Book Review: Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby

When Quinn Sullivan meets the recipient of her boyfriend’s donated heart, the two form an unexpected connection.
After Quinn loses her boyfriend, Trent, in an accident their junior year, she reaches out to the recipients of his donated organs in hopes of picking up the pieces of her now-unrecognizable life. She hears back from some of them, but the person who received Trent’s heart has remained silent. The essence of a person, she has always believed, is in the heart. If she finds Trent’s, then maybe she can have peace once and for all. 
Risking everything in order to finally lay her memories to rest, Quinn goes outside the system to track down nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas—a guy whose life has been forever changed by this priceless gift. But what starts as an accidental run-in quickly develops into more, sparking an undeniable attraction. She doesn't want to give in to it—especially since he has no idea how they're connected—but their time together has made Quinn feel alive again. No matter how hard she’s falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she’s lost…and all that remains at stake.

I read this because I loved the premise. A girls falls in love with her late boyfriend's heart  recipient. A little corny and sounds more like a Hallmark movie than a young adult novel. Okay, it was basically what you would expect, but still really good. It's just so cool to think about how love can transcend death and pieces of you can actually be connected to others after you're gone. 

This book was good, quick and nicely written. I wish the main characters had better personalities though. That sounds a little mean, but they were so... plain. Like their personalities weren't ever really brought out for me. I know they both had issues that held them back from being 100% comfortable, but we should get glimpses of what they are truly like. I think some quick-wit humor could've put this book into a whole other level. This could be mainly just a personal preference and I am the type of person who allows a heavy situation to remain that way for a while, but then I need a reprieve. Usually in the form of humor. Just think of all the puns they could've made. Yes, I know I'm a terrible human.

It just felt too heavy throughout the entire book. I know it's a sad topic, but that's not what it was about. It was about finding love after a loss, and all the problems that go along with it. It only felt light or not as heavy at the end. Having a few lighthearted moments (ehhhh see what I did there?) would've been nice. I don't think it should have been. I wanted a roller coaster of emotions. Maybe it's just me. 

Despite all this, I did enjoy it and would recommend to anyone who doesn't mind the topic for a good quick read. The cover is also pretty as well. 

Read: July 2015

My Rating: 3.5 stars / 5 stars