Handle With Care
Realistic Fiction
By Jodi Picoult
Reviewed by H. Williams
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
“Be careful”, is about the only thing Willow is used to hearing. Having Osteogenesis Imperfecta is not an easy thing to deal with. Even the slightest sneeze could break her ribs! Willow’s mom is prepared for almost any break that could occur…
While on vacation in Disney World, Willow, her parents and her sister Emma think they’re going to have a normal vacation. But, within 5 minutes of entering the magical kingdom everything crumbles like an eggshell; Willow slips, breaks both femurs, and immediately is rushed to the hospital. Sean and Charlotte, Willow and Emma’s parents are accused of child abuse because of one little mistake… Emma forgot to grab the doctor’s note saying that Willow had Osteogenesis Imperfecta. The staff at the unfamiliar hospital in Florida is forced to take legal actions and take both girls into their custody. After the whole affair is settled and the family returns home, with Willow now in a Spica cast, Sean wants to take action and sue Disney World for the way they were treated. He also wanted to sue the hospital where they stayed. Once the O’Keefe’s get to a lawyers, there seems to be a few setbacks in their case, after all the hospital and Disney World were doing what they were supposed to be doing. But there is another way, a wrongful birth lawsuit. Charlotte has to tell everyone, basically the whole world that she doesn’t love her daughter; the daughter she wanted so badly, the one who just barely survived after birth, the ne she would do anything for to show her love for her. Charlotte ends up making a very tangled life for her and her daughters and husband. Will the family ever be the same again? Will the case even win?
I thought that this was a very good book! Picoult intertwined so many stories into a complete, logical play of events. Everything fit together perfectly! Throughout this story, abandonment, regret, pain and heartbreak were the prevalent themes. Picoult also used flashback to add intrigue and drama into the plot. This book was very hard to put down and very worth the time it took to read. I would recommend this book for anyone who is looking for an action-filled, dramatic, broken love story. You also might enjoy this book if you enjoy working with the law. I highly recommend this for anyone!
