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My Heart and Other Black Holes
My Heart and Other Black Holes
My Heart and Other Black Holes
Audiobook8 hours

My Heart and Other Black Holes

Written by Jasmine Warga

Narrated by Rebecca Lowman

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

A stunning novel about the transformative power of love, perfect for fans of 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.

There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel’s convinced she’s found her solution—Roman, a teenage boy who’s haunted by a family tragedy, is looking for a partner.

Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other’s broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateFeb 10, 2015
ISBN9780062368010
Author

Jasmine Warga

Jasmine Warga is the New York Times bestselling author of Other Words for Home, a Newbery Honor Book and a Walter Honor Book for Younger Readers; The Shape of Thunder; and A Rover’s Story. Her teen books, Here We Are Now and My Heart and Other Black Holes, have been translated into over twenty-five languages. She lives in the Chicago area with her family. You can visit Jasmine online at jasminewarga.com.

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Reviews for My Heart and Other Black Holes

Rating: 4.161849710982659 out of 5 stars
4/5

173 ratings30 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I found the characters not believable.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It was an okay read about teenagers dealing with depression and wanting to commit suicide light and easy to go through
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked it. it was interesting good ending still wish there was a little more romance in it. but that's just me, im a sucker for it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Enjoyed the book. It's about two teenagers suffering from depression and who decide to commit suicide. The journey of them finding each other and knowing each other is sad and beautiful. And the ending is really heart wrenching.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Despite the seriousness of the topic, "My Heart and Other Black Holes" was an enjoyable read. While there were definitely some heart-breaking moments, they were balanced with humour and light-heartedness. Although I liked both characters, emotionally I connected more Roman than Ayse. I found her thinking flawed and the reasons why she wanted to commit suicide were not asbelievable as Roman's. I loved Roman. His story was terribly sad, but at the same time he was kind and caring, and a talented artist and basketballer. I just wish the author had given him his own voice rather than having Aysel narrate the whole story. I would like to have known him better.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This story deals with depression and suicidal thoughts. It's about these 2 teenagers, a girl named Aysel and a boy named Roman, who for different reasons have decided that they want to commit suicide and have signed up to this website called Smooth Passages where you can try to find a suicide partner. They find each other and the more time they spend together planning their suicide pack, the more Aysel begins to question if this is something she really wants to do and must decide not only if she wants to go through with it or not but also if she wants to try and convince Roman to live as well.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I first listened to the book because I like the sound of Rebecca Lowman . it's sad the characters are so real.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    So for my bookclub we decided to read My Heart and Other Black Holes. It was a different book for me and I loved it! BlurbSixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel’s convinced she’s found her solution: a teen boy with the username FrozenRobot (aka Roman) who’s haunted by a family tragedy is looking for a partner. Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other’s broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together. Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince.From the beginning of this book I was prepared for heartache! Its an emotional rollercoaster following Aysel's thoughts & actions. She thinks just because her father committed an awful crime that she would end up like that one day..thats the reason she wants to die. When she meets Roman, I was hoping for thinks to change .. I was hoping he would change her mind..I wasn't expecting for Aysel to be the one begging him to stay! I wanted them to get together since the day at the zoo.. I just thought they were perfect for each other. Reading this book..I wasn't prepared for any romance..so when something happened I was super excited! I'm pretty sure I squealed with happiness.So many awesome quotes in this book. Here's a few of my favorites“You're like a grey sky. You're beautiful, even though you don't want to be.” “Maybe we all have darkness inside of us and some of us are better at dealing with it than others.” “He was fucking sad. That's it. That's the point. He knows life is never going to get any different for him. That there's no fixing him. It's always going to be the same monotonous depressing bullshit. Boring, sad, boring, sad. He just wants it to be over.” “It’s funny how once you like someone, even the unattractive things they do somehow become endearing.” My Heart and Other Black Holes is a great read! I couldn't put it down! I needed to know what was going to happen! I'm glad we chose this book to read!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    First of all, there can never be enough books about teenage depression and suicide. Adolescence is a painfully confusing time and books like this one help teens see that everybody's journey is unique and meaningful. That said, this book brought two relatable characters together with a common goal. Once you learn the characters back stories it seems almost too good to be true. It seems like it would never happen in real life because of how uniquely bad their situations are. That's the beauty of this book in my opinion. I feel like if I had either of their lives I would have been in such a darker place, but the fact that they manage to navigate a road to recovery is a very powerful message.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Aysel is planning her suicide. She has made up her mind. No one can change it. There's only one problem. She's not sure she can do it by herself. That's where Roman comes in. One click of the mouse and they are now suicide buddies. Two completely different people who have a darkness inside of them so strong and so powerful that they see no way to get rid of it save for ending their lives. Aysel keeps the reason for her upcoming death close to her chest, she's not an open person and even when Roman shares why he's chosen this path she still keeps her secrets locked up. Roman's reason is simple. He blames himself for the death of his little sister. Why should he continue to live when she had her life stolen away from her? The closer the day they've chosen to die comes the more Aysel second guesses her choice. But can she really back out on Roman? Can she really let him die without her? Or will she be able to save both of their lives? This is my THIRD suicide book of the month... I can't even tell you how happy I am to be able to finish this book and move on to a light, fluffy, romance book. Now... I think I'm the only person who didn't like this book... *Ducks and runs away in a zig-zag motion*It wasn't bad but it just wasn't my favorite. The writing was nice and I did like the dry humor that Warga has, Aysel and Roman were good characters and I did feel for both of them but I just didn't feel any connection to them. Even towards the ending I made myself put it down with only a few chapters left because I had read reviews that everyone cried during the last part and I was at work. Well once I got home I finished it and realized I could have read it anywhere without risk of hysterical sobs taking over my body. I'm not really sure what else to say. I feel like when I love a book I could go on for ages talking about it and the same when I hate a book but when I feel... Indifferent I'm not really sure how to describe it. It was okay, not my favorite, didn't love it, didn't hate it. Until next time, Ginger In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review. My review is my honest opinion.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    4 stars for the ending. loved everything but...just wanted more at the end. I think she should of ended with them at the beach or did an epilogue or something.
    great read. I've been on a suicide story kick for the last few books and this was a great one to end on!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The premise of this book made me a bit uncomfortable at first. Two teens who meet based on a suicide pact. But instead of being a depressing book, this one is engaging and, in its own way, hopeful.Warga does a great job of creating two likeable characters. I was drawn into Aysel's story almost immediately. A hopeful look at clinical depression and the realities those suffering from this illness may face from a young age, My Heart and Other Black Holes, tells the story of a girl who is learning to understand her sadness and to lean on others for help and a boy who is dealing with the deep grief that comes from losing a sibling to epilepsy.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An okay book, but a bit thin. The gaps in the main persons sudden epiphany made it a bit harder to relate. I'm not sure if I'd recommend this book to a person that is in deep depression or suicidal, for some this story could trigger rhe dark emotions, but someone in recovery might have support from the story. Even though it is about "young people", I'd rather consider it a story of humans in a metamorphosis and phase of lifechange. So ofter books for "youth", or "women" are somehow regarded "less" and that I do not concurr to. A minus for some repetetive descriptions of "biting underlip/tounge", I understand it is often used as a kinestethical effect of describing a persons way of being, but here it poked the ear and instead disrupted the process of "building" a relatable characjter in the mind. Good ending, a relief.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Aysel is a depressed teen planning on suicide as her only option. It becomes obvious that depression is something her father also shares, only he did not deal with it effectively and ended up committing a horrible crime that resulted in his incarceration. While Aysel is committed to the idea of ending her life, she does not believe she can do it alone. She starts checking out Web sites that assist in this endeavor, finally finding one that links her up with a suicide partner. However, things do not turn out as planned. This book is more life-affirming than depressing with results that show that there is always hope, if you can just hang on for another day.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Diese und weitere Rezensionen findet ihr auf meinem Blog Anima Libri - Buchseele

    Das Cover zu „Mein Herz und andere schwarze Löcher“ von Jasmine Warga mit seinem hellen Hintergrund und den fröhlichen bunten Farbklecksen ist irgendwie völlig irreführend. Es wirkt so leicht und unbeschwert und das ist die Geschichte, die sich hinter dem Cover versteckt, definitiv nicht.

    Aysel hat Depressionen und sie will nicht mehr leben. Sie plant ihren Selbstmord, zögert aber, da sie Angst hat, es in der letzten Minute doch noch zu versauen. Dann stößt sie auf eine Internetseite, auf der sich „Selbstmordpartner“ zum gemeinsamen Selbstmord zusammen finden. Dort lernt sie Roman kennen und die beiden schließen einen Pakt – doch dann entwickelt sich alles ganz anders, als Aysel erwartet hätte.

    Mich konnte Jasmine Wargas „Mein Herz und andere schwarze Löcher“ direkt in seinen Bann ziehen und mich vor allem durch die authentische Darstellung der Protagonisten, ihrer Gefühle und Probleme, ihrer Ängste und ihrer Depressionen überzeugen. Dieser Roman geht unter die Haut und hat dabei vor allem eine Message: Hoffnung.

    Alles in allem kann ich „Mein Herz und andere schwarze Löcher“ von Jasmine Warga nur allen Lesern wärmstens empfehlen, es ist quasi ein Must-Read, einfühlsam, bewegend, erschütternd und hoffnungsvoll.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "Nothing about this is going to be easy."When it comes to books about suicide and depression, 2015 has started off with a couple of them. All the Bright Places, I Was Here, The Last Time We Say Goodbye, and now, My Heart and Other Black Holes.What this book brings to the table, however, is a different way to commit suicide: using suicide partners. Seeing Aysel and Roman forming a connection over deciding to die together was definitely very different to what I was used to reading.I will be honest and let you know right now: this book? It’s depressing. I was bummed out for the first 30-40% because everything was just so sad. I could literally feel Aysel’s depression as strongly as if it were my own. Her “black slug”, as she refers to it, is a constant presence, and I felt as if it were sucking up my happiness as I kept on reading."I spend a lot of time wondering what dying feels like. What dying sounds like. However that’s not to say that it was a bad book. On the contrary, it was pretty amazing. It doesn’t glamorize mental illnesses or depression, on the contrary, it showed how the wrong approach to these can have bad consequences.Anyone who has actually been that sad can tell you that there’s nothing beautiful of literary or mysterious about depression. Depression is a part of you; it’s in your bones and in your blood. If I know anything about it, this is what I know: It’s impossible to escape."It was very impacting seeing how Aysel and Roman planned their impending suicide; the knowing that a special project was due for a date after the mutual suicide, the fact that they were slowly saying goodbye to family members and friends without being so obvious about it… It was damn heartbreaking. It makes a reader think “could I be able to see the signs if someone close to me was considering suicide?”."But the thing is, our project is due on April 10, so in the end it doesn’t matter. I’ll be gone before we have to turn it in."This book is beautifully written. It’s easy to follow, and Aysel’s voice, even while being completely messed up and cynical, is compelling to say the least. I like how physics and classical music were integrated into the novel; it made it all the more interesting."Recently I’ve become so much more aware of the things we do that keep us alive- our inhales, our exhales, our heartbeats."I thought this would have been predictable YA mental illness disorder book, but I’m glad to have been wrong. I loved being surprised!My only complaint is that I wish I could have read from Roman’s POV as well. I don’t feel like we get to know him all that much through Aysel’s description.Overall I really recommend this book; it brought something different to an seemingly saturated genre about suicide. It was brilliantly written and Aysel and Roman are characters that'll stick with you even after finishing reading.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Aysel wants to die but she doesn't want to do it alone. Lurking in the darker corners of the internet she finds a website where suicidal people search for company in death. Two people meet to kill themselves together. Aysel finds a boy near her named Roman but once she gets to know him (because she wanted to make sure he wouldn't flake out on her last minute *and* to make arrangements about how they would do it) there seems to be something off about him. He's a popular kid, he used to be an athlete, he's a good student so why would he want to off himself? Aysel is a funny character of sorts. She does have a very dry sense of humor but I did puff a little at some of her quips here and there. It was charming in a sense. To be honest her reasons for suicide were kind of...I don't know how to describe it but when she expanded on her reasons I thought: *really?* But I was even more disappointed in Roman's reason. It was more heartbreaking but at the same time I felt like smacking the backside of his head. Of course I'd smack them both for having life ending thoughts but his was just ugh. I couldn't get over it.There was a big buildup for the final event but the journey there wasn't that compelling. The stakes never felt high and there wasn't anything that indicated either were going to off themselves like talking to the people they did know about hypothetical ifs, giving precious belongings away, pre-suicide self harm...I don't know. I can't recommend if you want to read based on what the summary says but it's still a good story and well written.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    it’s fine. in all honesty i don’t think i would recommend it though? i had no real emotional connection to aysel, and i honestly cared about roman much more. while i’m sure aysel was written to be a deep and emotionally complex character, i just was not a fan of her. roman poured his heart out about his issues to her and while she promised to tell him her reasons for considering suicide, it took her forever, as she kept backing out because she was too nervous.

    she was so closed off about her emotions that even the reader doesn’t know exactly what terrible thing her father has done until almost the very end of the book, which i just found frustrating. at that point i didn’t really care what he had done.

    i also was not a fan of how she first perceived roman. she assumed that since he supposedly had friends and was conventionally attractive, he had “no reason” to be suicidal. i know that the author does not think that way, but making the main character have that sort of inner dialogue really threw me off, and it made me a bit upset. aysel seems to think only people like her who are unpopular i guess (??) can be depressed.

    all in all just not my fav, lol.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    First, I am a high school English teacher...so I read a lot of young adult novels and deal with a lot of sad teenagers on a daily basis. Second, my review.This is a great read. So quick. So effortless. But, it is so sad. It hurts to read about this relationship that is based on the desire to die. The fact that this is geared towards a young adult audience makes me a bit concerned. The uplifting, wonderful message about how life is worth it and relationships are worth it is there, but you have to make it passed the first 200+ pages to get to that place. I could see a young person reading this book for the negativity in the first half and not allowing themselves to reflect on the ending.The other thing that I question slightly is that this basically turns into a love story, which gives a bit of a "you need to find love to be happy and not want to kill yourself" message. I feel like if this was a story about two friends helping each other without a romantic connection it may have felt more real and it would have even, possibly, had a more positive message.Overall, I really did like this book. I think that it will reach an audience that often needs to hear that life is ok.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I wanted to read My Heart and Other Black Holes because the issue of mental illness is one that I struggle with as well. I can relate with either how the character is feeling from times in my life where I have been in a similar state of mind. I think that suicide is so important to talk about instead of letting it be so mysterious. I think that the message that teens-- and anyone really-- getting help is possible, and that the after math for the family is catastrophic. I have been in the position of a daughter losing her dad to suicide as well as my best friend's husband who I was also college friends with taking his life. Both have effected me and I miss them both. Anyways, Aysel is a genuine and realistic character. The author has either experienced or did deep research because her depression is spot on. She has repetitive thoughts, she is down, and feels like it is something ingrained in her and that she can't fix it. Though her dad was arrested and she is on the outside of the social circles, she has never quite felt like she fit. She wonders if he passed anything to her, if the sadness was just the precursor to insanity and the murderer gene as she thinks of it. She is worried though that she would chicken out, and doesn't want to be a failed attempt at taking her life, ending up paralyzed or even more isolated than she was before. Which is why she finds a site with forums and one lets you get a suicide partner. I was curious about Roman from the start, and even though they don't even talk online at the beginning of the book, I wanted to know where his depression and tendencies come from. I aired the friendship that formed between her and Roman. They had a kinship and just accepted the other... weirdness, sadness, complicated pasts and all. Ayzel began to see that happiness can be changed. She was fascinated with physics and began to imagine that she could be great scientist in this life instead of theoretical possibilities. The way Roman saw her and the way she started seeing things from a new perspective . And with the possibility the sadness may not colour every day and experience. She wanted to help Roman see these things... the possibility, being able to look at guilt and deal with grief and live in a way that can honour bcc what he had lost. While I think that friends and support can be a huge help and motivation, I also appreciated that she realized the desire and drive to overcome or at least battle the sadness and hopelessness was ultimately a personal choice. The writing was gorgeous and flowed so well. I was flying through the pages and I wanted to know more, get deeper with the characters, find out their choices and how their past would effect them and how to make other choices. There was a bittersweet but hopeful ending and I appreciated the author note and the realistic way she wrote the story. Bottom Line: emotional, powerful, realistic with flawed but easy to relate to and pull for characters.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Aysel is ready to die. But then she realizes she needs help to do so so she finds a buddy online. Oddly, another book that has a suicidal girl and a physics theme (Falling Into Place) does this much better.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    At one point, mid-way through this book, my eyes started tearing up and I nearly cried. This is a truly touching novel about two teens who make a pact to commit suicide together. The descriptions of depression, the pain both main characters felt, and outlook on life were easy to relate to as well as realistic of someone experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts. At times this book was a tough read, but good nonetheless.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Kentucky USA: In einem Internetforum für Selbstmordpartnerlernt die türkischstämmige Aysel, deren Vater einen begnadeten Basketballspieler erschlagen hat, den depressiven Roman kennen. Roman fühlt sich schuldig am Todseiner jüngeren Schwester Maddie und sieht genau wie Ayselnur einen Ausweg: den Suizid. Beide Jugendliche planen innerhalb von 26 Tagen ihren gemeinsamen Freitod, doch bis es soweit ist lernen sie sich besser kennen. Plötzlich stellen sie fest, dass ihnen die Gesellschaft des anderen gut tut. Der Kreislauf aus Einsamkeit, Schuldgefühlen und Aggression scheint durchbrochen. Aysel und Roman machen sich auf den Weg, Aysels Vater im Gefängnis zu besuchen undentdecken beim gemeinsamen Campen die erotische Liebe, die allein das Leben wieder lebenswert macht. - Das Debüt der amerikanischen Autorin überzeugt nur teilweise. Die Charaktere wirken konstruiert; Aysel z.B. hat eine Schwächefür klassische Musik, insbesondere für Wagner und ist ein Physik-Nerd. Die Story wird dem Thema "Suizid und Depression" m.E. nicht ganz gerecht. Eine sensible Liebesgeschichte in fluffigem Cover ist es allemal.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    3.7 starts
    I flew through it. it was an easy quick read. I enjoyed it though doesn't surprising me, kinda predictable and cliché but I do like the message the author trying to convey.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This has always been my favorite book. As a neurodivergent peep, it's always hard for me to focus on the story is the voice actor doesn't nail each character and emotion. And i can confidently say, this is one of the best audio versions I've heard. Thank you for bringing my book to life.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: A suicidal romanceOpening Sentence: Music, especially classical music, especially Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D Minor, has kinetic energy.The Review:There was a lot of hype surrounding this book when it first released and although I didn’t get a chance to read it at the time, I’m so glad I received a review copy from DFT. Just so you know, it was hyped for good reason!The story is told from Aysel’s perspective, a young girl suffering from depression, wanting to kill herself but is in the search for a suicide partner for ‘moral support’. Aysel uses a suicide website (do such things exist???!!!) and meets her match; Roman, aka frozen robot. The story takes off from there and is a countdown until April 7th, their agreed ‘deathday’.A surge jolts through my bones and I vaguely remember that this is what excitement feels like. FrozenRobot has perfect timing. Maybe, for the first time in my life, I’m lucky. This must be a sign from the universe-if the only time you get lucky is when you’re planning your suicide, it’s definitely time to go.Even though the love story was predictable, I still enjoyed reading it. Neither teenager has any hope for the future but, ironically, by meeting their suicide partner they begin to experience living. It’s all about finding reasons to live that are stronger than the reasons to die.He looks over at me and my heart seizes and I think that any second, it might explode. Sometimes I wonder if my heart is like a black hole – it’s so dense that there’s no room for light, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still suck me in. I’m going to miss Mike the most. I’m going to miss him so much, I almost can’t stand it.Aysel has a very realistic way of describing depression, and she emphasises the ugly truth of it, like a black slug that sucks her happiness away. Her honesty and exposed feelings really hit home and helped the reader to try and comprehend why she’s so focused on dying.“You’re like a gray sky. You’re beautiful, even though you don’t want to be.”But he’s wrong. It’s not that I don’t want to be. But I never wanted to be beautiful because I was sad. FrozenRobot of all people should know that there is nothing beautiful or endearing or glamorous about sadness. Sadness is only ugly, and anyone who thinks otherwise doesn’t get it. I think what he means to say is that he and I are ugly in the same way and there’s something familiar, comfortable, about that. Comfortable is different from beautiful.I enjoyed this story more than I expected to because I’ve known people suffering from depression and I know first-hand that it’s an awful place to be. For someone to pull you out of that ‘black hole’ is near enough a miracle, and this story gives the reader that hope.As I pull out of the school parking lot, I make a promise to myself: I will be stronger than my sadness.In this tale, Aysel begins to imagine a positive future, but just because she’s started having second thoughts about committing suicide doesn’t necessarily mean that Roman feels the same. Aysel’s new mission is to try and turn Roman around, which is a very scary thought because you can only help someone willing to accept help.What I also liked about My Heart and Other Black Holes was that the story isn’t focused on Aysel wanting to live for Roman or vice versa. Aysel fights for herself and although it was because of Roman that her perspective changed, he’s not the sole reason for her decision. Her strength comes from the inside and the author is correct about it being a long road to recovery. The fundamental message that I hope everyone takes when reading this is that no matter how difficult and dark things may seem, it does get better if you only let yourself believe.Notable Scene:Yes, I’m broken. And yes, he’s broken. But the more we talk about it, the more we share our sadness, the more I start to believe that there could be a chance to fix us, a chance that we could save each other.Everything used to seem so final, inevitable, predestined. But now I’m starting to believe that life may have more surprises in store than I ever realized. Maybe it’s all relative, not just light and time like Einstein theorized, but everything. Like everything seems awful and unfixable until the universe shifts a little and the observation point is altered, and then suddenly, everything seems more bearable.FTC Advisory: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins provided me with a copy of My Heart and Other Black Holes. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    First of all, there can never be enough books about teenage depression and suicide. Adolescence is a painfully confusing time and books like this one help teens see that everybody's journey is unique and meaningful. That said, this book brought two relatable characters together with a common goal. Once you learn the characters back stories it seems almost too good to be true. It seems like it would never happen in real life because of how uniquely bad their situations are. That's the beauty of this book in my opinion. I feel like if I had either of their lives I would have been in such a darker place, but the fact that they manage to navigate a road to recovery is a very powerful message.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Enjoyed the read
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Aysel is depressed, mostly because of something her father did years ago, and not only how that affected Aysel’s family, but also what she thinks it means about her own future. Her mother has a new family that Aysel doesn’t really fit into, and she doesn’t seem to have friends at school, or enjoy her job. She loves physics, though, and often thinks about death in terms of physics - where will her energy go? Those aspects of the book were most interesting to me - what Aysel thought about when it came to killing herself. Except she doesn’t think she can do it alone, so she goes on a website to find a nearby suicide partner named Roman. When they meet, she’s surprised he’s going to kill himself, because he seems like a popular, well-liked guy. As Aysel and Roman learn more about each other, Aysel starts thinking about death in broader terms than just physics. The book is a really interesting way of writing about depressed and suicidal teens. It’s not all woe-is-me, nor is it sappy. It’s a well-balanced exploration of depressed teens and what they think is worth ending their lives over, and how lives can change.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Such an adorable book which such a dark meaning throughout. I still loved it