Heartbeat (Harlequin Teen)
Gr 8 Up—Seventeen-year-old Emma nearly had it all. Her grades were fantastic. She got along well with her mother, and she loved her stepdad, Dan. She was even excited about her mom's pregnancy. All that changed in the amount of time it took to toast a piece of bread. Now Emma's mom lies in a hospital, brain-dead and being kept physically alive until the baby is able to be born. Dan insists this is what his wife would want, but Emma is sure her mother would never want to be hooked up to machines. Her grades plummet and grief threatens to consume her when she suddenly finds herself drawn to bad boy, Caleb, whose parents still blame him for his little sister's death years before. Scott delivers an intriguing novel with a "straight from the headlines" feel. Unfortunately, a few problems detract from the overall success of the story. Caleb's parents are one-dimensional and seem to exist solely as a backdrop for his bad-boy persona while Emma's change of heart comes so quickly and completely that it lacks emotional punch. Still, the deeper themes explored in this novel offer good fodder for discussion.—Heather Webb, Worthington Libraries, OH