Title: How to Build a Heart by Maria Padian
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Summary:
One young woman’s journey to find her place in the world as the carefully separated strands of her life — family, money, school, and love — begin to overlap and tangle.
All sixteen-year-old Izzy Crawford wants is to feel like she really belongs somewhere. Her father, a marine, died in Iraq six years ago, and Izzy’s moved to a new town nearly every year since, far from the help of her extended family in North Carolina and Puerto Rico. When Izzy’s hardworking mom moves their small family to Virginia, all her dreams start clicking into place. She likes her new school—even if Izzy is careful to keep her scholarship-student status hidden from her well-to-do classmates and her new athletic and popular boyfriend. And best of all: Izzy’s family has been selected by Habitat for Humanity to build and move into a brand-new house. Izzy is this close to the community and permanence she’s been searching for, until all the secret pieces of her life begin to collide.
How to Build a Heart is the story of Izzy’s journey to find her place in the world and her discovery that the choices we make and the people we love ultimately define us and bring us home.
Review:
How to Build a Heart by Maria Padian is a poignant, humorous young adult novel of self discovery.
Sixteen year old Isabella “Izzy” Crawford, her Mami and younger brother Jack have moved from place to place ever since her beloved, larger than life father died in Iraq six years earlier. The family now lives in a mobile home park and she and Jack attend a private Catholic school. While she is best friends with neighbor Roz Jenkins, Izzy does not allow her two very disparate worlds to collide. Partly because Roz is extremely vocal about her opinions of her wealthy classmates. And partly because she does not want her wealthier school friends to know where she lives. But Izzy’s unexpected friendship with fellow a capella singer Aubrey Shackelton puts her in an uncomfortable position as she keeps the truth about herself carefully hidden. Her life is further complicated when her family is selected for a new home by Habitat for Humanity. Putting in sweat equity is no problem, but putting her face and family story out into the world for all her friends to see? Not. A. Chance.
Izzy is a smart young woman who wants to please her mom but she is grappling with her sense of self. She is compassionate and caring, yet she runs from her problems instead of facing them head on. This tendency leads to a huge problem between her and Roz when Izzy hides something very important from her friend. When she can no longer keep the truth about herself from being revealed, Izzy runs to her father’s family. Will she find the answers she is searching for within her estranged extended family?
Roz is a little wild and a lot resentful of her wealthier classmates. Her home life is incredibly dysfunctional and the Crawfords are a safe haven when things spiral out of control. Izzy is quick to defend Roz to Mami, who thinks she is not a good influence on her daughter. Will their friendship survive the changes occurring in Izzy’s life?
How to Build a Heart is a heartwarming novel with a wonderful cast of diverse characters. Izzy undergoes a great deal of growth as she works to reconcile her conflicted feelings about herself, her family and her place in the world. Mami is a strict but strong role model for her children. There is also a slight romantic element to the storyline when Izzy’s relationship with a friend takes an unexpected turn. Maria Padian brings this charming novel to heartfelt and uplifting conclusion. I highly recommend this enchanting young adult novel teen and adult readers.
