Heartborn (Heartborn, #1)

by Terry Maggert

• ISBN10: 1536834556
• ISBN13: 9781536834550
• Publish Date: 31 July 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 240
• Language: English

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

I’ve been intrigued with the idea behind Heartborn for quite awhile. The beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis pulled me in. I just had to know more and when I found the book on NetGalley, I decided to give it a shot.

Unfortunately, Heartborn fell short for me. Just be warned, that in order to explain WHY the book fell short of me, there may be spoilers in this review.

Heartborn is told from two different points of view: 1) Livvy’s point of view on “Earth” and 2) Keiron’s family’s point of view in Sliver which I kept reading as silver.

My favorite part of the book is Sliver. The world is beautifully imagined. I could see myself among the clouds with Vasa, Saiinov, Cressa and Habira. Everything from the clothes that the angels wore to the hierarchy of the angels is well thought out. The power of the angels seeped through my iPad and I wanted more time in Sliver each time I came to one of these chapters.

My least favorite part of Heartborn is Livvy, our main character. These chapters read like a young adult contemporary romance novel—my least favorite genre. Any chapters from Livvy’s point of view are syrupy sweet especially after Keiron shows up because, despite Livvy’s hesitance to do anything that might risk her health, there is this instant connection that doesn’t fit with her character.

The chapters on “Earth” also seem to be choppier as if something is missing. Perhaps because Livvy’s chapters take place in the reader’s “known” world not enough time is spent describing the people, places and things that exist. I did not feel part of Livvy’s world. This leads to a disappointing reveal towards the end of the book regarding Livvy’s world. As a result, the reveal is jarring and confusing. Keeping the reader at arms length and assuming they know everything about Livvy’s world is a mistake. There needs to MORE subtle connections shared throughout the novel for the reader to buy the reveal.

While I had high hopes for Heartborn, ultimately, in the end, I was left disappointed and disconnected and I do not have plans to read book 2, Moonborn, in this series.


This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews

[lizarodz]

Quite the Novel Idea https://quitethenovelidea.com https://quitethenovelidea.com/liza-reviews-heartborn-by-terry-maggert/This review was originally posted on Quite the Novel Idea

[jesstheaudiobookworm]

4.75★ Audiobook⎮ Heartborn is the first story of "Angels" that I enjoyed from start to finish and to this magnitude. I usually shy away from angelic tales because I haven't had the best experiences with them in the past. But having heard and liked Terry Maggert's writing in Halfway Dead, I begin listening to Heartborn without reservation.

Maggert's unbridled writing ability is on display in Heartborn. It's absolutely majestic. Terry's writing is as beautiful as the cover art. There were several times when I rewound the audio just to hear a phrase again. Heartborn had a direct line to my heart and spoke to it incessantly.

I'm still a teensy bit indifferent about Keiron, most likely from a lack of meaningful exposure to the character. But I absolutely adored Livvy, the protagonist. Her story of living with a debilitating medical condition is reminiscent of that of the main character in Magonia. Livvy was extremely relatable and likable. I connected with her almost instantaneously and rooted for her until the very end. She was an exceedingly authentic character and was certainly no "Mary Sue".

As I've said before, I will never get tired of reading about protagonists with disabilities or significant medical conditions. It's an extremely refreshing shake up to the usual YA tropes and offers literary representation to an often underrepresented group. I especially appreciated the delicacy with which Maggert approached her medical condition. I can imagine that many, many readers will be able to identify with Livvy's experiences.

Another thing that intensified my enjoyment of Heartborn were the alternating POV chapters. The paranormal/contemporary universe setting swap was also reminiscent of Magonia, but was better done in Heartborn. Normally when reading stories with alternating POVs, I tend to gravitate towards one of them and suffer through the others. That was not so with Heartborn. I was just as invested in the happenings of Keiron's noble family as I was in Livvy's ordinary human life on Earth.

Heartborn presented emotional depth for which I was completely unprepared. In my experience, the first installment in a Terry Maggert series is just the tip of the iceberg. Oh, there are unanswered questions, for sure. They first appear to be plotholes, but experience and intuition tell me they are just thin areas in the plot that will likely be reinforced in coming installments. My enjoyment of Heartborn was more than enough to persuade me to exercise patience instead of frustration and anxiously await Heartborn #2.

Narration review: From the moment I heard Julia Whelan would be narrating Heartborn, I was beyond excited. There are certain narrators that are so consistently spectacular that you know a homerun is coming before they even step up to the plate. She's a rockstar in the world of audiobook narrating. Julia's narration of Heartborn was flawless. Her voice acting skills and Terry's gorgeous writing made for one phenomenal listening experience. I implore anyone interested in Heartborn to consider giving the audiobook a listen. Your ears deserve an experience like this.

➜ This audiobook was graciously gifted to me by its author, Terry Maggert, in exchange for a review containing my honest thoughts and opinions. Thanks, Terry!