Heart Sister
Michael F. Stewart
Publication date: September 15th 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
After his twin sister, Minnie, dies in an accident, Emmitt’s world goes sideways. He’s lost his best friend and it feels like the family is falling apart without her. But Minnie was an organ donor and Emmitt soon receives an anonymous thank you letter from one of the transplant recipients. Inspiration strikes, and he decides to try and put his sister back together, in spirit. He’s going to track down each organ recipient and film them to show his parents the results of Minnie’s selfless act and help them move on. But when each recipient falls short of his expectations and the star of his film, the girl who received his sister’s heart, refuses to meet him, Emmitt has to turn to extreme measures to find her. What he doesn’t know is that his “heart sister” is hiding an agonizing secret, one that could push Emmitt to the breaking point.
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Author Bio:
Michael F. Stewart is an award-winning author of many books for young people in various genres, including Ray Vs. the Meaning of Life, which earned a Kirkus Star and won the Publishers Weekly’s Booklife Grand Prize. and Heart Sister (Summer/Fall 2020, Orca Books). Michael lives in Ottawa.
Heart Sister is a book filled with sadness. Thankfully, it is also filled with hope. Emmitt and his family are dealing with the loss of Emmitt’s twin sister who in her death saved 8 lives by being an organ donor. Mom is crippled with depression. Dad is in denial. Emmitt is left to try and move forward without the support of the adults he so desperately needs.
Unfortunately for me, I had a hard time staying consistently connected to the plot and the characters. The plot really only kicked in for me when Emmitt begins to try and find the identity of his heart sister and then to meet her. Finding his other organ siblings just wasn’t enough to draw me in. Once the actual hunt for the Heart Sister began, then I was ready to really invest in the story.
When I did get all the feels was when I read the author’s notes at the end and learned that Michael F. Stewart’s brother was the recipient of a new heart. The sweet note to his brother made me ugly cry. It was only a few words but was so sweet and heartfelt!
Are you an organ donor? If not, get more information here!
Books, Tea, Healthy Me 
Sorry it never really resonated with you, Amanda, but I really appreciate the read and review all the same!
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Thanks for hosting today, Amanda!
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