Instructions for a Secondhand Heart

Instructions for a Secondhand Heart by Tamsyn Murray

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Hachette Book Group Canada
First Published: December 5th, 2017
Publisher: Poppy
Recommended Age: 12+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Grief, Family

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Jonny knows better than anyone that life is full of cruel ironies. He’s spent every day in a hospital hooked up to machines to keep his heart ticking. Then when a donor match is found for Jonny’s heart, that turns out to be the cruelest irony of all. Because for Jonny’s life to finally start, someone else’s had to end.

That someone turns out to be Neve’s twin brother, Leo. When Leo was alive, all Neve wanted was for him (and all his glorious, overshadowing perfection) to leave. Now that Leo’s actually gone forever, Neve has no idea how to move forward. Then Jonny walks into her life looking for answers, her brother’s heart beating in his chest, and everything starts to change.

Something New: Tales from a Makeshift Bride

Something New: Tales from a Makeshift Bride by Lucy Knisley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Raincoast Books
First Published: May 3rd, 2016
Publisher: First Second
Recommended Age: 14+
Pacing: Slow
Genres & Themes: Graphic Memoir, Adult, Wedding, Family, Modern Life, Relationships

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A funny and whip-smart new book about the institution of marriage in America told through the lens of her recent engagement and wedding…. The graphic novel tackles the all-too-common wedding issues that go along with being a modern woman: feminism, expectations, getting knocked over the head with gender stereotypes, family drama, and overall wedding chaos and confusion.

Cici’s Journal: The Adventures of a Writer-In-Training

Cici’s Journal: The Adventures of a Writer-In-Training by Joris Chamblain

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Received: Raincoast Books
First Published: November 7th, 2017
Publisher: First Second
Recommended Age: 7+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Mystery, Art, Friendship

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Cici dreams of being a novelist. Her favorite subject: people, especially adults. She’s been watching them and taking notes. Everybody has one special secret, Cici figures, and if you want to write about people, you need to understand what’s hiding inside them. But now she’s discovered something truly strange: an old man who disappears into the forest every Sunday with huge pots of paint in all sorts of colors. What is he up to? Why does he look so sad when he comes back?