The rgz Street Team is a group of teens who bring YA reviews to our blog, led by Postergirl Miss Erin. Find out more.Today, Priya reviews The Heart is Not a Size by our former Author in Residence Beth Kephart!
"The Heart is Not a Size is, by far, Beth Kephart's best YA novel yet. It's an incredibly lovely story about finding out who you really are. The plot was terrific and moved at a good pace, and the writing was stellar -- beautiful and poetic, yet simple and heartfelt.
"One wonderful thing about this book was that it was mostly set in Juarez, Mexico. Reading about life in places like Juarez really opened my eyes to poverty and living conditions around the world. I had no idea that there were communities like Anapra, where there were no bathrooms and just sand stretching on and on. That aspect of the story made it quite interesting and educational as well, and it was really touching to read about how hopeful the children there were, despite their surroundings.
"What I most enjoyed about this book was the recurring theme of friendship... "
Read the rest of this review (where she shares her favorite part!) on Priya's blog.
(This one's out today. Run to the bookstore!)
7 comments:
Thank you, so much, for featuring this review—which I treasure—on your wonderful site today.
Priya is a gift to us all.
Loved this book!
I also managed to get my hands on a pre-release copy of the 'The Heart Is Not A Size' and have been given permission from the Divas to post a copy of my review as can be seen on my blog Misty's Book Mess.
I have never read anything quite like this before. It took me a while to get into it at first but after a few weeks of putting it off, I finally admitted to myself that novel was going to be different and I just had to get on with it. I’m glad that I did.
The Heart Is Not a Size is a very confronting novel and, I think, will effect everyone differently. There are so many different stories, problems and secrets that there is sure to be something for everyone to relate to. For me, it was the trip to Juarez, I having just come back from a month in rural Philippines and have experienced the hope of children in third world countries. Others will relate to Georgia, the girl with her heart in the right place but who still lacks courageous, or maybe Riley, who has yet to realise her full potential.
I enjoyed the first person commentary; there was not other way a novel of this density could have been written. As the reader, I needed to know what Georgia was thinking before I could understand any of the other characters. Everyone had faults. No-one was perfect and because of this the characters were so alive. I could reach out and touch them, not with my fingers, but with my own past experiences.
This is one book that I will never forgo, no matter how hard it was to face the facts. Thanks Beth for a wonderful read.
Thanks for adding your thoughts, Misty!
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