Heart Shaped Rock

by Laura Roppe

Gold Medal Winner, Young Adult Romance --Readers Favorite Awards 2014!
Sometimes a shattered heart needs to sing to love again . . . Sixteen year old singer-songwriter Shaynee Sullivan hasn't so much as touched her guitar since her mom died six months ago. But when she meets a gorgeous and surprising rocker named Dean, her shattered heart begins to mend . . . and then burst at the seams. Heart-wrenching, heart-warming, and sometimes even heart-racing, Heart Shaped Rock will leave you laughing through tears and rooting for love in all its forms.

2014 Readers Favorite Award Finalist in three categories: Young Adult, Young Adult-Coming of Age and Young Adult-Romance!

Check out the full music soundtrack for Heart Shaped Rock at www.LauraRoppe.com at the "Music to HSR" tab!

“If you liked the music collaboration of Maybe Someday, you’ve got to check out Heart Shaped Rock.” — New York Times best-selling author of Maybe Someday, Colleen Hoover

"Laura Roppé has written a moving and emotional novel of first love, accurately capturing the voice and mind of a dramatic and emotional sixteen year old girl caught in a maelstrom of grief and loss, love and heartbreak. And then there’s Dean…you'll just have to read the book, ‘cause I can't do him justice in a few short sentences.” –Jasinda Wilder, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of Falling into You

Hear the original music performed in Heart Shaped Rock at www.LauraRoppe.com.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, New Adult, Music

316 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Laura Roppé is an award-winning singer/songwriter, author, audio book narrator, speaker, and former attorney from San Diego, California. In 2011, Billboard Magazine ranked her as Number Three on its chart of the Top 50 "uncharted" artists in the world. In May 2013, Laura began hosting Amazon's weekly podcast, "Kindle Love Stories," for people who love hearing about love stories, romance, and happily ever afters.

Her first book is the non-fiction memoir, Rocking the Pink. Her latest is a YA-teen romance novel entitled Heart Shaped Rock, featuring a soundtrack.

Reviews

[Duchess Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much going on in this book...it's hard to focus on the major points because of all of the background noise in my head, so I'll spell out what I focused on and what keeps coming to mind when I recall this story.

Death of a parent: It's hard enough to deal with the death of a parent when you're mature enough to handle it emotionally. On the other hand, is there ever a point in time that you're ready? Probably not. But I think your teenage years would be some of the hardest years to have to come to terms with something like this. If you're a young child, you forget so much...and kids are resilient. They don't understand the gravity of something like death, for the most part. But a teen...they've had time to not only get to know their parent and to appreciate them, but also to grasp the concept of "never coming back." Shaynee, our heroine, is having a particularly hard time after losing her mother to cancer.


Shaynee's mom is portrayed as such a loving, wonderful parent. Patient, passionate, insightful, and nurturing...it's no wonder that being left with her emotionally bereft father leaves Shaynee flailing. The way she treats her younger brother is abominable, but I don't want to lay the blame entirely on her. She's sixteen years old. She shouldn't be the emotionally stable family member. I don't condone her lack of empathy, but I do understand it.

"He's so "in the moment" and "heartfelt" and "good at expressing his feelings," he makes me want to play Whack-a-Mole on his head. Everyone is fooled by his big brown eyes and sweet voice and otter face, but they don't have to live with him constantly yammering about his frickin' feelings. I wish he'd put a cork in in already and let Dad and me just...pretend everything's fine."

When it comes down to it, though, Shaynee loves her brother. Their situation reminds me of my daughters...they argue and fight like they hate each other, but if someone else treats their sister like they do, NO ONE has her back like the other two girls. No one. That's what family does...they love each other so much that they forgive all the faults, and in the long run, they stand so much stronger united. Shaynee proves this as the book goes on, and she really redeems herself in my eyes.

Just to note: This is a book that gives us a bridge between this time of grief and a time of healing and acceptance. Things are not hunky dory, and Shaynee is not always a rational person.(air quote) I think that's understandable, for those of us who can see beyond fiction and into the reality of the situation. Some teens act out by sleeping around and partying. Shaynee lashes out at those she loves. Remember this quote:

"We always hurt the ones we love."

Young Love: After the cutest meet cute ever in which Shaynee very dorkily and awkwardly introduces herself to the delicious Dean, I swear I traveled back in time to a point at which I acted a fool in front of the hot new guy in my life. What really struck me about Dean is that he's not necessarily alluded to as a major player, even though he has the ability to be so. Even so, he has the bad boy persona and the confidence to pull off being an uber nice guy. He was SO sweet, SO quirky, and SO okay with being a good person. It came across as very natural for him...this is who Dean is, take him or leave him. I say...MINE MINE MINE! Err...fine, Shaynee's. Pfffft....

But seriously...Dean's got it all.
Rides a motorcylce? Check
Plays in a hot band? Check
Loves his mama? Check
Sweet to the elderly? Check
Knows how to treat a lady? Check
Forgives and forgets when Shaynee is being stupid? Check, check!!

My Shaynee: ( I know, her hair is too dark. I see all my H/h as brunettes :/

My Dean:



"He wasn't playing with me, or laughing at me, or pitying me. No, he was being kind. Compassionate. Empathetic. He was giving me room to figure things out. He wasn't judging me. He was...loving me."

And that's exactly how Dean rolls. SUCH a great guy. He was, by far, the best part about this book.

Drama, drama, drama: My least favorite part about this book? Shaynee's dramatics. The big "L" word comes too quickly to Shaynee's mind. I know the girl is a teenager and that all teens think that they love their boyfriend/girlfriend of the moment but Shaynee just seems to absorbed with her obsession with Dean. I wish she had spent some more time on self reflection and less time gushing about her love for him. He's a great guy, sure, but wow, is she ever showing her lack of maturity. Although, to be fair, this IS a young adult novel, and if I remember one thing about being a teen, it's that every emotion is magnified times a thousand. So there you go. I hope people picking up a YA novel will expect a certain amount of mindless exclamation points to reside in the protagonist's heads.

Music: I strongly suggest listening to the soundtrack along with this book.

My favorite in particular is "Girl in Yellow." It reflects exactly the kind of guy that Dean is and how happy Shaynee makes him. I have listened to that particular song over and over, and can't get it out of my head.

Last little thoughts: There is an honesty to this book that really struck me. The author is a cancer survivor herself, and her experiences are spoken through the words in this book. Grief is not something anyone can ever understand. Loss isn't something that has a timeline. Tragedies can't be defined by their effects on those around them. Shaynee learns to deal with her own grief in this story...she learns to accept love from those who are still in their life. She learns that she doesn't actually have to let go of her mother. She just has to keep living life. And living her life and holding on to her precious memories is exactly what her mom would have wanted her to do.

Advance copy provided by the author for review

[Paula M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This may be one of the hardest book I've ever reviewed. But I AM GLAD that I've read it, not only did it touch my heart, it made me think about how I treat certain people. Especially people who suffered a great loss.

The story is about a sixteen year old girl, Shaynee, who is dealing with her mother's death because of cancer. Dealing with the fact that you will wake up everyday knowing that your mother won't be on your side anymore, doing what both of you used to do. Just from the blurb, I know that it's going to be a book with depth. On top of that, it was reviewed by one of my favorite authors, Colleen Hoover, so I just know  that I have to ready my heart. Even though the main character annoyed me at first.. oh wait she didn't annoy me, she actually made me a little mad.

Imagine this, your brother is grieving, HE IS TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE FACT THAT HIS MOTHER IS GONE TOO, and this is what you're thinking?

"Why does he insist on emoting all the time? Did he not get the memo he’s a boy? Why doesn’t he just go through puberty already and grow a pair?"

"I stand there, looking at him, deciding whether I should comfort him (again), leave the room, or punch him in the face. The latter two options are my top picks."

This girl have no emotions at all. Or a heart for that matter. From the start, I realized that we have a very bitter MC. You have no idea how much I want to Dnf the book. I was so frustrated. Because she never stopped there you know. She hates her brother and I don't even know why. Well, actually, she hates everyone. She's also like that to her best friend, Tiffany who by the way uses worth cringing words. Chick-a-dee, coolio, redonkulously, and more strange words that I made face to when I read them. Anyway, let's talk about the side characters. I do think that Roppe made a decent set of characters. Their characters are given enough dialogues and used in necessary situations. Everyone has back stories that are worth knowing and its enough for the readers to know them well. Not too much that you'll get bored but also not too little that you're in the dark.

Let us now introduce the love interest, this is where the story got a little off for me. No, it has nothing to do with the fact that it's insta-love and that it's a little weird because they just knew each other for like, 2 weeks, and Shaynee keeps pointing out that she loves him and that they belong to each other... OKAY, maybe it has a little something to do with that, but that's just because the story veered off from the main point of the story which is about Shaynee trying to deal with her mother's death. I don't really hate the guy. He did, in fact, helped Shaynee realized what a heartless and soulless human being she is and how it's affecting those people around her. The romance just really felt rushed for me. I did not buy any of it. I love them as individual characters. But together? Hmmm.

Now, this is my favorite part. Shaynee's realization. Her determination to change! Or rather, to go back to her old self, to sing again! And even though I am not fan of the Romance, I love the guy for making Shaynee figure out her current state. 

Heart shaped rock isn't a light read. It's the kind of story that will fool you into thinking that you're going into a fluffy story but the truth is, you'll get to read one of the most realistic portrayal of how does someone really deals with loss. With a touch of music and a brilliant writing, Heart Shaped Rock should be your next read. Laura Roppe is not an author to be missed.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've noticed that this book has been unfairly judged by some who didn't give it a proper chance by actually finishing it! And on that note since you unfairly judged the book it's making me judge your sanity



I can't imagine not finishing this book, it was realistic in the ways of Shaynee's Home life. Everyone Grieves in different ways and Shaynee just happened to bottle her hurt and emotions up around people which included being mean to her brother instead of breaking down while he tried continuously to talk about his mom..


I for one know a lot of what Shaynee is going through, since me and my mom went through my grandpa having brain cancer for 3 years, we had hope and at one point thought he was cured, but sadly that wasnt the case, we stayed with him at his house watching him slowly go down, doing what we could to make him comfortable and towards the end did every thing for him.. it was rough and I can honestly relate to Shaynee, I had to be strong to help my mom through and I still haven't really talked to anyone about it..I'm still waiting for my Dean I reckon :)..



Anyways, this very realistic book was Heartwarming, the romance Shaynee and Dean had was the cutest. The way Shaynees loved her family was amazing and the mistakes she made were very real and easily understandable and just the kind a 16 year old that's in pain would be making in her situation.. only thing I could not understand was Calebs unwillingness to listen and understand Shaynees point of view, I would have loved him to have been put in his place before the book had ended, but that is my only issue with this book!

Cause Caleb should have gotten a swift punch in the face!


Thank you very much Laura Roppe for allowing me to read your book for free! It was simple and amazing! Hope to see more novels from you in the future :)

[Starry Sky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this beautifully-written book the five stars that it deserves. It was totally amazeballs.



This book has so much meaning and emotions to it that I feel a little teary just thinking about it.
My reaction after finishing the book:



except in this case I was clutching the book...

Typhani Tiffany is one of the greatest best friends you could ever ask for period. She always stuck by Shaynee's side through the thick and thin. No matter how down Shaynee was feeling, Tiffany made sure that she came along for the ride whenever Kellan (Tiffany's boyfriend) and herself were planning to go out so that Shaynee wouldn't just wallow in grief and stay holed up in her room all day. Tiffany always put Shaynee's feelings before hers.

"It's okay, Tiff. Go to your dad's thing. He deserves to have you there I mean it. You can't miss your dad's fancy award to watch a metal-scream-emo-punk band with Little Orphan Shaynee."

You can also tell how much Tiffany truly loved and cared about her best friend.

"Since day one working here, Tiffany's never stopped going on and on about you, her Best Friend Shaynee. About the amazing songs you write. And your incredible singing voice. And your fancy vocabulary and amazing brain. About how funny you are. It just goes on and on.

Shay-Shay Shaynee is a girl who is really depressed after her mother's death and mostly keeps to her self. However, with the help of Tiffany (her best friend), Dean (her first love), Sheila (her caring and understanding boss), Lennox (her younger brother), her dad, and her mom who is always there for Shaynee in spirit, she faces the pain and suffering, breaks out of her shell, and comes out as a stronger person.

DEAN.WAS.JUST.SO.PERFECT that words don't do him justice. So instead, i'll just let Shaynee describe him for me...

"Tiff, I couldn't have dreamt up a more perfect guy. He's smart and funny and, oh my God, so talented. And he's sweet, too..." I sigh, remembering how he reached across the table and touched my hand. "And totally, ridiculously, insanely gorgeous." Add in the fact that he has beautiful blue eyes and a bad boy/rocker thing going on with his motorcycle, leather jacket, and combat boots and well...







Lennox, Shaynee's younger brother, was such a sweetheart who was also gifted and emotionally intelligent. I adored him so much...

My favorite part that made me melt was when he climbed into Shaynee's bed when she was sad and tries to comfort her by hugging her tight:

"I'm climbing up into the tree with you, Flint," he whispers. "We'll stay up her in this tree, together, for as long as it takes." He squeezes me tight, as buckets of tears stream out of my eyes. "I guess you'll just have to deal with my chimpy arms holding you tight."
You'll get the Flint reference once you read the book


I highly recommend you to read this book :)

Thanks to Laura Roppe for sending me a free copy of the book :)

[Lorelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet teenage insta-love story with a nicely done dose of angst. Wish the relationship could have gone beyond the initial declarations of, I love you and your it for me...

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classy contemporary romance of profound poignancy that tugs at the heartstrings!

5 stars

This exquisitely beautiful, heartrending tale took me on an unforgettable journey of the heart. Laura Roppe’s delicious debut is a novel of great impaction and everlasting resonance, as she captures with such acute precision and depth an embroiled teen and her first love. Piercing a hole, I bled inwardly; thrust into a compelling saga wrought with such fervent intensity and heartfelt sincerity as to reduce me to tears…The author dexterously captures the dramatic voice and mind of a 16-year-old girl caught in a maelstrom of grief, loss, love and heartbreak. Fans of Colleen Hoover or books containing teenage romance will find this enchanting, dazzling story something rather exceptional and wonderfully unexpected!



‘Heart shaped rock’ is quintessentially a Coming-Of-Age’ tale that explores romantic and family/ friend relationships, loss and (acceptance of loss) and heartbreak. The captivating storyline was unmistakably impressive, with main protagonist Shaynee’s personal journey of self-discovery one that I was really able to connect on an intimate level. Reminiscent of ’Letters to Juliet’ this unmissable story merges together humor, happiness and sorrow for a greatly moving and evocative outcome. Left laughing, crying and gripping the pages tightly this sublime story was not only heart pounding but also a reflective and very thoughtful literary work of impressive substance.



This has to be one of the most soul-stirring, emotional and deeply heartfelt stories I have encountered. The author’s incredibly witty, funny and thoughtful prose is so captivating you cannot help but feel empathy towards the characters. I simply LOVED the special soundtrack for the novel and the different songs, which were presented as an accompaniment to listen to alongside the book & which enhances the reading experience. This truly beguiling book is a must-read and so I cannot thank Laura enough for providing me not only with an e-copy of her novel to read {*and write a non-biased, honest review on} but furthermore the soundtrack – individual songs too!!!

To find out more…www.LauraRoppe.com

*To celebrate release of Heart Shaped Rock the novel, download the soundtrack to Heart Shaped Rock for FREE at www.LauraRoppe.com at the HSR MUSIC tab until June 10, 2014.*

[Pauline Ang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at Fathomless Reveries

I actually decided to read this because I saw in Goodreads that Maybe Someday readers should also check this out, and I loved Maybe Someday so much. Not to mention that there’s also a music collaboration in this novel, so it was really a plus-plus for me. And I was not disappointed.

Right from the start, I could already feel all the potential this novel has, even though the novel has just begun. The feelings that Shaynee has over the death of her mother is so real. I could feel her grief and pain all across the pages of the book, and I simply found myself crying and crying and crying all night.

Even though I found myself being annoyed at Shaynee most of the time because she was so indecisive and immature, I really enjoyed reading this novel. Her grief has caused her to build up walls around her, and she seemed so close, that no one can even break the walls. The way she treated her brother, Lennox, made me really want to just pull her hair out, but as time went on, I really could understand why she was like that. I’m not saying it’s right, but I really can’t expect her to be the one who should be emotionally stable when she’s only sixteen. But what I really love about Shaynee is that she’d fight for anyone she really cares and loves about. Even though there may be a lot of times she may have hurt others, but she truly loves them.

Of all the characters, I think I love Tiffany, Shaynee’s best friend, the most. She is the best best friend you can ever have. Despite that she has her own emotions to deal with, she still manages to be that safety net and catch Shaynee, always. She was with Shaynee through thick and thin, even though it may have hurt her throughout the entire time.

Dean was amazing. For him to have that bad boy image, but he doesn’t really use it, was really awesome. He is so sweet, so loving and so good that it’d be really dumb to not choose him. Although this may be the case, I didn’t like how the romance development between him and Shaynee. Dean’s side was rather cute, but Shaynee’s? Not so much. It was like a love at first sight, and she was too obsessed with Dean that it was irritating.

Heart-Shaped Rock is a beautiful, heart-warming story of loss, grief, family, friendship, love and most importantly, life. Shaynee’s story revolved around the lesson: life doesn’t stop. We have to keep on moving. We don’t have to let go of things, but rather, we have to learn how to accept and live with them.

[Veronica of V's Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart absolutely broke for Shaynee! Six months ago her mom died of cancer. Her mother was one of those magical people--the kind who can coax a smile out of a sulky teen. She was a vibrant woman--a singer and songwriter. In death she is mourned steadfastly. Shaynee's father grieves terribly--working too much and enlisting Shaynee to care for herself and her younger brother, Lennox. Lennox is 11, and vastly better at coping with his mother's death. He delights in listening to her recordings and openly discusses their mother--as if she's keeping watch over the family.

Shaynee, on the other hand, can't bear to even speak of her mother. She's so angry--she lashes out at Lennox, her dad and even her BFF Tiffany. Nor can she pick up her guitar. Shaynee's always been into music. Has written countless songs and performed since she was little, but the music died with her mom, and so did Shaynee's social life. Tiffany has tried to be there, but Shaynee won't let her in. So, Tiff tricks Shaynee into getting a job at the coffeehouse where she works.

The freedom of finding new social connections--people who know nothing about about her personal tragedy--liberates Shaynee's spirit for the first time in months. Meeting first surfer Jared, and then singer Dean, sparks the long-dead beat of Shaynee's heart. She falls for Dean hard--but Dean has secrets that shatter the tenuous peace Shaynee had established. Jared alternates between confidante and c*ckblock. He's every bit as smitten with Shaynee as Dean is--and thinks his affection is returned. Well, not so much, but Shaynee is quick to tell Jared she's mean. So, when she acts mean, he's been properly warned.

Truthfully, Shaynee knows that Dean is her better match. He's a singer and plays three instruments. Oh, and he's kind and understanding. If only he'd been honest from the start. Then again, Shaynee hasn't been honest much, either. In fact, her denial is crippling her. It's a long road to acceptance--but it's great to see Shaynee walk it under her own power.

Shaynee could clearly play the grieving child card to win Dean's forgiveness--but she wises up, and 'fesses up, too. I was grateful. In lots of parts of the book, Shaynee's struggles are so suffocating, she falls into panic attacks. By the end this girl walks tall and strums a bold tune. Lennox (and her mom) would have been proud to see it. I liked it. You might too.

[Shayna Varadeaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Gawd. Can I please stop the tears! Have MERCY!! I LOVED this book!

Tears of pain, sorrow, laughter, anguish and even tears of pure unadulterated joy were shed in this amazing YA read! Okay woo saa! Let me catch my breath here.

So our MC is 16 year old Shaynee Sullivan. Shaynee is a fabulous and very angsty teen and for good reason too. Shaynee has recently lost her mother to cancer. Stuck in her bubble of grief she is stunned when out of nowhere and under the radar her heart is infiltrated by the stunningly gorgeous, and perfect for Shaynee, Dean Masterson. If swooning is what you crave this book has it and then some. Good bad boys are always a real treat and that is just what Dean is. A very good but rock-star, bad boy. I absolutely, positively love the incorporation of books and music and this is no slouch! I am severely drawn to music and it goes hand in hand with every emotion that courses through my veins. i adored how much a part of it was from the very beginning.

I love the journey, thew plot in this book is so freaking good! Life, loss, love and discovery all rolled up into a hardening young soul. I just loved how the essence of Shaynee's mother is just there like a tangible thing all around. I got goosebumps at every inspiring moment involving Shay's mom and her or her brother Lennox.

My brain went through a plethora of emotions, my eyes were so red afterwards and I had a really good laughing cry, which does not happen often. Shaynee is one of THE BEST female leads I have read in quite a while! She is both weak and strong, brave yet scared to death. She is the epitome of teenage girl thrown into loss that brings anxiety and she loses so so much of herself. I was so torn to shreds at so many pinnacle moments in this book. But yeah I laughed hard in this book too. I was an emotional basket case by the time it was all said and done. I loved every single thing about this book, everything!

The characters are the sort of characters that you always remember in vivid detail. The entire read was over too quick for me but it was by no means short. I just wanted to stay there, in Shaynee's world where rockers croon and love wars with grief showing it who's boss. Coffee, music and gorgeous rocker dudes, yeah I'm in!

I ADORE Shaynee's dad! Okay, I said it!

Recommend it? Heck yeah! Teen Reading at it's BEST! Hands down one of my YA read in 2014 faves!

[Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was thoroughly disappointed with this book. My heart-shaped rock broke (yes, I know, cheesy, but bear with me). I got this book and I was so happy that I literally did a happy dance, but unfortunately that mood was ruined. I now feel thoroughly ripped off. It was a waste of a good giveaway win. Can I apply my win to another book please? Okay, thanks.

Nevertheless, I'm getting sidetracked. This book commits a terrible crime and my disappointment lies herein: this could have been a fantabulous book. The premise was extremely cute and the main character was in the beginning, extremely likable. I started the book and the writing and tone of the book was totally me. I was sitting staring at it like... no way; this is almost exactly like something I would write! Then the book had to go and rain on my parade (Duffy's "Rain on Your Parade" is playing in my head as I write this).

Anyway, the first and greatest cause of my fury is the totally inappropriate and uncalled for use of swear words, seriously, they are all over. I have nothing against the author, but she needs to get a dictionary because she has terrible word choice. I'm not just being a prude, I mean; it's repetitive and annoying and makes me dislike the characters. A good work of literature does not use the same words over and over, swear words or not. The fact that they are swear words made me even more put off.

The next recipient of my wrath was the poorly executed insta-love between the characters. Both of them had good premises, but there really was nothing there. While a well-done insta-love MAY eek by my anger, this was just begging to be called out. There really was no opportunity for love to develop. The main character goes on one date with the boy and they are already kissing, and as another very irritated side note- in a way that straddles the line of the inappropriate.

The story relied solely on its emotional roller-coaster base, because the rest of it was debased *bad-dum clash of symbol*. None of the characters had good personalities and they were terrible role models. Thus, I could barely even skip through the ending out of my disgust, forgive for not finishing it in its entirety but I decided not to pollute my brain. I would definitely not recommend this book to others, but people have free will so if you still feel like reading this book you can't say that I didn't warn you.

[Bee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Istyria book blog ~ B's world of enchanted books

DNF at 10%

I'm so very sorry I have to do this, because I really liked the premise and the cover, but I give up. I can't do this anymore. I can't staaaand this main character! I hated her right from the start. Their mother died six months ago and when her little brother of eleven years old says he misses her and shows his emotions, she gets pissed at him and wants to punch him in the face! I wanted to punch her after that. And it didn't get better. I didn't like anyone in this book. Tiffany acted and sounded like a stupid dumb blonde girl.

Here are some quotes from the first two chapters:

I sigh. Why does he insist on emoting all the time? Did he not get the memo he’s a boy? Why doesn’t he just go through puberty already and grow a pair?

I stand there, looking at him, deciding whether I should comfort him (again), leave the room, or punch him in the face. The latter two options are my top picks.

Tiffany squeals and hugs me again, her accessories clanging noisily. “Yay, Shay-Shay. This is gonna be amazeballs."

“Coolio,” Tiffany says.

Seriously, are there still people that say 'coolio' or 'amazeballs'?? Ugh. And I get that everyone mourns differently, but this is a bit extreme if you ask me. I'm sorry. I didn't like this and I don't want to force myself to finish it. It was a good idea for the story, but it didn't work out for me. The songs that come with it are a good concept, but it reminded me too much of Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover. So this is a no for me.

[Courtney Whisenant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an excerpt of this book on Such a Novel Idea book blog and I was hooked. I hate reading long reviews that give a full plot summary so I don't write those kinds of reviews. Instead I will tell you that this book explored the complexities of grief, family dynamics, first love, true friendship, and so much more. The story and characters were amazing and I was already reaching for the tissues at the 10 percent mark. There were two things I really loved about this book. First, it wasn't just a poignant story of grief...it was also an inspiring story of healing and the resiliency of the human spirit. Second, I loved that the author used music as both a method of emotional release and as a mechanism for healing. How many times have you heard a melody or listened to a song that resonated with you and seemed to express everything you're feeling better than words alone? I know music has been a saving grace for me more than once. I also thought the metaphor of the chimpanzees was brilliant (you will just have to read it to know what I mean)! In addition, the love story was so moving. I remember falling in love for the first time and I thought the author captured the essence of first love beautifully. I haven't read a book this emotionally charged in a while and I highly recommend to fans of Sea of Tranquility, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Sky is Everywhere.

[Jodie Schwirtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever been a teen girl in love?... or do you have a teen age girl, or a best friend you bonded with over a crush on the same schoolyard cutie - RED THIS BOOK! It will make you laugh, it will make you cry. But most of all it will remind you why we are all looking for love; love from a boy, love from our friends, love from our family, even the love of a boy on the boardwalk.
The descriptions of school playground bonding and conversations with friends, even the fights with her little brother and father- they all draw you into the world that Laura Roppe has created. A world many of us as parents have wondered about. Where would our family be without us? Because as much as this is a story about a young girl's love, it is also a story about a mother's love for her daughter. I wanted to read faster to find out how it ended, but I wanted to slow down so it wouldn't end too soon. Because I knew when it did I would be sad it was over. And I was. I can only hope there will be more books coming.

[Ruth Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. I am a musician, and so the music portion drew me in especially. I applaud the author and her depiction of the pathos of Shaynee's situation, for it was brilliantly written. If a young adult has experienced the loss of a parent, this is a definite read. The author captured the behavior and feelings of the teen's struggle. It would give me great joy to read a sequel to this book that concentrates on the healing process of her amazing dad.

The romance in the story was clean enough, but the profanity was often a bit much for me. When a book is classified as "young adult," I believe that profanity should be nonexistent or at least at a bare minimum. I realize that the case could be made that teens talk that way, but I would not allow my daughter to read this book until she was an adult. Thankfully, the profanity was minimal, and it didn't affect my overall gratification of this book.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

[Mitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5stars.

From the middle of the book towards the ending, it was sooooooo frustrating.

[Tessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I basically started reading Heart Shaped Rock with zero expectations. I just had that thing for YA contemporaries at the time when I was requesting the book for review, and I also really liked the book cover. I mean, just look at the pretty yellow dress the girl is wearing and the small details in the lettering (the clef! The staff!).
And tell you what guys, not only does the cover look superb, having finished the book, I just have to say that it also perfectly captures the story! And I’m still speechless. Laura Roppe has created some kind of masterpiece.

Sixteen year old Shaynee Sullivan just lost her mother to cancer and has not touched her guitar since ever since, although music always used to be a way of communication for her and her mom. Her life slowly starts to change when she takes up her new job at a beach café with her best friend, Tiffany. Then, she also meets Dean — a motorcycle boy with a leather jacket who does not only play in a band, but also turns out to be drop-dead gorgeous! I was a little bit sceptical of his character at first because seriously? Another 17-year-old bad boy who is supposed to fix up a heartbroken girl?
But man, I was so wrong! I shipped Shaynee and Dean so much throughout the story because you really see how crazy they are about each other. Dean gets Shaynee and I really liked the way they declare their love for each other — through music and lyrics. Their dates are not conventional — they are passionate and you basically just feel their raw and pure love. They make you realize how cool it is to be young, to be free from worry and just to live.
They act “silly” and just completely let go in front of each other — but this is exactly what makes their relationship special and their love story extraordinary. Of course I sometimes felt as if their relationship came a little bit rash. You can clearly see their mutual attraction but they actually kiss each other at their second or third meeting! However, I quickly found myself falling for the intensity of Shaynee and Dean’s relationship which was literally poetic. They do have their ups and downs, but this all really did not matter because deep in their hearts they both know they are so much better together than apart! It still gives me that smile when I think of them. Do you see how blurry my sentences have become? Because I seriously don’t have any words for describing the heartwarming feeling I got when I read the passages with them two together.

But let’s not forget the secondary characters! First off, Tiffany, Shaynee’s BFF. They share such a genuine and sincere friendship and watching them fooling around together made me realize how thankful I am for my own friends. She supports Shaynee without any questions although there were clearly some moments where I personally would have been deeply disappointed by Shaynee: She leads a life like a hermit and excludes herself from social life at school on purpose. Tiffany (or Typhani, how she prefers to be “called” in the café) has that unconditional love for Shaynee, the same love Shaynee has for her own brother and dad even though she is not always able to show it.

Speaking of which, I’m just so in love with Shaynee’s character. I don’t want to get emotional here, so I am just going to say that a very close family member of mine was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years back, too, and it was like going through hell. Reading Heart Shaped Rock made me realize….well, what it would have been if said family member had died? I know I would have put on that same facade, just like Shaynee does, would have built the same walls around me. I think this harsh possible reality is exactly the thing that gripped me right from the beginning.

Have I also mentioned yet I totally fell in love with Shaynee’s family dynamics? Because I did, and hard. It was gut-wrenching to see how deepy they care about each other, especially her younger brother, Lennox. There is actually a scene where he says something about rather dying with her out of grief than leaving her side…this was one of the moments where it became clear how mature they both are for their age.
And I often felt sorry for their dad because he actually lost the love of his life – his helplessness and cluelessness were both such strong emotions – but I so admired him for staying strong for his kids. Reading Heart Shaped Rock shows you it is okay to be weak sometimes, but also to feel compassion for other people.

There were so many small details I loved about this book, starting from the nicknames they give each other (Shaynee is sometimes actually called Shay-Shay) to the birthday presents Shaynee’s mother left her, as well as to her dad and Lennox in the form of videos or self-written stories, to the music which runs like a golden thread through the story. You just really understand all of her gifts, their symbolic meanings, as well as the love in each message her mom sent them. Love is so seizable in the book. There were many moments in the book when I was crying because I just could totally relate to Shaynee’s feelings; it was like watching an alternative me from the outside. Seeing Shaynee finding the strength to start singing and playing the guitar again was just such a strong symbolic act.

There are barely any books out there that have ever emotionally touched me so much, but Heart Shaped Rock is definitely one of those. I don’t know, but Laura Roppe just finds the perfect words and the perfect tone to write such a sensitive story. Laura Roppe, I adore your writing!
I did not care there was insta love. I did not care Shaynee was sometimes selfish, impulsive and even mean because her character was simply authentic. It felt as if I was reading a book that has made hope come to life. Oh, and the lyrics of all the songs in the book…gotta love them!

By writing Heart Shaped Rock Roppe has created a very powerful story about first love and grief, but also about overcoming this pain and just to seize the day and live. It’s a beautifully written piece of art and I already know it’ll be stuck in my heart forever. Thank you, Laura Roppe, for writing such a wonderful, true and honest story.

[Veronika · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find this review and many other on my blog too:
http://reading-is-dreaming-with-open-...

I sat down with this book convinced that it won't disappoint me after reading reviews in which people said that Heart Shaped Rock is extremely touching. Well, not for me. I am ready to say that maybe the problem is with me, it takes a certain kind of book to make me feel and unfortunately Heart Shaped Rock is not that book.

The Storyline and the Characters:

I have to say that Heart Shaped Rock definitely has a cute atmosphere and it just makes you root for the couple from the beginning, or so they say. The relationship of Shaynee and Dean left me cold and not even because it was an insta love, yeah you heard read it right, here comes manys most despised thing, the insta-love. What was worse (much, much worse) than the insta love was how freakishly few scenes they had together when this book was supposed to be "an emotional novel of first love" (quote from Jasinda Wilder, can be found in the Goodreads synopsis). I get that dealing with a loved one's death was an important topic too so of course it took some pages away from the love story but I felt like it would have been better if the romance had been taken more lightly so I would have been able to concentrate on the way how Shaynee was trying to cope with her mother's death.

What bothered me more was that I didn't felt like I was sitting on an emotional roller coaster, not even close to it. This was a big problem for me because when I read a book filled with grief, first love, friendships and relationship drama I expect all the feelings to hit me in the heart so I can feel everything at the same time as the characters do. The lack of this is a huge no-no in every kind of book for me.

Shaynee can't deal with her mother's loss so she pretends that everything is fine along with her father who is just as emotionally unstable as his daughter. I felt really sorry for the old man but I was more angry at him than anything. Because hey, here are your children who would need you to help them move on with their lives. Lucky thing is that the little brother, Lennox was stronger than his other siblings.

Lennox was just plainly adorable, I loved how wise and kind he could be despite his youngness. I loved that he didn't just abandoned his dad and Shaynee but tried to help them recover and after every single failed attempt he tried again and was able to forgive when Shaynee wasn't very kind with him. It would be fun to read a book about his future self. (Do you hear me Laura Roppé? :D)

"I'm climbing up into the tree with you, Flint," he whispers. "We'll stay up here in this tree, together, for as long as it takes." He squeezes me tight, as buckets of tears stream out of my eyes. "I guess you'll just have to deal with my chimpy arms holding you tight."

I won't say that I hated Shaynee for coping with her mother's death the way she did, because that wouldn't be true. Everyone grieves differently and goes through different phases but one thing is for sure: Shaynee suffered a loss that no one is prepared at the age of 16.

I didn't like the way she dealt with her grief but I can't judge her because I never had to endure such a thing but here's the thing: her being a bitch to her brother and Tiffany (best friend) didn't help me liking her. She didn't want to think about their mother, didn't want to feel so she got angry whenever her brother talked about his feelings, on some occasions she went as far as fantasizing about hitting Lennox.

"I stand there, looking at him, deciding whether I should comfort him (again), leave the room, or punch him in the face. The latter two options are my top picks."

Shaynee got angry at Tiffany for stupid reasons, and not once in those 6 months she thought about Tiff's feelings. She didn't care if she was harsh with her friend, in fact sometimes she even let Tiffany apologize and/or take the blame.

Tiffany could easily win the bestest 'book best friend' award, she wasn't just caring and sweet but she genuinely wanted to help Shaynee, she was patient with her friend, even when Shaynee wouldn't have deserved it and she put aside her own life and feelings just to make Shaynee's life a little less miserable.

"Since day one working here, Tiffany's never stopped going on and on about you, her Best Friend Shaynee. About the amazing songs you write. And your incredible singing voice. And your fancy vocabulary and amazing brain. About how funny you are. It just goes on and on."

See? Everyone should have a Typhani (lol) Tiffany as well as a mum like Dean's was who deeply cared about Shaynee and tried not to(o many times) interfere into her son's love life.

Dean was perfect maybe a bit too perfect if you ask me but whatever I loved him. He never intended to hurt Shaynee, he wanted to make her really happy but let her be angry at him and gave her space when she needed it.

What I really liked in Heart Shaped Rock was the character development, Shaynee started off as a not very likable girl but by the end of the book I she changed tons because she started to see things differently. She made lots of mistakes while she was walking down the road to recovery but I think the main point of the book was her way as she was trying to heal.

What you might not know is that all the songs which were performed in the book were recorded, you can check them out on the page of Laura Roppé. I personally love Heart Shaped Rock, the girl has a beautiful voice and the lyrics is amazing as well.

I'm so sad for not liking this book more, it sounded like such a great story but it failed to make me feel and I didn't fell in love with the characters.

Favorite character: Lennox
Least favorite: Caleb

The story idea: 4/5
The realization of the story: 2/5
The characters: 3/5
The cover: 4/5
Final rating: 3/5

[Sarah Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart Shaped Tears Falling

This book...wow...It is just everything. I literally mean everything because it will give you every sort of the the feels. I laughed, I swooned, my heart broke for Shaynee, and man did I cry (like, a lot, and in public sometimes). Her love for Dean in this book is simply unmistakable, but this story is so much more than just a love story. You follow Shaynee on a journey of self-discovery and healing after losing her mom to the big, bad, ugly that is cancer. You watch Shaynee, her dad, and her little brother stumble and find their way through loss as they help each other heal and move through the healing times and many dark moments of losing someone they loved so much. This book really teaches you that it is the people you least expect that are hit the hardest by loss and also the people you expect the least that can be the ones to help pick you back up. This story shows you that life after loss can get better and that maybe a little yellow will be what you need to brighten your outlook some days. This book is simply amazing.

[Kristene Skaggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing story.

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read

[K. Lincoln · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars, actually.

I love YA romances that focus on broken people learning how to live with their brokenness. This one kind of starts off that way—the main character’s mother has died of breast cancer. The grief, and feelings of anger ring true (the author, a mother, has had breast cancer herself), but the “brokenness” is a bit less edgy than some of the other YA romances out there where much more dire “brokenness” is related to drugs or assault.

I don’t usually love YA romances that have ‘insta-love’ between the two characters. And this is where Dean and Shaynee’s relationship kind of loses its sparkle for me. Their first date and first breakup are a bit too close on the heels of each other, making for me the “betrayal” leading to Shaynee’s breakup feeling a bit over-blown. Without the chance to follow along as they form their relationship, it felt a bit overblown and a wee bit contrived.

Dean is too cool to be true. Motorcycle boy who sings Big Band who is absolutely ready to sing a song he wrote for her in front of an entire audience declaring his love within a week of meeting her? Wow. Wish I had him at my high school! (fans herself). He truly is a swoon-worthy hero, but I love me the broken heroes, and I wished for a bit more meaty brokenness in him so we could delve into that deliciousness as well as develop their relationship a bit more.
(Also, there’s a bit too much Shaynee nick naming by various characters, “shaynee-love”, “shaynee-girl”, “shaynee-bug” which might have worked better had only one or two characters done it instead of almost all the adults )

The way Shaynee doesn’t answer texts or calls from Dean and immediately goes off with another dude (Dean’s best friend and Shaynee’s best friend does a bit o’ the slut-shamin’ I winced at) does speak to Shaynee’s brokenness and confusion in a genuine manner. Shaynee’s realization about Dean’s motives for not owning up to how much he knew about her also felt a little overblown and cheesy—but not in a bad way. In fact, Shaynee chanting “Dean Dean Dean Dean” to herself all through school felt too close to the edge of my own teen experience to be comfortable 

I also winced a bit at Shaynee’s take-down of a bully picking on her little “walking emoticon” of a brother, Lennox. She really goes to town on him and it marks a turning point in the book where Shaynee begins to care enough about those around her to start acting instead of just bathing in her pity pool all the time, but I’m not sure I was comfortable with the shaming. It maybe too stereotypical, etc, but I wanted her to help Lennox stand up to him instead of being the “older sister” bomb.

The coolest thing, though, kind of taking up a notch the tendency for YA authors to post “play lists” to go with their books, Roppe has created and recorded the songs that the characters sing in the book on a soundtrack. It’s a cool addition to the characters in the book.
Boy—Very straightforward, simple country feel.
Cobalt blue—More light rock/folk feeling. “My heart is set in stone because its set on you” chorus of the song is very catchy.

Girl in Yellow—light rock/folk feeling, and then goes into a almost reggae-like riff on “yellow” near the end “oh baby ain’t it crazy, yeah, I’ve been searching high and low, finding you feels like home with my girl in yellow”
Heart-Shaped Rock—title song light rock/folk feeling, very tender
I’m so sorry—Country, dancin’ music with fiddle! “I’m so sorry I let you down/forgive me it’s all my fault”
It’s not Making Sense—pop rock feeling “when it’s wrong, it feels so right”

I did look on Youtube hoping to see some videos with these songs, so I hope Roppe develops the songs a bit more for those of us not hooked into Itunes. At the end of the book she lets on that its Matt Embree from Rx Bandits who she based Dean on (and its him singing Dean’s songs) and Lauren Coleman singing Shaynee’s songs.

All in all, an enjoyable, light-on-the-brokeness, slightly heavy on the cheesy side, YA romance. Nothing beyond a bit of kissing, and not the most genuine of teen voices, but still worth reading if you want to ponder a bit how grief affects us. Roppe talks about how she wrote this book as a what-if scenario (she’s a Breast Cancer survivor) and as a Breast Cancer Survivor myself, I think the parts where Shaynee dreams of her mother were a kind of wish-fullfillment to ease our own fears about mortality and the impact a death might have on our own daughters.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Full review can be found at Part of that World.

It's taken me awhile to figure out my thoughts and form a review on them. Usually, that means I didn't like a book. But I didn't hate Heart Shaped Rock; I just couldn't find words for it.


Actual rating: 3.5 Stars!

First of all, I want more books that combine a reading experience with music! Like Maybe Someday, there are songs that correspond with certain scenes throughout the book. And it was a lovely experience, and it really helped make this more enjoyable.

Because of my love for Maybe Someday, and my love for books about healing, I was excited for this one. And it was such a cute book! Sweet, charming, and with a beautiful message of pushing through your grief and finding the will to live again.

Shaynee and her family went through a tragedy that tore them apart. And Shaynee lost the fight to live her life, to wake up every morning with a smile on her face, to share experiences with her little brother, and to talk to her dad. She lost the desire, the motivation, the determination to move through that grief and find the strength to heal. And six months later, she's still drowning in sorrow and anguish.

But, should I have to dismiss the stupid, incredibly hurtful, and sometimes downright cruel mistakes she made just because her mom died? It's like it's an excuse for Shaynee to act however she wants to, without thinking of the consequences and wondering how it would affect her loved ones. It's almost like the fact that her mom died gives her the divine right to be... a bitch.

I don't mean to be so harsh, but I had a love/hate relationship with Shaynee's character. Sometimes, I was able to look past her behavior because I understand what grief is like. I understood how she felt she had to close off her heart so she wouldn't feel anymore pain. But I also sometimes couldn't stand how she treated her little brother, her best friend, and the guy who made her feel alive again. Shaynee couldn't stand anything that had to do with her mother, even at the expense of Lennox's (little bro's) feelings. And I don't like how Shaynee made Tiffany feel like shit for talking about her mom with people. What was she supposed to do, live like a hermit too? And then you have the drama with Dean. She didn't even give him a chance to explain.

There was actually a lot of drama in this book, which turned me off. The whole Jared vs. Dean deal was SO annoying. I didn't think two love interests were needed, especially since Shaynee fell in love with Dean AFTER ONE DAY! Insta-love galore. Seriously, their relationship needed so much more development for me to believe that they have a forever kinda love. One date, and then they're already professing their love for one another. NO. Just, no. They were cute, but I would have felt much more than that if they'd actually gotten to know each other.

It made Shaynee's development seem flat and too unbelievable. It wasn't a gradual healing, like I had expected. It wasn't Dean helping her try to live again. It was Shaynee discovering how in the wrong she was about dealing with everything.

I like characters who challenge me, who make me hate them one minute and then love them the next. But those characters have to feel genuine and real. They have be more than just their circumstances. Unfortunately, I never got a clear grasp on who Shaynee was before her mother died. It made her seem a little one-dimensional. And normally, grief would make me excuse a lot of things. But something about the way Shaynee responded to everything just made me feel like I should have been okay with it because she was grieving the loss of her mom.

But I really did enjoy Heart Shaped Rock, and the musical experience was so awesome!

[T.H. Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

4-1/2 Stars. I wasn’t aware this book was set in San Diego when I signed up to review it. Somewhere in the first chapter, I not only discovered the setting is my hometown, but some of my favorite local establishments have cameos. My favorite local establishment is Sheila’s coffeehouse, loosely based on Java Joe’s in its Ocean Beach days (now located in Normal Heights). Java Joe’s is where Jewell and Jason Mraz got their starts. Yeah, that Java Joe’s. I’m not sure what locale Wang’s Palace is based on, but in my mind, I was picturing The Red Fox Room the whole time.

Even if you’re not a local, there is so much to love about Heart Shaped Rock by Laura Roppé. It’s a story of sixteen-year-old Shaynee, still reeling six months after losing her mom to cancer. She, her father, and little brother, Lennox, struggle to find a new normal, and Shaynee feels like she’s failing miserably. She’s angry, withdrawn, and believes her heart has shriveled up into a tiny, worthless shard. That is until her best friend, Tiffany, convinces her to get a job working at Sheila’s coffeehouse and drags her to a party on the beach later that night, where Shaynee meets not one, but two incredibly cute boys. Life is about to get interesting!

Plot
The story was a little slow to get started for me, but once it did, it took off at a crazy speed, like the first downward hill on the Giant Dipper rollercoaster at San Diego’s Belmont Park. As Shaynee struggles to understand who she is beyond a motherless teen, she discovers love, a different kind of loss and pain, guilt, and ultimately understanding. This angst-ridden teen novel is gripping, at times bittersweet, and extremely hard to put down. Like Shaynee, I found my pulse pounding in anticipation at points of the story. It may have been a few years since I was a teenager, but I don’t think anyone forgets what it’s like to be in love for the first time. That all-consuming desire deep inside to be with the object of your obsession. Laura Roppé does a fantastic job of capturing that and helping the adult reader feel it all over again.

Characters
I love the characters. Shaynee has a hard edge to her, but I can’t help loving her more because of it. Even when she talks about wanting to pound on her younger brother as he grieves for their mother. I understood what she was feeling and why. The fact that she didn’t act on those feelings made her even more human to me. Dean, one of the two aforementioned cute boys, is one of the better male characters in a young adult contemporary romance I’ve read this year. He’s not perfect, but he’s believable and sweet, and incredibly hot.

Sheila, Tiffany, and Shaynee’s dad and brother are more than just filler characters. They all add something to the plot and are well developed for their supporting roles. I loved Jared, the third in the love triangle. We probably only get a glimpse at the true Jared through a single phrase uttered by Dean’s buddy, C-Bomb, at the end of the story, but it was enough to put everything into perspective for me.

An unlikely character in the novel is the music. As a singer/songwriter, Laura Roppé has woven lyrics so perfectly into the story, they are more than just words. They take on a life of their own. You can download the soundtrack to the book from the author’s webpage, and I suggest you do that. The songs are wonderful, professionally produced, and bring the story even further to life.

Bottom Line
Heart Shaped Rock is a solid young adult romance, filled with gut-ripping angst that will leave you breathless.

Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[ysar · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the first few pages, I was completely hooked. Shaynee is stuck somewhere between grief and normalcy, and while I would imagine losing a parent is devastating at any age, there's a certain cruelty to it happening to a teenager. Shaynee, her father, and her little brother are going through some hellacious grief, and oddly, it's eleven year old Lennox who seems to be handling it best. He's deeply affected, of course, but he's also a pint-sized deep-thinker who understands and puts things in perspective when the people around him can't get their heads straight. And the birthday gifts Shaynee's mom left for milestones she wouldn't be around to see? The one for Shaynee's dad just broke my heart in the most amazing way.

Shaynee, of course, is having all kinds of trouble coping, so I was honestly surprised she wasn't in some kind of therapy. Then again, her dad's having a terrible time of it as well, so I can't really fault the family for not getting help with their grief. As a result, Shaynee turned into quite the drama queen, and she really started to get on my nerves with all her hysterics, but I had to remind myself that a teenager going through something as traumatic as losing her mother probably had a right to act a bit crazy. Besides, I know how cyclomythia and bipolar can turn a teen into a combustible ball of emotion, so I'm going to guess that the kind of grief and depression Shaynee was going through was similar. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite come to the same understanding about her love life.

The romance part of the story isn't that complicated, but the way it played out is just mind boggling. Shaynee was acting afool with her best friend Tiffany one night, and she met Dean, a hot guy on a motorcycle. They ran into each other again, got to talking, and one silly bet later, she was invited to see his band gig at some place across town. It was cheesily romantic, they kissed, and then the character and the story went off the deep end.

After a single date, Shaynee was beyond infatuated. When she saw Dean the next afternoon, he kissed her, he sang her a song at some open mic thing, and then she freaked out because she realized he knew her mother was dead (she'd pretended, or at least implied, that her mother was very much alive). Cue the over-the-top hysteria, and they were done. The rest of the story is all about how much she loves him, how he's the One, how she made the biggest mistake of her life by essentially ditching him and then going on an ill-advised date with someone else. One date. And she loves him. And she thinks he loves her, too. Seriously. Just one date. I feel like I can't point that out enough. Oh, and her dad, who should have been the voice of some kind of reason, gets upset with her for blowing off class for a boy, but he isn't the least bit concerned that his barely sixteen year old daughter thinks she's in love with some guy after one date. Did I mention they only went out once?

Sadly, I think this could have been a pretty amazing story if these two kids had any kind of foundation for their obsession with each other, but instead it was the worst case of insta-love I've ever read. The writing style was great, and the plot had a lot of promise, but I can't get past that one date equals love thing. I mean, shouldn't someone warn Dean that there's going to be a boiled bunny in his future?

***FicCentral received this book from YA Bound Book Tours for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Gabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I recently read a book called Get Happy, a book that was, to put it simply, amazing. Heart Shaped Rock was similar to this book. Some of the themes they handled, the fact that both Shaynee and Minerva, the MC from Get Happy are singers/musicians...it's not a 'ripoff' sort of similar, but it's a 'comparable' sort of similar. Despite this, I still loved Heart Shaped Rock, even though I had just read something that kind of resembled it. I think that's a testament to how good this book was.

The other testament? The fact that this book made me cry so much. I was up at eleven reading this book and silently sobbing so I wouldn't wake anyone up. Seriously! I cried around four different times, and that NEVER happens with me! Once is a miracle, usually.

The characters in this story were really well written. Shaynee started off as a character I wasn't sure I would like. She'd become really jaded and mean after her mom died, and well...it came off as kind of witchy. Her character was very dynamic though and by the end of the book I liked her. Even though I started off with more anger than sympathy for her, little by little I started to understand what she was going through and why she acted as she did. I also loved the way she stuck up for her little brother.

Tiffany (or Typhani) was a really good friend. I feel like usually, the bubbly best friends are so cliche that I don't really care about them, and I was sure that is how it would be with Tiffany, but she's hurting just as much as Shaynee is in this book, and I loved that the author thought to add that to her character; it made Tiffany seem more realistic and less of the standard bff character.

Dean. Oh Dear Dean. Again, another book where I actually was pretty intrigued by the love interest. (Don't expect this to become a habit guys) Dean was sweet, mysterious, and he actually had personality traits besides hot and charming--though he was hot and charming. I really liked Dean from the start; sorry, but I never even got attached to Jared, he was so blah compared to Dean.

The romance was really good in this book, actually. I'm usually all, "it was okay, didn't care much about it," but this was a good story. It wasn't the sugary bubblegum type of romance; there was actual depth to it. That's probably what made me like it more than the typical YA storyline.

Anyone who's ever known someone who had cancer, or lost their battle to cancer, knows just how much this disease sucks, and this book really gets that message across. The emotions in here are raw and realistic.

Heart Shaped Rock was an awesome reading experience. I am really glad I got the chance to read it, and I'd urge others to pick it up if they think it might be a good story for them. (Hint: it probably will be.)

[Kirke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Shaynee has had a very tough year, watching her mom getting sicker and eventually losing that battle. She hasn't really dealt with it well. While her younger brother is really open about his feelings and thoughts, it seems Shaynee just keeps it all locked inside and once in a while that dam bursts.

To me it seems she has a great best friend that has helped her keep going. Though it hasn't been easy at all, because everyone seems to keep a brave face around Shaynee, but they are all dealing with that lose.

When Shaynee starts working at the coffee shop, that is the first big decision and action she has done since her mom passed away. It's a new beginning, a new opportunity and forces her to interact with people.

After meeting Dean, which is almost fairytale like, things couldn't go better. He's a genuine nice guy, completely smitten with Shaynee and is still able to pull of a little of that bad boy vibe. Suddenly everything seems to go really well for her, until Shaynee finds out that Dean has been keeping certain secrets. Though in my opinion, secrets in this case is not really correct and Shaynee definitely overreacts towards the situation.

The connection between these two was pretty instant love, but they are very young and it's the first time they really felt that way. So they very much got caught up in each other and it's all very heightened. When things go wrong, they don't just turn bad, they turn miserable, that kind of stuff. Very typical of teenagers, so you just need to go with that.

This girl is so filled with grief and kept it all bottled inside, it now comes bursting out and not in the nicest way. She says some really awful things, behaves like a lunatic and is just mad at the world. All these frustrations need to be let out, before her heart can heal enough to let love back in.

So I'm blaming her behaviour on the grief and the fact that she is a hormonal teenager. Shaynee is very direct with her words, but afterwards often regrets what she said. She knows she made some mistakes and is ready to fix them, because she can not lose anymore people in her life.

Overall a delightful and pretty sweet story. There are some serious issues dealt with in a very direct way, which I liked a lot. Certainly listen to the music while reading, it helps set the mood and amplifies the emotions. That music was definitely a bonus for me and helped connecting with certain characters. Between the more emotional stuff, there is certainly place for some humor. There were a couple of situations (ex. walkie talkie scene) where I was literally laughing out loud.

*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*

[Tiffany York · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book was absolutely incredible, and so much more than I was even expecting. Of course, the synopsis sounded very good, but I still did not expect to love it just as much as I did. I respect Laura Roppe So much for what she has been through in her own life, and how she takes those emotions and put them on paper. It is such an important thing for young readers (really readers at any age) to read about characters who deal with REAL LIFE problems and tragedies. There are difficult things that teens are going through, and I believe that it is important for those people to have characters they can relate to.

The book is certainly emotional. It does not take much for me to cry when reading a novel, and so naturally I did so when reading this book. Death is something that I struggle with, even at the age of twenty-four, so I cannot imagine how our sixteen-year-old protagonist, Shaynee, is feeling after losing her mother to a battle of cancer. Like some teenage girls would do in this difficult situation, she is not the nicest person to her father and younger brother. She does not know how to deal with her grief, so she is taking her feelings out on those people around her. Not the best way to handle things, we know, but she is a teen character and it seems so REAL.

Luckily for Shaynee, she has great friends who help her start to pick up the pieces. Her friend Tiffany (great name!) helps her get a job at a coffee shop, where she ends up meeting the wonderful character that is Dean. He was such a wonderful surprise in this book. While he could have been a total jerk and gotten away with it because of his looks, qualities, etc, I love that he did not end up being that way. Instead, he was wonderful and understanding, and something that Shaynee really needed at that time in her life. Needless to say, I completely loved their romance in this book. Sure, her feelings were a bit strong a bit too fast, but that's teen love for you, I suppose.

Ultimately, I was very pleased with this book. It gave me all of the emotions that I could want in a contemporary novel. While some of it was very sad and depressing, there were also parts that were upbeat and happy. I felt like it was a wonderful balance, and I was left feeling hopeful for Shaynee and their family; that they would be able to get through everything one day at a time. I do love that Shaynee learned things about herself, too. Most important, she learned you do not have to let someone go when they die, but you do have to find a way to move on with life. I strongly recommend this book. - See more at: http://beneaththejacketreviews.blogsp...

[Meliesa Mcdonell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat down to read this book “Heart Shaped Rock” because I know the author Laura Roppe in passing from my local music community. I expected a “good read.” What I got was a real whopper of a ride.

This is a masterpiece of a modern novel. Laura writes a book like she writes a song, using rich yet relatable imagery to convey emotion, and delivering an experience without over-analyzing or resorting to esoteric symbolism. Shaynee’s story is just… Shaynee’s story. This delightfully REAL teen protagonist shares her journey in coming to terms with her mother’s death from cancer while dealing with the grief of others in her circle, and trying to just get through being a teenager.

Laura clearly writes what she knows. Set in the beach community of PB, any San Diego reader will immediately relate to the environs of the story, and someone who has never been here will get a real feel for the vibe that is our hometown. Laura must also know grief; Shaynee’s mood swings, vacillating between maniacally distraught to giddy with puppy love, are spot on to what the aftermath of death brings. Shaynee’s relationships with her father, brother, best friend, mother’s memory, and new friends are colored by this grief. As she navigates these unfriendly skies, she unwittingly comes to an unacknowledged epiphany: That it is still okay to live and love and laugh when your Mom has died.

The author’s style of prose is addicting. This book reads like you are actually watching it unfold onscreen. This is NOT highbrow fiction. “Heart Shaped Rock” is a book for the masses, and it is written in such a way that you immediately connect with it. I laughed, cried, gasped, and clung to every page like it was my OWN life. I truly hope this book becomes a movie. I’d buy that Blu-ray in a heartbeat, and watch it over and over.

If you are a teen, have a teen daughter, or have experienced grief ever in your life, read this book. The epiphany that Shaynee had was never meant to be acknowledged by her: that would cheapen it. You, the reader, are meant to see it and understand it and, hopefully, share it.

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read that had an accompanying soundtrack that had been written solely for the book, and it enhanced my reading experience more than I could ever have thought. The one thing I'd have liked would have been prompts to let me know when to listen to the songs, but I managed to get it right so that wasn't a problem.

I'll start off with the characters. I loved everyone, except Jared and towards the end of the novel C-Bomb (you'll see why!) I thought Shaynee and Tiffany's relationship was lovely, very relatable and very real. I didn't like Jared because he just came across as quite creepy to me, I'm not sure why that's just the vibe I got. But Dean! I loved Dean, and I loved his relationship with Shaynee, I thought he was such a sweetie, definitely my new book boyfriend haha.

Shaynee's relationship with her family was quite hard for me to understand. I've never lost a parent and so of course I don't know how it can change the family dynamic. That said Laura Roppe made it easy for me to put myself in Shaynee's shoes, and I soon felt like I knew that family, and I felt for them. Lennox was a bit of an annoyance for me at first, and I felt like he was written to be younger than he really was, but he grew on me, and I soon found him to be absolutely adorable. Such a sweet kid.

Overall I adored this book, the writing was phenomenal and coupled with the original soundtrack it was a completely unique and entertaining read. I love that Laura Roppe managed to write about an extremely difficult subject, but kept her writing light, that's a skill I don't often see and I think it's what made the book so enjoyable.

I rated this book 5 stars on Goodreads.

This book was given to me in exchange for a review. My views are in no way affected by the author or publisher.

Originally posted here: http://thereadingwonderland.blogspot....

[Paula Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading novels like this one especially after you have lost someone you care about can really make the novel more realistic for you and make you want to just sit there and bawl your eyes out. For me, that was Heart Shaped Rock by Laura Roppe as in this book , Shaynee's mother has passed away from Cancer and now it's just her, her brother Lennox and her Dad and they all seem to be coping in different ways. As for me, I lost my mum six months ago and it still hurts so much and sometimes I just wish that she wasn't sick and that I could hear her voice or get a hug or something. Even writing this review makes my eyes tear up. In Heart Shaped Rock, Shaynee though will discover that she has a great support system of friends out there and often her little brother Lennox makes me want to give him a big hug as in ways he reminded me of my younger brother. Over music and discovering new friends, it will teach Shaynee that it is ok to miss her mum and that sometimes in order to move on , you need to let others in and share those emotions with them. What I loved most about this novel, was the fact that it was such a sweet and raw story and even better as I love listening to my Ipod and love books that contain singers and music, I was able to after I read the novel listen to the soundtrack that accompanied this novel as the author Laura had provided me with the music. This book is one of the best teen fiction that I have read for 2014 and you may have noticed that in this review, I used a yellow border as the colour Yellow stars alot and means something in this novel.

Readers, if you are wanting an YA/Teen novel to touch the corners of your heart and tug on them and have you not only experiencing tears of sadness but also of joy with thy cup runneth over thy pages then check out "Heart Shaped Rock" by Laura Roppe as you won't be disappointed.