Review: Change of Heart by Maurer

Change of Heart by Shari Maurer

Link goes to and description from Goodreads.com

"In a world where the most stressful thing seems to be winning a soccer game or what to wear in the morning, you take some really basic things for granted.

Like the love of your parents.

Or hanging with your friends.

Or the beating of your heart.

When you’re 16 years old, it never occurs to you that you might die. Emmi Miller’s got a fabulous life. She has tons of friends, does great in school and is an all-star soccer player who played in Europe last summer. It even looks like Sam Hunter, a totally cute baseball player, might be interested in her. And then she gets a virus. No biggy, right? Until the virus goes to her heart and weakens it so much that, without a transplant, Emmi will die.

Will Emmi get a heart in time? Is Sam too good to be true? What about her new friend Abe, who has also had a transplant and guides her through these scary times — is he just being supportive or is there more going on between them? And will Emmi realize it before it’s too late?"

**My rating: 4.5/5** 


*My short but sweet review*
This type of book is right up my alley as it features teens dealing with life changing illness. Maurer really has a powerful and emotional plot, and she writes it well. Emmi tells her story in a believable way, and she is easy to relate to. I felt for her and was rooting for her. 
Her friend Becca is a good supporting character, and makes some mistakes that hurt Emmi but it is easy to understand where the mistake stems from. 
Sam is a likable love interest although I wasn't rooting for him. He is supportive and he seems to really want to be there for her when the easiest course of action would be to just leave.
Abe is a great addition. I was really pulling for him and I like him a lot. He is quirky and funny adding some humor into the story.
The pacing of the book is great, and it shows that life cannot be taken for granted.


Spoiler alert- highlight to read

I must say that I did not like the ending. I really wanted it to be perfect and for Emmi and Abe to end up together. It was so fun to see their relationship change and grow. I hate that he dies, although it shows a realistic part of organ transplantation. It was just really sad, and I wish that her and Emmi could have ended up together. I am really glad that once she realized her feelings, she didn't just settle for Sam. Though I am glad that she was able to forgive Becca and Sam, and restore the relationship.

You may also like: anything by Lurlene McDaniel, Cold Hands, Warm Heart, In a heartbeat, Positively


I would love to hear what you think! If you have a review, I would love to read and comment on it!