Reviews

Every Little Piece of My Heart by Non Pratt

maccas1324's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

girlglitch's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

One thing that I love about contemporary UKYA is that writers aren't afraid to take a simple idea and run with it. Every Little Piece of My Heart is essentially an exploration of friendship, and how complex, confusing and all-consuming it can be.

The story takes place over two days (with the help of a few flashbacks), but somehow it never feels rushed. There's not all that much plot, but there is a lot of character development, with each of the cast of characters going on their own emotional journey.

It's an effortless read, a YA that explores a whole range of issues and diversity without being reductive or overly didactic. Every Little Piece of My Heart is real and relatable, smart and understated - with just enough of a mystery to keep you turning those pages.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*

aielylois's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

mermaird's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

A single parcel connects strangers, acquaintances and enemies, creating a set of unlikely friends that stick to each other for the sake of learning the truth about the sender of the parcel. Sophie was the first one to receive the parcel from her best friend, and the trail that followed became a cruel game of learning the truth of how their lives interconnected with a single person.

The story was written in a vague way; from the beginning to the middle of it, I honestly felt like there was no point at all in the story. I couldn't grasp why I should care that Freya, a girl that seemed to be liked by everyone who suddenly disappeared without even telling her best friend, left a parcel behind to her friends. But then I realised that no, the story was not at all about Freya, but about what was learned by those whom she left behind.

Freya was introduced as someone very pretty and likeable, but when all the puzzle pieces were connected, she was actually someone who just always made herself the center of attention. Despite not really fond of the flow of the story, I was able to relate to the story because I've known people like Freya. They're the kind of "friends" that do whatever that pleases them, and we'll end up sacrificing parts of ourselves in the guise of being their "supportive friend". I think it's ironic that she dated someone just like her, someone whose prettiness and status hid their manipulative and selfish traits. This kind of friend can break you worse than an enemy, and I've been there enough to know how Sophie felt.

But Sophie probably had it worse. I like the strength her character has; she was diagnosed with lupus, a systemic autoimmune disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. I've heard of lupus before, but I only learned what it actually is about thanks to this book. Judging by the acknowledgements, I believe that the author made enough research for the disease and created a good rep for it through this story. Being sick as she is, I felt that the things she had to go through because of Freya to be cruel. Her biggest flaw is probably caring too much for Freya, someone who couldn't give back the same amount of love that she gave out.

Other than Sophie, I like Win's calm and collected character as well, but my favourite character would probably be Sunny, Win's younger sister. She was not part of the trail that Freya left behind, but her existence definitely made the story brighter. I'm able to relate myself more to Sophie and Win, people who enjoyed quiet moments, but I like being in the presence of bubbly people like Sunny. I'm fond of Lucas as well, and there were rare moments that I find Ryan to be fun too.

Throughout the story, I was ready to give it a 3 stars, but the way it ended changed my mind. I like how the characters learned their worth by the end. They learned how to let go of people that shouldn't stay, and instead keep those that know their worth close to them. Friendship is supposed to work both ways, and I believe that the four of them will be able to do so without demanding anything from each other.

In the end, this story is about learning the truth about real friendship, those who you need to let go and those who you need to keep holding on. I probably won't recommend this book to anyone that I know, but I do acknowledge that this book is good for young adults as it focused on teen drama and friendships.

Many thanks to Pansing for sending me a copy of Every Little Piece of My Heart in exchange for my honest review.

owls_rainbow's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

I want a sequel! I loved this and my heart is full! So much representation: race, sexuality, family, personality, disability. I loved how real and flawed the characters were and how they all came together. I loved that Sunny ended up becoming a central character, younger siblings all too often end up being forgotten, left behind, or treated like crap, so it was really refreshing.

Oh I guess you want a little on the plot and not just general gushing! Sophie is left a package by her best friend Freya (who has left suddenly and we never meet her) which once unwrapped contains instructions for the package to be delivered to Win (older sister of the aforementioned Sunny), once she opens there's instructions to deliver to someone else... In between we get flashbacks about how these characters know Freya and how they each have their own view of her.

If I have one criticism it is that Ryan and Lucas’s voices were a little too similar, although I don’t think that was helped by my reading the book in chunks thanks to it only being available in a format that I could only read on my PC or phone. I guess even a tablet would be easier if I had one LOL!

thewelshpuffin's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

This is the first novel that I’ve read by Non Pratt. And, after reading this I will be keeping an eye out for more of her books in the future. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc copy of this book!

The novel revolves around four unlikely friends who are brought together by an elaborate game of pass the parcel engineered by Freya: the girl who skipped town. Through this intricate game Win, Sophie and the other recipients try to figure out why Freya left.Whilst the plot is engineered by Freya, the main focus is on the four people she left behind. All four characters are incredibly complex and each provides valuable insight into Freya’s life. Through these characters we as the readers are able to build up a picture of Freya without actually meeting her.

I found that it was really interesting to read from the perspective of four very different people. The book takes four cookie cutter characters: the popular girl, the jock, the nerd and the outcast. And, throughout the story they are given more depth, highlighting the fact that people aren’t always as clear-cut as they initially appear.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, I loved the representation of chronic illnesses, and the LGBT representation. The diversity feels effortless and from the foreword you can see how much thought and care has gone into creating these characters.

marniefaith's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Initially I found the book to be a bit of a slow starter, but the second half really picked up! I enjoyed seeing the mystery fall into place and thought the friendships formed as a result were really heartwarming <3

romans828's review against another edition

Go to review page

Didn’t like the characters.

annaavian's review against another edition

Go to review page

1.0

To me, the book felt boring and slow and it just didn't spark my interest. I would put the book down and not really have the urge to pick it up again because I simply didn't find anything intriguing about the story.

cathbennett's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0