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Beating Heart: A Ghost Story
This house is mine and I am its beating heart She is a momentary chill in warm sunlight, a shadow glimpsed from the corner of an eye, and a memory of secret kisses and hidden passion. He is seventeen years old, waiting for the start of his senior year, and ever since his family moved into this big old house -- abandoned for decades -- he has dreamt of her. Hot, wordless dreams that turn more intense and darker each night. Ghost and boy fascinate each other -- until her memories and his desire collide in a moment that changes them both forever.
256 pages, Library Binding
First published January 3, 2006
13 people are currently reading
407 people want to read
About the author
A.M. Jenkins
11 books79 followersBorn in 1961. Have lived in TX all my life. Divorced with three sons, two dogs (Hobo and Tyson), two cats (Waldo and Smudge), and two gerbils (Nimbus and Gobi). Jobs throughout my life include pizza maker, ice cream dipper, day care worker, bookstore manager, aerobics instructor, high school math teacher, elementary reading tutor, and freelance writer (warning: this, kiddies, is what may happen to you if you get a liberal arts degree). Published books include Breaking Boxes, Damage, Out of Order, Beating Heart, Repossessed, Night Road, and Hallowmere #5 Queen of the Masquerade (with Tiffany Trent). Short stories include The Last Second, in Michael Cart's anthology Rush Hour: Reckless.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
August 13, 2019
Beating Heart is a short, haunting novel with left me equal parts disturbed and impressed. This is not your average YA novel: there is no garunteed happily ever after, and no love-conquers-all message. This might look like a book about love, but it is not.
Beating Heart is all about sex. The lies we tell to have it, the lies we tell ourselves to keep having it, and the serious damage it can do to a person's life. Not pregnancy or STDs, but the psycological consequences of sex. And it is not a pretty picture.
Honestly, although I was vaguely disturbed by this book - I'd give it to a teen in a heartbeat. Because, honestly, life is not simple and love doesn't last forever. It is far too easy to hurt people you've cared for, especially the ones you are sleeping with.
Even if this somewhat ominous review has turned you off, give this book a shot. It will take a regular reader only an hour or so to finish, and will put the other novels on your shelves into perspective.
Bottom line? A unique twist on the YA fantasy on the market, Beating Heart is a haunting novel which will change how you read YA.
http://deadbookdarling.com/2010/05/re...
Beating Heart is all about sex. The lies we tell to have it, the lies we tell ourselves to keep having it, and the serious damage it can do to a person's life. Not pregnancy or STDs, but the psycological consequences of sex. And it is not a pretty picture.
Honestly, although I was vaguely disturbed by this book - I'd give it to a teen in a heartbeat. Because, honestly, life is not simple and love doesn't last forever. It is far too easy to hurt people you've cared for, especially the ones you are sleeping with.
Even if this somewhat ominous review has turned you off, give this book a shot. It will take a regular reader only an hour or so to finish, and will put the other novels on your shelves into perspective.
Bottom line? A unique twist on the YA fantasy on the market, Beating Heart is a haunting novel which will change how you read YA.
http://deadbookdarling.com/2010/05/re...
November 1, 2011
An interesting not-love story between a live boy and a dead girl. Evan's just moved into an old house with his family and starts having dreams about a beautiful girl, the ghost. The book alternates between his perspective, in prose, and the perspective of the ghost, Cora, in verse. It actually works. Cora's sections give just the right sense of being insubstantial, and Evan does sound like a real teenage boy. Not that many of those in paranormal YA anymore. They all sparkle and stuff.
May 1, 2010
A sexual relationship begins between a ghost and Evan whose family has moved into the broken, boarded-up house that she haunts. Well done, with the split narrations between the ghost and evan.
I remember the warmth of his skin... this secret this beginning.
And all I ever had to do was let go.
I remember the warmth of his skin... this secret this beginning.
And all I ever had to do was let go.
August 9, 2017
So... I'm only writing this review because I have to as the guidelines for a challenge, so Sarah this one's for you.
Um... wow this book was really so bad. My actual rating is maybe 1.5, it's that bad.
The main character Evan is a horny (for lack of a less crude term) teenage boy, with a younger sister and a mother. His father is barely brought up, so I'm basically just cutting him out of this review. He left his family and never even visits his kids. That's it.
Evans mom is kinda sucky, she doesn't take any responsibility. When Evan told her she should spend some time with her daughter, little five year old Libby who was very lonely, she told Evan that he should try spending time with Libby more. Like, take care of your children, lady.
And I'm going to go right on ahead and agree with a review I saw on this book a little while ago and say, a horror story is only scary if the characters know they're being haunted, which in this case they did not. Really, the people actually reenacted the ghosts life almost to a tee, but Carrie didn't die at the end.
Um... wow this book was really so bad. My actual rating is maybe 1.5, it's that bad.
The main character Evan is a horny (for lack of a less crude term) teenage boy, with a younger sister and a mother. His father is barely brought up, so I'm basically just cutting him out of this review. He left his family and never even visits his kids. That's it.
Evans mom is kinda sucky, she doesn't take any responsibility. When Evan told her she should spend some time with her daughter, little five year old Libby who was very lonely, she told Evan that he should try spending time with Libby more. Like, take care of your children, lady.
And I'm going to go right on ahead and agree with a review I saw on this book a little while ago and say, a horror story is only scary if the characters know they're being haunted, which in this case they did not. Really, the people actually reenacted the ghosts life almost to a tee, but Carrie didn't die at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2009
Great concept--mixing verse and narrative. But, the poetry is a lot better than any of the narrative or character dialogue. The verse is engaging with words of passiona and unfulfilled desire and a visual structure evoking the transitory existence of a ghost. As for the storyline, Jenkins creates a lot of reader interest as Evan unknowingly becomes involved with a ghost who yearns for him in the same way she did for a young man back at the turn of the 19th century.
September 24, 2009
The quick taste of the book on the back cover wasn't much but it interested me in finding out who or what this young male was.
So i finally finished the book and to be honest it was better than i thought it would be. The poetry in the book described the ghost and the events of the story. Even though it's a more mature book it still was able to get 5 stars from me i recommend this book to anybody who read this review.
So i finally finished the book and to be honest it was better than i thought it would be. The poetry in the book described the ghost and the events of the story. Even though it's a more mature book it still was able to get 5 stars from me i recommend this book to anybody who read this review.
December 31, 2008
WOW!
i read this book in a couple of hours! i liked it a lot!
it is a little pg-13 rated with a lot of adult stuff in it, but
i still liked it, it ended alittle odd. left me hanging i guess you
could say.
if your into ghost and that type of stuff check this book out=)
i read this book in a couple of hours! i liked it a lot!
it is a little pg-13 rated with a lot of adult stuff in it, but
i still liked it, it ended alittle odd. left me hanging i guess you
could say.
if your into ghost and that type of stuff check this book out=)
May 7, 2009
A ghost story is not really that scary if the protagonists aren't really aware they're being haunted.
May 3, 2022
This was a great book! It flews by so fast, Its a really good book and I do recomned to everyone!
August 10, 2019
Evan Calhoun's parents have recently split up. Seventeen year old Evan, his mom, and little sister, all move into this previously long-abandoned mansion his mother is gung-ho about renovating as she pursues a writing career. Also inhabiting the house is the ghost of Cora Royce, who was accidentally murdered in the house at the age of sixteen many, many years ago. Something about Evan reminds Cora of her former (and only) love. Cora comes to Evan in his dreams, giving him sexual experiences that his very much living girlfriend can't compete with.
Evan's mom finds a dusty, old lock box during some of the renovations. She doesn't find much inside that interests her, so she gives it to Evan. Evan digs into the papers and photos inside. While he finds it interesting, he's also left exasperated that it only offers a few wispy details regarding the life of Cora. There is a photo of her though, which he finds himself quite drawn to, though he also acknowledges how odd it feels to lust after a face long since dead. Evan becomes so consumed and distracted with thoughts of Cora that he begins to forget to pay attention to his girlfriend, Carrie. When they do spend time together, either Evan just seems to want to get right to having sex at the start of each visit, or he's annoyed with Carrie because he feels she's developed this habit of nit-picking every aspect of their relationship. From time to time, there are scenes between Evan and Carrie that Cora shows the reader mirror the more difficult aspects of the brief relationship Cora had with her love interest.
Evan tells his story in classic novel form (and very short chapters) while Cora's voice comes through in verse novel form.
There was potential here for a pretty neat paranormal story, but the main faultline in the writing is that for such a short book, so many ideas were started but never fully developed. The flow felt clogged with a jumble of plot scenarios the author presented but never entirely followed through on... almost like listening to someone share a pretty good story but then switch topics entirely abruptly, never returning to the main thought. It makes for an aggravating reading experience, for sure.
Weirdly, the main emphasis is put on sex. SO much time is spent illustrating raging teenage hormones. Things become complicated when Evan feels torn between conflicting emotions he's having for both his living girlfriend, Carrie, and the spirit of Cora. Evan decides to have a serious sit-down chat with Carrie (not bringing up Cora, just a "where we stand" kind of talk), and not surprisingly does not handle the situation all that well.
For most of the story, I wasn't connecting with any of these characters. The writing overall is good, and Evan's little sister, Libby, is very cute in her innocence about the world... and I did feel sad for her, the way she often so desperately wanted just a little attention from anyone.... but the story didn't really tap into my feels until the sit-down scene with Carrie. Evan's growing emotional distance from her means she's forced to experience some pretty tough emotional territory. These are emotions and experiences that are difficult for anyone at any age in a committed relationship, but wow, especially hard at sixteen when most don't yet have the luxury of developed emotional maturity to fall back on to help get them through such hurdles. Everything feels so much more immense at sixteen. But considering the bombshell she's given, I thought Carrie handled it all with admirable grace & dignity.
If you're a GAC fan and remember the Valentine's Day special years ago (one of my all time favorite episodes), this story kinda gave me Zak & Jerusha vibes ... but in YA form LOL
Evan's mom finds a dusty, old lock box during some of the renovations. She doesn't find much inside that interests her, so she gives it to Evan. Evan digs into the papers and photos inside. While he finds it interesting, he's also left exasperated that it only offers a few wispy details regarding the life of Cora. There is a photo of her though, which he finds himself quite drawn to, though he also acknowledges how odd it feels to lust after a face long since dead. Evan becomes so consumed and distracted with thoughts of Cora that he begins to forget to pay attention to his girlfriend, Carrie. When they do spend time together, either Evan just seems to want to get right to having sex at the start of each visit, or he's annoyed with Carrie because he feels she's developed this habit of nit-picking every aspect of their relationship. From time to time, there are scenes between Evan and Carrie that Cora shows the reader mirror the more difficult aspects of the brief relationship Cora had with her love interest.
Evan tells his story in classic novel form (and very short chapters) while Cora's voice comes through in verse novel form.
There was potential here for a pretty neat paranormal story, but the main faultline in the writing is that for such a short book, so many ideas were started but never fully developed. The flow felt clogged with a jumble of plot scenarios the author presented but never entirely followed through on... almost like listening to someone share a pretty good story but then switch topics entirely abruptly, never returning to the main thought. It makes for an aggravating reading experience, for sure.
Weirdly, the main emphasis is put on sex. SO much time is spent illustrating raging teenage hormones. Things become complicated when Evan feels torn between conflicting emotions he's having for both his living girlfriend, Carrie, and the spirit of Cora. Evan decides to have a serious sit-down chat with Carrie (not bringing up Cora, just a "where we stand" kind of talk), and not surprisingly does not handle the situation all that well.
For most of the story, I wasn't connecting with any of these characters. The writing overall is good, and Evan's little sister, Libby, is very cute in her innocence about the world... and I did feel sad for her, the way she often so desperately wanted just a little attention from anyone.... but the story didn't really tap into my feels until the sit-down scene with Carrie. Evan's growing emotional distance from her means she's forced to experience some pretty tough emotional territory. These are emotions and experiences that are difficult for anyone at any age in a committed relationship, but wow, especially hard at sixteen when most don't yet have the luxury of developed emotional maturity to fall back on to help get them through such hurdles. Everything feels so much more immense at sixteen. But considering the bombshell she's given, I thought Carrie handled it all with admirable grace & dignity.
If you're a GAC fan and remember the Valentine's Day special years ago (one of my all time favorite episodes), this story kinda gave me Zak & Jerusha vibes ... but in YA form LOL
Read
January 13, 2021When Evan's mother and father divorced, He and his sister Libby go with their mother and move into her dream house, an old mansion that needs a lot of work. They finish renovating most of the house and finally get to move in while the crew finishes the third floor. their mother is so excited to move in, but the house gives Evan an eerie feeling and he doesn't like it very much, once they move in Evan starts having weird dreams about a girl around his age in old victorian clothing. Withing a few days, Evan's little sister, Libby starts claiming to see a girl in the house, and said they were playing together. When they all go to see the progress on the third floor one member of the renovation crew hands them an old metal box, when Evan's mother looks through the box she says it's just some old letters and pictures. She gives it to Evan and he looks through the box, there are some letters about a young girl dieing and he then sees a picture that looks like the girl in his dreams. When Evan's girlfriend Carrie comes over the next day, she doesn't seem the same sice they moved into the house, they end up fighting every time they see each other and eventually break up. The dreams about this girl start getting more intense and more realistic, and eventully the dreams start to take place in their house. The box of letters and pictures starts moving to different spot around the house, and he looks through it again and realizes tha the picture is of a girl that died in the house when she was very youg. The ghost of the young girl that he is having dreams about thinks that Evan is her boyfriend.
September 15, 2020
Wow, Beating Heart: A Ghost Story was an unexpected read. Unlike a lot of YA this probed the dark side of teen sexuality. It is a story of desire, betrayal, and revenge, but it does end on a somewhat hopeful note of release.
The protagonists are a living boy and a dead girl who has haunted the house she died in for so long she feels she is the house. Her voice is her thoughts in verse. Here's a beautiful example:
voices
turn to echoes,
fading away
before
they can
become
words
The boy's POV is prose in short chapters. His mother bought the old house as a fixer-upper after his parents divorced. He's not really happy about the situation but does help his mother and little sister. After he discovers old papers in a box about the former inhabitants and then starts having disturbing sexual dreams about the girl who died, his life and behavior turn darker.
He's not really aware he's being haunted even after an alarming event near the end (I won't reveal because it's a big spoiler), but that plot point made me uncomfortable. I feel like it was left hanging in a unsatisfactory way as relates to consequences. However, I loved the storytelling, the writing, and the honesty of the relationships. I devoured the book and found it haunting (intended) and memorable.
The protagonists are a living boy and a dead girl who has haunted the house she died in for so long she feels she is the house. Her voice is her thoughts in verse. Here's a beautiful example:
voices
turn to echoes,
fading away
before
they can
become
words
The boy's POV is prose in short chapters. His mother bought the old house as a fixer-upper after his parents divorced. He's not really happy about the situation but does help his mother and little sister. After he discovers old papers in a box about the former inhabitants and then starts having disturbing sexual dreams about the girl who died, his life and behavior turn darker.
He's not really aware he's being haunted even after an alarming event near the end (I won't reveal because it's a big spoiler), but that plot point made me uncomfortable. I feel like it was left hanging in a unsatisfactory way as relates to consequences. However, I loved the storytelling, the writing, and the honesty of the relationships. I devoured the book and found it haunting (intended) and memorable.
Want to read
May 7, 2021This is a quick and easy read for a YA audience. I wouldn't call this horror, even if it's a ghost story. Dark fantasy, yes. Scary, no. It's got a longing and mystery that kept my dark heart reading. The framing device, that the house/ghost speaks in poem, is good though it limits some of the reader's interaction with the ghost. I wasn't ever bored and truly liked the protag, though at the end I might have wanted to slap him a few times. :)
The exploration of sexual morality by a teen boy and the impacts of sex on teen lives lives at the heart of this story. I'm not sure Evan really grows as much as you'd expect a POV character to grow, though I also wouldn't call him our hero. If I have any complaints about this story its that it felt like a short story instead of the novel it is.
It feels like a morality tale that stops a bit short. That doesn't mean a teen wouldn't enjoy this. Readability is high, scary index is low.
The exploration of sexual morality by a teen boy and the impacts of sex on teen lives lives at the heart of this story. I'm not sure Evan really grows as much as you'd expect a POV character to grow, though I also wouldn't call him our hero. If I have any complaints about this story its that it felt like a short story instead of the novel it is.
It feels like a morality tale that stops a bit short. That doesn't mean a teen wouldn't enjoy this. Readability is high, scary index is low.
October 18, 2020
I don’t know what to feel about this one. I liked the paranormal element and the story but it feels...unfinished? I needed more if a resolution especially after finding out what really happened to Cora as well as Evan and his family. I liked it but I felt it should have been longer. 3.5 ⭐️ It was a very quick read.
May 4, 2017
This book is haunting yet magical.
This book was recommended to me by a friend. I really liked it and highly recommend it too. The house or ghost sections are poetic and unique. You won't be able to put it down.
This book was recommended to me by a friend. I really liked it and highly recommend it too. The house or ghost sections are poetic and unique. You won't be able to put it down.
August 20, 2017
Well, it's pretty short and predictable...but a fun, quick read with a sad, ghostly feel. "A ghost story" definitely sums it up. Not too spooky, not to long, just a good ol' haunting tale...with lots of vaguely described sex.
December 19, 2024
The book was all about sex and didn't have a turning point, just mostly about how it can affect you, or how it can ruin your love life, there weren't a lot of different settings, and it was boring overall, bad book, would not recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2018
Interesting way to tell a story.
September 21, 2019
It was very short, and the pieces with the ghost were kind of hard to follow.
February 13, 2012
A haunting tale of a restless ghost, this story captured my attention with its beautiful writing and what was seemingly an unlikely romance. My first impression of this slight book was that it would explore a love story between the living and the dead. But I was wrong. It was a love story, all right. But one that did not have a fairy tale ending.
Evan Calhoun and his family moved to a historic house after his parents just got through a divorce. What they didn't know was that the house was alive. Its walls, its stairs, every room was a living, breathing being possessed by a girl who died in the arms of who she thought was the boy she loved. The ghost was harmless for the most part, until she saw Evan. And suddenly, the life she lived before she died came back hauntingly and with it the memories of what her fate had been. Evan is a typical teenager going through the angst of having separated parents. He's mostly angry, mopey, and confused about his relationship with his current girlfriend. To top it all off, he started having some pretty disturbing, erotic dreams of a girl from a time past. The present and the past collide one day when the events of the past projected into the present.
This was a short read but the writing, as I mentioned was cryptically beautiful. The verse, was especially elusive; half the time, I wasn't sure if the girl was talking about the house or if she was talking about her person. The author has a talent for giving life to inanimate objects. I also find it to be dangerously close to being an R-Rated book...but that's debatable. Depending on how you perceive what constitutes an R-Rated or General Audiences rating, I say you're the judge and the jury. All I can say is that those dreams, written in verse, was perhaps one of the steamiest I've ever read. And don't get me wrong, the author wasn't even very descriptive. It's in the way she wrote it.
I'm a bit disappointed that this book didn't really have an eventual resolution. Actually, I found it didn't even have a point. The ghost would remain haunting the house in her harmless, creepy way and Evan would have to face the fact that he'd have to grow up and accept some of the responsibilities that his father had vacated. Other than Evan solving the puzzle of how the girl really died, I missed the whole point of the story. But you know what? It was a story that needed to be told.
Evan Calhoun and his family moved to a historic house after his parents just got through a divorce. What they didn't know was that the house was alive. Its walls, its stairs, every room was a living, breathing being possessed by a girl who died in the arms of who she thought was the boy she loved. The ghost was harmless for the most part, until she saw Evan. And suddenly, the life she lived before she died came back hauntingly and with it the memories of what her fate had been. Evan is a typical teenager going through the angst of having separated parents. He's mostly angry, mopey, and confused about his relationship with his current girlfriend. To top it all off, he started having some pretty disturbing, erotic dreams of a girl from a time past. The present and the past collide one day when the events of the past projected into the present.
This was a short read but the writing, as I mentioned was cryptically beautiful. The verse, was especially elusive; half the time, I wasn't sure if the girl was talking about the house or if she was talking about her person. The author has a talent for giving life to inanimate objects. I also find it to be dangerously close to being an R-Rated book...but that's debatable. Depending on how you perceive what constitutes an R-Rated or General Audiences rating, I say you're the judge and the jury. All I can say is that those dreams, written in verse, was perhaps one of the steamiest I've ever read. And don't get me wrong, the author wasn't even very descriptive. It's in the way she wrote it.
I'm a bit disappointed that this book didn't really have an eventual resolution. Actually, I found it didn't even have a point. The ghost would remain haunting the house in her harmless, creepy way and Evan would have to face the fact that he'd have to grow up and accept some of the responsibilities that his father had vacated. Other than Evan solving the puzzle of how the girl really died, I missed the whole point of the story. But you know what? It was a story that needed to be told.
April 20, 2014
*Warning: I tell the entire "plot" of the story*
This book wasted my reading time. I could have read a much better novel. It was boring, not scary, boring, boring, the characters are bad, it has no plot and it's really boring. How is this literature?
First of all, this book wasn't scary. I like to read thrillers and I like to feel that rush after I get them. The title is, "Beating Heart: A GHOST STORY". Ghost stories should be a little scary at times. It even has a creepy house as the cover, creepy houses are supposed to be scary.
Second, the words in the book were boring. I have to give credit to the author because the poem style when the ghost was talking was kind of cool and the words took up a lot of pages so I sped by through the book. But it was still boring, like everything else. For example, on page 135 it says, "He leafs through a few more; then, bored, decides to go grab a snack and see if Mom's off the computer so he can get online. He leaves the papers scattered on the desk." There are so many different ways to write this. Conclusion: the book wasn't interesting.
Thirdly, the book had no plot. Here I'll sum up the entire novel for you. A teenage boy moves into a house inhabited by a ghost, the ghost thinks the teenage boy is her boyfriend. The teenage boy thinks a bout sex. The End. It has no rising action! Not even a climax!
Lastly, the characters were bad. Lets start off with Evan. Evan is a douche bag. He's your typical teenage boy. He thinks about sex, has posters on his wall, he eats a lot and he has a girlfriend. His girlfriend, Carrie, is nice, really pretty and easy to talk to (sometimes). She also loves Evan, Evan doesn't love her back but he STILL tells her that he loves her! Rude! At the end of the book Carrie dumps Evan because Evan only likes her because every time they see each other, they do it. Also, towards the end of the book Carrie goes over to Evans house, while Evan is babysitting, and they do it. What kind of people do that?!
In conclusion (ew I just wrote an essay), don't waste your time with this book. It made me laugh how dumb it was. Dumb is an understatement, I'm being nice. This book had no plot. It was badly written. The characters were huge idiots. And overall, it was SO incredibly boring.
This book wasted my reading time. I could have read a much better novel. It was boring, not scary, boring, boring, the characters are bad, it has no plot and it's really boring. How is this literature?
First of all, this book wasn't scary. I like to read thrillers and I like to feel that rush after I get them. The title is, "Beating Heart: A GHOST STORY". Ghost stories should be a little scary at times. It even has a creepy house as the cover, creepy houses are supposed to be scary.
Second, the words in the book were boring. I have to give credit to the author because the poem style when the ghost was talking was kind of cool and the words took up a lot of pages so I sped by through the book. But it was still boring, like everything else. For example, on page 135 it says, "He leafs through a few more; then, bored, decides to go grab a snack and see if Mom's off the computer so he can get online. He leaves the papers scattered on the desk." There are so many different ways to write this. Conclusion: the book wasn't interesting.
Thirdly, the book had no plot. Here I'll sum up the entire novel for you. A teenage boy moves into a house inhabited by a ghost, the ghost thinks the teenage boy is her boyfriend. The teenage boy thinks a bout sex. The End. It has no rising action! Not even a climax!
Lastly, the characters were bad. Lets start off with Evan. Evan is a douche bag. He's your typical teenage boy. He thinks about sex, has posters on his wall, he eats a lot and he has a girlfriend. His girlfriend, Carrie, is nice, really pretty and easy to talk to (sometimes). She also loves Evan, Evan doesn't love her back but he STILL tells her that he loves her! Rude! At the end of the book Carrie dumps Evan because Evan only likes her because every time they see each other, they do it. Also, towards the end of the book Carrie goes over to Evans house, while Evan is babysitting, and they do it. What kind of people do that?!
In conclusion (ew I just wrote an essay), don't waste your time with this book. It made me laugh how dumb it was. Dumb is an understatement, I'm being nice. This book had no plot. It was badly written. The characters were huge idiots. And overall, it was SO incredibly boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2010
Evan moves into a new residence with his mom and little sister after his parents divorced. His new home dates back over a century and he is not impressed.
A young ghost who used to live in the home is still around. She mistakes Evan as her old lover and enters his dreams nightly.
In this haunting and mesmerizing tale, readers will enjoy A.M. Jenkin's beautifully poetic writing about young love.
I left this novel on my shelf for a couple of months with little interest because I never saw any reviews for it. When I first started, I was a little surprised that part of the novel was written in the format of a poem. Luckily, it was not like that throughout because I'm not into reading poems. Written in two perspectives, you get the ghost's observations and Evan's day-to-day story.
The story revolves around Evan's feelings towards his parents' divorce and his relationship with his girlfriend while the ghost watches from the sidelines. Along the way, the ghost's past is revealed and you find out why she's still around. Although the plot is quite simple, the author made it enticing, having you want to read more out of curiosity. An issue that is raised in the novel is about teenage relationships. Some people take it seriously, while others don't. Love during one's teen years is something difficult to grasp because it is hard to know if the emotion is real. I really liked how it is incorporated into the novel because it brought out the realism in the characters.
Quick, memorable, and engaging, I recommend Beating Heart for anyone who wants a unique contemporary read. I am going to try to look into the author's other works because Beating Heart left me wanting more. If you want, you can read the preview of the novel here.
A young ghost who used to live in the home is still around. She mistakes Evan as her old lover and enters his dreams nightly.
In this haunting and mesmerizing tale, readers will enjoy A.M. Jenkin's beautifully poetic writing about young love.
I left this novel on my shelf for a couple of months with little interest because I never saw any reviews for it. When I first started, I was a little surprised that part of the novel was written in the format of a poem. Luckily, it was not like that throughout because I'm not into reading poems. Written in two perspectives, you get the ghost's observations and Evan's day-to-day story.
The story revolves around Evan's feelings towards his parents' divorce and his relationship with his girlfriend while the ghost watches from the sidelines. Along the way, the ghost's past is revealed and you find out why she's still around. Although the plot is quite simple, the author made it enticing, having you want to read more out of curiosity. An issue that is raised in the novel is about teenage relationships. Some people take it seriously, while others don't. Love during one's teen years is something difficult to grasp because it is hard to know if the emotion is real. I really liked how it is incorporated into the novel because it brought out the realism in the characters.
Quick, memorable, and engaging, I recommend Beating Heart for anyone who wants a unique contemporary read. I am going to try to look into the author's other works because Beating Heart left me wanting more. If you want, you can read the preview of the novel here.
January 31, 2008
Seventeen-year-old Evan and his mother and sister move into a Victorian house inhabited by the ghost of a 16-year-old girl who died horribly.
The chapters alternate between Evan (told in 3rd person prose; I'm still undecided as to whether 1st person would've spoken to me more - feel free to tell me what you think) and the ghost, told in 1st person verse. Usually books with any amount of verse narrative annoy me, but I liked the idea that the spirit-remains of a human being might have a slightly different way of expressing themselves.
As a librarian, I can just imagine an angry parent calling me about the implied sex in this book, but the truth is, the story really does encourage the teen reader to think about whether having sex is a good idea or not.
(Although, I thought the book's message was a *teensy* bit overweening -- at times, I felt like Jenkins was shouting: "DON'T HAVE PREMARITAL SEX!") But overall it was a neatly tied together metaphor. (Maybe a little too neat; you be the judge.)
ps- I also thought it was interesting that what happened between Evan and his girlfriend wasn't the whole, "all guys want is sex/all girls want is love" kind of deal. There was some real nuance there, and I appreciated it.
pps- While I was reading the book, I kept thinking of a fortune cookie I got once that said: "In order to find happiness, a woman needs to meet her seducer." (It may have been an Italian chocolate wrapper, actually...) Thirty years on, I wonder if Evan's girlfriend would agree with that, or not....
The chapters alternate between Evan (told in 3rd person prose; I'm still undecided as to whether 1st person would've spoken to me more - feel free to tell me what you think) and the ghost, told in 1st person verse. Usually books with any amount of verse narrative annoy me, but I liked the idea that the spirit-remains of a human being might have a slightly different way of expressing themselves.
As a librarian, I can just imagine an angry parent calling me about the implied sex in this book, but the truth is, the story really does encourage the teen reader to think about whether having sex is a good idea or not.
(Although, I thought the book's message was a *teensy* bit overweening -- at times, I felt like Jenkins was shouting: "DON'T HAVE PREMARITAL SEX!") But overall it was a neatly tied together metaphor. (Maybe a little too neat; you be the judge.)
ps- I also thought it was interesting that what happened between Evan and his girlfriend wasn't the whole, "all guys want is sex/all girls want is love" kind of deal. There was some real nuance there, and I appreciated it.
pps- While I was reading the book, I kept thinking of a fortune cookie I got once that said: "In order to find happiness, a woman needs to meet her seducer." (It may have been an Italian chocolate wrapper, actually...) Thirty years on, I wonder if Evan's girlfriend would agree with that, or not....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2014
Beating Heart A Ghost Story by A.M Jenkins
The novel, Beating Heart A Ghost Story by A.M Jenkins was Published In 2006 as fiction in genre. The main character Evan Calhoun didn't know what his dreams were about but he was being tempted by a strange girl he's never seen before only in his dreams. With a lot of trouble and upsetting events his life began to change.
She's a ghost that's been there for years. Evan Calhoun is 17 years old. Ever since moving to this big abandoned house the problems don't go away. A Ghost is fascinated by him. What I think about this Ghost Story, is not scary! In other words a romance type with shocking events. It's a great book for high schoolers to read. This book isn't hard to read it's easy and a good amount of pages to read in less than 3 weeks.
The writing in the book by A.M Jenkins is beautiful and calm, many pages have small poems by the ghost girl. It's not about dramatic events but upsetting and challenging ones. The strong parts in this book is in the mid beginning when they first moved his mom tried her best to settle and do as much as possible for her and her family. One of the weakest parts in through out the ending when Evan and his girlfriend have there break up. In my opinion A.M Jenkins didn't achieve his purpose because she's still unknown and I didn't get to have the exciting part to know what happened after it was ending.
The novel, Beating Heart A Ghost Story by A.M Jenkins was Published In 2006 as fiction in genre. The main character Evan Calhoun didn't know what his dreams were about but he was being tempted by a strange girl he's never seen before only in his dreams. With a lot of trouble and upsetting events his life began to change.
She's a ghost that's been there for years. Evan Calhoun is 17 years old. Ever since moving to this big abandoned house the problems don't go away. A Ghost is fascinated by him. What I think about this Ghost Story, is not scary! In other words a romance type with shocking events. It's a great book for high schoolers to read. This book isn't hard to read it's easy and a good amount of pages to read in less than 3 weeks.
The writing in the book by A.M Jenkins is beautiful and calm, many pages have small poems by the ghost girl. It's not about dramatic events but upsetting and challenging ones. The strong parts in this book is in the mid beginning when they first moved his mom tried her best to settle and do as much as possible for her and her family. One of the weakest parts in through out the ending when Evan and his girlfriend have there break up. In my opinion A.M Jenkins didn't achieve his purpose because she's still unknown and I didn't get to have the exciting part to know what happened after it was ending.
September 1, 2014
This book was not at all what I was expecting. I was utterly confused when the ghost would talk and I am just so confused. I did not like this book at all. I have no idea how to say how bored I was through this book and how annoying it was. I felt like I was reading two people do a role play instead of reading a novel. I was expecting so much from this book, mostly because I love ghost stories, but this was just horrible. After reading many reviews, I was also excited to start because most people rated it 5 or 4 stars so I thought it was going to be great, boy was I wrong. I can't even begin to explain how much this book annoyed me.
- Evan
Evan is a very annoying character, I thought he was so stupid and I was just glad the book was over. I could not take anymore, I just did not like it all. I wish I could say something, anything good about this book but there is absolutely nothing. And he treated his little sister horrible, I did not like Evan's character.
- Libby
I think the only good thing about this book. She is adorable, but I just didn't see where this book was going through the ending.
Overall, this book ended very weirdly. Many things were left unsaid and didn't make any sense at all. Thank god this was a standalone and a short read because I could not take anymore. I was so glad it ended when it did. As you can see, I thought this book was horrendous.
- Evan
Evan is a very annoying character, I thought he was so stupid and I was just glad the book was over. I could not take anymore, I just did not like it all. I wish I could say something, anything good about this book but there is absolutely nothing. And he treated his little sister horrible, I did not like Evan's character.
- Libby
I think the only good thing about this book. She is adorable, but I just didn't see where this book was going through the ending.
Overall, this book ended very weirdly. Many things were left unsaid and didn't make any sense at all. Thank god this was a standalone and a short read because I could not take anymore. I was so glad it ended when it did. As you can see, I thought this book was horrendous.
July 24, 2011
I'm all about stories involving ghost haunts, flashbacks, and past and present colliding, but this book did not have the depth and strength I was expecting beyond the opening chapter. The cover is beautiful and the premise is good: new folks move into haunted house, teenage boys has intense (in emotional & physical terms) dreams about an unknown girl, and the house embodies the spirit of a dead young girl ("What happened?" is the driving question here). But the follow-through did not allow for attachment to characters and their trials for me. And as a head up, it does contain a bit more graphic perspectives from the mind a teenage boy about the ladies and sex. I'm not a prude, but some parts were eyebrow a-raising, but nothing OTT.
If I had to pinpoint what I found lacking, I felt a disconnect between form and content. The book's most attractive feature is its form with fluctuating POVs between the teenage boy and the voice of the haunted house. While I loved each voice (particularly the simple, disjointed perspective of the house), the form took precedence over flushing out the plot, the characters' personalities, and the overall mystery initially sparking my interest.
It's a quick read, but a bit unfulfilling.
If I had to pinpoint what I found lacking, I felt a disconnect between form and content. The book's most attractive feature is its form with fluctuating POVs between the teenage boy and the voice of the haunted house. While I loved each voice (particularly the simple, disjointed perspective of the house), the form took precedence over flushing out the plot, the characters' personalities, and the overall mystery initially sparking my interest.
It's a quick read, but a bit unfulfilling.
October 21, 2009
Eww, this book sucked and it was a literal waste of paper. There was so much wasted paper going on!! Like, 3 words on a page at some points! And I get that it was a ghost and all, but why??
Evan is a rude horndog who moves into a Victorian house with his mom and little sister after his parents split. Meanwhile there is a ghost in the house, too, of a girl who died in the 1890s. Evan dreams about screwing some strange girl who turns out to be the ghost and his girlfriend is clingy, but oh does he love screwing her by day. And the whole thing is a load of rubbish because the plot is so dull and there is some el huge-o mystery behind the ghost's (Cora's) death, but there isn't even any intensity behind it, like no build-up or deep clues or anything! It's just... dry. Dry lame dull poop crap story. It ends up getting so redundant, you wonder if someone's playing a trick on you, like someone wants to be "funny" and move your bookmark to another part of the book. Haha, you're a comic genius.
I hated this book. Please don't buy it. Save your money. And time, if you're getting it at the library. That's what I did and I feel cheated!
Evan is a rude horndog who moves into a Victorian house with his mom and little sister after his parents split. Meanwhile there is a ghost in the house, too, of a girl who died in the 1890s. Evan dreams about screwing some strange girl who turns out to be the ghost and his girlfriend is clingy, but oh does he love screwing her by day. And the whole thing is a load of rubbish because the plot is so dull and there is some el huge-o mystery behind the ghost's (Cora's) death, but there isn't even any intensity behind it, like no build-up or deep clues or anything! It's just... dry. Dry lame dull poop crap story. It ends up getting so redundant, you wonder if someone's playing a trick on you, like someone wants to be "funny" and move your bookmark to another part of the book. Haha, you're a comic genius.
I hated this book. Please don't buy it. Save your money. And time, if you're getting it at the library. That's what I did and I feel cheated!
Read
May 22, 2013I really enjoyed reading this book, it was different than any genre that I have read before. I liked the fact that it went by really fast and I didn’t even feel the book going by. It was the first time that I had read a book about ghosts, and I found it to be very interesting yet scary at the same time. The main character of this book, Evan had moved into a new house when his mom started her new job. He moved in with his mother and younger sister, and his father hadn’t visited them for a very long time now. Evan started having sexual dreams about a girl that he had never seen before, but he had felt a special connection with her. Soon enough, he found out from old newspapers and letters he had found out that this girl had lived in the same house, until she died a long time ago. These dreams continued, and Evan and his girlfriend started to drift apart when he had felt that his love for his own girlfriend had started to drift away towards the dead girl that had lived in his home. This book was very interesting and unexpected with the events that took place. It was a very fast read that I enjoyed, and I will definitely read more novels in poetry due to this book.
June 28, 2010
I guess i mostly like this book because of it's simplicity. Most readers probably don't like for 75% of the pages to contain only few sentences, (not even complete ones at that, just jibber jabber. Example: "arm flung wide in sleep careless his breath draws soft and deep slow, untroubled sighs"). However, I enjoy how simply and quickly I got through this book. The thing that I did NOT like about this book, is that because it flew by so quickly, it didn't really have much of a chance to present a main problem of climax of the story. Nothing too exciting, nothing to great - Boy moves to new home, old original very large house - Young female ghosts is still present in this home - Boy finds old clippings and photos of past family in home, and begins having sex dreams about what he thinks is the girl who died in the picture - Female ghost is thinking that this new boy in her home is her old lover from her time and all memories from her past reflect new ones in this story - Boy and his present girlfriend break up - THE END. Whoo hoo right?
December 16, 2007
This book is about a 17-year-old boy named Evan who moves into an old house with his recently-divorced mother and five-year-old sister. The ghost of a 16-year-old girl who died a century ago occupies the house as well.
The chapters alternate between Evan and the ghost. Evan spends most of his time annoyed with his mother, annoyed with his little sister, or thinking about having sex with his girlfriend. At night, he dreams of having sex with a girl he doesn't know (the ghost).
The ghost's chapters are more like random thoughts, sometimes only 2-3 words on a page.
The book was a very fast read, and I liked the fact that the ghost didn't think in full sentences so much as in random feelings. But I seriously don't think this book should be in the YA section of the library! I finished the book in two evenings and, when it was over, felt like the book was about nothing more than sex.
Not a book I'll let my daughter read until she is much older.
The chapters alternate between Evan and the ghost. Evan spends most of his time annoyed with his mother, annoyed with his little sister, or thinking about having sex with his girlfriend. At night, he dreams of having sex with a girl he doesn't know (the ghost).
The ghost's chapters are more like random thoughts, sometimes only 2-3 words on a page.
The book was a very fast read, and I liked the fact that the ghost didn't think in full sentences so much as in random feelings. But I seriously don't think this book should be in the YA section of the library! I finished the book in two evenings and, when it was over, felt like the book was about nothing more than sex.
Not a book I'll let my daughter read until she is much older.
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