This Heart of Mine by C.C. Hunter

Everyone owns a heart-at least, everyone that I know of. Some people have hearts that tell This Heart of Minethem to do things they’ll regret later. Some people are so sure of themselves that they don’t even listen to their heart. But, long story short, everyone has a heart. Kind or mean, jealous or sad. But this book is not about a heart itself. It is about what really lies within. Leah, a 17 year old girl has some…(okay, a lot) of heart problems. Her own heart was rejected by her own body, so she carries around a backpack containing a mechanical heart that can help her live-at least, until she receives a heart transplant. However, with her rare blood type, AB, there’s only (I’m afraid to say, ) a little splinter of hope. Leah wants to receive a heart for some obvious reasons: living life to its fullest, and most of all, not dying. But there are also some reasons that aren’t always so obvious. Like, having a guy who you’ve had a crush on since grade 7 finally notice you. That was before she finds out a heart is, in fact, available. But a while after, she realizes that the heart currently beating in her chest might be her crush’s brother- who, apparently, according to the news, killed himself in an act of suicide. Matt, her longtime crush,has finally asked her out, but Leah feels like a whole other person. In addition to that, both she and Matt have been having similar dreams that are telling them that Matt’s brother DIDN’T in fact, commit suicide. But as time goes on, Leah feels skeptical. Did he, or did he not commit suicide?

PHEW. Now that the ‘summary’ part of this review is over, I want to talk a bit about how I really saw this book. I felt like it wasn’t a book where, you read it, and it stops right there. This one was like a book that would leave you on a cliff-hanger for as long as it can, and then answer only a few of the questions you’ve had in mind. For me, it was like going on a scary roller coaster, getting whiplash at the start, passing out for the middle, and waking up to enjoy the rest of the ride. If you couldn’t tell, that was meant to be a compliment. I just loved this book so much I need…. to read it again!