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My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr, reviewed by Jaclyn Y.

My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr is a fascinating story about a young girl maturing and learning the importance of relationships and friendships through changes occurring in her life. More specifically, it’s about the dynamics of three friends and what they need to change in order to maintain their triangle. It shows the bond between a brother and sister, and the lengths they will go to in order to sustain their relationship with each other and the person they love. Garret Freymann-Weyr grew up in New York City, which also happens to be the main setting of this novel.

Ellen, a young fourteen year old girl, is always hanging out with her brother, Link, and his best friend, James. When she is with the two of them she doesn’t have a care in the world, they are the only company she needs. Ellen admires her genius brother, but she is madly in love with the gorgeous, long eye-lashed and intriguing James. The three of them always hang out together, and even though James and Link are extremely close, Ellen never feels left out. The three of them spend a lot of time together taking trips to their summer house in Maine and watching movies in foreign languages, which Ellen feigns to enjoy. One day, a question is raised to Ellen’s attention that leaves her with many questions of her own- Are James and Link a couple? Could they really be gay? Does she really know her brother they way she had thought? As questions race through Ellen’s mind, she debates whether to ask Link and James. Ellen wants to know everything, so she first turns to her parents who seem to want to avoid this possibility all together. When she finally develops the courage to ask them, unexpected answers result, friendships and trusts are torn, and the love triangle is split for the time being. Link absolutely refuses to discuss the issue while James becomes aggravated at the fact that Link is so secretive. The dynamics of the triangle shift and the issues of sexual orientation and friendships into relationships become a concern. What will happen to Link and James? Will Ellen ever find out who her brother really is? Will the triangle learn to change or will it continue to unravel? This book would most appeal to high school students interested in relationships and real life struggles faced by teens.

Garret Freymann-Weyr has a brilliant way of writing that makes you want to never put the book down. It’s fast-paced, funny, and intensely moving all at the same time. This novel is relatable to teens and real life, which attracts you to this novel. This book touches upon sensitive issues and topics one doesn’t hear spoken about very often. The interests of the known and unspoken will keep your eyes glued to the book. This novel will appeal to readers looking for something free of clichés and unlike a typical love story.

This book, however, will not appeal to anyone who is uninterested in being open-minded about sexuality. The contents of this book are very mature and the issues discussed may not be appropriate for everyone. Also, the ambiguous writing style might not appeal to all readers.
This book is a definite five stars. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I hope others will share the same feelings as I did. I myself am not a big reader, and I finished this novel in one sitting. I have found myself to love this book, and it has opened my eyes to other works by this author.