Review: Red Heart Tattoo by Lurlene McDaniel

Red Heart Tattoo by Lurlene McDaniel

At 7:45 a.m. on the day before Thanksgiving break, a bomb goes off at Edison High. Nine people die instantly. Fifteen are critically injured. Twenty-two suffer less severe injuries. And one is blinded. Those who survive, struggle to cope with the loss and destruction. All must find new meaning for their lives as a result of something they may never understand.
Lurlene McDaniel’s signature expertise and finesse in dealing with issues of violence, death, and physical as well as emotional trauma in the lives of teens is immediate and heartrending.

Publishes July 24th 2012
Source: Netgalley

My Review:

  Red Heart Tattoo is a new addition to Lurlene McDaniel's masterpieces. I've always loved her writing style, and the way that she has an eye for grief and hard issues. She addresses them head-on and with characters that I can't help but care about. This book is no different.
  At first it is a bit confusing because there are several rotating point of views, but I quickly got a handle on the personality and voices, and found myself caring, despising, cringing, and rooting for the different characters. It may seem that it's hard to encapsule a voice and several lives in so few pages, but I  think she did a superb job.
  Morgan is probably my favorite character, and the one that I connected with the most. It surprised me a bit because I have never been that popular, but she had a personality that I couldn't help but like.
  Roth was also a very developed character, and more like someone that I would have been found hanging out with in school. I liked the different layers that were peeled back and how I got to know and care for his character.
   The pace never lets up and Red Heart Tattoo kept me flipping until I reached the satisfying conclusion.
 
I'd love to hear what you think of this book and/or my review.