Author: Tanya Byrne
ISBN: 978-0-7553-9304-6
RRP: $22.99
This is the debut novel for English author Tanya Byrne and it is an extremely well written story that will captivate you start to finish.
At times Heart-Shaped Bruise was almost difficult to follow but it never quite allowed you to get lost, and you were warned right from the beginning that it was a possibility. This book isn’t written start to finish on a neat little timeline, it is written through a notebook left behind in a young offenders institution.
Emily Koll has done something terrible and she is in the Psych Unit of the Archway Young Offenders Institution awaiting trial. We don’t know what Emily’s done, it’s not something that she talks about. She talks about what the papers say and what other people say about her but you don’t hear much about what she thinks.
I am still thinking through this brilliant book so I’m at a loss for words, which is why I will first focus on the fact that at the end of the book there are two interesting sections which are becoming much more common in books these days. A Q&A with author Tanya Byrne that helps you get into her head and understand the motivations and inspirations behind the book, always an interesting read and great to do directly after reading the book while it is all still fresh. And a list of questions for reading groups, a great starting point for discussions and prompts for different ways to look at the book too.
Emily is shattered, she has survived the demolition of life as she knows it but she’s not the same. She’s broken and it seems that she doesn’t think there is a way back.
The notebook opens with a letter to Juliet that she was instructed to write by Dr Gilyard. It serves as a great opener, and a taste of the intrigue to come – actually it’s the basis of a lot of the intrigue to come.
All of the talk of Emily being evil leads you to expect a very different Emily than the one we meet. I don’t see evil in the broken young girl that we meet and spend the book getting to know. Through everything that is said there is also a lot left unsaid and it is what is left unsaid that compels you to turn pages one after the other long after you should be doing something else.
A lot of my need to keep reading was born of the desire to get to the bit where we find out what it is that she does to land her in this institution.
Heart-Shaped Bruise is a tale of revenge, betrayal, deception, identity, public persona and how it all combines to make us who we are – or does it?
If the whole world hears the story and makes conclusions about who you are does that make it true? Does all of that belief make it correct?
One small piece at a time we are allowed deeper into Emily’s head. She lets us in, I was going to say as she lets Dr Gilyard in but that isn’t really the case. We hear the things that are going through her head as she sits silently through her sessions with the Dr, or as she thinks through how much to say.
Emily is scared to hope and she’s scared to let anyone in because that’s never really gone well for her in the past. If she unlocks the padlocks protecting the most important parts of her story then maybe they will lose their potency, maybe she will discover that she doesn’t deserve them.
This 17 yr old girl is fundamentally scarred because of one single incident that not only changed the course of her future but totally destroyed her past as well. If nothing in her life is what it seemed does that also mean she isn’t who she thought she was? It certainly means she changed into someone she probably never would have been under different circumstances.
Emily’s writing is kind of disjointed but still flows in a way that makes perfect sense. We watch as she begins to look deeper into herself and examine how she ended up where she is. The story is much more involved than what you read in the papers. There are lots of references to ‘everything that I did’ and Emily projects herself as tough and uncaring but as the story unravels the mystery deepens and the picture of Emily changes quite dramatically.
Heart-Shaped Bruise is haunting and emotional but it is also nothing like what I expected. I love the way it was written, I love Emily’s voice and I love the way Tanya Byrne laid it all out on the page. It’s a book that has left quite an impression and I will be thinking about for quite some time.
50 of our members (sign up here) have been reading Heart Shaped Bruise, find out what they thought below…
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
I never heard back, so I dont think I got in, but I cant wait to read the reviews of those that did. This sounds like one intriuging story.
its a great book you should try to get your hands on a copy
Got my copy 2 days ago and took it straight to bed 🙂 I really enjoyed the book. The narration style suited the story and I think I got inside Emily’s head better with this style.
Interesting plot with a few twists and turns to keep it fascinating.
Even though I’m 37 I could relate to the life of the teenagers in the book. I didn’t feel obliged to roll my eyes or offer them the benefit of my wisdom 🙂
I guess I found this to be a book about choices and consequences. If I take this path-what happens? Or if I choose to not act am I foregoing my destiny?
I loved it! I love the narrators voice and writing style. Its like you can really get into her head. Such a good read I couldnt put it down, and have even passed it on to my partner to read so we can chat about it! 🙂
I loved this book. It gave me an insight into a very damaged young girl who I actually enjoyed spending time with whilst reading this book. I have read the book twice.
Emily took me on a journey of love and loss, anger and frustration….
Because of a situation I have had to deal with in my past, I could totally understand where Emily was coming from and how our selfishness can manifest into an explosive state of mind.
I cannot wait for this author’s next book. It was a book that I could not put down.
I think that’s a great idea to read it twice
I read this in a few days, I found myself thinking of the story even when I wasn’t reading it; the storyline is really interesting and I enjoyed it. There are a couple of minor things that could’ve been written better or with more description/insight but overall I really enjoyed it. I would recommend this to others to read, including, but not restricted to, young adults. I look forward to reading more novels from this author as she is very promising.
Received my book and had to finish my last book before starting. Heart-Shaped Bruise had me hooked straight away! I found it hard to put down, which wasn’t good as school holidays have just started!! Nevertheless, managed to read it all.
I enjoyed the narration style writing in the book and the shorter style of chapters. The short chapters made me constantly go “Just one more chapter” though!
I found it to be a good insight into the mind of a troubled teenager whose experiences are nothing like what I grew up with. Always good to read different perspectives on life.
The only thing that I found displeasing with the book was that I got right into the story and then it ended quite abruptly and left me wanting more. A good story all in all. Looking forward to seeing what Tanya’s next book is like.
Thankyou for giving me a chance to read this book. It took me a day and a half to read it. It was absolutely riveting. For a debut novel, it is a ripper.
The story is a bit heart wrenching at times as I felt extremely sympathetic towards Emily even though she has commited a crime. The fact that it was in revenge, for something horrible done to her own father, makes me feel quite sad for her.
The book delves into the psych of Emily and her feelings about the situatuion that has led up to her being in jail. She sometimes comes across as being regrettful of her actions but then there is an about turn and she is happy for what she has done. This story seems to really revolve around this as the main issue.
The book did have a few more grammatical errors than most books but I was reading so fast that I barely noticed them. I dead set loved this book and will be looking out for more books written by this author.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this very interesting and moving story. It is definitely a page-turner and I managed to read it in one day.
This particular style of writing suited the storyline and allowed me to feel empathy toward the main character despite the path she chose. A well written story about a difficult subject.
I was a little disappointed with the ending and was left feeling the story wasn’t quite finished. Despite this small criticism, which I’m sure is not shared by everyone, I enjoyed the book and look forward to more from Tanya Byrne.
First Impression- Interesting, murder!!! I was concerned at first thinking it might be a bit scattered but after the first few pages, it had me hooked. Took me a few days over a few periods to read and I always wanted to know more. I had hoped it would be a book that I couldnt put down and it didnt disappoint. Makes you wonder which way it would go.
The author did a good job in making you feel like you were actually Emily and could see thru her eyes and think what she was thinking, therefore the author knows exactly what she was thinking.
Tanya only gives a little bit of information at a time when she wants to just draw you in more so that you need to follow, need to find out what is next. She places these snippets quite well so thats its not confusing and you can work out a timeline. For a first novel its not a timid or safe book, but well thought out and I was surprised by the ending but it did leave a bit abruptly, like there is going to be another chapter in Emiy’s life to follow!
I received my book on Friday and managed to read it on the weekend,All i can say is “WOW” what a great read Suspenseful, compelling and intriguing
Heart Shaped Bruise is an interesting read which is more YA and ideal for older teens looking to branch towards more adult books.
The best thing about this book is getting to know Emily and the reason why she did what she did.
I absolutely loved my copy and read it in a matter of hours as I couldn’t put t down. i give this book a rating of 5 stars out of 5,:)