CW: Organ donation. ( )

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● i have a physical copy
○ read an e-version, will definitely purchase physical book
○ read an e-version, a physical book will be appreciated
○ read an e-version, not interested in its physical book
○ a page-turner
● less than 500 pages
○ diverse in any way
● something’s lacking
● took me a long time to finish
○ an LMAO read
○ i laughed more than a few times
○ it’s j u s t awkward
○ gave me goosebumps
○ one of the best books i’ve read
● painful & sad (it SHOULD be painful but it’s just sad)
○ tear-jerker (I really thought I would cry in this one but I DIDN’T)
○ a roller-coaster of emotions
○ thrilling
○ confusing
○ sooo relatable
○ it is kind of annoying
● it has a lot of flashbacks
○ it moved me
○ would recommend!
○ great even for a reread
○ definitely a YAY
● i’m sorry it’s a NAY
○ it’s between YAY and NAY

P L U S

My sister liked it. My brother’s girlfriend DNFed it. For some reason, I’m in the middle. I finished the book but I did not like it at all. Maybe that’s because I’ve read a lot of “happy” books and haven’t read tear-jerkers for a while. Or maybe, it’s just SO SO SO slow. But I liked the start of each chapter. It has some sort of saying about heart. Like this one:

I grabbed that from my tweet. I do a thread of my current read – current feels and pins them. Anyway, there were so many ” . . . ” in dialogues as if the characters can’t finish their sentences. It was bearable for a while until it became annoying. It’s your choice if you’re going to read it but I know I’m never gonna reread it nor recommend it to anyone. Take it as a warning or a challenge. ( )

4 Out Of 5 "The Heart Wants What It Wants" Stars...

~MY THOUGHTS~

While this didn't strike a chord with me quite like I wanted it to, I did really enjoy it. A quick, but sweetly poignant story, that is refreshingly told. The tidbits at the beginning of each chapter in reference to the heart and heart transplants were neat.

If you've ever lost someone close to you and their organs were transplanted and wondered what the person or people who received those transplants stories were like then this story could be for you.

~MY RATING~ 4/5 STARS - GRADE=B+

~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot~ 3.8/5
Main Characters~ 4/5
Secondary Characters~ 4/5
The Feels~ 3.8/5
Pacing~ 4/5
Addictiveness~ 4/5
Theme or Tone~ 4/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 4.3/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 4.2/5
Originality~ 4/5
Ending~ 4/5 Cliffhanger~ Nope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book Cover~ Very cute.
Narration~ Amanda Wallace, she was sufficiet but forgettable, but in a good way. When you have a bad experience with a particular narrator, it really sticks with you.
Setting~ Coast of California
Source~ Audiobook (Library)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~∞~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( )

This book was refreshing in that it looked at the issue of organ transplants from the viewpoint of the donor's family and loved ones, and the recipient. However, despite the seriousness of the issue, "The Things We Know By Heart" was a light, easy read and rather predictable. I liked Colton as a character and thought his outlook on life was admirable. Quinn, on the other hand was just okay - I found her rather self-absorbed and a bit selfish even though I realise she was mourning the death of her boyfriend, Trent. The thing that really spoilt this book for me was the ending, it was too cheesy and trite for my liking, and it left me wanting more. Otherwise, an enjoyable read. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A cute contemporary with a unique plotline. I had minor issues, but overall enjoyed this book.

Opening Sentence: I don’t know how I knew, when the sirens woke me up just before dawn, that they were for him.

The Review:

Quinn lost her boyfriend, Trent, in a tragic accident in the past year. It shatters her world, until her mourning blacks out any light. Enter Conner, the recipient of Trent’s heart from when he donated his organs. He didn’t make contact when Quinn wrote to him, and after doing some digging, she managed to track him down. All she wants is to meet him, however briefly – he doesn’t even have to know that she was Trent’s girlfriend. She believes that the heart is the most important part of someone, and she’d like to feel that Trent is in some way living on.

But Connor is more than she bargained for. After hitting his car, she is forced into a conversation with him, and it quickly becomes more. However wrong she feels about it, she’s falling for him. The beach visits, kayak lessons, picnics – they worked, and now Quinn is in deep. There are still too many secrets between them. Connor is still unaware that she was his heart’s former owner’s girlfriend, and he has yet to explain his condition to Quinn. How can they be in a real relationship, like Quinn wants so desperately, when there are so many secrets tangled between them?

Quinn was a decent main character. She was realistic in her grief and her feelings were very raw. Sometimes I was annoyed by her stuttering – when she first met Connor, she was always so nervous, and it took her forever to form coherent sentences. To be completely honest, I thought that most side characters were more interesting than her. Her grandmother was sassy and had quite a few funny one-liners. Her sister was going through a breakup and was trying to find herself, and I liked her resilient attitude.

The romance was pretty cute, although it was happening all so fast. Connor seems to be into her from the very beginning, which I didn’t find believable – her personality was a little flat, and she kept doing that nervous stuttering thing. Sure she was pretty, but come on, why was Connor so interested in her when at first she was clearly trying to push him away? Still, I found their relationship sweet at its core, and I thought they fit each other, despite the whole “you have my dead boyfriend’s heart” thing.

Altogether, I found this novel an enjoyable read. I did have a couple minor issues, but the plotline was unique and the feelings felt raw. The writing style also flowed very nicely, so that was an added bonus. There were some awesome side characters that threw some humor into the story where it was desperately needed. I found that the conflict, in the end, was resolved the tiniest bit too smoothly, and was predictable. Despite this, it was still a nice read, with a good message. I loved the little excerpts on hearts before each chapter, and I think fans of contemporaries will enjoy this book.

Notable Scene:

The surfer takes a step towards me as I jump out of my seat. Chris tosses a rag over the counter to him. “Colt, catch.”

My heart drops right out of my chest, taking all the air in the room with it so I can’t breathe.

Colt.

As in Colton Thomas.

FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Things We Know by Heart. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )