A review by readwithde
The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

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

4.75

Wow. I literally picked this up and read it in one night; it was un-put-down-able. 

I was a big fan of Quan before, and his story in this book really spoke to me.
Testicular cancer can be a very difficult thing for men, especially when things change or look different physically. A lot of men dream about having a family, and the loss of that can be devastating, and I love seeing that as so many narratives focus on women wanting families, not men.
I loved how he loved Anna, how he saw her and accepted her. It was beautiful. 

Anna was amazing to read. I felt like I completely understood what she was going through, why she was having trouble and couldn't just change, push through, or turn it off. Her struggles with intimacy, family, and her career blend beautifully into how overwhelming life can be, especially when you have no voice or ability to be yourself. I felt that in my soul.

Honestly, the end of the book came too quickly for me.
I wanted to see Quan help Anna, wanted to see her reunite with her sister and be understood,
but instead, we got to read something realistic
-- people don't always understand, and you can't always reunite with everyone.


Beautiful, emotional, steamy and romantic, heartfelt, incredibly personal and real... amazing.
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