I’ve been a fan of Bethany Mangle’s books since debut and so I knew I had to read Conditions of a Heart. And I loved it! Talk about a book that made my heart so full. Keep reading this book review of Conditions of a Heart for my full thoughts.
Summary
Brynn Kwan is desperate for her high school persona to be real. That Brynn is head of the yearbook committee, the favorite for prom queen, and definitely not crumbling from a secret disability that’s rapidly wearing her down. If no one knows the truth about her condition, Brynn doesn’t have to worry about the pitying looks or accusations of being a faker that already destroyed her childhood friendships. She’s even willing to let go of her four-year relationship with her first love, Oliver, rather than reveal that a necessary surgery was the reason she ignored his existence for the entire summer.
But after Brynn tries to break up a fight at a pep rally and winds up barred from all her clubs and senior prom, she has nothing left to prop up her illusion of being just like everyone else. During a week-long suspension from school, she realizes that she doesn’t quite recognize the face in the mirror—and it’s not because of her black eye from the fight. With a healthy sister who simply doesn’t understand and a confused ex-boyfriend who won’t just take a hint and go away like a normal human being , Brynn begins to wonder if it’s possible to reinvent her world by being the person she thought no one herself.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Conditions of a Heart is heartfelt and tender. It’s a book that examines disability and illness in a ‘post’ COVID world especially for teens. It’s a book that explores the ways our outlook changes. The images and treatments of others and how it impacts how we see ourselves. Brynn’s story explores how those who are disabled, chronically ill, or vulnerable to sickness have, in many ways, been left behind by society’s desire to rush back to ‘normal’. This quote I think sums it up so perfectly, “afraid for us, afraid of us, and afraid to become us”.
How there are some who just want to forget, to move ‘past it’, but for many their worlds have been changed and they can never go back. This new ‘normal’ is still dangerous. It also examines the ways doctors are not knowledgeable enough about Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and how they don’t listen to patients. Conditions of a Heart is, in many ways, about Brynn exploring her own perception of herself, her future, and her life approach. With good days and bad days, with the feeling she can’t count on her body, does she just ran towards the end of the tunnel trying to outrun the bad days?
At the same time, Conditions of a Heart is swoony and character driven. I love a good forced prozimity, exes and second chances. Not to mention, Brynn’s family is an amazing host of side characters. Overall, Conditions of a Heart is a winner. It’s about who we are under our illusions, the masks we put on to get through the day, and the partitions in our life we choose to let go of when we embrace who we are.
Book links:
About the Author
Bethany Mangle is the author of the Prepped, All the Right Reasons, and Conditions of a Heart. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys spoiling her dogs, playing video games, and spending time with her unbearably nerdy husband. She moves too much to put a location in her bio ever again.
Author Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19831288.Bethany_Mangle
Website: https://www.bethanymangle.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/bethanymangle
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bethanymangle
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