Heart to Heart

September 1, 2010

Gr 6-10-After her best friend, Elowyn, is in a fatal car accident, Kassey finds out that Elowyn registered to be a donor while receiving her new driver's license. Her death brings new life to Arabeth, who has been on the heart-transplant list for years. As Kassey attempts to come to terms with her grief, Arabeth begins to realize that Elowyn may not be completely gone. She finds herself suddenly sharing the same intense passions as the deceased, right down to the same boyfriend and best friend. As she tries to reclaim her life, Kassey and Elowyn's family cling to the hope that she still exists in the heart of this new girl. The concept of cellular memory, where organ recipients retain knowledge, skills, or feelings of the organ's original owner, is fascinating. Unfortunately, McDaniel doesn't fully delve into the details of the concept. Instead, the book focuses on the drama and angst created by the situation, which is still enough to keep some readers interested. Kassey and Arabeth are realistic teens, and even secondary characters are rounded out and interesting. The story, although a bit melodramatic, moves quickly and makes for a satisfying read. Give this to fans of McDaniel's work or anyone who enjoys a good cry.-Jessie Spalding, Tempe Public Library, AZ

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2010
Grades 7-10 Best friends forever, Kassey and Elowyn met in seventh grade, and not even high-school boyfriend relationships can shake their bond. When Elowyn is killed in a senseless car accident, her loved ones are left with their grief. But Elowyns transplanted heart renews the life of Arabeth, whose newfound health also brings some sudden and uncanny parallels in behavior and expressions with her donor. Is part of Elowyns personality now embedded in Arabeth? The prospect of the cellular memory phenomenon crops up, and the eerie connections between Elowyn and Arabeth tantalize Elowyns parents, Kassey, and others. As Arabeth struggles with identity and healing, the role she now plays in the lives of the bereavedespecially Elowyns motherthreatens to overwhelm her. Reason eventually triumphs, and life takes a hopeful turn in McDaniels wrenching page-turner that is sure to please fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2010
After Elowyn dies, her best friend, Kassey, is grief-stricken. When she meets Arabeth, the ill teen who receives organ-donor Elowyn's heart, Kassey is freaked to notice similarities between her friend and Arabeth--changes in mannerism that Arabeth herself can't explain. Throw in a drug-addicted absentee father and romance with the dead girl's boyfriend for standard elements of a formulaic McDaniel melodrama.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)