Review: Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby

Quinn Sullivan lost the love of her life when her boyfriend, Trent, died in an accident their junior year. In an attempt to get closure, she reached out to the recipients of his donated organs. Though some answered her letters, the one Quinn feels matters most--the person who received Trent's heart--has been silent.

Nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas has spent the last several years in and out of hospitals waiting for a heart transplant. Now that he's finally received a new heart, Colton is regaining strength, and he's walking away from his bedridden past with no intention of looking back. He doesn't want to know about the person who had to die so that he could live. He only wants to move forward.

But Quinn can't let it go. Venturing outside the system to find Colton, Quinn takes a risk in hopes of finally laying her memories to rest. But what begins as an innocent conversation quickly becomes an attraction--and to make matters worse, Colton has no idea how they're connected. His zest for life pulls Quinn from her months of sorrow but leaves her torn between honesty and utter betrayal. Because no matter how hard she's falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she's lost.

Kindle Edition, 304 pages

Expected publication: April 21st 2015 by Harper Teen 

Genre: Young Adult/ Contemporary

Kristine's Thoughts:

I received an advanced readers copy from Harper Teen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This book caught me by surprise a little bit. Despite of the fact that it is YA (and I am not) and it was somewhat predictable and a little cliche, I found myself really liking it. Not just liking it a little bit but liking it a lot. The characters drew me in and made me care and the story was exactly what I was in the mood for.

The story was about more than just finding the person who received Trent's heart. It was about learning to move forward and that it was ok to do so. It was about Quinn figuring out her place in the world without him. Of course, there were plenty of half truths, lies of omission and secrets to keep the budding relationship between Quinn and Colton very interesting.

In short, it was a very cute story and I flew through the pages. I really think that fans of YA/contemporary are going to like this one. It touches the heart strings in all the right places.

About the Author

Jessi Kirby is a writer for young adults whose first book, Moonglass, was named an ABA New Voices Pick. She is also the author of the novels In Honor and Golden. Jessi works as a middle school librarian in Orange County, CA, where she lives with her husband and two kids.

Connect with Jessi

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