I LOVED this right from the start, which is saying a lot because I am squeamish (pathetically even scared of my flu shot) and not very into romance stories. But THIS book is amazing, even though it has those topics. Because it also has Sunny, a funny 12 year old overflowing with feelings and creativity and boldness. Her life has been a mess recently, and she is not afraid to tell us all about it as she forges ahead with her new life plans. The first few pages of The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James get right to Sunny's experiences with a heart transplant. If you are squeamish about medical stuff, you might want skim those few pages. After that, Sunny continues to be very straightforward and real with us about her life, but without so many medical details. She focuses a lot on friendships and her romantic goals. Specifically, now that Sunny is recovering from heart surgery and can get back to her life, she wants to kiss a boy for the first time. Read this to find out how Sunny deals with major changes to her family, and romantic plans that do not turn out how she thought. ( )

Really enjoyable story, but whoa, Sunny has a lot going on -- heart transplant, mother abandonment/return, girl crush, newly discovered love of writing poetry, and surfing, and dealing with a big best friend betrayal... so much! Love the characters, love the supportive and loving environment that Sunny lives in, and I think Blake does an amazing job capturing the initial confused rebelliousness of 12-13 and how everything gets hard at once. Also the push-pull of tween rebelliousness/ need for support. It's a great book. ( )

Sunny St. James has a lot going on. She's just had a heart transplant. The mother who abandoned her 8 years ago (when Sunny was 4 years old) has come back. Sunny's best friend, Margot, announced Sunny's secret (that she thought about kissing girls) to Margot's friends, who laughed at Sunny.

While all this is going on, Quinn, the girl with blue hair, comes into Sunny's life, turning it all upside down, making her stomach do flip flops and her heart go thump-thump-thump. They immediately become best friends and set out on a quest to kiss a boy that summer. ..although, apparently, neither one's heart is in that specific quest.

An enjoyable book about sellf realization, friends, family and kissing. Go f or it. ( )

Sunny St. James is reinventing herself after a heart transplant. She decides she is going to meet a new best friend and get her first kiss. When she meets Quinn swimming in the ocean, the girls hit it off immediately. Sunny's former best friend betrayed her and Quinn is someone new who doesn't know everything about her like everyone else on the island. When Sunny's mom who has been gone for 8 years, show up when she's in the hospital it is a lot to process. When Sunny begins to wonder if Quinn is the one for her first kiss. Emotional and touching. ( )

I'm slow at reading these days - what an adorable story, coming of age, sweet, intense like all AHB books, I preferred Book 1 in the series but darn this was absolutely great too! Kinda makes me want to go to the lake and get in some water time. And I adore the cover art! ( )