Normally I don't care to much for books that switch back and forth between two main characters, but Loretta Ellsworth did a fantastic job of it!
Sixteen year old Eagan's life gets cut short when she hits her head during a figure skating competition. After her death she views memories of her life, starting from her childhood all the way up to the time of her death. Although she loves her mom very much they have a strained relationship and this is something Eagan needs to resolve before she can settle into her afterlife.
Amelia who has been very sick for the past several years due to a weak heart is the recipient of Eagan's healthy heart. Immediately after her heart transplant Amelia begines to pick up on things from Eagan's life. Amelia even picks up some of her characteristics.
The idea that our cells can carry memories is very intrigueing, and this story explores that theory in a very unique way.

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A great book, quick read. As a mom, I especially liked the way the relationship each girl had with her mother was described. Eagan and her mom had a stormy relationship. After Amelia receives her heart, she starts mouthing off to her own mother, surprising herself and the members of her family. I also liked reading about Eagan's flashbacks upon her past life.

Purple lollipop, anyone?

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Reviewed by Andrea for TeensReadToo.com

IN A HEARTBEAT by Loretta Ellsworth is an emotional story about organ donation.

Fourteen-year-old Amelia has been battling with having a bad heart for years, until the day she learns that it is her turn for a transplant. And this is due to the fact that sixteen-year-old Eagan has had a tragic accident doing the thing she loves most in life - figure skating competitively.

The story is told in alternating viewpoints. One chapter is told from Amelia's view about what it was like to live with a failing heart and then how she changed after she received the new one, and then from Eagan's side as she looks back at memories from her life.

Growing up, I always loved reading stories by Lurlene McDaniel about teens with terminal illnesses or health problems. They always pulled at my heartstrings and made me cry. So when I read the summary of IN A HEARTBEAT and saw that it was about teens and organ donation, I jumped at the chance to read it.

While I enjoyed the characters, I didn't really connect with them. I feel that Eagan was a better-written character, as we get to know her through flashbacks of her memories. And her story is wrapped up at the end. But I don't feel like we really get to know Amelia except that she was sick and she loved to draw horses. And it feels like her story suddenly stops at the end. The book was relatively short - only 195 pages. I feel that there could have been more from Amelia's point of view to connect with her better.

That being said, the idea for the plot is original (to me at least). I loved the theme of organ donation and that the transplant recipients might have characteristics from the donor's personality after the surgery. It's such an interesting idea and it really makes you think!

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