Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pub. Date: February 16, 2016
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction
Source: ARC from publisher
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Sometimes bad things happen, and we are not the same when they are over.
For months, Tallie McGovern has been coping with the death of her older brother the only way she knows how: by smiling bravely and pretending that she's okay. She’s managed to fool her friends, her parents, and her teachers so far, yet she can’t even say his name out loud: “N—” is as far as she can go. But when Tallie comes across a letter in the mail, it only takes two words to crack the careful façade she’s built around herself:
ORGAN DONOR.
Two words that had apparently been checked off on her brother’s driver’s license; two words that her parents knew about—and never confided to her. All at once, everything Tallie thought she understood about her brother’s death feels like a lie. And although a part of her knows he’s gone forever, another part of her wonders if finding the letter might be a sign. That if she can just track down the people on the other end of those two words, it might somehow bring him back.
Hannah Barnaby’s deeply moving novel asks questions there are no easy answers to as it follows a family struggling to pick up the pieces, and a girl determined to find the brother she wasn’t ready to let go of.
Review:
Some of the Parts is an emotionally uplifting novel about a girl's quest to find the pieces of the brother she lost four months prior. Tallie's life changed the moment she lost her brother forever and it marked the beginning of the end of not ever thinking or speaking his name allowed. It hurt too much. It wasn't until she finds out that he was an organ donor, that she realizes that even though he may be gone, a part of him still lives on.
Along Tallie's quest is a doppelgänger of her brother by the name of Chase, and Tallie's quirky friend, Mel. Who I thought brought comedic relief to the otherwise depressing story. I don't think this is supposed to be depressing, but instead it's supposed to be inspiring and somewhat uplifting. I couldn't help but feel sad; Tallie's voice made me want to curl into a ball and cry. In the end, my tune changed being able to watch Tallie grow and deal with the grief over losing her brother.
Last year, I read the book, Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby. I don't know what it was about the story but I connected with it right away. It's also about a girl who loses her boyfriend, who also happens to have been a donor, and she finds the boy who just so happens to have gotten his heart. It sounds creepy but for me I thought it was beautifully told. I got that exact same feeling reading this book. It has that touch of realism that makes you stop and just think.
The author does a great job in bringing to light the importance of being a donor. You could potentially be saving someone's life and it's such a beautiful honor to have.
*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Buy the Book!
I love books. Almost every job I've ever had was, in some way, related to books. I have cataloged them, repaired them, barcoded them, shelved them, sold them, edited them, reviewed them. And now I get to write them!
Of course, I have many other things on my "to do" list, but there's nothing I like better than sneaking away for a few minutes and jotting down an idea for a new story. Beginnings are my favorite part of writing because everything is possible--I haven't had to make any tough choices yet, and my characters aren't sad or troubled or in danger. All of that comes later. It has to, or there's no plot!
I also love to cook, knit, read, and watch television (but only shows with truly great writing). Here are some of my current favorites:
1. Damages
2. Dexter
3. The Knick
4. True Detective (Season 1 -- we can talk about Season 2 another time)
Notice a pattern? They're all dark, serious dramas with high stakes and lots of plot twists. Exactly like the books I aspire to write.
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