The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James

Twelve-year-old Sunny St. James receives a heart transplant and decides to embark on a "New Life Plan." Her plan includes finding a new best friend, kissing a boy for the first time, and doing amazing things with her second chance at life. As Sunny works toward her goals, she meets Quinn Rivers, who quickly becomes central to her summer plans. At the same time, Sunny's birth mother Kate returns after years away, complicating Sunny's relationship with her adoptive mother Lena. Through Sunny's experiences, the story explores themes of identity, family bonds, and self-discovery during the transformative middle school years. The narrative examines what it means to be true to oneself while navigating changing relationships and unexpected feelings.

Readers describe this middle-grade novel as a sensitive exploration of first love, identity, and family relationships. The book holds a 4.17/5 rating on Goodreads from over 2,300 ratings. Readers appreciated: - Complex handling of grief and loss - Authentic portrayal of questioning sexuality at a young age - Strong mother-daughter dynamics - Realistic pre-teen voice and emotions Common criticisms: - Some found the pacing slow in the middle - A few readers thought some plot threads weren't fully resolved - Some parents noted concerns about age-appropriateness for younger middle grade readers Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.17/5 (2,300+ ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (89 ratings) BookPage: 5/5 One reader noted: "Blake captures that confusing time between childhood and adolescence perfectly." Another mentioned: "The heart transplant storyline adds depth without overwhelming the main narrative."

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🌟 Author Ashley Herring Blake is also a teacher and an advocate for diverse LGBTQ+ literature for young readers 💗 The book sensitively addresses the experience of young heart transplant recipients, who often feel a complex mix of grief and gratitude 🌊 The story is set during a summer on the coast, with the ocean playing a significant role in Sunny's journey of self-discovery 🎯 The novel was selected as a Best Book of 2019 by Kirkus Reviews and was praised for its authentic portrayal of middle school questioning and identity 📚 The author drew inspiration from her own experience as a mother and her observations of how children navigate big life changes while discovering who they are