to do is, close it and pick up another that they don't "disagree" with. It is narrow mindedness like this that stunts emotional and intelligent growth.Show Less
posted by Lennonthegreat on February 17, 2009
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10 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
I FEEL CHEATED
Cheating: when you use Ragu from a jar because you're too dilatory or you have too little time to make something fresh.
This is how I felt about Jodi Picoult's latest book, Handle With Care. Instead of getting the extraordinary, thought provoking, family drama I wa...Read More
This is how I felt about Jodi Picoult's latest book, Handle With Care. Instead of getting the extraordinary, thought provoking, family drama I wa...Read More
Cheating: when you use Ragu from a jar because you're too dilatory or you have too little time to make something fresh.
This is how I felt about Jodi Picoult's latest book, Handle With Care. Instead of getting the extraordinary, thought provoking, family drama I was hoping for, I just got a carbon copy of My Sister's Keeper. Same tigress of a mother, fighting for the sick kid. Dad's a cop not a firefighter, wow that's original. The ignored teen sibling is a klepto, bulimic, cutter instead of a pyromaniac. Even the lawyers are parallel. And if you have to use a different font to differentiate your first person points of view it might be a sign that you're voices are all too similar. As for the ending, that was just too cheap for words. What worked in My Sister's Keeper, just felt like the worst kind of betrayal in this book.
And how about a little research? Or better yet, where were the editors. Did anyone at Simon and Schuster even read this before putting it out there for us to spend 30.00 bucks on? How can you be so renowned for your research and then write a book about a child with brittle bones and not know that the tibia and fibula are in the lower leg, not the lower arm? I'll even let the ignorance of orangutan anatomy go, but come on, even kindergarteners know that orangutan's don't have tails.
Maybe she should take a little more time with her next book and come up with something more original. I know she has it in her.Show Less
This is how I felt about Jodi Picoult's latest book, Handle With Care. Instead of getting the extraordinary, thought provoking, family drama I was hoping for, I just got a carbon copy of My Sister's Keeper. Same tigress of a mother, fighting for the sick kid. Dad's a cop not a firefighter, wow that's original. The ignored teen sibling is a klepto, bulimic, cutter instead of a pyromaniac. Even the lawyers are parallel. And if you have to use a different font to differentiate your first person points of view it might be a sign that you're voices are all too similar. As for the ending, that was just too cheap for words. What worked in My Sister's Keeper, just felt like the worst kind of betrayal in this book.
And how about a little research? Or better yet, where were the editors. Did anyone at Simon and Schuster even read this before putting it out there for us to spend 30.00 bucks on? How can you be so renowned for your research and then write a book about a child with brittle bones and not know that the tibia and fibula are in the lower leg, not the lower arm? I'll even let the ignorance of orangutan anatomy go, but come on, even kindergarteners know that orangutan's don't have tails.
Maybe she should take a little more time with her next book and come up with something more original. I know she has it in her.Show Less
posted by mgill0627 on August 20, 2009
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Lennonthegreat
Posted February 17, 2009
I Also Recommend:
Ban the lady's negative review
I agree with everyone else. The lady that wants the book banned is living in some sort of 3rd dimension. Jodi Picoult has and probably always will, write about controversial subjects. What sets her apart from others is that she does so with such brilliance and subtlety. She is one of the finest writers of our time. If someone doesn't like a book, what they need to do is, close it and pick up another that they don't "disagree" with. It is narrow mindedness like this that stunts emotional and intelligent growth.
25 out of 29 people found this review helpful.
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bookchick88
Posted February 10, 2009
To the person who said 'ban this book'
Are you serious? My brother has autism and mental retardation, and quite honestly, I find this book to hit close to home, in a good way. Because when you really think about it, I would give anything for my brother to live a normal, happy, full health life, but in no way does Ms. Picoult's writing influence how I feel about him. I know you are just stating your opinion, but remember, hers are just opinions as well. Just because she comes out with this book does not mean it will influence how other people feel about their child. And I find your use of the world "disabled" insulting. My brother is not disabled. He does the same things you and I do everyday, even with all the problems he has. Disabled means something is stopping you. Nothing is stopping my brother from being perfectly happy. I find Jodi Picoult an amazing author knowing exactly how to tug at the heart strings, and how to make tears of joy, release, and pain flow from our hearts through our eyes. Her work is astonishing. I've read quite a few of her books, and they're all controversal, but in a good way. These sorts of things DO happen in today's world, after all.
21 out of 26 people found this review helpful.
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coachgoody
Posted February 24, 2009
Thought provoking
The purpose of literature is to make people think and to debate ideas. If this novel inspires people to have opinions and to voice them, then Piccoult has done her job.
20 out of 21 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted February 12, 2009
To Anonymous
You say that you don't like Ms. Picoult's style of writing. Why do you keep reading her books, then? If you don't like the book, that's fine, but banning it is a bit extreme. It is fiction, and I seriously doubt that any intelligent reader will think they should change their views based on a fictional situation. Do you believe that there are no families with children with special needs who ever resent that child, or consider them a burden?
18 out of 21 people found this review helpful.
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TheLitChick
Posted March 2, 2009
I Also Recommend:
Realism is a good thing
As a person with multiple disabilities--a "disabled person"--I have so much more respect for authors who tell it like it is, rather than glossing over the realities. I *am* dependant on my mother: at 24, I live in her house, paying no rent and contributing nothing financially to the household, and that situation is likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Even if I eventually get "out on my own" it'll likely be on her dollar; full independence is not something I expect ever to have. I'm also a burden to her, financially, of course, but also emotionally: I get hospitalized at least once a year--which is hard for her both because she's scared for me, and because she nearly kills herself trying to be there for me while working and taking care of her elderly mother--and also, I know that she hurts every time there's something I want to do that I can't. Whether it's going to school, or working, or even going out with friends, when I fail, it hurts my mom like I don't think anything else can. I know this. A person, even a child, knows these things, even if no one uses specific words to describe them.
That's why I applaud Ms. Picoult for writing stories that take place in the real world, in my real world. I'm sick of books where, at the end, the new treatment is found, or the child miraculously recovers. I'm sure it happens sometimes, and that's great, but it doesn't ring true to me. I want to read about people I can relate to. Would my mother have aborted me if she'd know what I was going to be like? I don't know. But I do know that she hurts for me every day, and that if someone told her she'd give birth to a child who suffered as I do, she would have thought long and hard about her options. That doesn't mean she doesn't love me. It means she loves me enough to hate how much I hurt. The idea of a mother, going to court to get money to help her child...my mom's not rich. And it is a huge struggle for her to pay for my care. If there was someone who could have told her I'd suffer this way 25 years ago...this book is real. It's about real people, real questions, and real struggles. You don't have to like it. But don't tell me what disabled people think, or feel, and don't tell me that Ms. Picoult's book, rather than your narrow-minded opinions, hurt me.
By the way: for someone so concerned with what "disabled people" think and feel: we mostly stopped calling ourselves that years ago. Just for your information.17 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
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Thought provoking
As a parent of a child with special needs this book touched my heart. My doctor knew there was something wrong with my baby in utero and chose not to tell me. He knew me well and because I had trouble conceiving knew I would want to carry to term no matter what. However I probably should have been told. This story does an amazing job at making you see both sides no-matter-what side you agree with. I would hope that in real life friends would have the ability to discuss the issues before needing them to be settled in a court of law. But then we wouldn't have Jodi's books.
15 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
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insightful family drama
In 2002 in New Hampshire, happily married Charlotte and Sean O¿Keefe look forward to their second child who they pray will be as healthy as their daughter Amelia. At the hospital during a nasty Nor¿easter, Charlotte gives birth, but knows something is wrong when she hears a pop and the stunned nurse asks if she did that. As Sean says she is perfect, Dr. Gianna Del Sol and the OR nurse tell Charlotte not to lift the newborn¿s arm. Willow is born with Type III Osteogenesis imperfecta; brittle bone disease that will mean hundreds of broken bones over the years from sneezes, falls and sudden movement.
Over the next few years, Charlotte, having given up her vocation as a chef, becomes Willow¿s caretaker. The costs of raising her are exorbitant and the impact emotionally on each family member is straining relationships; especially feeling lost is adolescent Amelia who has never been on a vacation and the only trip outside the state was to a special hospital in Nebraska for her younger half-sister¿s care. Worried about Willow after she is gone, Charlotte sues her best friend Piper who was her initial obstetrician and never said anything about an unhealthy fetus. Charlotte¿s actions divide the O¿Keefe family further as questions of abortion are raised at court.
The key to this insightful family drama is each of the prime O¿Keefe players have differing personalities and react to situations in varying manners. The story line is obviously driven by the cast especially by Willow who knows she is loved by the sacrifices made for her. Fans will see the impact on her parents and her sister as all focus is on her. As always Jodi Picoult provides a poignant tale that discerningly raises awareness of the impact an ailing dependent has on others in her circle.
Harriet Klausner13 out of 17 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted August 20, 2009
I FEEL CHEATED
Cheating: when you use Ragu from a jar because you're too dilatory or you have too little time to make something fresh.
This is how I felt about Jodi Picoult's latest book, Handle With Care. Instead of getting the extraordinary, thought provoking, family drama I was hoping for, I just got a carbon copy of My Sister's Keeper. Same tigress of a mother, fighting for the sick kid. Dad's a cop not a firefighter, wow that's original. The ignored teen sibling is a klepto, bulimic, cutter instead of a pyromaniac. Even the lawyers are parallel. And if you have to use a different font to differentiate your first person points of view it might be a sign that you're voices are all too similar. As for the ending, that was just too cheap for words. What worked in My Sister's Keeper, just felt like the worst kind of betrayal in this book.
And how about a little research? Or better yet, where were the editors. Did anyone at Simon and Schuster even read this before putting it out there for us to spend 30.00 bucks on? How can you be so renowned for your research and then write a book about a child with brittle bones and not know that the tibia and fibula are in the lower leg, not the lower arm? I'll even let the ignorance of orangutan anatomy go, but come on, even kindergarteners know that orangutan's don't have tails.
Maybe she should take a little more time with her next book and come up with something more original. I know she has it in her.10 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted March 27, 2009
I Also Recommend:
Terribly Disappointing
As others have said before, this story line is almost exactly like Picoult's other novel, My Sister's Keeper, except Handle With Care isn't nearly as good.
My Sister's Keeper was the first Picoult book I read. I couldn't put it down and I cried at the ending. Nothing else Picoult has written--other than Nineteen Minutes--has been nearly as good as MSK.
Handle With Care was entirely too predictable and I often found myself rolling my eyes at some of the pedantic details and descriptions of the characters.
I would not recommend this book--it was a big disappointment.8 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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NOTShakesphere
Posted February 11, 2009
Anonymous should be banned
"Me thinks the lady (substitue anonymous) doth protest too much". Maybe the book hit too close to home for them???
8 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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JLE
Posted March 8, 2009
Same As "My Sister's Keeper"
In an highly unusual and tremendously disappointing turn for Jodi Picoult, this book is nearly identical in plot, style and outcome to My Sister's Keeper. Anyone who is a fan of My Sister's Keeper will immediately recognize character development, family dynamics, internal strife and overarching themes from Ms. Picoult's biggest stand-out book. My only guess is that the author has become pressed for time as she is churning out new books at an annual rate and therefore had to lean heavily on a tried-and-true storyline to get this book to production on time. I'd much rather wait a bit for something original and thought-provoking than waste my time with gratuitous repetition.
My Sister's Keeper remains one of the greatest stories I've read, so do yourself a favor and don't bother buying this one. Dust your old copy of My Sister's Keeper off the bookshelf and re-read it. You'll get exactly the same storyline but save yourself the money and disappointment of having invested in Handle With Care.7 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted August 23, 2009
I Also Recommend:
Too Sad and Disappointing
Handle With Care is the SADDEST book I have possibly ever read! There is nothing redeeming about any of the characters and and the usual Jodi Piccout little surprise at the end which i was waiting for was just plain tragic. The mother never learned anything and lives were destroyed. Up to the very ending with the check! - What a complete waste! I was so disappointed and saddened that this book haunts me, and not in a good way. I can't even recommend it to my friends because it is sooo sad and there are NO redeeming factors at all.I've read quite a few of Ms. Piccoults books and usually Really like them. Unfortunately, not this time.
5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Remember that it is FICTION...
Since no one thinks exactly the same it isn't really fair to label this book as bad simply because someone got offended at some of the terminology. People need to remember that novels are FICTIONAL and the author has to write as if the character were thinking these things. This doesn't necessarily mean that the author believes what the main character believes/feels. It's similar to how audiences rip apart an actor because of the character they represent.
5 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted October 14, 2009
Disappointing!
I've read all of the author's books to date and have recommended her to other avid readers; however, even though the topic was enlightening and heart rendering, the storyline, especially the last few pages, was unrealistic and frustrating at best. Jodi was headed toward a happy ending, then abruptly decided to leave her readers heartbroken. It was so unreal I slammed the book shut in disgust.
4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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perfect_sorrow
Posted October 3, 2009
The most offensive piece of garbage I've picked up in a while!
When I heard a book that had a character with OI was coming out, I was excited. I have OI, and it's not a disease that many people have heard of, so I looked forward to reading it. It wasn't very many pages in when I started seriously considering taking the book outside and burning it though. I have the same type of OI and the gloom and doom description of the disorder is very offensive. The central plot is that the character with OI will never be able to live independently, will always need a caretaker, and thus, her mother was making a wrongful birth lawsuit to pay for her care. While I have broken a lot of bones, endured a lot of surgeries, and rely on a wheelchair, I and all the people I know with OI live independent lives. I went away to school (and am now working on my second Masters Degree), drive my ownself, and have a job. I may have to be careful to avoid breaking bones, but I live a normal life.
Jodi Picoult missed the boat on this one. Yeah, it's a painful disorder, but people do live full and productive lives with it. It's such a shame that one of the few books that even mention OI twisted it into a disorder in which people who have it are hopelessly crippled and totally dependent on others. Jodi Picoult really missed an opportunity here: she could've written about a person with OI who overcame extreme obstacles to be a productive member of society. Instead, she wrote a pathetic sob story with a cop-out ending. I will not buy another book by Jodi Picoult...I liked My Sister's Keeper, but after reading this piece of crap, I'll spend my money on another author.4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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nursekara
Posted June 8, 2010
Long and boring
I am a huge fan of Jodi Piccoult! However I really disliked this book. It was so long and boring. I am a nurse and I saw many inaccuracies related to the medical aspect of the book. Some of the story line seemed over the top dramatic and parts of the book could have been left out. This book is not as good as her others like "My Sister's Keeper" or "Salem Falls" I am still a Piccoult fan!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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HEDI09
Posted September 21, 2009
I Also Recommend:
Horrifying disease but the lessons in life that suround it are valuable!
I love Jodi's books because I come away having learned something! The reviews have already touched on everything I wanted to say but, in hardship, comes the best lessons in life! Another book I read recently that grabbed my heart and soul, is EXPLOSION IN PARIS, by LINDA MASEMORE PIRRUNG...I see this author coming into her own and can't wait to read her next book! Check out the reviews, as I did, and I guarantee you'll be hooked! FABULOUS!!
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted July 13, 2009
Picoult's Best!
Well, now you will finally be introduced to my absolute obsession with Jodi Picoult's writing style. I started reading her books in the late '90s with "The Pact", and I eagerly look forward to her new title every March. Grisham and Picoult release their new books at about the same time every year. While Grisham used to write very, very thrilling material, he now seems to be following the unfortunate "write junk to make my deadline and more money quickly" protocol (like Patterson). Picoult, however, writes stories of quality every single year. What is so interesting about her is that she makes you have sympathy for characters who you can't believe you can have sympathy for. Picoult writes all of her stories from many different viewpoints. No character is 100% right and no character is 100% wrong.
"Handle With Care" is Picoult's newest. It is so difficult to determine her best, but I believe this is it. Willow is a child with osteogenesis imperfecta, a debilitating disease which makes bones break at the slightest strain. Normal childhood events like going to Disney World and the first day of Kindergarten are magnified 100 times with the possibility that a bone will break. Charlotte and Sean O'Keefe are Willow's parents who desperately love their daughter. With mounting medical bills and the accusations of child abuse due to Willow's breaks, the O'Keefes are forced to confront some what-ifs. What if they had known about Willow's disease before she was born? What determines a valuable life?
I will be reviewing many of Picoult's books in this blog, but I wanted to do my favorite first. You will never regret reading one of her books. They will confront you with questions about your own beliefs and fears and will keep you up late into the night. There is a reason why she is on the bestseller lists every year. MY RATING - 5/5
For more reviews and to see my rating scale, please visit my website at:
http://www.1776books.blogspot.com3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Marilyn1946
Posted June 1, 2009
A true heart stopper
I had not read this author before and I am now on her third book, each and every one that is so awe inspiring and heart wrenching.
She has taught me so much about life and tragedy.
Keep up the excellent writing.3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted April 12, 2009
Picoult does it again
I'm glad I read this book. For so long i was a fan, until "My Sister's Keeper" and the gut wrenching ending. Although well written, marvelous Picoult prose, the ending ruins the entire book. Do your self a favor, don't buy it - you won't like it.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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