BOOK REVIEW: A HEART IN A BODY IN THE WORLD BY DEB CALETTI

A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti

Published September 18, 2018

Hardcover, 358 pages

A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti

Published September 18, 2018

Hardcover, 358 pages

MY GOODREADS RATING 5/5 STARS

(Thanks to Netgalley & Simon Pulse, I received an eARC)

 

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

When everything has been taken from you, what else is there to do but run?

So that’s what Annabelle does—she runs from Seattle to Washington, DC, through mountain passes and suburban landscapes, from long lonely roads to college towns. She’s not ready to think about the why yet, just the how—muscles burning, heart pumping, feet pounding the earth. But no matter how hard she tries, she can’t outrun the tragedy from the past year, or the person—The Taker—that haunts her.

Followed by Grandpa Ed in his RV and backed by her brother and two friends (her self-appointed publicity team), Annabelle becomes a reluctant activist as people connect her journey to the trauma from her past. Her cross-country run gains media attention and she is cheered on as she crosses state borders, and is even thrown a block party and given gifts. The support would be nice, if Annabelle could escape the guilt and the shame from what happened back home. They say it isn’t her fault, but she can’t feel the truth of that.

Through welcome and unwelcome distractions, she just keeps running, to the destination that awaits her. There, she’ll finally face what lies behind her—the miles and love and loss…and what is to come.

 

MY THOUGHTS:

After finishing this book I felt like I left the best therapy session of any life. This book gave me ALL the feels, I laughed, I cried, I sobbed at parts. This was definitely one of my absolute favorite reads of the year, if not ever. I really saw the difference of how boys a brought up vs, girls and it was laid out wonderfully in a way that actually angered me.

Annabelle was an extremely complex main character. She was a total perfectionist who suffered with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, with flashbacks and major guilt. As the story unfolds you find out why and everything just connects in this big puzzle perfectly. The flashbacks while she was running were so realistic and relatable to me. Grandpa Ed was the best, most supportive and hilarious grandpa, I wish I had a grandpa Ed in my life, everyone deserves one.

I can’t wait to buy a physical copy for myself, my friends, and my family. This book is a must read and should be added to every book club read list out there. It really makes you think. The heart facts were the perfect addition to the story. If you read one book this year, please have it be this one.

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