Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages:224
Audience:Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 3.5 out 5
Source:Publisher via Netgalley
At 7:45 a.m. on the day before Thanksgiving break, a bomb goes off at Edison High. Nine people die instantly. Fifteen are critically injured. Twenty-two suffer less severe injuries. And one is blinded. Those who survive, struggle to cope with the loss and destruction. All must find new meaning for their lives as a result of something they may never understand.
Review: This book is told from multiple viewpoints but mostly it seems to revolve around Roth and his interest in Morgan, the popular girl in school. The story begins with a pep rally that Morgan, senior class president, has worked hard to get approved. Things are going well until someone sets off fireworks and in the mayhem some students get mildly hurt. Morgan is now determined to find out who the culprit is and her suspicions lead her to bad boy, Roth. In the meantime of these two playing cat and mouse, two unknown students take it upon themselves to do something that will immortalize them for life; set off a bomb that will change the lives of many, forever.
There is much going on in this book, Morgan and her boyfriend Trent are dealing with being separated after graduation. Roth wonders if he will graduate and longing for a chance with Morgan. Kelli, Morgan's best friend, seems distant and is keeping a big secret from her. The detonation of the bomb and the aftermath for the characters. This book is very emotional and violent. I feel like the ending was left open and it would be nice to have some finality to it. The writing is well done but the pace was slow. The subject matter is realistic and believable. The sad thing about the this book is its truth, some people are cruel, sadistic and violent for no reason but to be that way. This story is emotionally raw and I feel that teens experiencing the situations that some the characters do, will be able to connect with Red Heart Tattoo.
Great review Cricket, this sounds like a sensitive, dark subject matter. Even though the pace was slow it sounds like a good read. I like an open ended tale..i like adding my own spin to the end.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the review. I'm not a fan of open ended stories unless I know up front that it's a series.
ReplyDeleteThanks, yeah I wanted closure.
ReplyDeleteI love reading books with multiple viewpoints and this one sounds good.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a different YA book than I usually read. Generally I prefer to read YA Urban Fantasy... where the kinds of thing that happen aren't likely to happen in real life. I'd probably find Red Heart Tattoo too deeply sad knowing that this kind of thing does happen :(
ReplyDeletegreat review, this book looks really interesting but I have heard little about it before today.
ReplyDeleteI'm so behind! Gotta catch up! Thanks for the review!
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