A Matter of Heart - Hardcover

Dominy, Amy Fellner

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385744439 ISBN 13: 9780385744430

Publisher: Delacorte Press, 2015

Synopsis

"Will make your heart pound--anxiously, joyfully, triumphantly." --New York Times bestselling author Lauren Myracle
 
Readers will happily dive into this emotionally grounded, contemporary young adult novel about the sudden end of one girl's Olympic swimming dreams and the struggles she endures before realizing there are many things that express who we are.
 
Sixteen-year-old Abby Lipman is on track to win the state swim championships and qualify for the Olympic trials when a fainting incident at a swim meet leads to the diagnosis of a deadly heart condition. If she swims, she could die. Will she give up her dream or will she risk everything--including her life? 
From the Trade Paperback edition.

About this title

About the Author:

Amy Fellner Dominy is a former advertising copywriter, playwright, and hula-hoop champion. Previous novels for tweens and teens include OyMG, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book, and Audition & Subtraction. Amy lives with her husband and various pets in Phoenix. Visit her online at amydominy.com.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 9 Up—Abby knows what she wants, and she is seconds away from achieving it: making the Olympic Trials in her premier event—the 100-meter freestyle. Weeks away from reaching her dream, she gets dizzy after a swim meet. Concerned, her coach wants her to get cleared by her doctor before he will let her swim again. Abby and her parents are shocked to learn that she has Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a medical condition that has been responsible for the loss of top high school athletes across the country. Abby and her parents each react differently after the doctor's diagnosis. Her mother incorrectly believes that her daughter's condition is fatal, her father is in denial, and Abby, knowing that she actually has a mild form that likely isn't terminal, decides not to give up on her goals. The teen continues to struggle with her decision to risk her life in order to achieve her dream. Even non-athletes will relate to Abby and her fight to attain a seemingly impossible aspiration. More than a sports novel, this book delves deep into issues of identity—how we identify ourselves separately from what we do well—and the importance of support systems while making life-altering decisions. VERDICT Give this to fans of Catherine Gilbert Murdock's "Dairy Queen" series (Houghton Harcourt, 2006).—Stephanie Charlefour, Wixom Public Library, MI

About this edition

• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0385744439
• ISBN 13: 9780385744430
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320