A Heart Like Ringo Starr

Gr 8 Up—Faith is no average 17-year-old, although being normal is all she has ever wanted. She lives above her family's funeral home, is homeschooled, and is waiting for a heart transplant to save her life. When a local teenager is the victim of a fatal car crash, Faith unexpectedly finds herself rushed to the hospital for her long-awaited surgery. After a rocky recovery, she is able to attend public school and starts dating the devastatingly handsome Jimmy Winters. Eventually, the young couple discovers Faith's heart came from the car crash casualty, Jimmy's cousin. Readers will be rooting for the main character in this novel in verse. Plot elements that could come off as trite are incorporated in a manner that adds to the story's emotional pull. Faith's desire to be like other teenagers and feelings of being an outsider will ring true with many young adults. Her voice reflects emotions that every adolescent experiences—anger, frustration, humor, and the nerves of first love.