Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time take to read - 2 days

Publisher - Atria Books

Pages - 477

Blurb from Goodreads

When Willow is born with severe osteogenesis imperfecta, her parents are devastated--she will suffer hundreds of broken bones as she grows, a lifetime of pain. Every expectant parent will tell you that they don't want a perfect baby, just a healthy one. Charlotte and Sean O'Keefe would have asked for a healthy baby, too, if they'd been given the choice. Instead, their lives are made up of sleepless nights, mounting bills, the pitying stares of "luckier" parents, and maybe worst of all, the what-ifs. What if their child had been born healthy? But it's all worth it because Willow is, funny as it seems, perfect. She's smart as a whip, on her way to being as pretty as her mother, kind, brave, and for a five-year-old an unexpectedly deep source of wisdom. Willow is Willow, in sickness and in health.

Everything changes, though, after a series of events forces Charlotte and her husband to confront the most serious what-ifs of all. What if Charlotte had known earlier of Willow's illness? What if things could have been different? What if their beloved Willow had never been born? To do Willow justice, Charlotte must ask herself these questions and one more. What constitutes a valuable life?


My Review

Willow is born with osteogenesis imperfecta, she had broken bones in the womb and more so when she was born. She has over 100 broken bones by the time she is five, she needs lots of care, expenses are running high and her life span is questionable. After a disastrous trip to Disney World the family go to a lawyer, whilst they have no case against Disney, they do have one against their Obstetrician. The only thing is, thats Willows mums best friend in the world, not only would she need to sue her, she would need to admit she would have aborted Willow if she had been told of her condition in the beginning of her pregnancy.

Charlotte is Willows mum, Sean is her dad, Amelia is her sister, Piper is Charlottes best friend. Taking this to court is going to rock all of their world, Charlotte wants to do what is best for Willow and doesn't care how it looks to the outside world. Piper is devastated, Sean is disgusted, Amelia feels invisible and poor Willow, wise beyond her years thinks she isn't wanted.

This is a story that pulls on your heart stings, the chapters are named at the top and each of the characters gives us their point of view as the story progresses. I liked learning about OI as I had never heard of it before, seeing it from the different points of view and how one actions can ripple across and impact on so many lives.

I loved Willow, bless her although I think some people found her a bit unbelievable due to her age, I think she was created and portrayed brilliantly. I really disliked Charlotte after a time and found my views on the others change as events unfolded. I wasn't enamoured with how the book drew to a close but I still thought it was a great story and found it hard to put down, 4/5 for me this time.

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