A Heart in a Body in the World
Author: Deb Caletti
Publication Date: September 18th, 2018
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Formats: Hardcover, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 368
Synopsis: When everything has been taken from you, what else is there to do but run?
So that’s what Annabelle does—she runs from Seattle to Washington, DC, through mountain passes and suburban landscapes, from long lonely roads to college towns. She’s not ready to think about the why yet, just the how—muscles burning, heart pumping, feet pounding the earth. But no matter how hard she tries, she can’t outrun the tragedy from the past year, or the person—The Taker—that haunts her.
Followed by Grandpa Ed in his RV and backed by her brother and two friends (her self-appointed publicity team), Annabelle becomes a reluctant activist as people connect her journey to the trauma from her past. Her cross-country run gains media attention and she is cheered on as she crosses state borders, and is even thrown a block party and given gifts. The support would be nice, if Annabelle could escape the guilt and the shame from what happened back home. They say it isn’t her fault, but she can’t feel the truth of that.
Through welcome and unwelcome distractions, she just keeps running, to the destination that awaits her. There, she’ll finally face what lies behind her—the miles and love and loss…and what is to come.
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Praise for A HEART IN A BODY IN THE WORLD
“Masterful… This is one for the ages.” ―Gayle Forman, New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay
“Caletti’s novel dazzlingly maps the mind-blowing ferocity and endurance of an athlete who uses her physical body to stake claim to the respect of the nation.” ―E. Lockhart, New York Times bestselling author of Genuine Fraud and We Were Liars
“More than bittersweet… It will nestle inside your brain as well as your heart.” ―Jodi Lynn Anderson, award-winning author of Midnight at the Electric
“Remarkable.” ―Booklist, starred review
“A timely novel.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Powerful.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
“A moving novel centered on timely issues.” ―School Library Journal
I really love Deb Caletti’s writing. She has the ability to take an idea and turn it into an amazing, heartfelt story that you get so involved in while you are reading that you simply forget everything else going on around you. A Heart in a Body in the World is one of those books that I fell in love with from the very first page, and it kept me completely engaged throughout the entire novel.
A Heart in a Body in the World has so much going on and is such a heartfelt, amazing book. I loved Annabelle’s character so much. She was so relatable and it was so nice to really feel a connection with a character and get a good understanding for what they are thinking and what they are going through. Deb Caletti has written Annabelle’s character so well. It’s so important in character driven stories like this one, and I think she did an absolutely amazing job fleshing out here character and making her into someone who will definitely become memorable.
The plot of the book is also interesting. I haven’t read a book about the main character taking on running the way that Annabelle does, and because of how original the plot is, it makes it so much more exciting to get into the book and keep reading. I was completely entranced by this girl who is dealing with so much and decides to start running as a way to deal with it. It’s interesting and it’s something you just don’t see much.
The things that Annabelle has to deal with are heartbreaking, and I feel that she is quite the inspirational character for those who have had similar experiences to her. This is the kind of book that will make you feel all kinds of emotions while reading, so you might want to bring some tissues.
If you love contemporaries with heart and substance, this is the book for you. There is so much to love about it.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Deb Caletti is an award-winning author and National Book Award finalist. Her many books for young adults include The Nature of Jade, Stay, The Last Forever, Essential Maps for the Lost, and Honey, Baby Sweetheart, winner of the Washington State Book award, the PNBA Best Book Award, and a finalist for the California Young Reader Medal and the PEN USA Award. Her books for adults include He’s Gone, The Secrets She Keeps, and her most recent release, What’s Become of Her.
Deb grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, and now lives with her family in Seattle.
PHOTO CREDIT: © SUSAN DOUPE
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