Review: Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Expected Publication: January 28, 2014

Format: via NetGalley

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Challenges: 2014 NetGalley/Edelweiss Reading Challenge

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Life. Death. And...Love?

Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with. But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.

Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge. Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

My Thoughts

Heartbeat is the tale of Emma and how she hates and blames everyone for her mother’s death. Like anyone in that situation she is devastated and can’t come to terms with her step father since she blames him for not letting her mom go. While her step dad is keeping her alive for the sake of their unborn child, Emma must see her every day and is torn mentally with her mom’s death. Who can blame her? Physically her mom is there but by all means she isn’t alive. All she has left is her best friend Olivia who is her saving grace. While at the hospital she seems Caleb, the bad boy from school. Although everyone tells her Caleb is no good is he really? Or is he just misunderstood? We later learn that Caleb has his own issues that he is dealing with, and we see why he and Emma are so  drawn to each other.

While I’ll admit the storyline can be a tad creepy it does make you wonder. I mean how would I feel? You can’t blame Emma for thinking what she does but at the same time she finds out she doesn’t know the whole story. She only saw what she wanted to and comes to terms with what has happened. I like the characters they were well written and each had their own attitudes that I could relate to. My favorite though was her best friend Olivia. I loved how she was quirky and had an old school vibe to her. I loved how she was so against technology since her parents were so consumed by it.

This book has heart and shows us how to accept things for what they are. That even the bad things can eventually bring out the good things without you even knowing. We all must experience things that we don’t want, these are the things that make us stronger in the end. I think that’s what Emma finally realizes in the end.