Review of A Change of Heart
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Kutloano Makhuvhela
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Review of A Change of Heart
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Change of Heart" by Judy Kelly.]
A Change of Heart by Judy Kelly is a poignant human drama novel that follows a character on a journey of rediscovery after losing people that meant a lot to her. The book takes the reader through the journey and exposes them to the process of healing, of how it actually looks and forces them to ask themselves whether that is something they would be able to do if it happened to them. The author is described as having won multiple awards for her work, with her novels either winning first prizes or coming up second. Her bio is colourful, but what is most important is that she likes reading and writing.
The book opens up with Esther Hutton in his son’s bedroom, folding clothes while humming a nice tune. It is shortly revealed that Esther’s son, Matthew, got involved in a car accident recently and was paralysed in the legs. Esther is still not over it because a part of her still questions whether it was really an accident or not, but right now she doesn’t want to think about that. She receives a phone call, and she is told that there is a fire at the store she owns with her husband, Paul. Without wasting time, Esther rushes there, and yes, her store is on fire. But where are Paul and Matthew? There they are, barely making it out, and are rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.
Matthew is soon pronounced dead, and Esther is heartbroken. Paul is still hanging on. He manages to gain consciousness and talk to her. He gives Esther a USB and apologises for failing to save Matthew after he learnt of his passing, but Esther shushes him, telling him he did all he could. The nurse tells Esther that Paul needs to rest, so she leaves. On the way, they call her to tell her Paul has died. This is how Esther’s life changes. Is Esther’s life over? Will she be able to continue with life after this?
Read this book to find out because there is definitely more that Esther does with her life. I love how the author tackled such sensitive topics through this story. Topics like being a young widow, the death of a child, grief, pain, self-blame, and mentorship are delicately discussed. In some instances, I had to pause the book so I could reflect, while others were more heavy to read than others. This showed the skill the author used in delivering a powerful story.
The book, of course, was character-orientated. Meaning, that the characters, not the environment they found themselves, in were the crucial aspects of the story. Characters were the heartbeat of the story, keeping it alive and moving. So no wonder the author developed each and every one of them. Each character had their own journey to go on. Characters like Jacob and Levy also had their journeys to go on that were more or less heavier than Esther’s. Esther drew strength from them as much as they drew strength from her in one way or another. I found myself invested in these characters because I had come to know them. The author did a good job of portraying them.
The plot in itself wasn’t that grand, and I think this was done on purpose. As you have read from the opening paragraph of this review, the book is about a woman who has lost it all, so one approaches this book knowing that Esther is going to lose it all. What, though, keeps you engrossed is how she does it. And this was where the author’s skill shone yet again. The plot moved the book forward steadily, avoiding being repetitive and predictable. Just when I thought one subplot was solved, another emerged and took it from there. Soon, the book was over.
The writing was not that impressive, honestly, because it kept losing me here and there. I had to concentrate hard for me to get what was happening, and I think this didn’t give me a good experience. This was a subjective thing, so other readers might not agree. The characters sometimes sounded the same and couldn’t picture them apart. I found many errors that also affected my writing. So I think the book could do with another round of editing.
With all I have said, I think the fair rating for this is four out of five stars. One star is knocked off because of the errors. I will still recommend this book to people who love books about grief and self-discovery. It was motivating, so teenagers and young adults should read it. Jacob will be relatable to many young boys. A good book that teaches the power of love.
******
A Change of Heart
View: on Bookshelves
A Change of Heart by Judy Kelly is a poignant human drama novel that follows a character on a journey of rediscovery after losing people that meant a lot to her. The book takes the reader through the journey and exposes them to the process of healing, of how it actually looks and forces them to ask themselves whether that is something they would be able to do if it happened to them. The author is described as having won multiple awards for her work, with her novels either winning first prizes or coming up second. Her bio is colourful, but what is most important is that she likes reading and writing.
The book opens up with Esther Hutton in his son’s bedroom, folding clothes while humming a nice tune. It is shortly revealed that Esther’s son, Matthew, got involved in a car accident recently and was paralysed in the legs. Esther is still not over it because a part of her still questions whether it was really an accident or not, but right now she doesn’t want to think about that. She receives a phone call, and she is told that there is a fire at the store she owns with her husband, Paul. Without wasting time, Esther rushes there, and yes, her store is on fire. But where are Paul and Matthew? There they are, barely making it out, and are rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.
Matthew is soon pronounced dead, and Esther is heartbroken. Paul is still hanging on. He manages to gain consciousness and talk to her. He gives Esther a USB and apologises for failing to save Matthew after he learnt of his passing, but Esther shushes him, telling him he did all he could. The nurse tells Esther that Paul needs to rest, so she leaves. On the way, they call her to tell her Paul has died. This is how Esther’s life changes. Is Esther’s life over? Will she be able to continue with life after this?
Read this book to find out because there is definitely more that Esther does with her life. I love how the author tackled such sensitive topics through this story. Topics like being a young widow, the death of a child, grief, pain, self-blame, and mentorship are delicately discussed. In some instances, I had to pause the book so I could reflect, while others were more heavy to read than others. This showed the skill the author used in delivering a powerful story.
The book, of course, was character-orientated. Meaning, that the characters, not the environment they found themselves, in were the crucial aspects of the story. Characters were the heartbeat of the story, keeping it alive and moving. So no wonder the author developed each and every one of them. Each character had their own journey to go on. Characters like Jacob and Levy also had their journeys to go on that were more or less heavier than Esther’s. Esther drew strength from them as much as they drew strength from her in one way or another. I found myself invested in these characters because I had come to know them. The author did a good job of portraying them.
The plot in itself wasn’t that grand, and I think this was done on purpose. As you have read from the opening paragraph of this review, the book is about a woman who has lost it all, so one approaches this book knowing that Esther is going to lose it all. What, though, keeps you engrossed is how she does it. And this was where the author’s skill shone yet again. The plot moved the book forward steadily, avoiding being repetitive and predictable. Just when I thought one subplot was solved, another emerged and took it from there. Soon, the book was over.
The writing was not that impressive, honestly, because it kept losing me here and there. I had to concentrate hard for me to get what was happening, and I think this didn’t give me a good experience. This was a subjective thing, so other readers might not agree. The characters sometimes sounded the same and couldn’t picture them apart. I found many errors that also affected my writing. So I think the book could do with another round of editing.
With all I have said, I think the fair rating for this is four out of five stars. One star is knocked off because of the errors. I will still recommend this book to people who love books about grief and self-discovery. It was motivating, so teenagers and young adults should read it. Jacob will be relatable to many young boys. A good book that teaches the power of love.
******
A Change of Heart
View: on Bookshelves
‘When you do a good deed, people are grateful, and that creates a nice feeling inside you; and then because it feels good, that makes you want to do more good deeds. That repetition is the cycle of goodness.’
~Hogoromo.
~Hogoromo.
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Chinazo Anozie
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I can't imagine Esther's pain, losing her spouse and child almost immediately. I like that A Change of Heart by Judy Kelly is more character-oriented than plot-driven. Thanks for such a detailed review!
Latest Review: Love Again Love for Them by R.A. Lee
