Notes of Life

Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde
Publisher: Transworld Publishers
ISBN: 978-0552776622

Second Hand Heart is a love story, but it’s not your average love story. Then again, is it really a love story? This one is about a nineteen year old called Vida who has spent her short life preparing to die, then finally comes a new heart. But with somebody else’s death, along comes a new chance for Vida.

Then there’s Richard. He’s just lost his beloved wife in a car accident and hasn’t even begun to come to terms with his grief. Yet, he feels compelled to meet the girl who has been given his wife’s heart.

When Vida & Richard meet at the hospital, Vida immediately falls for Richard. However, he dismisses her feelings and thinks she’s a foolish child.

Can a second hand heart bring two people together?

The book is written in journal format and each journal entry is a chapter. The first few chapters of the book are Vida’s journal, then we get a few journal entries from Richard, before going back to Vida and it carries on like that. There’s also a few emails, mainly between Richard and his mother-in-law, thrown into the mix. It may sound like it could get confusing, but it isn’t and the story flows seamlessly between the two journals.

Second Hand Heart isn’t just a love story, it addresses the subject of organ donation and transplantation as well as the theory of cellular memory (where the donor recipient takes on memories, habits, interests and tastes of the donor, that may have somehow been stored in the cells of the transplanted organ). While I don’t usually go for a love story type of book, I’m all for organ donation (as I’ve let my family know) and I’ve heard of cellular memory, so I thought this might be interesting.

Much like Richard did, I found the character of Vida to come across as a bit childish for her age. However, after a while of thinking that, I came to remember that Vida had a different upbringing to most children. She was weak and spent most of her childhood at home with her mother, rather than out making friends etc. While I understood that, I did find her character to be a bit on the stalker-ish side too, in the way that she pursues Richard. Still, I found her to be a unique character (how many young girls have an elderly best friend?)

Despite having never lost a loved-one as close as Richard has, I can understand his need to hang on to the life-force of his wife. His mixed emotions and on-going grief are understandable for somebody in his situation.

I’ve never read any of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books before, though I recognised the name. Catherine is a best-selling author (and deservedly so) and I think most people will have heard of Pay It Forward. I’ve not read the book, but I have seen the movie (though apparently the two are very different). Having read Second Hand Heart, I’m certainly interested in reading more of her work.

I enjoyed Second Hand Heart and the journey taken through the Story. I found that you think it’s going to go one way and then it goes in another direction. This is definitely a worthwhile read and one I did in 3 sittings.

Second Hand Heart is released in the UK in paperback on 16th September.

Pre-order Second Hand Heart at The Book Depository now.

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Please note: I received this book free from Transworld Publishers as part of the Transworld Summer Reading Challenge. However, this in no way influenced my opinion of the book.

In our back garden.

Posted for Camera Critters. Why not join in?!

… and I’m already more than half way through a book that only arrived this morning! For a Monday, I must note that this is highly unusual as I’d normally be at work, but I was awake for half the night and haven’t felt well (I won’t go into details, let’s just say you wouldn’t want to know!). So, I’ve spent most of today in bed (with the odd trip to the bathroom) and as my latest book in the Transworld Summer Reading Challenge arrived this morning I thought I’d get stuck straight into it.

The book?

Second Hand Heart by Catherine Ryan Hyde. The paperback is due for release in the UK on 16th September, so I thought I’d get it read and reviewed before then. As I’ve said, I’m more than half way through and I’m enjoying it so far.

The book is about a very ill, nineteen year old girl called Vida who has spent more of her short life preparing for her death. However, her life changes when a new chance comes along, but somebody had to die for Vida to get that new chance. Vida is gifted Richard’s beloved wife’s heart after she dies in a car accident and Richard feels compelled to meet the girl who inherited his wife’s heart. Can two people be bound by a second hand heart? I’m finding out!

Last week, I finished Bryant & May On the Loose by Christopher Fowler. It’s the 7th book in the Bryant & May series, but you don’t have to have read the other books to enjoy this one. I’ll definitely be checking out some of the other books in this crume series.

After Second Hand Heart, I’m planning on reading Taken By The Others by Jess Haines and, having read a teaser for the book at the end of Hunted By The Others, it promises to be a good read.

Posted for It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Book Journey.

When I posted this photo on Flickr after my trip to York & Scarborough, I gave it a title of “Otter Playing”. However, my friend Sarah commented on Flickr that the otter actually looks like it’s praying not playing… and now Mum just said the same thing! It does look like it’s praying, doesn’t it?

Posted for Camera Critters.

Author: Christopher Fowler
Publisher: Transworld Publishers
ISBN: 978-0-385-61465-8

The Peculiar Crimes Unit has been disbanded and octogenarian detectives Arthur Bryant and John May look set for retirement. That is until a headless body is found in a freezer. A mysterious figure with antlers made of knives also catches their interest, but are the two connected? Either way, Bryant & May and the rest of the PCU are back in business, only with very limited resources and so little time.

I’d never heard of the Bryant & May series of books by Christopher Fowler until Bryant & May On the Loose was listed as part of Transworld’s Summer Reading Challenge. I was a little hesitant at reading it as “On the Loose” is the 7th book in the Bryant & May series and I hadn’t read any of the others. I needn’t have worried though as “On the Loose” stands well as a book by itself. There’s no need to have read any of the other books in the series as the main characters of Arthur Bryant and John May shine through the book and by the end you feel as if you know them very well, like old friends. I love the fact that they’ve worked together for so long that they’re almost like an old married couple!

In a way, Bryant & May and their colleagues at the PCU remind me of the BBC TV series New Tricks, I found the book to very much have that kind of feel to it.

The story is set in the Kings Cross area of London and I have a feeling the author knows the area like the back of his hand. We’re treated to the myths & legends of the area, as well as historical and architectural information… When reading this book you feel like you could be walking the very same streets or occupying the same buildings.

No part of the story is wasted, there’s no fillers, every word in this book is there for a reason. All of which makes this book a good read. It goes at a steady pace, with splashes of humour here and there, as well as action (not that you’d expect it with a pair of old codgers as the lead characters!), tension and a little bit of romance thrown in. All in all, Bryant & May On the Loose is a good “whodunnit” story. Will they get their killer? Why not read the book and see!

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Please note: I received this book free from Transworld Publishers as part of the Transworld Summer Reading Challenge. However, this in no way influenced my opinion of the book.