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    Things We Know by Heart
    Things We Know by Heart
    Things We Know by Heart
    Audiobook7 hours

    Things We Know by Heart

    Written by Jessi Kirby

    Narrated by Amanda Wallace

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    In this unforgettable novel, Quinn Sullivan falls for the recipient of her boyfriend’s donated heart. Printz Award winner John Corey Whaley calls it “not just a love story, but one with a ferocious pulse.”

    After Quinn’s boyfriend, Trent, dies in an accident their junior year, she reaches out to the recipients of his donated organs in hopes of picking up the fragments of her now-unrecognizable life. But whoever received Trent’s heart has chosen to remain silent. The essence of a person, Quinn has always believed, is in the heart. If she finds Trent’s, then in a way, she will still have a piece of him.

    Risking everything to get closure once and for all, Quinn goes outside the system to track down nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas, whose life has been forever changed by this priceless gift. But what starts as an accidental run-in quickly develops into something more, sparking an undeniable attraction. She doesn’t want to give in to it—especially since he has no idea how they’re connected—but the time Quinn spends with Colton makes her feel alive again. No matter how hard she’s falling for Colton, though, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she’s lost . . . and all that remains at stake.

    Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, this unique and emotional story about an unexpected bond between two strangers will leave no heart untouched.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateApr 21, 2015
    ISBN9780062397560
    Author

    Jessi Kirby

    Jessi Kirby is a writer for young adults whose first book, Moonglass, was named an ABA New Voices Pick. She has also written five other novels—In Honor, Golden, Things We Know by Heart, The Secret History of Us, and The Other Side of Lost. Jessi lives in central California with her husband and two kids. You can visit her online at www.jessikirby.com.

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    Reviews for Things We Know by Heart

    4/5

    83 ratings8 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      View full review

      ● i have a physical copy
      ○ read an e-version, will definitely purchase physical book
      ○ read an e-version, a physical book will be appreciated
      ○ read an e-version, not interested in its physical book
      ○ a page-turner
      ● less than 500 pages
      ○ diverse in any way
      ● something’s lacking
      ● took me a long time to finish
      ○ an LMAO read
      ○ i laughed more than a few times
      ○ it’s j u s t awkward
      ○ gave me goosebumps
      ○ one of the best books i’ve read
      ● painful & sad (it SHOULD be painful but it’s just sad)
      ○ tear-jerker (I really thought I would cry in this one but I DIDN’T)
      ○ a roller-coaster of emotions
      ○ thrilling
      ○ confusing
      ○ sooo relatable
      ○ it is kind of annoying
      ● it has a lot of flashbacks
      ○ it moved me
      ○ would recommend!
      ○ great even for a reread
      ○ definitely a YAY
      ● i’m sorry it’s a NAY
      ○ it’s between YAY and NAY

      P L U S

      My sister liked it. My brother’s girlfriend DNFed it. For some reason, I’m in the middle. I finished the book but I did not like it at all. Maybe that’s because I’ve read a lot of “happy” books and haven’t read tear-jerkers for a while. Or maybe, it’s just SO SO SO slow. But I liked the start of each chapter. It has some sort of saying about heart. Like this one:

      I grabbed that from my tweet. I do a thread of my current read – current feels and pins them. Anyway, there were so many ” . . . ” in dialogues as if the characters can’t finish their sentences. It was bearable for a while until it became annoying. It’s your choice if you’re going to read it but I know I’m never gonna reread it nor recommend it to anyone. Take it as a warning or a challenge.
    • 3/5
      This book was refreshing in that it looked at the issue of organ transplants from the viewpoint of the donor's family and loved ones, and the recipient. However, despite the seriousness of the issue, "The Things We Know By Heart" was a light, easy read and rather predictable. I liked Colton as a character and thought his outlook on life was admirable. Quinn, on the other hand was just okay - I found her rather self-absorbed and a bit selfish even though I realise she was mourning the death of her boyfriend, Trent. The thing that really spoilt this book for me was the ending, it was too cheesy and trite for my liking, and it left me wanting more. Otherwise, an enjoyable read.
    • 3/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: A cute contemporary with a unique plotline. I had minor issues, but overall enjoyed this book.Opening Sentence: I don’t know how I knew, when the sirens woke me up just before dawn, that they were for him.The Review:Quinn lost her boyfriend, Trent, in a tragic accident in the past year. It shatters her world, until her mourning blacks out any light. Enter Conner, the recipient of Trent’s heart from when he donated his organs. He didn’t make contact when Quinn wrote to him, and after doing some digging, she managed to track him down. All she wants is to meet him, however briefly – he doesn’t even have to know that she was Trent’s girlfriend. She believes that the heart is the most important part of someone, and she’d like to feel that Trent is in some way living on.But Connor is more than she bargained for. After hitting his car, she is forced into a conversation with him, and it quickly becomes more. However wrong she feels about it, she’s falling for him. The beach visits, kayak lessons, picnics – they worked, and now Quinn is in deep. There are still too many secrets between them. Connor is still unaware that she was his heart’s former owner’s girlfriend, and he has yet to explain his condition to Quinn. How can they be in a real relationship, like Quinn wants so desperately, when there are so many secrets tangled between them?Quinn was a decent main character. She was realistic in her grief and her feelings were very raw. Sometimes I was annoyed by her stuttering – when she first met Connor, she was always so nervous, and it took her forever to form coherent sentences. To be completely honest, I thought that most side characters were more interesting than her. Her grandmother was sassy and had quite a few funny one-liners. Her sister was going through a breakup and was trying to find herself, and I liked her resilient attitude.The romance was pretty cute, although it was happening all so fast. Connor seems to be into her from the very beginning, which I didn’t find believable – her personality was a little flat, and she kept doing that nervous stuttering thing. Sure she was pretty, but come on, why was Connor so interested in her when at first she was clearly trying to push him away? Still, I found their relationship sweet at its core, and I thought they fit each other, despite the whole “you have my dead boyfriend’s heart” thing.Altogether, I found this novel an enjoyable read. I did have a couple minor issues, but the plotline was unique and the feelings felt raw. The writing style also flowed very nicely, so that was an added bonus. There were some awesome side characters that threw some humor into the story where it was desperately needed. I found that the conflict, in the end, was resolved the tiniest bit too smoothly, and was predictable. Despite this, it was still a nice read, with a good message. I loved the little excerpts on hearts before each chapter, and I think fans of contemporaries will enjoy this book.Notable Scene:The surfer takes a step towards me as I jump out of my seat. Chris tosses a rag over the counter to him. “Colt, catch.”My heart drops right out of my chest, taking all the air in the room with it so I can’t breathe.Colt.As in Colton Thomas.FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Things We Know by Heart. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 4/5
      Things We Know By Heart was short and sweet (I read it in a day!), and full of healing and hope. It's a beautifully touching story, one that you won't want to miss.
    • 4/5
      I received this free eARC from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review. This was a sweet novel. Bittersweet actually. I felt for both characters, Colton and Quinn. They both were going through rough times and somehow felt better when they were with each other. While I don't necessarily agree with how Quinn went about contacting Colton, I definitely understand where she was coming from. But I loved how they were getting to know one another and find out their quirks, rather than what Trent used to do. Quinn definitely fell in love with Colton, not the idea of Trent's heart in Colton's chest. Fans of Jessi Kirby will enjoy this novel just like her other novels, but other readers will be able to experience the bittersweet emotions of this novel. And I think Kirby did a great job explaining what one might go through in this situation, making it extremely real and heartbreaking, but also uplifting and hopeful.
    • 5/5
      5/5 STARS

      This book, for me, is both heartbreaking and hopeful. Quinn, even after more than a year, has not gotten over the death of the boy she loved. As I was reading, I can feel her raw emotions—both her love and heartbreak over Trent. I just really had lots of “feels” and I cried in various parts of the book, even those parts that didn’t have anything to do with Trent’s death. Colton, meanwhile, didn’t want to spend every day thinking that he lived because someone died so he can’t make himself reach out to the girlfriend of the boy whose heart is beating presently inside his chest. I love how Colton’s character was represented—not weak, like someone still feeling the effects of a heart transplant, but someone who’s strong and has learned to live his life to the fullest.

      Another thing that made me adore this book was the romance. I’m not a fan of insta-love so I’m glad I didn’t encounter that here. Quinn and Colton’s romance was built from the ground up, slowly intensifying as they spent each day together. Also, it was not forced despite what one might think because of their situation. Based on Quinn’s words and actions, she didn’t fall in love with Colton because he has her ex-boyfriend’s heart. She fell in love with him because of him. Unwittingly, they found healing withing each other.

      I also loved how this wasn't focused on the romantic part only. This was also a story of familial bonds. Quinn has a very loving and understanding family. I love how they were portrayed because each person, especially Quinn’s sister, Ryan, played important parts in her healing and process of moving on. They were not just background characters that add a little something to some parts of the book, no. They were vital in the story and they were present. Same is true with Colton’s sister, Shelby. She added a perfect touch to Colton’s story because of her traits and all the things she did for him from before Quinn until present.

      Read more of my review at my blog
    • 4/5
      I wanted to read this one because I am drawn to books about organ donation and especially the newer ones that focus on the cellular memory aspect. There is so much that can be done with the subject and I have liked Kirby's previous books, so it was a sure thing to try. Quinn is the main character and she is shrouded in grief even after a year of losing her boyfriend Trent. Through flashbacks I got to see the beginning of their relationship, the comfort and familiarity that they built together in their relationship. There were also views back to the day he passed as well as the days leading up to her reaching out to his organ recipients. But Colton, the heart recipient hasn't gotten back to her and she is desperate for some sort of closure, or hopefully peace upon seeing him. So she breaks a few rules and researches him. Once she finds out his town and his name from a blog post from his sister while he was sick and putting together dates and times, she convinces herself it won't hurt if she goes and just gets a look at him, his life, the guy who now has her deceased boyfriend's heart beating in his chest. But she doesn't exactly make the most smooth under cover. She manages to get his attention in all sorts of ways, and she is drawn even more to him. He feels a familiarity with her and they end up on each others' radars and in the others' space more and more. There is an undeniable chemistry and magnetism. You have to wonder if its cell memory for how deeply Quinn and Trent felt for one another, and now upon seeing her, Colton is drawn to her, feeling like he knows and has a deep connection to her. Or if its just simple attraction and chemistry of a nice guy and girl who click and keep finding and thinking of the other. It was great though to watch Quinn begin to live again and learn that she can be happy and she doesn't have to daily be aware of Trent and his death. She had neglected a lot, her school work, and her family relationships. But her sister is in town unexpectedly for the summer and between Ryan (the sister) and their Gran, they help even further to pull Quinn out of herself. They also encourage her time at the beach and suspect a boy may be behind it even though Quinn of course, doesn't tell them much about him because even though she is loving the time they spend together, she is still the only one who knows the connection with Colton. I liked the way their relationship progressed, and even though there was the secret hanging between them, Quinn hiding how she knows him and Colton that he has physical limitations, they somehow formed a deep connection. The truth of course ends up coming out at a really hard time, and it seemed like it might break them. It added a lot to the suspense and both of them had to face some really hard truths and wonder if the secrets are enough to keep them apart. It was a realistic ending, but I was pleased with it. I liked the growth of both of the characters and the arc of their friendship and romance. Bottom Line: Emotional story of Quinn who has lost her first love and who ends up meeting and falling for the recipient of his heart.
    • 5/5
      Things We Know by Heart, by Jessi KirbyAfter tragic loss, Quinn’s life is shattered. Time is measured relative to the days of Trent’s passing. It’s now day 400 since she lost her first love, controlled by her grief and prevented by guilt from letting go. Quinn hopes to find closure by contacting Trent’s organ donor recipients. Four of five respond, but not the most important of all. The heart. His heart. The heart that Trent so freely opened to her, gave to her, where she resided. Peace would elude her until she knew where that heart now beat. Relentlessly she searched records and blogs. Now she found herself on a winding foggy road just 36 miles away. She resolves to obey her own rules to respect Colton’s wish for no contact, never to talk to him, to hear him speak, or to interfere with his life in any way. It will be just a quick, harmless peek into an unsuspecting life, to see the reality of the still beating heart. Harmless, she nervously reminds herself while fighting another wave of guilt for noticing the striking surfer boy.What an amazing read! Kirby takes a tale of catastrophe and trauma, and spins it into an uplifting story of hope and recovery with an unpredictable but fitting conclusion. This was such a refreshing YA novel, and will definitely not be the last of Jessi Kirby’s books to find their way into my library!I extend my sincere appreciation to HarperCollins Publishers and Edelweiss: Above the Treeline for making it possible for me to read and provide my honest opinion of the AR e-proof of this amazing book!