In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth

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  • Publisher: Walker & Company (February 2010)
  • Page Count: 216
  • Reading Level: YA

  • Summary: When a small mistake costs sixteen-year-old Eagan her life during a figure-skating competition, she leaves many things unreconciled, including her troubled relationship with her mother. From her vantage point in the afterlife, Eagan reflects back on her memories, and what she could have done differently, through her still-beating heart. When fourteen-year-old Amelia learns she will be getting a heart transplant, her fear and guilt battle with her joy at this new chance at life. And afterwards when she starts to feel different--dreaming about figure skating, craving grape candy--her need to learn about her donor leads her to discover and explore Eagan's life, meeting her grieving loved ones and trying to bring the closure they all need to move on. 

  • My Review: IN A HEARTBEAT was a quick but powerful read. The story is told by Eagan, the girl who dies, and Amelia, the one who lives. Both characters are convincing and likable and both learn from the other. I liked how the author told Eagen's story primarily through scenes from her memory, connecting the past to what was going on in the 'inbetween' world she was in while she worked things out in order to be able to move on. 

  • Despite the novel's somber storyline I never felt depressed or sad (as if the author was trying to manipulate my feelings). Quite the contrary, this story was touching, funny, life affirming and realistic. It did get a bit emotional towards the end, but the writing was tight, almost poetic at times. Ellsworth has a knack for wonderful descriptions and showing emotion without being heavy-handed. 

  • Even if everything was tidied up by the end I didn't mind since the story and its characters were so thoroughly convincing. I also found the idea of cellular memory, where some transplant recipients say they develop habits of the person they received an organ from, fascinating. Highly recommended.
Favorite Scene:  "I started to cry. "Am I going to die?"
     Ari's voice was close. "Don't think about the pain. Concentrate on something else, Amelia."
     Something else. All I could think about was that I was going to die after all I'd gone through, all the pain and stupid beeping machines. I was going to die on her bed. I'd failed her. Eagen was upset, so she was taking her heart back. God, don't let me die now.
     I wanted to get away from the pain and dizziness, but I couldn't move. Couldn't talk. Couldn't even hear. I was caught in the spiral that was swirling around me, trapping me, killing me."   (From page 193, Amelia.)

Cover Comment: What's not to like? The girl is supposed to be Amelia and the model actually looks the way the character is described. The heart shape of her fingers is what really caught my eye and gives this cover emotion in its simplicity. The title and the heart monitor lines was okay since this art is repeated throughout the book.

For Fans of: Contemporary YA.

Rating: ++++

Book Source: Swapped.

Reviewed by: Laurie

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