1. Bibliography
Freymann-Weyr, Garet. (2002). HEARTBEAT. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780618141814
2. Plot Summary
Ellen is starting her freshman year. She will be going to school with her older brother Link and his best friend James. For years Ellen has had a crush on James that even he knows about. Sometimes the friends fight, but she loves them both and is their for each of them. One day in class a girl she is sitting by asks her if her brother and James are a couple. "But Polly thinks its too obvious he doesn't have time for girls" (26). Ellen never thinks about them this way. She broaches the question to the boys. Link will not tell her if he loves his best friend. James decides that he cannot be friends with a boy who will not share who he is. Ellen and Link's parents don't want to know the answer. "I don't know if your brother is gay" Mom remarks" (36). James and Ellen start hanging out without Link and start to grow close. Will Ellen ever know the truth?
3. Critical Analysis
The setting of the story takes place in present day in a rich part of New York City. The plot of the story is self vs. society. The young adult men in the story have a relationship, but society does not know how far the relationship goes. "They are like a couple, aren't they?" Adena asks" (32). The main character is the sister to one of the young men. She only wants them both to be happy, but to do this they would have to defy the expectations of their family and society. "There is an excellent reason I have never thought of Link and James as a couple before; they have never permitted me to think of or to see them as anything other than friends" (33). The characters are believable. They can be related to by the reader. Who doesn't have a sibling or friend that they love and want to be happy? "Its clear to me that he and James love each other" (36). The dialogue of the book is told from the character of the sister. There is a lot of conversations in the book to help the reader understand the interactions between the characters. Ellen helps the reader understand what is going on with her family and the two young men she cares about.
This book contemplates the issues in relationships. Who should be happy and what extent should that person go to, and be able to find what they are looking for. Who will be hurt in the process and is it worth it? These are the questions that the reader thinks of while reading this book. It is a good book about finding love.
4. Review Excerpts
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "But the sensitivity with which the author handles the issues of whom one loves and complexities more far-reaching than sexual concerns outweigh these minor matters. Ellen relates telling details about herself and those around her with humor and compassion, exposing the many dimensions of her parents as well as the three featured teens. A thoughtful approach to the many confusing signals that accompany awakening sexuality. Ages 12-up."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "In this tightly constructed novel about love, family, and the ambiguities of sexual identity, Ellen, 14, idolizes her brother, Link, and his best friend, James, who are seniors. When she enters their private Manhattan high school, she is surprised when some girls assume that Link and James are "a couple." Things begin to unravel when she puts the question to them: Link avoids James, starts dating Polly, and drops out of a special college math program to pursue his interest in music. The author provides some profound insights to help readers understand the motivations behind the characters' actions but ultimately young people must come to their own conclusions about the choices made and their consequences."
Michael L. Printz Award
5. Connections
Other books about complicated relationships"
Levithan, David. BOY MEETS BOY. ISBN 9780375832994
Ryan, Patrick. GEMINI BITES. ISBN 0545221285
Sanchez, Alex. BOYFRIENDS WITH GIRLFRIENDS. ISBN 9781416937739
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