“I needed to be scared and broken to be able to see my choice to the end.” – Heartmender by V. Romas Burton
OMGoodness, y’all – there’s a reason why Heartmender is an award winning book! Published by Monster Ivy Publishing, I purchased a copy of Heartmender due to bookstagram, and I am so glad I did – it is a story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
Set in the fictional world of Barracks, little Addie accompanies her older brother and caretaker, Lyle, to Heart Reign, an event where citizens trade their most valuable possession – their heart. One important thing to note: the average person’s heart is gray and pretty lifeless. While at Heart Reign, a mysterious man, Schism, offers traders a choice – two red doors where the destination is unknown. Despite her pleas, Lyle trades his gray heart and walks through one of the red doors, accepting an unknown fate. For seven years, Lyle has been missing, and for seven years, Addie has despised Heart Reign. When she is of age, she endures her Extraction but finds that her heart is red and beating with life. She is warned to run, and run is what she does – straight through Schism’s door to find her brother. However, the destination is worse than one could imagine and Addie is faced with choice after choice – will she find Lyle alive and, if so, will she be able to save him or will she succumb to the dark temptations and tricks around her?
Each choice Addie faces represents one of the seven deadly sins: sloth, greed, wrath, lust, gluttony, envy, and pride. What I love about Addie is even though her heart is pure and it is in the right place – she is still tempted with each choice. She is still human and flawed. She is skeptical of the existence of the Mender, a man who can heal missing and broken hearts – but she has hope. Burton’s story reminds readers that there is always hope because of Jesus Christ and that light always comes after darkness. I opened this post with my favorite quote from the book, “I needed to be scared and broken to be able to see my choice to the end.” I think that is so relevant to real life – often I have found that in my most broken, is when I lean on God and find the strength to make the right choices – even if the right choice is tough. And I think that sometimes we may question our choices, but if we make a choice for the right reasons, then it was the right choice.
Burton’s allegory is beautifully woven and her world is intricately crafted. I highly recommend Heartmender to lovers of clean YA fantasy, and I cannot wait to read the sequel!
Purchase your copy of Heartmender today here!
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