Hearts Are Like Balloons by Candace Robinson
Hearts Are Like Balloons by Candace Robinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
May Falkner is just turning seventeen when her family gets horrible news after a trip to the hospital, May’s father has terminal cancer. After returning home to go under hospice care with the family reeling from the news May’s father commits suicide sending their world spinning once again.
After her father’s passing May vows to make things easier on her mother while she’s coping with her loss by trying to find a part time job. A friend gets May an interview at a small bookstore where May meets Nico Evitts who becomes more to May than she ever could have imagined.
Hearts are Like Balloons by Candace Robinson is a young adult contemporary read that spans over several years time within the book. There’s a lot of emotion built into the story with love and loss really oozing from each turn of a page. For me I felt I could connect with a lot of the story even being past my young adult years myself so I did find the story quite touching at times.
The one thing I could say I would have liked to see with this book to make it a bit more of a five star read for myself would have been a bit more depth in places during the story. The author did cover a ton of ground spanning the book over a few years time and covering a lot of big events in the characters lives but a few times I felt as I got invested the story moved on a bit too quickly. Otherwise this one was a really good emotion filled read.
I received a free copy of this book from the author.
Carries Book Reviews 
I’ve got this to read as well Carrie. I’m glad you liked this for the most part. I’m a little nervous though after reading your review. I lost my father when I was sixteen, to a brain tumor, and while he didn’t commit suicide it was horrible watching him die over the course of six months. I have a lot of bad memories associated with that time and to be honest, even after all these years I haven’t gotten over it. I think I’m probably going to need a box or two of Kleenex.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d highly suggest a box of Kleenex nearby while reading, it moves by quickly as I said I think if it had more depth I would’ve been a complete mess for some parts of this book. I didn’t lose my father until last year but even as an adult it hit hard and he was a stubborn one not wanting to go to the doctor so I can relate to the what ifs. And when I was younger I had a step uncle commit suicide so while I wasn’t extremely close to him myself I remember the what and why of the moment everyone went through with that. And there’s more in there that is just as sad and moving but I won’t give any spoilers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I am sorry about your father and your step-uncle. 😞
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, I’m sorry about your father too. Books like this I always have my tissues close by even when the story doesn’t hit too close to home they can still bring out the waterworks.
LikeLiked by 1 person