Customer Reviews

Beating Heart: A Ghost Story

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A. M. Jenkins is well known for her accurate and sympathetic portrayals of teenaged boys. Here she mixes things up by alternating with the broken yet poetic voice of the ghost of a young girl from a hundred years before. The life of the boy and the memories of the ghost intersect in a literally shattering way. While this seems like Cora, the ghost's story, there is so much revealed through the seemingly distant third-person telling of the boy's story. You will want to read it over again immediately to savor the clues and details the author so skillfully weaves into her unusual narrative.

I have typically enjoyed Jenkins' other books, but I wasn't drawn into this book as much as the others. It seemed like several issues weren't developed enough--the little sister longing for her dad, the single mom as a struggling writer trying to live her dream, and a boy dealing with his supposed love for his girlfriend. The only thing that was really developed was the sex. Beating Hearts portrayed the sex-obsessed teenage boy quite well. I did enjoy the almost concrete poetry of the ghost. It's an okay read, but I think others will be disappointed as well.

When his mother forces him to move with her to a new house, Evan Calhoun doesn't expect much. Sure, he'll have to move all his stuff, but he'll still go to the same school and have the same friends.

Little does he know that there's a spirit occupying his new room, a spirit who will mistake him for her dead lover and change his life forever.

BEATING HEART was really interesting, and my favorite part was the way the story is told. The point of view alternates between Evan and the ghost, and the ghost speaks in beautiful verse fragments that definitely make the book worth reading.

Reviewed by: Andie Z.

Cora is dead, longing after her love for a hundred years. Evan is alive and struggling with his girlfriend Carrie who is becoming needy and clingy. Together, but separately, they learn the difference between love and sex.
The poetry is beautiful. The whole story just touched me. I would recommend it to anyone.

I just finished this book and WOW! It is a fast, lyrical read that had me engrossed. i HAD to know what happened throughout the whole story. It is a ghost story but not a scary one, it has you connected to the dead girl and living boy centered in the book. I loved how the author wrote from the ghost's perspective, almost like poetry. There is mystery shrouded in the girls death that is slowly opened up as the boy comes to self discovery and a bit of maturity. I love how there is realization and closure weaved together by Cora and Evan. In the end things are resolved and tied up nicely, it made me smile. I highly recommend this book get read.

i loved this book. it would be great for a teenage girl or boy. in this book everything is explained and you cant skip a chapter. if you do, you will be so confused. please read this book. its so worth it.

Seeking a new start in life, Evan's mother moves into a dilapidated house with him and his kid sister, Libby. As the trio begins to make themselves felt, a presence starts to awaken, taking notice of Evan in particular. Once upon a time, Cora lived in this house, but died very young. She begins to believe that Evan is her long lost love, and her feelings begin to intrude on his life, changing his perceptions to a degree, and confusing the boy. Both ghost and youth have something to learn from each other in this odd little book. Cora's thoughts are rambling as she observes Evan's teen angst. This is not a Ghost and Mrs. Muir in reverse. There is no actual conversation between the ghost and human, the novel simply records how their awareness of each other changes the two. The ending is uplifting, but it takes a while to get there.

Amanda Killgore