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Irreplaceable
One windy April afternoon, a young woman bicycles alone along a stretch of Iowa highway. She's pedaling hard, hurrying to get home in time for dinner . . .
Alex Voormann is a cerebral thirty-year-old archaeologist married to the woman of his dreams--a beautiful, ambitious botanist named Isabel. When Isabel, an organ donor, is killed by a reckless driver, Alex reluctantly consents to donate her heart. Janet Corcoran is a young, headstrong mother of two, an art teacher at an inner-city school in Chicago. Sick with heart disease, she is on the waiting list for a transplant, but her chances are slim. She watches the Weather Channel, secretly praying for foul weather and car accidents, a miracle. The day Isabel dies, she gets her wish.
Flash forward a year. Janet sends Alex a long letter. She'd like to learn something about the woman who saved her life. Alex isn't interested in talking to the recipient of his dead wife's heart. Since Isabel's accident, he's become grief-stricken and bewildered. His closest companion is his mother-in-law, Bernice. They spend their nights reminiscing about Isabel and hiding out from the world. Meanwhile, a local blues musician named Jasper, the man responsible for Isabel's death, attempts to atone for his misdeed. Jasper is devastated by the knowledge that he destroyed a life but attracted to the idea that he was partially responsible for saving another life -- Janet's. He sees her as his ultimate salvation.
Irreplaceable is the story of what happens after the transplant -- not only to Alex but within the concentric circles of family that spiral outward from him and from Janet. Stephen Lovely takes us vividly inside the lives of these characters to reveal their true intentions -- however misguided -- and gives us a stunning debut novel of loss and love.
Alex Voormann is a cerebral thirty-year-old archaeologist married to the woman of his dreams--a beautiful, ambitious botanist named Isabel. When Isabel, an organ donor, is killed by a reckless driver, Alex reluctantly consents to donate her heart. Janet Corcoran is a young, headstrong mother of two, an art teacher at an inner-city school in Chicago. Sick with heart disease, she is on the waiting list for a transplant, but her chances are slim. She watches the Weather Channel, secretly praying for foul weather and car accidents, a miracle. The day Isabel dies, she gets her wish.
Flash forward a year. Janet sends Alex a long letter. She'd like to learn something about the woman who saved her life. Alex isn't interested in talking to the recipient of his dead wife's heart. Since Isabel's accident, he's become grief-stricken and bewildered. His closest companion is his mother-in-law, Bernice. They spend their nights reminiscing about Isabel and hiding out from the world. Meanwhile, a local blues musician named Jasper, the man responsible for Isabel's death, attempts to atone for his misdeed. Jasper is devastated by the knowledge that he destroyed a life but attracted to the idea that he was partially responsible for saving another life -- Janet's. He sees her as his ultimate salvation.
Irreplaceable is the story of what happens after the transplant -- not only to Alex but within the concentric circles of family that spiral outward from him and from Janet. Stephen Lovely takes us vividly inside the lives of these characters to reveal their true intentions -- however misguided -- and gives us a stunning debut novel of loss and love.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
17 people are currently reading
1063 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Lovely
4 books64 followersStephen Lovely was born in Dallas, Texas and spent most of his childhood in Ohio. He attended Kenyon College, where he majored in English, and the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where he studied with Deborah Eisenberg, Margot Livesey, Ethan Canin, and Frank Conroy. His first novel, Irreplaceable, was published by Hyperion/Voice in 2009 and translated into German, Dutch, and Chinese. Irreplaceable received the Dana Award for the Novel and a James Michener-Copernicus Society of America Award. Since 2005 Stephen has been the director of the Iowa Young Writers' Studio, a summer, residential creative writing program for high school students at The University of Iowa. He currently lives in Iowa City with his wife and several dogs and cats. He is working on a second novel.
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January 17, 2009This book comes out in Feb 2009 and will be featured on the Feb IndieNext List.
Our reviews:
Joe says:
What is the trajectory of a heart after death? Donated, does it still retain some essence of its original owner? Does the recipient owe thanks to the donor's family? How long, after loss, is it okay to move on? These are just some of the questions posed in Stephen Lovely's powerful and haunting debut novel. Alex Voorman's wife, Isabel, is killed in a
truck-bike accident. Earlier, she had decided to donate her organs upon her death. Her heart goes to a woman in Chicago, Janet, who gratefully accepts the gift, but wants to reach out to thank both Alex and Isabel's mother, Bernice.
Meanwhile, the driver of the truck that killed Isabel just wants some recognition for his part in all of this. With
writing that is well-crafted, at times suspenseful, and extremely thought-provoking, Lovely takes the reader on an unforgetable journey into the nature of loss, and the
chance to start over. Highly recommended!
This book takes place for the most part in Iowa, but the scenes that take place in Chicago were especially poignant for me, as it took place in two neighborhoods I lived
in: Wicker Park and Andersonville. Great Chicago book!
Jackie says:
I agree with Joe that this is a very thought provoking book. There are all sorts of things to ponder--the different forms grief takes, what happens to families during and after organ donation/transplantation, the nature of gratitude, the nature of responsibility, and more. They all seem to have a common thread--coping with choices that either we ourselves make or those around us do. I found this to be a very good book, well worth the read, but rather slow moving. There is a lot to absorb with this issue, and clearly Lovely researched the subject exhaustively, something I will always appreciate and give props to.
Our reviews:
Joe says:
What is the trajectory of a heart after death? Donated, does it still retain some essence of its original owner? Does the recipient owe thanks to the donor's family? How long, after loss, is it okay to move on? These are just some of the questions posed in Stephen Lovely's powerful and haunting debut novel. Alex Voorman's wife, Isabel, is killed in a
truck-bike accident. Earlier, she had decided to donate her organs upon her death. Her heart goes to a woman in Chicago, Janet, who gratefully accepts the gift, but wants to reach out to thank both Alex and Isabel's mother, Bernice.
Meanwhile, the driver of the truck that killed Isabel just wants some recognition for his part in all of this. With
writing that is well-crafted, at times suspenseful, and extremely thought-provoking, Lovely takes the reader on an unforgetable journey into the nature of loss, and the
chance to start over. Highly recommended!
This book takes place for the most part in Iowa, but the scenes that take place in Chicago were especially poignant for me, as it took place in two neighborhoods I lived
in: Wicker Park and Andersonville. Great Chicago book!
Jackie says:
I agree with Joe that this is a very thought provoking book. There are all sorts of things to ponder--the different forms grief takes, what happens to families during and after organ donation/transplantation, the nature of gratitude, the nature of responsibility, and more. They all seem to have a common thread--coping with choices that either we ourselves make or those around us do. I found this to be a very good book, well worth the read, but rather slow moving. There is a lot to absorb with this issue, and clearly Lovely researched the subject exhaustively, something I will always appreciate and give props to.
January 17, 2009
This is a very intriguing novel about two families--one the family of an young organ donor in Iowa, the other of the recipient of one of those organs in Chicago. Though typically donations are kept confidential, an overheard conversation between doctors leads the curious and very grateful Janet, who received a very needed heart transplant to the names and addresses of her donor's husband, who wants nothing whatsoever to do with her, and mother, who embraces the chance to hold on to this last piece of her daughter. This is a very deep book, dealing with all sorts of tough things--the many forms of grief, the dynamics of organ donation on both the donors and the recipients and their families, dealing with chronic illness, the nature of gratitude and responsibility, and much more. The common thread seems to be how we deal with choices--both the ones we make and the ones that others do. Lovely obviously poured a lot of research into this book and it rings true on every page. This book will really make you think.
July 6, 2009
What I learned from this book is that Stephen Lovely is a wonderful story teller. I also learned that when we are granted what we wish for, it is not always exactly what we want.
Alex and Isabel have a wonderful marriage. When Isabel is killed in a tragic accident and her heart is transplanted, life changes dramatically for many people. Lovely manages to tell this tale from many points of view and succeeds admirably in conveying love, loss, pain, guilt, and remorse. He does not flinch from any of it and because of this the reader feels the richness of each emotion through the "heart" of each character.
This is Lovely's first book. Here's hoping that he writes many more. I will be waiting patiently and I bet you will be doing the very same thing after reading "Irreplaceable."
Alex and Isabel have a wonderful marriage. When Isabel is killed in a tragic accident and her heart is transplanted, life changes dramatically for many people. Lovely manages to tell this tale from many points of view and succeeds admirably in conveying love, loss, pain, guilt, and remorse. He does not flinch from any of it and because of this the reader feels the richness of each emotion through the "heart" of each character.
This is Lovely's first book. Here's hoping that he writes many more. I will be waiting patiently and I bet you will be doing the very same thing after reading "Irreplaceable."
December 20, 2009
Stephen Lovely and I share a mutual friend, so I had the pleasure of meeting him when I moved to Iowa City this fall. When he told me about his book, I was of course interested by the plot and the fact that the setting is so much like Iowa City, but I wasn't prepared for how much incredible research and authenticity he brings to the novel in regards to heart transplants and recovery from the surgery. That stuff was really fascinating, just in a technical sense--it sort of puts you in awe of what a delicate and complicated a procedure this is. As far as the plot of the story, I was really impressed by the way Stephen drew the reader in, heightening the tension very gradually so that by the end, you get a real sense of suspense. Budding fiction writers would do well to take note of his subtlety--I definitely did. He did that amazingly well. This would be a perfect one for bookclubs and I understand that it goes into paperback in Feb, so all the better for big groups! I almost wish I'd saved it for my own fledgling bookclub, but I'd been wanting to read it since September. Now I am pondering all kinds of things I'd never thought about before in terms of organ transplants, and what makes life, etc. Deep stuff. One thing is for sure: this book definitely made me want to be an organ donor. Thanks for a great read, Stephen!
February 27, 2012
Okay, the title sounds romantic... and is, but not in a gushy way. The heart on the cover also made the book seem all tender and gooey, but it really was quite gritty. Throw in the author's last name of Lovely, and I was so afraid of this being horrifically chick-y. But, imagine this- the people behaved like they do in real life; behave badly, redeem themselves, then acted badly again! This is a very deep story, dealing with the many forms of grief, dynamics of organ donation between donors, recipients, and their respective families, along with the suffering of chronic illness. I found the medical details fascinating. It appears that Stephen Lovely poured a lot of research into this book and it really made me think.
Lovely manages to tell this story from many viewpoints and succeeds in conveying love, loss, pain, guilt, and remorse, never flinching from any of it. The common thread seems to be how we deal with choices; both the ones we make and the ones that others do. Alex is the main character in the novel and his reaction is so human that it is startling, at times. His wife decides to be an organ donor then, when she dies, he okays the harvesting of her organs, only because of her wishes, NOT his own. But his mother-in-law, Bernice, wants to meet the woman who received her daughter's heart, Janet. While some of his reactions might seem childish, I believe that more people would react like him than her.
Bernice is a lonely older woman who finds comfort in Alex because he is a part of Isabel, her daughter, and she is searching for any remnant of the things that have been taken from her. Lotta, Janet's mother, contacts her and they communicate via email, and for Bernice, this is something she feels compelled to do. They both conspire to get Alex to meet Janet, which they believe will help him begin to heal.
This story is good because it tells both sides, the donor's family and the recipient's family. I never had realized that people waiting for organ transplants, actually, begin wishing for a tragedy so that they can receive an organ. I also learned that, with heart transplants, the heart is denervated, which means that it is not as fully connected as a heart that you are born with.
Janet is an interesting character because she manages to be both vulnerable and strong at the same time. She got on my nerves a bit because of her confidence but I found her compelling at the same time, wondering if I could be as strong-willed were I in her shoes. Jasper is the antagonist, the man who accidentally, but not without fault, killed Alex's wife. I normally could find sympathy with somebody in that predicament (Could you imagine how horrible it would feel to accidentally kill a person?), but he is so crazy, weird, and intense, that I found none.
While she only appears in the prologue, alive, Isabel is a huge part of the book. She is the underlying current beneath it all, forcing the people's lives together. You get to know her almost as well as the other characters through their memories and tumult of emotions over her loss. It really is remarkable how much one person can affect so many lives, even after death!
Lovely's writing is heavy on exposition and not on dialogue but he is able to write well enough that it is not at all sluggish. His details are beautifully written and his dialogue, when there, sparkles. He really drew me in so I do not understand this book's low ratings.
I was not expecting the detail in regards to heart transplants and recovery from surgery. Simply fascinating to me! I also learned about the pain and suffering, and the constant threat of illness that a heart transplant patient lives with, long after the operation. One thing is for sure, this story definitely made me want to be an organ donor, where I was once dead-set against it! Easily four stars!
Lovely manages to tell this story from many viewpoints and succeeds in conveying love, loss, pain, guilt, and remorse, never flinching from any of it. The common thread seems to be how we deal with choices; both the ones we make and the ones that others do. Alex is the main character in the novel and his reaction is so human that it is startling, at times. His wife decides to be an organ donor then, when she dies, he okays the harvesting of her organs, only because of her wishes, NOT his own. But his mother-in-law, Bernice, wants to meet the woman who received her daughter's heart, Janet. While some of his reactions might seem childish, I believe that more people would react like him than her.
Bernice is a lonely older woman who finds comfort in Alex because he is a part of Isabel, her daughter, and she is searching for any remnant of the things that have been taken from her. Lotta, Janet's mother, contacts her and they communicate via email, and for Bernice, this is something she feels compelled to do. They both conspire to get Alex to meet Janet, which they believe will help him begin to heal.
This story is good because it tells both sides, the donor's family and the recipient's family. I never had realized that people waiting for organ transplants, actually, begin wishing for a tragedy so that they can receive an organ. I also learned that, with heart transplants, the heart is denervated, which means that it is not as fully connected as a heart that you are born with.
Janet is an interesting character because she manages to be both vulnerable and strong at the same time. She got on my nerves a bit because of her confidence but I found her compelling at the same time, wondering if I could be as strong-willed were I in her shoes. Jasper is the antagonist, the man who accidentally, but not without fault, killed Alex's wife. I normally could find sympathy with somebody in that predicament (Could you imagine how horrible it would feel to accidentally kill a person?), but he is so crazy, weird, and intense, that I found none.
While she only appears in the prologue, alive, Isabel is a huge part of the book. She is the underlying current beneath it all, forcing the people's lives together. You get to know her almost as well as the other characters through their memories and tumult of emotions over her loss. It really is remarkable how much one person can affect so many lives, even after death!
Lovely's writing is heavy on exposition and not on dialogue but he is able to write well enough that it is not at all sluggish. His details are beautifully written and his dialogue, when there, sparkles. He really drew me in so I do not understand this book's low ratings.
I was not expecting the detail in regards to heart transplants and recovery from surgery. Simply fascinating to me! I also learned about the pain and suffering, and the constant threat of illness that a heart transplant patient lives with, long after the operation. One thing is for sure, this story definitely made me want to be an organ donor, where I was once dead-set against it! Easily four stars!
March 29, 2009
The reviews on the back flap made it sound like this novel would be all tender and schmoopy, but actually it was quite gritty, where people behave badly and redeem themselves and act badly again. You know, like in real life. Very well written, and the medical details were fascinating. (Of course, now I'll be checking my heartbeat for the next month, just in case I might be slipping into cardiomyopathy. )
March 1, 2012
I'm really torn on this one. There were aspects I loved and others I hated.
The first half or so was really fantastic, but then the story stalled and some of the characters started acting in appalling and unrealistic ways.
The overall book was too long and repetitive; a tougher editor would have cut out a good 50 pages and possibly the entire character of Jasper.
The first half or so was really fantastic, but then the story stalled and some of the characters started acting in appalling and unrealistic ways.
The overall book was too long and repetitive; a tougher editor would have cut out a good 50 pages and possibly the entire character of Jasper.
March 15, 2010
I could not put down this book. It is about organ donation and all the people it affects. It does skip around to different characters but manages to do it well. This is a book I would love to discuss with a group of people.
April 11, 2023
incredibly beautiful story. too emotionally taxing on top of everything life served me on a platter last month :) right book wrong time maybe haha. upset with one plot “twist” decision that i don’t think needed to happen but otherwise rly felt like i was on the journey with all the characters
October 10, 2024
Started out liking the book but didn't care for it towards the end. Book was too long for what the story was about. Would not recommend reading this.
August 7, 2010
I finally finished Irreplaceable as our next book club. I am thinking I will enjoy the awareness and discussions this book will bring to the table at our next book club.
The plot and story were presented quickly and the reader seems to know the majority of the story right from the start. Alex is completely devastated when his amazing young wife, Isabel, is struck and killed by a truck as she is riding her bike. Obviously, husband and mother, Bernice, are devastated. Since Isabel made it very clear she wanted to be an organ donor, Alex with reservations, agrees.
My reluctance with the story is that it really goes nowhere. The heart is given along with her other organs and Alex, through a long series of pressured discussions with Bernice, is pressured to go meet the recipient of the heart. I really failed to understand why so much time and so many pages went by with not much happening. I thought I could connect with Alex, or at least understand some part of his loss. Yet, I was unable to understand how it was that although he loved Isabel with every fiber of his being, he could not understand her desire to donate her organs.
I did respect Alex's honesty and reluctance in wishing to meet the organ recipient. There certainly was no 'neat and tidy' ending to this story- and that is life! But... when I'm reading fiction I want something spectacular and wonderful... not just what I imagine anyone would have done.
My main objection with the book was that is simply didn't go anywhere.
And the Bernice/ Alex relationship got too weird for me to believe- I like the premise of this book- I only wish is took me somewhere.
The plot and story were presented quickly and the reader seems to know the majority of the story right from the start. Alex is completely devastated when his amazing young wife, Isabel, is struck and killed by a truck as she is riding her bike. Obviously, husband and mother, Bernice, are devastated. Since Isabel made it very clear she wanted to be an organ donor, Alex with reservations, agrees.
My reluctance with the story is that it really goes nowhere. The heart is given along with her other organs and Alex, through a long series of pressured discussions with Bernice, is pressured to go meet the recipient of the heart. I really failed to understand why so much time and so many pages went by with not much happening. I thought I could connect with Alex, or at least understand some part of his loss. Yet, I was unable to understand how it was that although he loved Isabel with every fiber of his being, he could not understand her desire to donate her organs.
I did respect Alex's honesty and reluctance in wishing to meet the organ recipient. There certainly was no 'neat and tidy' ending to this story- and that is life! But... when I'm reading fiction I want something spectacular and wonderful... not just what I imagine anyone would have done.
My main objection with the book was that is simply didn't go anywhere.
And the Bernice/ Alex relationship got too weird for me to believe- I like the premise of this book- I only wish is took me somewhere.
January 25, 2011
I hate doing spoilers, but I just can't help myself with this one.
This book was a good read, but not great. It was short - easily read in 2 days - and the chapters were short, which I like. The story line was very human, but a bit far-fetched for me for several reasons. The first being, the donor's killer, Jasper Klass, was just not written well for me. He was over-written actually. There was a lot of emotion in this character, which should have been given to the donor's surviver, Alex. Jasper's character was not what I would imagine for a man who killed a woman. Yes, he would be very emotional and deeply disturbed, but I can't imagine one becoming a stalker to the survivors of the donor nor the organ recipitant. He seemed very childish in behavior, and if that's what Lovely was going for, he should have given a reason as to why he acts that way: was he dropped on his head as a baby and suffered severe brain damage?
Now, Alex's character, he was underwritten. The book mostly revolves around him, so I wanted to "see more into his brain" so to speak. Lovely describe his feelings and thoughts, but very vaguely. He didn't seem to be as emotionally distraught as I'd imagine a man would be after losing his wife in an tragic accident... and then donating her heart. That's huge... I wanted HUGE reactions!
As far as the surviving mother, her charcter was written perfectly... except for one MAJOR exception! Since when do mother's who have lost their daughter's sexually mess around with HER DEAD DAUGHTER'S HUSBAND? That was when I realized the book was too far-fetched. It was too much to really feel as though this could have really happened to someone.
This book was a good read, but not great. It was short - easily read in 2 days - and the chapters were short, which I like. The story line was very human, but a bit far-fetched for me for several reasons. The first being, the donor's killer, Jasper Klass, was just not written well for me. He was over-written actually. There was a lot of emotion in this character, which should have been given to the donor's surviver, Alex. Jasper's character was not what I would imagine for a man who killed a woman. Yes, he would be very emotional and deeply disturbed, but I can't imagine one becoming a stalker to the survivors of the donor nor the organ recipitant. He seemed very childish in behavior, and if that's what Lovely was going for, he should have given a reason as to why he acts that way: was he dropped on his head as a baby and suffered severe brain damage?
Now, Alex's character, he was underwritten. The book mostly revolves around him, so I wanted to "see more into his brain" so to speak. Lovely describe his feelings and thoughts, but very vaguely. He didn't seem to be as emotionally distraught as I'd imagine a man would be after losing his wife in an tragic accident... and then donating her heart. That's huge... I wanted HUGE reactions!
As far as the surviving mother, her charcter was written perfectly... except for one MAJOR exception! Since when do mother's who have lost their daughter's sexually mess around with HER DEAD DAUGHTER'S HUSBAND? That was when I realized the book was too far-fetched. It was too much to really feel as though this could have really happened to someone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2010
I found this to be a tough book to read due to the subject manner, it seemed very much founded in reality. I found myself reading the story in small increments as you understood where everyone was coming from and there were really no winners.
Alex and Bernice lost the person they loved most and had a hard time moving on. I understand Bernice's wanting the contact from Janet to still have that connection to Isabel. I also understand Alex not wanting the contact, to have the reminder that his wife is dead while this woman lives. Janet lives with guilt daily, she is so very glad to be alive, but the cost is another person's life. Jasper the cause of all that has happened, lies to himself in order to just be able to live in his own skin, but he really wants someone, anyone to tell him it is ok. All of these people lives connect through the decision of one woman.
While the first part of the book is depressing as everyone struggles with the aftermath of the accident, the latter part of the book leaves you with a feeling that while bad things do happen it is what you make of them and how you live your life that matters.
Alex and Bernice lost the person they loved most and had a hard time moving on. I understand Bernice's wanting the contact from Janet to still have that connection to Isabel. I also understand Alex not wanting the contact, to have the reminder that his wife is dead while this woman lives. Janet lives with guilt daily, she is so very glad to be alive, but the cost is another person's life. Jasper the cause of all that has happened, lies to himself in order to just be able to live in his own skin, but he really wants someone, anyone to tell him it is ok. All of these people lives connect through the decision of one woman.
While the first part of the book is depressing as everyone struggles with the aftermath of the accident, the latter part of the book leaves you with a feeling that while bad things do happen it is what you make of them and how you live your life that matters.
April 21, 2011
I am going to remember this book forever. While reading it I kept doing something I've never done before- I kept flipping to the back cover to take yet another look at the author. I guess I wanted to keep fresh in my mind the person who could write such a sensitive, tender, amazing, thought-provoking book. Had I passed a mirror while I was reading it to view my own face, I'm pretty sure I would have seen genuine grief there. I am astonished that this is a work of fiction, Mr. Lovely writes as if this was his actual experience and he makes the reader feel that way, too.
The story is about what happens when Isabel fills out an organ donor card, setting into motion a roller coaster of life changes for the donor's family, the recipient and the people who love her, and even the accidental killer with a definite God complex. This book takes you to places you may not want to go, but are so happy you did.
The story is about what happens when Isabel fills out an organ donor card, setting into motion a roller coaster of life changes for the donor's family, the recipient and the people who love her, and even the accidental killer with a definite God complex. This book takes you to places you may not want to go, but are so happy you did.
August 27, 2010
I can't believe that so many people out there aren't organ donors. Seriously? What the hell do you need your organs for when you're dead? I know no one likes to think about death, but NEWSFLASH...you're mortal; you're going to die. Why not help postpone other people's death if you're dead anyway? I mean, you aren't using those organs for anything other than worm food, so help a brother out. I just don't get it. Anyway...
I thought the book was a rather nice look at the effects of death and life-after-death, via organ donation. Sure, it got a little sentimental at times, but I found the overall story to be well done.
Also, the book the author sent me was autographed and personalized, which I thought was a very nice touch.
(First Reads Win.)
I thought the book was a rather nice look at the effects of death and life-after-death, via organ donation. Sure, it got a little sentimental at times, but I found the overall story to be well done.
Also, the book the author sent me was autographed and personalized, which I thought was a very nice touch.
(First Reads Win.)
May 6, 2011
This book was good and it certainly made me think. I pondered how I would feel if I were in Alex's place. He was in such a place of negativity, for obvious reasons, and it's a place I would hope not to be should I be in the same position. Though difficult, I truly believe that I would embrance the recipient and family if given the chance. I found it sad that Bernice didn't seem to be getting on with her life as much as Alex by the end of the book. Perhaps if Isabel & Alex had been able to have children, Alex and Bernice would have been able to cope with her death easier....the kids would have given them something else to focus on besides the loss.
June 7, 2011
Stephen Lovely has written a lovely book. In writing about Isabel, a young women who is killed while riding her bicycle and has made the choice to be a organ donor, he covers the feelings of every person who is effected by her decision. The author has put himself in each person shoes and in doing so, also put the reader in the same shoes. I myself have a organ donor card. During the reading of this book, I thought hard if this is something I still would want to do when I die. The answer is yes. This is a book I will never forget. I would highly recommend reading this book,
May 19, 2009
It was okay. The characters were a little too flat, but overall the writing was good and drew me in. Someone said they thought it cast organ transplants in a bad light, but I didn't think so, just in a new light. I thought it encouraged the reader to become an organ donor, and showed the story of a transplant from multiple sides, good and bad. Also, it was fun to read the scenes that took place in familiar Iowa City locations.
January 3, 2010
If I could interview Stephen Lovely, I would ask him: how do you integrate exquisite nuanced detail with powerful authenticity? The characterization is so good that Alex, Isabel's mom, and even Isabel are more like folks I've known than folks I've read about. Complexity rarely goes hand in hand with elegance. It does here. I am in awe of Lovely's scalability -- mind-stretching concepts coupled to a key revealing bit.
June 14, 2010
A very good novel concerning the aftermath of an accident that takes a life, but allows someone to receive a heart transplant, and the transplant's effect on the various people involved, from the donor's husband and mother, to the man responsible for the accident, and the recipient's family.
April 11, 2009
Good characters, not perferct but good, intriguing story and some beautifully written sections = really good book. I loved was Alex.
July 15, 2017
One criteria I use for evaluating a novel like this is to see how long it takes me to read the book. Some get read in a day or two, often starting slowly but once into their story, it can’t be put down until you reach the ending. Other daily priorities get put aside, sleep is sacrificed in staying up to get to that final chapter, etc. For me, that’s a highly recommended book, in general. Naturally there are other factors to consider, but if it takes me a week or longer, then that story didn’t capture me and this book, Irreplaceable, did take me longer than a week to complete, so you get some idea of my rating of this one. (Note: in fairness, many other readers felt it was a page turner of excitement and would rate it much higher)
The storyline bounces between that of the donor husband, and his wife’s heart recipient. It moves back and forth in time using flashbacks to fill in the story. There something of a thriller theme when the villain of a driver that caused the accident that led to the donation tries to track down the recipient by way of stalking the donor family to claim “credit” for making this “gift of life” possible. Kind of weird, huh?
While there is evidence of the author’s research in getting the general facts of the donation process and the transplant waiting and surgery fairly accurate, it felt at times that they were pasted into the story in an attempt to add realism rather than being an integrated part of the storyline itself. Stephen Lovely’s seven years working as a night clerk in a pediatric ICU setting provided both the inspiration and insights to write this story, his first novel, of heart transplant and organ donation. In describing the two sides of the communication between recipient and donor, he portrays a different tale than most we see of this in that the donor husband at least resists engaging in that contact which is initiated by the recipient, and therein lies the tale and an interesting but abrupt conclusion.
While you may enjoy some emotionally satisfying moments in its reading, including some sensual scenes, this is not a book with your fairy tale, love story ending, but then real life is often like that.
see this and more than a hundred other organ donation/transplant related books - many with my personal reviews - at http://www.trioweb.org/resources/book...
The storyline bounces between that of the donor husband, and his wife’s heart recipient. It moves back and forth in time using flashbacks to fill in the story. There something of a thriller theme when the villain of a driver that caused the accident that led to the donation tries to track down the recipient by way of stalking the donor family to claim “credit” for making this “gift of life” possible. Kind of weird, huh?
While there is evidence of the author’s research in getting the general facts of the donation process and the transplant waiting and surgery fairly accurate, it felt at times that they were pasted into the story in an attempt to add realism rather than being an integrated part of the storyline itself. Stephen Lovely’s seven years working as a night clerk in a pediatric ICU setting provided both the inspiration and insights to write this story, his first novel, of heart transplant and organ donation. In describing the two sides of the communication between recipient and donor, he portrays a different tale than most we see of this in that the donor husband at least resists engaging in that contact which is initiated by the recipient, and therein lies the tale and an interesting but abrupt conclusion.
While you may enjoy some emotionally satisfying moments in its reading, including some sensual scenes, this is not a book with your fairy tale, love story ending, but then real life is often like that.
see this and more than a hundred other organ donation/transplant related books - many with my personal reviews - at http://www.trioweb.org/resources/book...
April 25, 2010
This book took me awhile to get through and I couldn't figure out why. The story is very touching and, at first, I thought it would be hard to read about death and such for obvious reasons. There was a chapter wherein Bernice, the mother, talks about losing her daughter and I got a little teary-eyed I'm not ashamed to admit.
By the end of the book, I was really attached to the characters and that is a sign of a good writer. If you can make your reader care then you're golden. While the plotline of this book itself is not all that exciting, it is the relationships between the people that really makes it a novel worth reading.
Alex is probably my favorite character in the novel simply because he seems to react to the whole thing so humanly. His wife decides to be an organ donor and then, when she dies, he okays the harvesting of her organs. That, in itself, would be tough enough. But then that is prolonged by Bernice, who wants to meet the woman who got her daughter's heart, and Janet, who actually got the heart, and Jasper, the one who hit Alex's wife and killed her. While some of his reactions seem childish and whatever, I definitely think more people would react like him than Bernice.
Now that I'm going through this as I am I wonder if Stephen Lovely meant to create such foils between Bernice and Alex. Yes, the tension between them is there because they both have different ideas in mind about how to react to Janet but, looking at them figuratively, they are direct opposites of each other and, therefore represent the different choices one could make in their situation. You could be like Alex and try to pretend that your loved one's heart isn't out there beating in someone else's chest. Or you could be like Bernice and accept it and want to meet the recipient. I guess it's all a matter of perspective.
Bernice is a lonely older woman who finds comfort in Alex because he is a part of Isabel, her daughter. I was moved, as I said before, when she tells so succinctly about her loss. In her I see a woman who is searching for any remnant of the things that have been taken from her. A woman desperately clinging to normalcy. She finds this in an odd way. Lotta, Janet's mother, contacts her and they communicate via email constantly. To Bernice, this is something she has to do.
Part of the beauty of this story is that it tells both sides of the story: the donor's family and the recipient's family. I had never thought about how people waiting for organ transplants could begin wishing for a tragedy so they could receive their needed organ. And I had not understood how, with heart transplants, the heart is denervated (sp?) so it's really not as fully connected as a heart you are born with. I guess it sense.
Janet is a pretty likable character although it seems like she just lets things happen to her. She seems like a victim in more ways than one. At the end, however, she gives some great words of wisdom with Alex and Bernice. Her husband leaves her (spoiler, sorry) but she remains strong. She's a very interesting character because she manages to be both vulnerable and strong at the same time.
Jasper is the antagonist which is an interesting move on Stephen Lovely's part. I had hoped that he would make Jasper less crazy, weird, and intense and a little more sympathetic. At first that was where I thought he was going. Maybe he realized that it would be hard to get his readers to sympathize with someone who drove a little recklessly and accidentally hit a woman on a bike and killed her. Whatever the reasoning behind making Jasper the antagonist, I think it was handled really well.
While she only appears in the prologue, alive, Isabel is a huge part of the book. She is an underlying current beneath it all, forcing the people's lives together. It really is quite remarkable how one person can affect so many lives even after death.
With that being said, let's talk about the relationships in the book.
Bernice/Alex: I like that they rely so much on each other and have become such good friends. Neither of them really have anyone else to keep them company. Part of Alex feels obligated to be around Bernice and to take care of her but, at some point, he realizes that he really does value their friendship. Ok, here's a little spoiler so beware. At the end of the book there is a scene in which these two kiss. While the chemistry was there before, I tried to ignore it because it made no sense to me. I thought I was just reading into things. But no. This scene came out of nowhere yet it made sense at the same time. I just did not understand why it was necessary because right after it just kinda got blown off.
Jasper/Alex: Very nice conflict of course. A good tension exists between them. It's interesting how Jasper thinks that Alex will accept him and want to be friends with the man responsible for his wife's death. Even if it was an accident it just seems wrong.
Jasper/Janet: While they don't meet until the very end, at the climax of the book, it seems like Stephen Lovely wanted to make it seem like Janet would accept Jasper. When they finally do meet it is quite the opposite and that is a great scene. I respected Janet more by the end of that thing. And the beautiful thing that came out of it was:
Alex/Janet: After Jasper confronts Janet, Alex saves her (spoiler, again, I'm sorry) and, from then on, their relationship changes. He no longer seems to resent Janet for what she represents but sees her as a real person who just so happens to have his wife's heart inside her chest. A beautiful part of the story is when Janet allows him to listen to the heart. Although it is sort of weird, I can see why it's such a poignant thing to him.
Ok. I am being really longwinded on this review. Speaking of longwinded. Let's talk about Lovely's writing. It is really heavy on exposition and not so much on dialogue. You get a lot of details that don't really seem all that necessary. I still have yet to figure out why I needed to know what they ate at dinner and all that. If you just flip through the book you can see the thick paragraphs and the lack of dialogue. It is daunting but really Lovely is able to write deftly enough that it isn't too sluggish. There are parts I began skimming simply because I just wanted to move on to the next scene.
His details, however, are beautifully written. There are some great metaphors. At some point he likens something to dolphin skin which is quite original. The way he describes people and places does not come off as overtly descriptive and mundane but seem to flow together. And he does all of this in present progressive which is really impressive. Kudos to you, Mr. Lovely!
That being said, Lovely's dialogue, when it is there, sparkles. I wanted more dialogue because it flowed so naturally and really showed the relationships more than the telling.
Now that I've filled you with all of that, go read the book. It's worth the read because of its study on human nature. I give it a 4.5 out of 5 licorice sticks.
For more book reviews like this check out my blog
http://thirstyimagination.blogspot.com
By the end of the book, I was really attached to the characters and that is a sign of a good writer. If you can make your reader care then you're golden. While the plotline of this book itself is not all that exciting, it is the relationships between the people that really makes it a novel worth reading.
Alex is probably my favorite character in the novel simply because he seems to react to the whole thing so humanly. His wife decides to be an organ donor and then, when she dies, he okays the harvesting of her organs. That, in itself, would be tough enough. But then that is prolonged by Bernice, who wants to meet the woman who got her daughter's heart, and Janet, who actually got the heart, and Jasper, the one who hit Alex's wife and killed her. While some of his reactions seem childish and whatever, I definitely think more people would react like him than Bernice.
Now that I'm going through this as I am I wonder if Stephen Lovely meant to create such foils between Bernice and Alex. Yes, the tension between them is there because they both have different ideas in mind about how to react to Janet but, looking at them figuratively, they are direct opposites of each other and, therefore represent the different choices one could make in their situation. You could be like Alex and try to pretend that your loved one's heart isn't out there beating in someone else's chest. Or you could be like Bernice and accept it and want to meet the recipient. I guess it's all a matter of perspective.
Bernice is a lonely older woman who finds comfort in Alex because he is a part of Isabel, her daughter. I was moved, as I said before, when she tells so succinctly about her loss. In her I see a woman who is searching for any remnant of the things that have been taken from her. A woman desperately clinging to normalcy. She finds this in an odd way. Lotta, Janet's mother, contacts her and they communicate via email constantly. To Bernice, this is something she has to do.
Part of the beauty of this story is that it tells both sides of the story: the donor's family and the recipient's family. I had never thought about how people waiting for organ transplants could begin wishing for a tragedy so they could receive their needed organ. And I had not understood how, with heart transplants, the heart is denervated (sp?) so it's really not as fully connected as a heart you are born with. I guess it sense.
Janet is a pretty likable character although it seems like she just lets things happen to her. She seems like a victim in more ways than one. At the end, however, she gives some great words of wisdom with Alex and Bernice. Her husband leaves her (spoiler, sorry) but she remains strong. She's a very interesting character because she manages to be both vulnerable and strong at the same time.
Jasper is the antagonist which is an interesting move on Stephen Lovely's part. I had hoped that he would make Jasper less crazy, weird, and intense and a little more sympathetic. At first that was where I thought he was going. Maybe he realized that it would be hard to get his readers to sympathize with someone who drove a little recklessly and accidentally hit a woman on a bike and killed her. Whatever the reasoning behind making Jasper the antagonist, I think it was handled really well.
While she only appears in the prologue, alive, Isabel is a huge part of the book. She is an underlying current beneath it all, forcing the people's lives together. It really is quite remarkable how one person can affect so many lives even after death.
With that being said, let's talk about the relationships in the book.
Bernice/Alex: I like that they rely so much on each other and have become such good friends. Neither of them really have anyone else to keep them company. Part of Alex feels obligated to be around Bernice and to take care of her but, at some point, he realizes that he really does value their friendship. Ok, here's a little spoiler so beware. At the end of the book there is a scene in which these two kiss. While the chemistry was there before, I tried to ignore it because it made no sense to me. I thought I was just reading into things. But no. This scene came out of nowhere yet it made sense at the same time. I just did not understand why it was necessary because right after it just kinda got blown off.
Jasper/Alex: Very nice conflict of course. A good tension exists between them. It's interesting how Jasper thinks that Alex will accept him and want to be friends with the man responsible for his wife's death. Even if it was an accident it just seems wrong.
Jasper/Janet: While they don't meet until the very end, at the climax of the book, it seems like Stephen Lovely wanted to make it seem like Janet would accept Jasper. When they finally do meet it is quite the opposite and that is a great scene. I respected Janet more by the end of that thing. And the beautiful thing that came out of it was:
Alex/Janet: After Jasper confronts Janet, Alex saves her (spoiler, again, I'm sorry) and, from then on, their relationship changes. He no longer seems to resent Janet for what she represents but sees her as a real person who just so happens to have his wife's heart inside her chest. A beautiful part of the story is when Janet allows him to listen to the heart. Although it is sort of weird, I can see why it's such a poignant thing to him.
Ok. I am being really longwinded on this review. Speaking of longwinded. Let's talk about Lovely's writing. It is really heavy on exposition and not so much on dialogue. You get a lot of details that don't really seem all that necessary. I still have yet to figure out why I needed to know what they ate at dinner and all that. If you just flip through the book you can see the thick paragraphs and the lack of dialogue. It is daunting but really Lovely is able to write deftly enough that it isn't too sluggish. There are parts I began skimming simply because I just wanted to move on to the next scene.
His details, however, are beautifully written. There are some great metaphors. At some point he likens something to dolphin skin which is quite original. The way he describes people and places does not come off as overtly descriptive and mundane but seem to flow together. And he does all of this in present progressive which is really impressive. Kudos to you, Mr. Lovely!
That being said, Lovely's dialogue, when it is there, sparkles. I wanted more dialogue because it flowed so naturally and really showed the relationships more than the telling.
Now that I've filled you with all of that, go read the book. It's worth the read because of its study on human nature. I give it a 4.5 out of 5 licorice sticks.
For more book reviews like this check out my blog
http://thirstyimagination.blogspot.com
April 27, 2010
My actual rating is a 3.5
The character discussions in this review contain strong opinions that may be interpreted as spoilers. Read with care.
BEGINNING OF THE BOOK
I am only 25 or so pages into the book, but I wondered what you thought of the author's writing style. I am finding it "off" somehow, like he is talking about people, but they aren't really people to me. I don't know quite how to explain it, but just wondered what you thought. I think it is the tense he is using. I am used to third person books being written in the past tense, and first person books being written in the present tense, but this is a third person narrative, and he is switching tenses back and forth.
PAGE 100 - PART II
I just started Part II of the book, and I am enjoying it more now. I think I have gotten used to the author's cadence. Some of my thoughts on Part I:
- I don't know what to think of Alex. I can't imagine what I would feel like in his situation. He is obviously angry, and still dealing (or not dealing) with what happened, but I don't know if I could do any better if I were in his shoes.
- I feel obvious sympathy for Janet, and can definitely understand why she wants to know more about Isabella. I think she feels that Isabella is part of her now.
- Jantet's husband David, though, seems to be somewhat of an egocentric jerk. I'm sure it is hard living with a wife who almost died, but his method of dealing with it seems to be to try to pretend nothing is changed. I just think that he could be a little more sympathetic to Janet's euphoria, after all, it has only been a year.
-Jasper. Now there is a piece of work. He is the obvious villain in the piece, and I wanted to feel sorry for him, but he seems so oblivious to what he has done, and is still lying about it. It really makes me angry that he got out of any legal complications since I don't think he was really as sober,etc. as he wants people to think he was. And even though he tells Alex that he is sorry, the only thing that he seems sorry about is that his 15 minutes of fame are up.
Whew! Some strong opinions, huh? Well, now on to Part II to see if those feelings change at all.
PARTS III THROUGH EPILOGUE
I finished the book this morning, and actually, I kind of got used to the author's style, so I ended up liking it. I would give it a 3 or a 3.5, as it was good, not great, not excellent. The story in general was interesting to me, but not page turning, although in the end, I thought that the author highlighted some interesting insights of what people may feel when they are going through something like this. I was disappointed, though, that the story seemed to lack the emotional impact that should have been easy to convey with this type of a story line. He seemed to be "describing" the book instead of making the characters and situations come alive. As for the characters:
Alex - talk about wishy washy. The man just couldn't decide whether he wanted to move on or not, though, after only a year, I might be the same. I think the fact that he was feeling that he was abandoning Isabel if he moved on with his life is a very real struggle for many people who lose someone while they are still young. It's interesting that you saw him as a failure even before Isabel died, since I didn't really pick up on that. But-- he certainly wasn't getting off of his duff to get a new job.
Janet - Interestingly, I tended to agree with Alex about Janet. In the beginning I felt sorry for her, and felt that her need to be connected to Alex and his mother was born out of guilt for being alive when Isabel wasn't. There were times, though, that I thought it was all a ploy to get back the type of attention that she had gotten used to and was missing. I ended up ambivalent about her.
Jasper - I can safely say that my original estimation of his character was spot on. He was a crybaby and a loser looking for any type of attention. I thought his stalking of Alex, Bernice, and Janet was great in that it made him easy to hate and see as the creepy villain. I would imagine hitting someone and killing them would ruin your life, but the only remorse he seemed to feel was that nobody was giving him any sympathy. He was the epitome of the "professional victim". Nothing was ever his fault.
Bernice - I actually felt sorriest for her. She had lost her husband, son, and now her daughter. While she knew intellectually that she should move on and let Alex move on, she just couldn't quite get there emotionally. I thought it really insightful when they went to visit Janet in the hospital and she commented that she had half expected to see Isabel lying there.
David - I actually felt that David's character, as flawed as he was, was the most honest. At least in the end he was able to admit that he had expected it all to just go away, and when it didn't, he was able to admit that it wasn't what he signed up for. Don't get me wrong, I still thought he was a shallow jerk, worrying only about himself and walking out on his family, but at least he admitted how it affected him. I also think that his behavior, unfortunately, is not uncommon in his situation.
So - my synopsis--I agree with you that the story creates a connection because of the issues it highlights about people who are in this situation, but I also agree with you that it was weak, especially, as you said, when compared to other books of this type. As I mentioned above, I thought it lacked emotional intensity. It's weird what the author said about not trying to make fiction interesting. Why else would you pick up a book to read?? It's a good thing that he put his acknowledgements with that statement in the back of the book. If I had read that first, I may not have read the book at all.
All in all, it was an interesting read, but kind of a "meh" read as a friend of mine says. Not a waste of time, but not a "I'm glad I read that" either.
The character discussions in this review contain strong opinions that may be interpreted as spoilers. Read with care.
BEGINNING OF THE BOOK
I am only 25 or so pages into the book, but I wondered what you thought of the author's writing style. I am finding it "off" somehow, like he is talking about people, but they aren't really people to me. I don't know quite how to explain it, but just wondered what you thought. I think it is the tense he is using. I am used to third person books being written in the past tense, and first person books being written in the present tense, but this is a third person narrative, and he is switching tenses back and forth.
PAGE 100 - PART II
I just started Part II of the book, and I am enjoying it more now. I think I have gotten used to the author's cadence. Some of my thoughts on Part I:
- I don't know what to think of Alex. I can't imagine what I would feel like in his situation. He is obviously angry, and still dealing (or not dealing) with what happened, but I don't know if I could do any better if I were in his shoes.
- I feel obvious sympathy for Janet, and can definitely understand why she wants to know more about Isabella. I think she feels that Isabella is part of her now.
- Jantet's husband David, though, seems to be somewhat of an egocentric jerk. I'm sure it is hard living with a wife who almost died, but his method of dealing with it seems to be to try to pretend nothing is changed. I just think that he could be a little more sympathetic to Janet's euphoria, after all, it has only been a year.
-Jasper. Now there is a piece of work. He is the obvious villain in the piece, and I wanted to feel sorry for him, but he seems so oblivious to what he has done, and is still lying about it. It really makes me angry that he got out of any legal complications since I don't think he was really as sober,etc. as he wants people to think he was. And even though he tells Alex that he is sorry, the only thing that he seems sorry about is that his 15 minutes of fame are up.
Whew! Some strong opinions, huh? Well, now on to Part II to see if those feelings change at all.
PARTS III THROUGH EPILOGUE
I finished the book this morning, and actually, I kind of got used to the author's style, so I ended up liking it. I would give it a 3 or a 3.5, as it was good, not great, not excellent. The story in general was interesting to me, but not page turning, although in the end, I thought that the author highlighted some interesting insights of what people may feel when they are going through something like this. I was disappointed, though, that the story seemed to lack the emotional impact that should have been easy to convey with this type of a story line. He seemed to be "describing" the book instead of making the characters and situations come alive. As for the characters:
Alex - talk about wishy washy. The man just couldn't decide whether he wanted to move on or not, though, after only a year, I might be the same. I think the fact that he was feeling that he was abandoning Isabel if he moved on with his life is a very real struggle for many people who lose someone while they are still young. It's interesting that you saw him as a failure even before Isabel died, since I didn't really pick up on that. But-- he certainly wasn't getting off of his duff to get a new job.
Janet - Interestingly, I tended to agree with Alex about Janet. In the beginning I felt sorry for her, and felt that her need to be connected to Alex and his mother was born out of guilt for being alive when Isabel wasn't. There were times, though, that I thought it was all a ploy to get back the type of attention that she had gotten used to and was missing. I ended up ambivalent about her.
Jasper - I can safely say that my original estimation of his character was spot on. He was a crybaby and a loser looking for any type of attention. I thought his stalking of Alex, Bernice, and Janet was great in that it made him easy to hate and see as the creepy villain. I would imagine hitting someone and killing them would ruin your life, but the only remorse he seemed to feel was that nobody was giving him any sympathy. He was the epitome of the "professional victim". Nothing was ever his fault.
Bernice - I actually felt sorriest for her. She had lost her husband, son, and now her daughter. While she knew intellectually that she should move on and let Alex move on, she just couldn't quite get there emotionally. I thought it really insightful when they went to visit Janet in the hospital and she commented that she had half expected to see Isabel lying there.
David - I actually felt that David's character, as flawed as he was, was the most honest. At least in the end he was able to admit that he had expected it all to just go away, and when it didn't, he was able to admit that it wasn't what he signed up for. Don't get me wrong, I still thought he was a shallow jerk, worrying only about himself and walking out on his family, but at least he admitted how it affected him. I also think that his behavior, unfortunately, is not uncommon in his situation.
So - my synopsis--I agree with you that the story creates a connection because of the issues it highlights about people who are in this situation, but I also agree with you that it was weak, especially, as you said, when compared to other books of this type. As I mentioned above, I thought it lacked emotional intensity. It's weird what the author said about not trying to make fiction interesting. Why else would you pick up a book to read?? It's a good thing that he put his acknowledgements with that statement in the back of the book. If I had read that first, I may not have read the book at all.
All in all, it was an interesting read, but kind of a "meh" read as a friend of mine says. Not a waste of time, but not a "I'm glad I read that" either.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2020
This story is about organ donation told from different viewpoints.
The organ donor’s husband and mother’s feelings. The receiver and her family feelings and the one who caused the death.
It was an interesting read and I appreciated the bringing of organ donation awareness!
What I didn’t appreciate was skanky Kelly, a totally irrelevant character and the lewdness of Bernice and Alex in chapter 30. Just uncalled for in my opinion.
The organ donor’s husband and mother’s feelings. The receiver and her family feelings and the one who caused the death.
It was an interesting read and I appreciated the bringing of organ donation awareness!
What I didn’t appreciate was skanky Kelly, a totally irrelevant character and the lewdness of Bernice and Alex in chapter 30. Just uncalled for in my opinion.
February 25, 2021
You might ask, why did this book take you so long to read, and yet you gave it 5 stars? The phrase "heavy boots" could be inserted here. I found the book real and intensely sad even though it is a life process. I just couldn't read much of it at a time or my personal boots got too heavy.
December 29, 2022
Audio Book An interesting take on a heart transplant - as seen from the perspectives of the victim's grieving husband, the driver of the vehicle which caused the victim's death, leading to the transplant and the recipient of the heart. A good listen for a long car ride.
June 30, 2018
Some people can hate the main characters of a book and still love the book. I cannot. Every character was so... selfish! I loved the beginning of this book. So much. And then it just got whiny.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2019
Really the organ donation details were interesting. JASPER just weird. Strange interactions between characters. I just couldn't get into it. I just wanted it to be over.
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