Review | Change of Heart by Shari Maurer

In a world where the most stressful thing seems to be winning a soccer game or what to wear in the morning, you take some really basic things for granted.

Like the love of your parents.

Or hanging with your friends.

Or the beating of your heart.

When you’re 16 years old, it never occurs to you that you might die. Emmi Miller’s got a fabulous life. She has tons of friends, does great in school and is an all-star soccer player who played in Europe last summer. It even looks like Sam Hunter, a totally cute baseball player, might be interested in her. And then she gets a virus. No biggy, right? Until the virus goes to her heart and weakens it so much that, without a transplant, Emmi will die.

Will Emmi get a heart in time? Is Sam too good to be true? What about her new friend Abe, who has also had a transplant and guides her through these scary times — is he just being supportive or is there more going on between them? And will Emmi realize it before it’s too late?

Thoughts: When I read the description of this book I knew what it was going to be about and I expected some heart-wrenching moments, drama, and possibly a sad ending. And I was right, it contained all that, but I liked that there was so much more to it than that as well.

I think my favorite part of this book were the actual characters. From Emmi to the minor characters like the doctors and nurses, I liked how each one was individually portrayed. I have to admit that Emmi frustrated me because of her attitude sometimes but I completely got where she was coming from. I loved the support her family gave her and the little things that were added to the story about her parents and siblings made it more real. Her friends and boyfriend were, well supportive but they actions sometimes were questionable.

I think that the book was okay and then a little more than half way it gets so much better. so maybe at the beginning you'll have a hard time sticking with it but when then the story takes a few unexpected turns and you can't put it down, and always hoping for the best. I must admit that the ending is a sad one, but it was truly touching and it brought some tears to my eyes.

I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys this kind of book. I must warn readers that if you are used to books by authors like Jodi Picoult or even Lurlene McDaniel, this one might not meet your expectations but it is a great book though and I am sure many out there will enjoy it.

Favorite Quote: "Denial is a terrific coping mechanism sometimes."

This book was provided by Traveling ARC Tours for review.