The Heart Does Not Grow Back: A Novel (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
I won a copy of this book through the Goodreads giveaway.I love the cover of this book and the title is definitely catchy and very literal. I thought the title was an euphemism for something but it isn't. This book is very different and definitely an interesting read. I like a good story about good friendships so I'm a sucker for this book. The first 7 chapters was good and definitely drew me in but at the 8th and 9th chapter, I was beginning to wonder why we even had the first 7 chapters but as I read on I realized how important the first 7 chapters were to the conclusion of the story.And Rae???? Why would she do that? Anyways......Good story. I read it in one sitting. Short nice read! This book isn't gory or anything but it just might make you more human!Cheers! The following is a copy of the review I left at amazon. The more I think about this book, the more I dislike it, the more I'm pretty bummed that I spent actual money on this, and the more I realize that I need to do that thing where I only spend money on new authors who are not white men. The women in this book are so shittily written, so poorly conceived, cliched and infuriating. This book does not give a shit about women who aren't fuckable, dying, or both.*********I have no idea why Amazon recommended this book to me. I promised myself I would read the entire book before reviewing, and since I like to start on a positive note, this was a very quick read. The idea at the center of the novel, a dudebro who can regenerate body parts and organs like a salamander, seems intriguing, but this book never lives up to its potential.It's straight up bro-lit, and should appeal to young men between the ages of 16 and 20 who have never actually *talked* to a girl not related to them, think Tucker Max is totally awesome (omg, Mack Tucker! I get it! Whoo! ), are too squeamish for JJ Ballard, and find the philosophical depth of John Dies in the End to be a bit too heady.I kept waiting for a well-written woman to show up, or ONE who wasn't a whore or a damsel in distress, but that's not really the dealbreaker here. I kept waiting for the gore to be actually gory (not really), or for the regeneration to provide a device for a deep and satisfying exploration of Man Pain, etc., but no. And the final episode of the reality show... that cringe-worthy monologue bit... was embarrassing to read, and that was the strongest emotion I experienced while reading this book.
What do You think about The Heart Does Not Grow Back: A Novel (2014)?
This must be a really good book, because I liked it quite a bit, even though it's a complete bummer.
—mallory
Such a cool story, with a bit of a John Green feel. Lots of laughs, as well as tears.
—Nso
What a great premise, what a disappointing book. Hard to like the characters.
—kbabys109
