In a Heartbeat. Loretta Ellsworth. 2010. February 2010. Walker & Company. 216 pages.
I'm fatalistic. I've always had the feeling that time was running out. After 9/11, I started reading end-of-the-world type books: Alas Babylon; Lucifer's Hammer; On the Beach; The Stand. Then I started hoarding bottles of water and granola bars under my bed. Last year I spent my birthday money on two hundred batteries, which I kept in a shoe box at the back of my closet. Of course, I never intended to die.
In A Heartbeat is told in alternating chapters. Eagan, one of our narrators, has died. She was a figure skater whose death was unexpected and tragic. She was an organ donor. Amelia, our second narrator, is the one who received Eagan's heart. She's been sick for six years. Now, for the first time, Amelia has a chance to really live life. But one of the first things Amelia wants to do is learn about her donor. She wants to meet the donor's family. And with the help of her new boyfriend, Ari, she may just get her wish.
Readers meet both teens, both families. One girl is having a hard time letting go, a hard time passing over into the afterlife. The other is just learning how to live again. Just beginning to imagine the possibilities of what her life could be.
I liked this one. I liked both Amelia and Eagan. I liked seeing these two stories come together.
Also by Loretta Ellsworth: In Search of Mockingbird.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
2 comments:
This looks really good. I've gotten really into YA lately. It really isn't "just for teens"!
Never heard of this before, sounds intriguing. Thanks for letting me know about it :)
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