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A review by thesaltiestlibrarian
The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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
5.0
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed herein are mine alone and may not reflect the views of the author, publisher, or distributor.
So many people make the case for romance as more than just "kissing books." (Thanks Princess Bride.) At first I was hesitant to read them because I thought they were absolutely not up my alley. But my colleague--and head librarian--has been standing on the Romance Soapbox for a while now, and I've been fascinated by her arguments for the genre. When I say she's opened my eyes, I'm not exaggerating. I had vowed not to read romance because I thought it was silly.
Well, joke's on me, cuz THE HEART PRINCIPLE was the final nail in that particular coffin.
I'm quickly discovering that romance as a genre is just as varied and widely-niched as any other. Here we have a heroine learning about herself after being diagnosed with autism in her 20s. Anna can't seem to play the violin anymore, and she has to stop playing anytime she makes a mistake, go back to the beginning of the piece, and start over. She gets caught in this loop, and in the loop of fighting against the masking she puts on for other people: she's unhappy with her boyfriend who uses her, and feels like she has to be with him because her family approves; she's always trying to please her older sister Priscilla; she's been raised to believe she has to fit in, that she has no voice because she's female and the youngest and not yet established in a career.
That's enough to burn out anyone, but then you throw autism into the mix and it becomes a crap tornado real quick. So when her boyfriend, Julian, decides that they're going to see other people, Anna is thrown for a hard loop. Yeah, he just tells her, "I'm going to see other people before I decide to settle down with you." And Anna is left sitting there as if someone has already cast her ballot for her--she doesn't get a choice, and objection goes unheard. She decides, fine. If he can see other people, I can too. And sets out to have a one-night stand.
Enter Quan, the shaved-headed tattooed motorcycle enthusiast, cancer survivor, and kids' clothing designer. He's ready to get back in the game after surgery to remove his testicular cancer. It's in remission, and he decides he's going to have a one-night stand. No attachments. Just wants to see if everything is in working order, wink wink. Interests include long hugs, animal documentaries, and bringing homemade Vietnamese food to the people he loves. (Someone bring the smelling salts, I may just swoon.)
I loved the characters here. More than anything else, they drove the book forward and kept the gears turning. They grew and changed and made mistakes, and we still got our Happily Ever After. The side plot really cramped up my heart, because I'm a co-caregiver myself for my sick older brothers and have been before with an elderly person.
When Anna's father has a stroke, he's relegated to relying on his family for every tiny piece of care: feeding through a tube, diaper changes, baths, clean clothing, everything. The stroke has rendered him unable to produce speech or move on his own, so the line of communication is just cut. There's a moment when Anna is trying to put his liquid food into his feeding tube, and he keeps pushing her hand away and shaking his head, and oh my gracious, my heart just squeezed into a tight little ball. Anna's blur of grief is portrayed so realistically, and that being set beside her growing love for Quan--and Quan's for her--makes for a killer combination.
I enjoyed this so much. Once our library has it, I'll be practically throwing it at every patron who walks in.
So many people make the case for romance as more than just "kissing books." (Thanks Princess Bride.) At first I was hesitant to read them because I thought they were absolutely not up my alley. But my colleague--and head librarian--has been standing on the Romance Soapbox for a while now, and I've been fascinated by her arguments for the genre. When I say she's opened my eyes, I'm not exaggerating. I had vowed not to read romance because I thought it was silly.
Well, joke's on me, cuz THE HEART PRINCIPLE was the final nail in that particular coffin.
I'm quickly discovering that romance as a genre is just as varied and widely-niched as any other. Here we have a heroine learning about herself after being diagnosed with autism in her 20s. Anna can't seem to play the violin anymore, and she has to stop playing anytime she makes a mistake, go back to the beginning of the piece, and start over. She gets caught in this loop, and in the loop of fighting against the masking she puts on for other people: she's unhappy with her boyfriend who uses her, and feels like she has to be with him because her family approves; she's always trying to please her older sister Priscilla; she's been raised to believe she has to fit in, that she has no voice because she's female and the youngest and not yet established in a career.
That's enough to burn out anyone, but then you throw autism into the mix and it becomes a crap tornado real quick. So when her boyfriend, Julian, decides that they're going to see other people, Anna is thrown for a hard loop. Yeah, he just tells her, "I'm going to see other people before I decide to settle down with you." And Anna is left sitting there as if someone has already cast her ballot for her--she doesn't get a choice, and objection goes unheard. She decides, fine. If he can see other people, I can too. And sets out to have a one-night stand.
Enter Quan, the shaved-headed tattooed motorcycle enthusiast, cancer survivor, and kids' clothing designer. He's ready to get back in the game after surgery to remove his testicular cancer. It's in remission, and he decides he's going to have a one-night stand. No attachments. Just wants to see if everything is in working order, wink wink. Interests include long hugs, animal documentaries, and bringing homemade Vietnamese food to the people he loves. (Someone bring the smelling salts, I may just swoon.)
I loved the characters here. More than anything else, they drove the book forward and kept the gears turning. They grew and changed and made mistakes, and we still got our Happily Ever After. The side plot really cramped up my heart, because I'm a co-caregiver myself for my sick older brothers and have been before with an elderly person.
When Anna's father has a stroke, he's relegated to relying on his family for every tiny piece of care: feeding through a tube, diaper changes, baths, clean clothing, everything. The stroke has rendered him unable to produce speech or move on his own, so the line of communication is just cut. There's a moment when Anna is trying to put his liquid food into his feeding tube, and he keeps pushing her hand away and shaking his head, and oh my gracious, my heart just squeezed into a tight little ball. Anna's blur of grief is portrayed so realistically, and that being set beside her growing love for Quan--and Quan's for her--makes for a killer combination.
I enjoyed this so much. Once our library has it, I'll be practically throwing it at every patron who walks in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Cancer, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Suicidal thoughts