Book Review: In a Heartbeat

In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
Review by Genevieve N. <3

The book In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth opens your mind to a special theory about heart transplants. In this story, sixteen-year-old Eagan Lindeman who is a very talented figure skater, makes a slight mistake during one of her figure skating competitions. In a jump, she is off by a mere half inch, and it costs her her life. Meanwhile a 14-year-old girl named Amelia has a bad heart and is in need of a heart transplant. She ends up obtaining Eagan’s heart. The story, during each chapter, changes from Amelia to Eagan. Eagan is in her own version of heaven looking back on all her previous memories when she was alive. And Amelia is trying to adjust to a new heart. It feels very weird to her and she begins to act differently and like different things. Then, a little boy named Tomas, who also had a heart transplant, talks to her about his experiences. And how he started to like things his donor likes. Amelia then decides she wants to meet her donor’s family. Ever since the transplant she has been learning more about her donor, which is always kept very secretive. This book was a great book. It was sad, fun, and informative. I never even thought you would be able to acquire personality traits from a heart transplant. That theory is still being tested and seems like nothing like that would ever be able to happen, but there can always be that chance. What I loved about this book was that I learned something from it and it opened my mind, but it didn’t bore me. This book comes out in February of 2010, and is very worth reading. <3