Happy Paperback Publishing Day for Maria Padian's HOW TO BREAK A HEART
Thank you @@algonquinyr and @mariapadian for having me in this amazing blog tour.
A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of 2020
Family isn't something you're born into — it's something you build.
One young woman’s journey to find her place in the world as the carefully separated strands of her life — family, money, school, and love — begin to overlap and tangle.
All sixteen-year-old Izzy Crawford wants is to feel like she really belongs somewhere. Her father, a marine, died in Iraq six years ago, and Izzy’s moved to a new town nearly every year since, far from the help of her extended family in North Carolina and Puerto Rico. When Izzy’s hardworking mom moves their small family to Virginia, all her dreams start clicking into place. She likes her new school—even if Izzy is careful to keep her scholarship-student status hidden from her well-to-do classmates and her new athletic and popular boyfriend. And best of all: Izzy’s family has been selected by Habitat for Humanity to build and move into a brand-new house. Izzy is this close to the community and permanence she’s been searching for, until all the secret pieces of her life begin to collide.
How to Build a Heart is the story of Izzy’s journey to find her place in the world and her discovery that the choices we make and the people we love ultimately define us and bring us home.
MOST ANTICIPATED / BEST OF LISTS:
Children’s Book Council: “Hot Off the Press: February 2020”
Latinos in Publishing: “January 2020 Latinx Releases”
Kirkus Reviews: “11 Early Books We Love”
Kirkus Reviews: “16 Books We Can’t Wait For in 2020”
“A Pretty In Pink story about grief, family, class, and first love.”
—Bustle
“This is not a polemic about racism but an exploration of what identity means… The force of Padian’s storytelling, the pain of watching Izzy’s worlds collide, moved me to tears more than once.”
—Portland Press Herald
“Padian creates a world that the reader can easily dive into. Anyone who’s ever been a self-conscious teen will see themselves in Izzy.”
—Book Riot
“A balance of vivid description and witty, discerning storytelling [gives] a refreshing zeal to Izzy’s first-person narrative… Padian’s How to Build a Heart encourages us to embrace our authentic selves by letting go, not only of secrets, but of the desire to hide parts of ourselves in hopes that others will accept us.”
—Cleaver Magazine
“A sensitively rendered story, but also a fun read, brisk and engaging… Padian’s book demonstrates the importance of home as a source of support and identity for teens.”
—BookPage
“Complex, heartrending, and beautifully explored, How to Build a Heart is a deeply poignant read that is not only deep enough to move you, but wonderfully engaging and quirky.”
—The Young Folks
“How to Build A Heart is, at its core, a contemporary romance. But it also strives to be more than that. It’s a story of family, friendship, and the bonds that get us through… The novel is simple, sweet, and bursting with hope.”
—The Fandom
“A potent coming-of-age story about the courage often required for pulling together multiple threads of a life to create an authentic self.”
—BookBrowse
“Padian’s latest book delivers an enjoyable story about how Izzy eventually finds her place in her ever-changing world… This book effectively captured the chaos that can sometimes come with being a young adult.”
—The Daily Free Press (Boston University Student Paper)
“Padian shows again and again that a story is always more complicated and more ordinary than it seems.”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Padian masterfully portrays the internal struggles Izzy goes through in her Catholic faith… An absolutely enthralling depiction of family and self-discovery.”
—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
“Padian creates a compelling world with relatable characters and deals with serious issues without feeling heavy-handed…An excellent classroom or book discussion starter. Hand this to readers who are ready to tackle these issues with a lighter touch.”
—School Library Journal
“Padian takes a familiar theme—a girl hiding her background from others—and makes it fresh with her protagonist, Izzy Crawford… The characters around her are well-defined and support Izzy and the plot well. Throughout the novel, Izzy's strength, candor, and humanity shine through.”
—Booklist
MY REVIEW:
RelatableEmotional
Heart wrenching
This is one of the best YA books I have read in quite a while.
You will root for Izzy as you read this coming-of-age story about race, grief and loss, economic disadvantages, families found and made, and first loves. If you have ever felt like an outsider, didn’t quite fit in, feel less than, then you will relate and find yourself immersed into the characters in this book.
Izzy Crawford with her mami, a nurse aide, and younger brother had been struggling and constantly on the move, never settling down since her father, a marine died six years ago while in service. As a scholarship student in a Catholic school, and living in a mobile home park, Izzy strives to keep their situation a secret especially with Sam whom she is developing an attachment to.
Knowing that their family is looking to finally settle down, Izzy’s mami applies for Habitat for Humanity. Izzy finds that secrets can be hard to keep especially among those you love.
Padian writes a heart wrenching story and gives a powerful voice to young adults trying to find themselves amidst disadvantages, difficulties and struggles. Deftly written, full of emotion and heart, this is one I highly recommend.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I'm a reader and an author: not a critic or a reviewer! I believe in the power of stories. So while I definitely have my opinions about the things I read, my primary goal is to share great books and promote literature, which is one of my great, abiding passions.
That said, I'm no longer going to affix stars to the books I read. I'll offer a comment or two, and maybe if I'm deliriously in love and can't contain my excitement I color in five of those stars ... but as a creator of stories I well know what goes into writing a book, and can't possible assign a "number" to anyone's work. I'm in awe of anyone brave enough to put it out there. Carry on!
To learn more about the books I've written, visit my website at http://www.mariapadian.com
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