240 reviews for:

The Donor

Clare Mackintosh

3.8 AVERAGE

cleg11's review

5.0

Good quick read.

whatwinniereads's review

4.0

A Good Read

This story had me hooked from the start! It covers the battles of going through a transplant, the grief of losing loved ones and the pain mothers share together.

Lizzie is Meg's mum, and Meg had recently been through surgery, receiving a new heart that saved her life. When the mother of person who gave Meg her heart gets into contact, Lizzie and Meg jump at the chance to meet her, to thank her. Things get too out of hand for Lizzie's liking and they discover not everything is as it seems.

I must say though - I didn't like that last page!
ioannast's profile picture

ioannast's review

5.0
adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

How can a short story have a plot twist? So, this mini story has it all!
dark mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Great concept for some heavy psychological warfare between two mothers. If it is, I must have missed it. It barely did anything for me. Told from the perspective of the girl's mother, but her doubts, her guilt, her despair; it's only there because the writer regularly reminds you of it. In a not so subtle way. Lizzy's unsteady behaviour doesn't help either, so I felt very little sympathy for her. Or her husband. Never bought into the family dynamics and even how things turn out with the mother of the donor isn't that convincing. Or thrilling. A quickie, only 102 pages, and perhaps that's simply not enough to make any of it work. Not for me anyway.
challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

labonneville's review

3.0

A short story about a young girl, Meg, getting a heart transplant and meeting the mother of the donor’s heart.
dark emotional tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark emotional tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes