Heart Sister
Author: Michael F. Stewart
Publication Date: 15th September 2020
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Number of Pages: 336
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Nobles
From Goodreads
After Emmitt's twin sister, Minnie, dies in an accident, his world goes sideways. He's lost his best friend and it feels like his family is falling apart without her. But Minnie was an organ donor and Emmitt soon receives an anonymous thank you letter from one of the transplant recipients. Inspiration strikes, and he decides to try and put his sister back together, in spirit. He's going to track down each organ recipient and film them to show his parents Minnie's selfless act and help them move on. But when each recipient falls short of his expectations and the star of his film, the girl who received his sister's heart, refuses to meet him, Emmitt has to turn to extreme measures to find her. What he doesn't know is that his "heart sister" is hiding an agonizing secret, one that could push Emmitt to the breaking point.
My Review
Heart Sister has been a really original read for me. From the moment I signed up for the tour, I know that the book was going to be about an intense subject, but I really couldn't imagine how the author was going to touch it.
As soon as I started the book, I couldn't ignore the Extremely Loud, Incredibly Close's vibe: there was a tragic death, a protagonist who survives this death and that goes on a mission to elaborate the loss.. and then Dennis, who's just as bizzarre as Oskar's grandfather. Those who didnt' read Safran Foer's book won't probably get the resemblance, but I felt it strongly, especially in the intense yet weird story they create.
The author's style is unique, the narration is dynamic and original; the characters are all unconventional and not once was I completely struck by some of the things they did - I mean, a father who shapes vegetables like meat? Or a sister that loves taxidermy? For both books, this aspect, while fascinating, didn't help me in creating a bond with the characters that often felt too surreal.
The protagonist, Emmit, was personally the one I got less. I was touched by his intentions, by all the care he took in saving others, but I felt like I knew those others better than I knew him. I didn't have enough details to picture him physically, or enough story about his individual personality, sister aside. Just like in Foer's book, you expect an insight into the protagonist's grief that never really comes, because Oskar, just as Emmit, is too focused on a mission to save their, and their family's sanity. But in this case, I would have loved to have more of Emmit's feelings on the pages, just like we have for Becca. She was personally my favourite character and I loved her storyline and how unexpected it turned. Even though we don't see as much of her as we do for Emmit, she succeeds in touching the reader deeply.
The themes touched by this book are certainly strong and I was really looking forward to read about organ donation for the first time. There are a lot of intense moments, the whole experience is explored from both point of views - that of the donor (or donor's family) and that of the recipient - but I liked it how the author managed to treat such a subject with delicacy and a lightness that feels really positive
while approaching such a theme.
Rated 3.5
About the author
Michael F. Stewart is an award-winning author of many books for young people in various genres, including Ray Vs. the Meaning of Life, which earned a Kirkus Star and won the Publishers Weekly’s Booklife Grand Prize. and Heart Sister (Summer/Fall 2020, Orca Books). Michael lives in Ottawa.
Author links:
The Giveaway!
To celebrate the upcoming release of his book
the author is hosting an INTL giveaway!
Thank you for this fascinating review, Sara! I confess, I haven't read Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, but am going to HAVE to pick it up. If you or anyone has any questions for me just let me know. :)
RispondiEliminaI’m sure you’ll love the book and probably see the similarities I mentioned! Thank you Michael for the opportunity you gave me, it was a pleasure :)
EliminaThis sounds like a really well written read! Great review, Sara!
RispondiEliminaThank you Giselle 🥰
EliminaAn interesting cover and story line.
RispondiEliminaIt is Mary :)
Elimina