The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers on March 26th 2019
Genres: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Goodreads
Twelve-year-old Sunny St. James navigates heart surgery, reconnections with a lost mother, first kisses, and emerging feelings for another girl in this stunning, heartfelt novel--perfect for fans of Ali Benjamin and Erin Entrada Kelly.
When Sunny St. James receives a new heart, she decides to set off on a "New Life Plan": 1) do awesome amazing things she could never do before; 2) find a new best friend; and 3) kiss a boy for the first time.
Her "New Life Plan" seems to be racing forward, but when she meets her new best friend Quinn, Sunny questions whether she really wants to kiss a boy at all. When the reemergence of her mother, Sunny begins a journey to becoming the new Sunny St. James.
This sweet, tender novel dares readers to find the might in their own hearts.
I received a copy of this book for review. This does not influence my thoughts on this book or this review.
I loved Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World so when I heard that Ashley Herring Blake had another middle grade novel coming out, I knew I had to read it. Of course, my expectations were fully met and I utterly adored The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James.
Sunny St. James is getting a new heart. She hasn’t done much in the past few years because of her heart condition but now she finally made it to the top of the transplant list. With a new heart, she thinks it’s time for “New Sunny”. And “New Sunny” has a new life plan, she needs to experience new things, find a new best friend and kiss a boy. But as Sunny meets a potential new best friend and her mother returns to town, she realizes that being a “New Sunny” may be harder than she realized.
I loved Blake’s writing and I always feel that her writing ability always presents a strong clear voice. Sunny was such a unique character and I could totally picture her as a real 12 year old. While the novel’s themes were sometimes a bit intense, I feel like Sunny was truly a phenomenal character. I think that there would be so many people who would relate to various parts of Sunny’s journey. Her thoughts hit very close to home for me in ways I didn’t expect and I think that many readers would relate.
Overall, The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James was a phenomenal middle grade novel that I definitely recommend for all ages.
