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Keep Me in Your Heart: Letting Go of Lisa / Saving Jessica / Telling Christina Goodbye
Three of Lurlene McDaniel's bestselling novels in one volume. Readers will relate to the compassion and strength of the characters as they piece their lives back together after tragedy strikes.Letting Go of LisaNathan Malone has been home schooled his whole life. He hasn't spent much time with kids his own age, let alone dated. Now that his mother is busy with his new twin sisters, he must enroll at the local high school for his senior year. On the first day of school a girl catches his eye. Lisa is a loner and doesn't care what anybody thinks of her. Nathan is intrigued. When he and Lisa finally start spending time together, he is the happiest he's ever been. But Lisa has a tragic secret and when she decides to deal with it herself, Nathan has to make a choice. Can he ever let go of Lisa?Saving JessicaJessica McMillan and Jeremy Travino are a perfect couple. When they met in high school, Jessica's upbeat spirit helped Jeremy to see that there must be a reason he was spared in the car accident that killed his brother. But now Jessica has been diagnosed with kidney failure. Her only hope is a kidney transplant but no one in her family is a match. Jeremy can't watch another person he loves die. He believes that his life was spared so he could save Jessica by donating a kidney. But his parents are terrified of losing their only child. Will Jeremy go against his parents' wishes to do what he must to save Jessica?Telling Christina GoodbyeTrisha Thompson and her best friend, Christina, are having a great senior year. Trisha and her boyfriend are making plans to attend Indiana University, and Christina received a scholarship to the University of Vermont. Everything would be perfect if only Trisha got along with Christina's controlling boyfriend, Tucker, who is trying to convince Christina not to go away for college. Their lives are forever changed when one night Tucker drives them all home from a basketball game. He hits black ice and the car overturns. Tucker walks away with barely a scratch, but Trisha is injured, Cody is in a coma, and Christina is dead. Those that are left must learn to heal, in order for their lives to move on.
626 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 28, 2010
37 people are currently reading
613 people want to read
About the author
Lurlene McDaniel
138 books2,731 followersLurlene McDaniel (born c. 1948) is an author who has written over 50 young adult books. She is well known for writing about characters struggling with chronic and terminal illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and organ failure.
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https://www.facebook.com/lurlenemcdan...
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Other places to find her are...
https://www.facebook.com/lurlenemcdan...
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/aut...
http://www.youtube.com/user/LurleneMc
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 31, 2011
I would have to give it a 3.5 star point average. Don't get me wrong Lurlene McDaniel is one of my favorite author that always touches my heart with her sad, and strong and powerful touching stories.
The three novels in the book were very strong, and struck to the heart. But sometimes I feel like there wasn't enough in her stories..
The 2nd novel in this book... TELLING CHRISTINA GOODBYE..
It broke my heart with the accident that happened in the book, and it made me tear up in some parts in the book.
The 2nd novel was my favorite one in this book of hers.
The 3rd novel.... LETTING GO OF LISA..
Well to me.. "I love you" those words that was spoken in the book didn't work out for me..
In the 3rd novel, the guy Nathan didn't even know this girl in the book hardly at all.. and he loved her? Insane. It was kinda stupid to me, because in order for a character to tell someone they love them, they need to show ME, the READER the actions and feelings of the love between the two characters, and i didn't see any of that.
So from my favorites in the book..
Most Liked: Telling Christina Goodbye
Good/Liked: Saving Jessica
Alright: Letting Go of Lisa
The three novels in the book were very strong, and struck to the heart. But sometimes I feel like there wasn't enough in her stories..
The 2nd novel in this book... TELLING CHRISTINA GOODBYE..
It broke my heart with the accident that happened in the book, and it made me tear up in some parts in the book.
The 2nd novel was my favorite one in this book of hers.
The 3rd novel.... LETTING GO OF LISA..
Well to me.. "I love you" those words that was spoken in the book didn't work out for me..
In the 3rd novel, the guy Nathan didn't even know this girl in the book hardly at all.. and he loved her? Insane. It was kinda stupid to me, because in order for a character to tell someone they love them, they need to show ME, the READER the actions and feelings of the love between the two characters, and i didn't see any of that.
So from my favorites in the book..
Most Liked: Telling Christina Goodbye
Good/Liked: Saving Jessica
Alright: Letting Go of Lisa
September 3, 2018
No matter what you're going through, it is hard to keep reading but you keep reading because you want to know how it ends and you fall in love with some characters. In the end, it's well worth the read, in my opinion. Everyone deals with their own experiences and the stories can make you cry, but that's when you know it's a good story because you can relate and get emotionally attached. There are some inspiring quotes in these stories that help you see the good in a bad situation
December 31, 2022
i remember reading this book before going to bed when i was like in 7th grade and i remember loving this book so much. i plan on rereading again but this is such and amazing but sad book all at once
August 16, 2011
McDaniel, Lurlene, (1996). Saving Jessica. New York: A Random House Book. (198 pp).
“You’re in kidney failure, Jessica” Jessica is an 18 year old senior in high school, and now she has to be on dialysis (A kidney’s “job” is to filter waste products from the blood, and the dialysis machine is a substitute for your kidney.) for the rest of her life, unless she can get a kidney transplant. Lurlene McDaniel the author of Saving Jessica does an amazing job telling the terrifying truth about kidney failure, and the dialysis machine.
Jessica’s main problem with dialysis is her BUN level is to high, and dialysis brings it down so she nauseous and throws up, the one solution for the problem; a kidney transplant. The only problems are there is a long waiting list of people, who need transplants, and her dad is not a match to her, and her mom has too many health problems to even question donating her kidney to Jessica. Jeremy, Jessica’s boyfriend, is a match to Jessica, and Jeremy believes God spared his life in the car accident that killed his brother, so he could say Jessica’s life. The only problem is Jeremy’s parents are against Jeremy donating his kidney to Jessica, but Jeremy will not stop until he gets what he wants, donating his kidney to his love.
This book is interesting because it’s about the challenges in the lives of Jeremy and Jessica. As a reader you learn about kidney failure, the dialysis machine, transplants, and you learn how scary and dangerous kidney failure can be. By reading this book I realized how lucky I am to be healthy, at the end of this book you’ll feel so lucky you’re not in kidney failure, or in Jeremy’s case have watched your brother die in front of you. This book is amazing, because you really see how kidney failure can change any one’s life.
McDaniel, Lurlene. (2002). Telling Christina Goodbye. New York: A Random House Book. (230 pp.)
“Christina died at the scene, Trisha, Chrissy’s dead” The lives of friends Trisha, Cody, and Tucker will never be the same after the devastating car accident that changed everyone’s lives. Lurlene McDaniel the author of the book Telling Christina Goodbye, does a great job telling the story of how four teenagers lives change in a second.
Trisha and Christina are best friends, and one of their favorite things to do is go on double dates with their boyfriends (Trisha’s boyfriend is Cody, and Christina’s is Tucker). The only problem is Trisha doesn’t like Christiana’s boyfriend Tucker because she believes Tucker is controlling and mean to Christina. One night the four friends decide to go on a double date to their schools basketball game, when Tucker drives them back home from the basketball game his car hits black ice and flips over. Leaving Christina dead, Cody in a coma, Trisha with a fractured knee, scraps and cuts on her face, and a busted lip, and Tucker with only a few scrapes and bruises .
This book is a stomach turning and shocking book, about how three teenagers grieve with the death of their best friend Christina. When I was reading this book I could not put it down, it truly is an amazing book. Telling Christina Goodbye shows how a death changes everyone’s life on way or another.
McDaniel, Lurlene. (2006). Letting Go of Lisa. New York: A Random House Book. (180 pp).
“Hey, buddy, park it someplace else! You’re jamming the traffic” Nathan had no idea what to expect in his first day of school, to make it worse he’s a senior in high school. High school is already hard, not to mention it’s your first day in any school. The author of Letting Go of Lisa, Lurlene McDaniel does an amazing job of telling the romantic story of Nathan and Lisa.
Nathan’s mom had always homeschooled him, then Nathan’s mom gave birth to twins and she couldn’t home school Nathan and watch the twins. On Nathan’s first day he sees Lisa, every boy in high school has their eyes on Lisa, she is a loner, and puts on a tough act so people cannot “see through her”. When Lisa meets Nathan she falls in love, but she has a secret, and Nathan has to choose whether to get involved in Lisa’s secret or Letting Go of Lisa.
This book is interesting because you see how much they love each other, but you don’t know if Nathan can accept Lisa’s secret. This book is amazing because it tells the about how frightening high school can be, and how much Lisa and Nathan really love each other.
“You’re in kidney failure, Jessica” Jessica is an 18 year old senior in high school, and now she has to be on dialysis (A kidney’s “job” is to filter waste products from the blood, and the dialysis machine is a substitute for your kidney.) for the rest of her life, unless she can get a kidney transplant. Lurlene McDaniel the author of Saving Jessica does an amazing job telling the terrifying truth about kidney failure, and the dialysis machine.
Jessica’s main problem with dialysis is her BUN level is to high, and dialysis brings it down so she nauseous and throws up, the one solution for the problem; a kidney transplant. The only problems are there is a long waiting list of people, who need transplants, and her dad is not a match to her, and her mom has too many health problems to even question donating her kidney to Jessica. Jeremy, Jessica’s boyfriend, is a match to Jessica, and Jeremy believes God spared his life in the car accident that killed his brother, so he could say Jessica’s life. The only problem is Jeremy’s parents are against Jeremy donating his kidney to Jessica, but Jeremy will not stop until he gets what he wants, donating his kidney to his love.
This book is interesting because it’s about the challenges in the lives of Jeremy and Jessica. As a reader you learn about kidney failure, the dialysis machine, transplants, and you learn how scary and dangerous kidney failure can be. By reading this book I realized how lucky I am to be healthy, at the end of this book you’ll feel so lucky you’re not in kidney failure, or in Jeremy’s case have watched your brother die in front of you. This book is amazing, because you really see how kidney failure can change any one’s life.
McDaniel, Lurlene. (2002). Telling Christina Goodbye. New York: A Random House Book. (230 pp.)
“Christina died at the scene, Trisha, Chrissy’s dead” The lives of friends Trisha, Cody, and Tucker will never be the same after the devastating car accident that changed everyone’s lives. Lurlene McDaniel the author of the book Telling Christina Goodbye, does a great job telling the story of how four teenagers lives change in a second.
Trisha and Christina are best friends, and one of their favorite things to do is go on double dates with their boyfriends (Trisha’s boyfriend is Cody, and Christina’s is Tucker). The only problem is Trisha doesn’t like Christiana’s boyfriend Tucker because she believes Tucker is controlling and mean to Christina. One night the four friends decide to go on a double date to their schools basketball game, when Tucker drives them back home from the basketball game his car hits black ice and flips over. Leaving Christina dead, Cody in a coma, Trisha with a fractured knee, scraps and cuts on her face, and a busted lip, and Tucker with only a few scrapes and bruises .
This book is a stomach turning and shocking book, about how three teenagers grieve with the death of their best friend Christina. When I was reading this book I could not put it down, it truly is an amazing book. Telling Christina Goodbye shows how a death changes everyone’s life on way or another.
McDaniel, Lurlene. (2006). Letting Go of Lisa. New York: A Random House Book. (180 pp).
“Hey, buddy, park it someplace else! You’re jamming the traffic” Nathan had no idea what to expect in his first day of school, to make it worse he’s a senior in high school. High school is already hard, not to mention it’s your first day in any school. The author of Letting Go of Lisa, Lurlene McDaniel does an amazing job of telling the romantic story of Nathan and Lisa.
Nathan’s mom had always homeschooled him, then Nathan’s mom gave birth to twins and she couldn’t home school Nathan and watch the twins. On Nathan’s first day he sees Lisa, every boy in high school has their eyes on Lisa, she is a loner, and puts on a tough act so people cannot “see through her”. When Lisa meets Nathan she falls in love, but she has a secret, and Nathan has to choose whether to get involved in Lisa’s secret or Letting Go of Lisa.
This book is interesting because you see how much they love each other, but you don’t know if Nathan can accept Lisa’s secret. This book is amazing because it tells the about how frightening high school can be, and how much Lisa and Nathan really love each other.
March 13, 2014
The book Keep Me in Your Heart by Lurlene McDaniel is a three novel book. All three novels have tragedy strikes to the characters. Keep me in your heart is in the genre Realistic Fiction and Romance. The theme to the book is love is a force for happiness and fulfillment, and that when in love, one must suffer. Mrs. McDaniel is married and have a brother that is three years younger than her and has several other bestselling novels such as Don’t Die, My Love and Till Death Do Us Part. Also Mrs. McDaniel Keep Me in Your Heart take place in a high school, hospitals and it’s all about how to survive catastrophes.
In addition, Keep me in your heart helps you understand the feeling of love and how to survive disasters. It begins with the novel of Saving Jessica, in the novel Jessica needs a kidney transplant because she’s diagnose with Kidney failure but no one in her family is a match so now Jeremy believes that he was meant to save Jessica since he was spared in the car accident. The second novel is Telling Christina Goodbye, in this novel Christina dies in a car accident but the people that is left behind have to learn how to heal and move on. The third novel is Letting Go of Lisa, in the novel Lisa have a brain tumor that growing in the upper cerebellum and Nathan needs to find a way to let Lisa go.
Furthermore, Keep me in your heart theme explains the meaning of happiness and loss. In all of the novels the main character each either felt happiness, loss or both. For example, in the first novel of Keep me in your heart, Saving Jessica, Jeremy wants to save Jessica by donating his kidney but his parents said he can’t donate his kidney because they don’t want to lose him like they lose his brother. In fact, “don’t you think I understand what her parents are going through? I know what it’s like to stand by and watch your child die” (86). This quote show that Jeremy parents wants to help Jessica parents. But they don’t want to lose Jeremy along the way like they lost Jeremy bother Tom. Also it shows that it stills pain Jeremy parents about the death of their son, Tom. Subsequently, in life people have to bare the loss of love ones. The only way one can replace loss with happiness is to focus on the people you have in your life.
Additionally, in Keep me in your Heart Mrs. McDaniel uses character actions to reveal that Nathan is kind-hearted in Letting go Lisa. For instance, when Nathan wanted to know why Lisa leaves school so early a lot of time, so he follows Lisa. “I took it because…because, you see…I love you”. Only people who didn’t care about one another wouldn’t worry if anything was wrong with that person, but because Nathan cared about Lisa he found out why Lisa sometimes leave school early. Mrs. McDaniel effectively develops the character Nathan as a kind-hearted teenager boy and she also effectively develops the other characters in Keep Me in Your Heart
As a final point, people should read this book because it can change the way people think about life. Mrs. McDaniel helps me think differently about life by making me accept that the world can be unfair and that sometimes things happen to you for a reason. And it doesn’t matter if the reason is big or small. To get back to the point, I would give it five out of five stars because of how Mrs. McDaniel made her story inspirational and right to the heart. In summary, Keep me in you heart express ways to love and how to deal with calamitous.
In addition, Keep me in your heart helps you understand the feeling of love and how to survive disasters. It begins with the novel of Saving Jessica, in the novel Jessica needs a kidney transplant because she’s diagnose with Kidney failure but no one in her family is a match so now Jeremy believes that he was meant to save Jessica since he was spared in the car accident. The second novel is Telling Christina Goodbye, in this novel Christina dies in a car accident but the people that is left behind have to learn how to heal and move on. The third novel is Letting Go of Lisa, in the novel Lisa have a brain tumor that growing in the upper cerebellum and Nathan needs to find a way to let Lisa go.
Furthermore, Keep me in your heart theme explains the meaning of happiness and loss. In all of the novels the main character each either felt happiness, loss or both. For example, in the first novel of Keep me in your heart, Saving Jessica, Jeremy wants to save Jessica by donating his kidney but his parents said he can’t donate his kidney because they don’t want to lose him like they lose his brother. In fact, “don’t you think I understand what her parents are going through? I know what it’s like to stand by and watch your child die” (86). This quote show that Jeremy parents wants to help Jessica parents. But they don’t want to lose Jeremy along the way like they lost Jeremy bother Tom. Also it shows that it stills pain Jeremy parents about the death of their son, Tom. Subsequently, in life people have to bare the loss of love ones. The only way one can replace loss with happiness is to focus on the people you have in your life.
Additionally, in Keep me in your Heart Mrs. McDaniel uses character actions to reveal that Nathan is kind-hearted in Letting go Lisa. For instance, when Nathan wanted to know why Lisa leaves school so early a lot of time, so he follows Lisa. “I took it because…because, you see…I love you”. Only people who didn’t care about one another wouldn’t worry if anything was wrong with that person, but because Nathan cared about Lisa he found out why Lisa sometimes leave school early. Mrs. McDaniel effectively develops the character Nathan as a kind-hearted teenager boy and she also effectively develops the other characters in Keep Me in Your Heart
As a final point, people should read this book because it can change the way people think about life. Mrs. McDaniel helps me think differently about life by making me accept that the world can be unfair and that sometimes things happen to you for a reason. And it doesn’t matter if the reason is big or small. To get back to the point, I would give it five out of five stars because of how Mrs. McDaniel made her story inspirational and right to the heart. In summary, Keep me in you heart express ways to love and how to deal with calamitous.
February 28, 2011
The first story in this trio of novels was the worst story by McDaniel I have ever read. She unsuccessfully tried to make her audience feel sympathetic for a whiny, overly dramatic, know it-all boyfriend. And guess what? In the end, he gets what he wants, and his father is suddenly praising him for all he did, even though they fought throughout the whole novel.
The second story is why I gave this 2 stars instead of 1. It was still somewhat cheesy, but SO sad and dramatic that I really enjoyed it. Characters that you can really feel sorry for. It left off with a couple of loose ends.
The last story was centered around boy reminiscent of the first novel's hero, but not as annoying. The heroine was annoying in this one. She was stand-offish and snotty, yet everyone wished they could be with her.
All in all, I didn't really enjoy this book. the second story was good, but the other 2 were not. I would say only to read this if you are an avid fan of the author.
The second story is why I gave this 2 stars instead of 1. It was still somewhat cheesy, but SO sad and dramatic that I really enjoyed it. Characters that you can really feel sorry for. It left off with a couple of loose ends.
The last story was centered around boy reminiscent of the first novel's hero, but not as annoying. The heroine was annoying in this one. She was stand-offish and snotty, yet everyone wished they could be with her.
All in all, I didn't really enjoy this book. the second story was good, but the other 2 were not. I would say only to read this if you are an avid fan of the author.
August 11, 2014
I really enjoyed this book!!! I especially liked that the author decided to put 3 novels in the book!! I think that these 3 stories were all so sad! They were all about loss and saying goodbye and it was a really sad story to read :( I wouldn't recommend this book who is going through a tough time or if they've recently lost someone, because it will remind you of your loss and no one likes to be reminded of something like that. But if you are into stories that are sad but have a twist at the same time then this would be a good choice to read! My favorite out of the 3 would have to be the second one Saving Jessica. Because that one is the most interesting and to me the most sad one out of the three. Overall this book was amazing and I would recommend it to people who like these kinda of stories!!!
September 5, 2011
Overall, the stories were very sad but also about overcoming grief and tragedy. Plus, the characters are thrown into interesting situations that some people do go through, but the rest of us do not quite understand or have exposure to. It definately opened my eyes to some of the grief that is out there in the world.
The first story was pretty good with a lot of legal drama to even out the emotional drama. I personally thought it was really a neat story.
The second one was a little predictable. Within the first chapter you get a sense of who will be left at the end. Otherwise it was still a pretty good story.
The third story was really good. The characters were unique and it really flows in the story line. Definately far from predictable.
The first story was pretty good with a lot of legal drama to even out the emotional drama. I personally thought it was really a neat story.
The second one was a little predictable. Within the first chapter you get a sense of who will be left at the end. Otherwise it was still a pretty good story.
The third story was really good. The characters were unique and it really flows in the story line. Definately far from predictable.
October 17, 2013
I thought this book was very good. The first book was called Saving Jessica which is about a girl named Jessica who is going through kidney failure and is dating a boy named Jeremy who just faced his brother's death a few years ago and still hasn't got over him and now he is facing losing Jessica. Jessica's life is in danger and the only way she can survive without being on dialysis is getting a transplant. However, Jessica's parents health aren't well enough to transplant their kidney to Jessica. However, Jeremy is a match, and he wants to give his kidney to Jessica to giver her a better life. However, Jeremy is underage age and doesn't have any control over the decisions his parents will make. He then faces the struggles of having his parents to agree on the transplant.
February 21, 2014
This book is made up of three novels, all having to do with loss.
The first one, I thought started out kind of cheesy but then I got into it and it turned to b really sweet.
The second one I rally didn't care for. I felt like it dragged on and even the end was lacking in interest.
The third was by far the best one. It was sweet and not over the top with just the right amount of emotion. If that one stood alone I would have given 4 stars, it was well worth the read.
The first one, I thought started out kind of cheesy but then I got into it and it turned to b really sweet.
The second one I rally didn't care for. I felt like it dragged on and even the end was lacking in interest.
The third was by far the best one. It was sweet and not over the top with just the right amount of emotion. If that one stood alone I would have given 4 stars, it was well worth the read.
August 20, 2013
It was a great book. They were very heart breaking and made you feel sorry for a lot of the characters. The second book was the sadist but was my favorite one. And i cried to this story. The other 2 were good also. I like how she didnt just focus on one character in the story and she focused equally on all the characters equally and what they were all going through as individuals
September 15, 2014
I love this book sooooo much!!! I keep it beside my bed and I'm constantly re-reading it. My favorite story in the book is letting go of Lisa I love it so much because of the kind of person Lisa is I like that she's tough and rides a motorcycle which I personally don't see a lot of these days.
Read
April 23, 2011Three great books in one!
November 1, 2012
done awhile ago
June 23, 2011
i loved every story but the last one ohh and have some tissues near by
September 25, 2011
This book is really uplifting and amazing!
July 29, 2012
This book was really good. I enjoyed it a lot. I actually didn't get tired of the annoying teen girlness in it too. I thought the story about Christina was the best. I really recommend this book.
July 3, 2012
The books were very good, but I did not enjoy how long it took for actually get into the stories.
July 14, 2012
3 short heartbreaking stories, all well written, but they wrenched my heart. Not apt for sentimental criers like me.
July 20, 2012
This book was also one that made me cry. Lurlene McDaniel does an amazing job in helping her readers to emotionally connect with the characters. And I could not put this book down!
November 22, 2012
This book is very interesting. The author has away of writing. The stories were very touching. The author illustrates how young adults deal with tragic news.
August 29, 2013
All three novels were great. Very touching love stories that were inspirational. I definitely cried in some parts and got very into the stories.
Read
May 3, 2013it was okay not the best detailed stories but it was okay.
June 14, 2013
This book was so amazing! i still cant believe how amazing it was. i cried but it was really funny at times too!:)check this book out!
August 21, 2013
Broke my heart about 85 times. I found that the stories ended too abruptly, with mediocre endings, especially the third story.
March 18, 2015
I love this book it is so good and it is very emotional.
June 21, 2016
Quick read. I adored her books as a teen and I can still see why. The last one in this trilogy reminded me of a mixture of multiple John Green books.
June 20, 2013
first novel was my favorite
April 13, 2017
I loved reading this book. I liked that it was three books in one. Even though each of the stories were heart breaking they were very good. Once I started reading in I just couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend it.
May 25, 2019
only read once started May 12, done May 24 2019
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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