I can't say this is my all time favorite book, since others already fill that spot. However, after reading this book, the others do seem a bit trivial, and superficial. The characters are all important, and special in there own way, whether the reader actually takes into account "how" or not. Sarah was the saddest to read... and showed me more than a bargained for. I thought I'd find a cold heartless person, and instead found exactly opposite. I always looked forward to hearing her thoughts, she was always the one who seemed to say EXACTLY what was needed. Brian was also great at parts... To me this book is an excellent novel, simply a work of art, when it comes to story telling. The only part I didn't really care much for was the references to the Julia and Campbell characters, but they are definitely a part, they show how one person can have such an affect on others, even the ones who don't know them personally. This was definitely a bittersweet read... and a 'DEEP' one at that. Some can't actually connect with this type of novel, but I thought it beautifully explored loss, and love, and the bond between sister's, and an entire family. Sometimes Anna seems a bit annoying in my mind, as if she is so consumed with herself, but its easy enough to see why... yet she definitely cares about her sister. I have a younger sister too, and it definitely hits close to him. There's tons of great stuff I could say about it... but in all, it definitely deserves 5 out of 5, and for some who critiques like I do, that's a serious honor... This book can capture with simple phrases... and its definitely recommended from me.