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A review by amissabellator
The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Grief, Ableism, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Alcohol, Body shaming, and Medical content
The text follows Anna Sun - a woman who is diagnosed with autism with low-support needs - (and, to a lesser extent, Quan Diep - a man who has recently overcome personal illness (testicular cancer )) as they fall in love. This includes graphic depictions of sex and sex acts, in line with the previous installments in the series. However, this story also includes a family medical emergency storyline (father is rendered immobile and requires full-care after a stroke ) and goes into detail about burnout, toxic families, and mental health struggles. It also talks about expectations, both physically (Quan suffers anxiety about his genitals following his cancer surgeries ) and emotionally (Anna is repeatedly misled/gaslighted about her life and her autism symptoms ).