Run run run.
That's what twelve-year-old Annie loves to do. When she's barefoot and running, she can hear her heart beating . . .
thump-thump, thump-thump.
It's a rhythm that makes sense in a year when everything's shifting: Her mother is pregnant, her grandfather is forgetful, and her best friend, Max, is always moody. Everything is changing, just like the apple Annie's been assigned to draw a hundred times.
Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech masterfully weaves this story about a young girl beginning to understand the many rhythms of life and how she fits within them.
MY TAKE:
It's been awhile since I read poems, but this book was more of a mix of poems and a novel.
Heartbeat is told from the point-of-view of Annie. Annie likes two things: running and drawing. These two things tie the rest of the story together.
The last narrative poetry book I read was True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff. I really liked that one, so I knew that there was a good chance that I would like Heartbeat too. The thing about narrative poetry is that you can't use as many words to describe things so it's more challenging to make readers feel the emotions and get your message across.
Heartbeat succeeds in making you feel the character's emotions. However, the story didn't feel as satisfying as it might have had it been written in prose.
Annie can be interesting, but there were times when I wasn't a very big fan of hers. Max, the love interest, didn't get a lot of quality screen time either. The character that I liked the most was Annie's grandfather. The description of her grandfather who has Alzheimer's is pitch perfect.
THE GOOD:
- It's able to get its message across.
- There are some really thought-provoking lines.
- It is able to do much in a few lines.
THE BAD:
- It might not satisfy some people.
FAVORITE QUOTE/S:
And what did I think
when I was small
and why did I forget?
READ IT IF:
- You like poetry.
- You have a short attention span.
- You like running and drawing.
RATING:
SOUNDS INTERESTING?
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