Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: A Matter of Heart by Amy Fellner Dominy


Welcome to my tour stop for A Matter of Heart by Amy Fellner Dominy!
Check out my review, a snippet, and the awesome giveaway below...

A Matter of HeartA Matter of Heart
by Amy Fellner Dominy
YA Contemporary
Hardcover, 320 Pages
May 12th 2015 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Summary

Readers will happily sink into this emotionally grounded, contemporary young adult novel about the sudden end of one girl's Olympic swimming dreams and the struggles she endures before realizing there are many things that define who we are.

Sixteen-year-old Abby Lipman is on track to win the state swim championships and qualify for the Olympic trials when a fainting incident at a swim meet leads to the diagnosis of a deadly heart condition. Now Abby is forced to discover who she is without the one thing that's defined her entire life.

     

My Review

A Matter of Heart was a roller-coaster ride of emotions. Abby is on track to become a Olympic swimmer. She's a hard worker, loves the sport, is competitive, pushes herself, and has the heart to give it her all. But then everything changes and she doesn't know how to be without swimming. It takes time before she finds herself again.

I loved the support group that Abby has. Her parents, even though her father felt like he was really pushing her to still swim - a lot of that was her own misconception and some miscommunication. Her friend Jen who was there for her and even went against her wishes because she was trying to protect her. Then there was Connor and Alec. For those of you who don't appreciate love triangles, I wouldn't really consider this one. Each boy had a role to play. I do have to say that I absolutely loved Alec. Then there was Abby's coach and the sweet kids she taught swimming lessons to.

Abby's story was heartbreaking. A girl who loves to swim and hopeful of Olympic gold to have it all taken away. It was all she really knew and had known for so long. I felt like her emotions were so raw, so desperate at points, and yet so real. Thank goodness she had people looking out for her and that she eventually comes to terms with her heart condition. It doesn't come easy. She almost loses it all.

I would recommend A Matter of Heart to those who enjoy contemporary YA, who know what it feels like to dream, to those who have lost a dream, and to romantics (because this one has some sweet romantic moments). Overall a beautiful story.

Content: Some swearing, innuendo, suggestive content, and some make-out details that I could have done without.

Source: I would like to thank the publisher through NetGalley for my complimentary ARC, which did not affect my review in any way.

Sports I Played & A Snippet

Have you ever played a sport that you loved? One that you practically lived for? Maybe not even competitively, but just something you enjoyed so much that you wanted to play all the time and you loved just about every minute of it? 

My sport was racquetball. I think most of us have probably played the sport at one time or another. My best friend from high school and I pretty much self-learned (together) and then played at least three times a week through our sophomore year of college playing whoever would play with us. We also loved taking a racquetball class together with some really good players that just challenged us to be better. The sport kept me really active and in great shape and it was FUN! We especially liked playing guys who thought that they couldn't be beat by girls and then we proved them wrong. Yeah. We weren't competitive at all. Ha! It was also fun because my friend and I played so much together that we could read each other. We not only loved playing against each other, but we made a fabulous team. I don't play anymore due to a tennis elbow that I got last summer playing racquetball (yep, I'm getting old), but maybe one day I'll learn to play with my other arm and get back into it. I miss it. I don't mind not winning, well, not all the time, but I miss getting out there and pushing myself and trying different angles.

I could connect with the main character, Abby, as swimming means everything to her...
"Swimming is who I am.
Winning is what I live for.
No one is going to stop me from becoming the fastest swimmer in the world.
Not my dad.
Not my boyfriend.
Not even my own heart."

About the Author

Amy Fellner Dominy worked as a copywriter in the advertising business before leaving to earn her MFA in playwriting. Her plays for adults and children have been staged in various cities around the country. Amy's novels for teens include OyMG (Walker, 2011) and AUDITION & SUBTRACTION (Walker, 2012.) Amy's next book is a contemporary YA coming Spring, 2015 from Random House. It's called A MATTER OF HEART.


Tour-Wide Giveaway


Win (1) of (3) autographed copies of A MATTER OF HEART by Amy Fellner Dominy (US Only)
Ends May 19th, 2015

a Rafflecopter giveaway

14 comments

  1. Wow. That blurb is something else. A new bride every night, then death in the morning. I'm wondering how she escapes that fate and who will be her knight in shining armor. Stunning cover art!

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  2. WOW! Every time I read the main character is falling for someone he/she is not supposed to is always interesting.

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  3. This is the second book coming out this year based on the A Thousand and One Nights, which is a classic I grew up with. I'm hoping I'll get my hands on a copy and love this one.

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  4. Me too. I tend to really love those stories, but maybe that's because I enjoy the romantic tension and the hate-turned-to-love scenarios. It seem to mean no insta-love and two people who get to know each other and fall in love regardless of the obstacles.

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  5. 320 pages read is a great total! Way to go. I did better than I thought I would on my Bout of Books progress. I managed to read 168 pages and complete 1 book. Hope today goes great for you as well.

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  6. It sounds good but if I KNOW there is a love triangle then it's a no go for me1

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  7. I haven't read many reviews for this book yet, but it seems to be very popular and I am seeing it pop up around everywhere! It makes me eager to learn more about it.

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  8. I am not sure how I feel about the love story here. But I do like books centered around on sports that aren't the usual football or baseball. Personally, the sport I am centered around is basketball :3

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  9. Thanks, Melissa! I hope it has been going well!

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  10. I grabbed a copy, so hopefully it'll be really good.

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  11. There wasn't what I would consider a real love triangle. It was more that one boy was on his way out while the other was on his way in. It worked for me. :)

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  12. I used to tag along super early a couple of times a week with my dad while he played basketball at a very young age. I do love playing the sport and watching it as well. Good times.

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  13. Cali Willette5/31/15, 11:57 AM

    I saw this book at my library and after your review I think I might give the book a shot. ;)

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  14. I hope you like it, Cali!

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