Middle-grade. Contemporary. The book opens with the 12 year-old Sunny St. James about to enter surgery for a long-awaited heart transplant. With a penchant for gallows humour, rash decisions, and secret poetry, Sunny is committed to seizing the opportunity presented by her new heart – in the face of painful friend-drama, the sudden return of the mother who left 8 years before, and an intense desire for her first kiss with…well, she doesn’t really know quite who. I’ve read two other books by Ashley Herring Blake, and she has a real gift for queer middle-grade – sweet, serious but manageably so, endearing, and redemptive. If the writing and the storytelling are simplified a little to fit the target audience, it’s not at the expense of recognizing the complexity of life and the world. Definitely enjoyed it.
Originally posted by Scott on Goodreads.