Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart – Tamsyn Murray – Genre – YA
Blurb: Jonny isn’t like “normal” teenagers. Every day he wakes up in hospital, kept alive by a machine. Every day he wonders if this is the day they’ll find a donor match for his heart. Every day he wonders if this is the day he’ll die.
Every day, Niamh fights with her “perfect” brother Leo. Every single day, Leo wins. Every day, Niamh dreams of a life without Leo. But all that changes on the day of the accident: the day EVERYTHING falls apart.
This is a story about facing the future no matter how frightening. This is a story about healing your heart, no matter how much it hurts.
My Review:Note to self. Don’t judge a book by its cover or title!
I read this book as part of a book challenge because the author is a member of my book club and to be honest I didn’t read the blurb and assumed it was a chick lit/romance which really isn’t my thing! Within the first chapter I realised my mistake (thank god) and quickly became engrossed in the lives of Jonny and Niamh. This YA novel deals with love, grief, friendship and family in a delicate and compassionate way.
About the Author: Hertfordshire-based writer of books. Lives with one husband, one daughter, one son, one mad chocolate labrador, one aged tabby cat, five gorgeous bunnies. Likes animals (no, really?), Marmite and messing about on stage. Dislikes spiders, celery and arrogant people.
