Publishing Date: January 28th, 2014
Page Count: 304
Source: Book Expo America 2013
Format: ARC Paperback
Description from Goodreads.com:
Life. Death. And...Love?
Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.
But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.
Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.
Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?
Review:
Heartbeat was such a great read. I have never any of Elizabeth Scott's work before, but I will definitely be looking out for more to read very soon. This was truly one of those books that just makes you feel good after reading it. It is one that will hold a place in your heart and one that you will think back on one day. By the end of it I just wanted to go hug my mom.
One of the things I really loved about this book was the dynamics of Caleb and Emma's relationship. Their relationship wasn't one so much about the romance or love, but about healing and I think that was a really great theme for a YA. So many are just about the excitement of the first love, which is great and I love those books, but I think it was so refreshing to read how a relationship can be about more than firsts and experiences with them, it can be a way to heal you and make you a better person.
I absolutely loved the ending of this book. It was a clean ending, making it an obvious stand alone, but it was realistic. It wasn't a fairy tale ending. Things weren't perfect, but that was ok, life went on.
I highly recommend this to those who want a book that will make them feel warm inside and want a refresher from the paranormal or high action stories. This is great for all fans of YA and I definitely recommend looking into other books by Elizabeth Scott, as I will be looking into them as well.
Overall:
Really great story filled with a lot of emotions. I loved that the relationship between Caleb and Emma wasn't about romance, but about healing. It was very refreshing and something that should be in more books. I loved the ending and thought that it was perfect that it wasn't a fairy tale ending. At the end of the book I just wanted to go hug my mom, and I did. I highly recommend this book and I will definitely be looking to more books by Elizabeth Scott.
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 4/5
**The books cover, description, and info was all found on Goodreads. A link back has been provided. All other work and ideas are of my own creation. This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.**
