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THINGS WE KNOW BY HEART by Jessi Kirby

THINGS WE KNOW BY HEART

by Jessi Kirby

Pub Date: April 21st, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-229943-7
Publisher: HarperTeen

Trent died in a car accident 400 days ago, leaving Quinn, his girlfriend, with crushing, unremitting grief that has derailed her life.

Trent’s organs were donated, and Quinn believes that if she could just make contact with the person who received his heart, it might, somehow, help her deal with the pain. So she tracks Colton down, discovering a charming 18-year-old surfer and kayaker who is just beginning to get his life back together after years of illness. She falls for him—and he for her—in a big way. It’s not what she had planned, but when he presents her with a sunflower, the same type of blossom that Trent kicked off their relationship with, she’s hooked. Their connection is based on lies: He doesn’t reveal that he’s had a heart transplant, and she doesn’t tell him about her connection either. Kindly advice from her older sister, who is recovering from her own recently ended relationship, and from other members of her gentle, loving family (who, surprisingly, have allowed her to virtually wallow in grief for so long), and Colton’s tender, genial demeanor help Quinn rediscover happiness. Predictable and a little syrupy, this effort is ultimately sustained by well-rounded characters and the romantic tension of unrevealed secrets.

Just the thing for a day or two at the beach.

(Romance. 11-16)