This Heart of Mine by C.C. Hunter

The Quick Cut: A teen girl struggles with strange dreams and feelings after receiving the heart of a local teen who people say killed himself. She goes on a mission to find out the truth. A Real Review: Organ donation is so important. Thousands of people die a year waiting for one when there are plenty of people to choose to forgo the option. Would putting a face to that change your mind? This is here the latest heart recipient Leah comes in. Leah knows she's living on borrowed time. She stays close to home, with a backpack that carries her artificial heart. The wait for a real transplant has been long since she has a rare blood type. All that uncertainty ends when she receives a heart and gets the transplant. However, instead of all the trauma being over - it's only the beginning. Leah starts having strange dreams she can't explain. Why are these unusual sensations happening? What could be the reason behind it? This story sheds some very important light on the realities of organ donation, both the waiting and the experiences afterwards. Too often our entertainment makes it look like the anxiety ends when you receive the transplant, but that's not the case. It's just buying time until a new one is required. A painful but true reality. Leah is going through so much in her life when the book starts. She's so young and dealing with the very real possibility that she could die. Anyone at any age would grapple with that. She is dealing with it as a teenager and that adds a whole new level of complexity. I did have a few issues with the book though. The story around the origin of the heart and what happened with the person who donated felt a little empty. I anticipated that this plot line would add a bit of mystery and excitement but it ended up predictable instead. This, along with the romance with Matt, it all just felt like it was done without the full passion it deserved. A story about the realities of organ donation. My rating: 3 out of 5