Reviews

The Heart is Not a Size by Beth Kephart

jbojkov's review against another edition

2.0

I really loved Undercover by this author (see my review here on Shelfari), but this one did not cast the same spell on me. The story of two best friends, each with their own secret problems and their mission trip to Mexico. Through the rigors of their work in the heat and amongst the poverty, they both come to realizations about themselves and the other. I thought this was a great idea, but just could not care enough about the characters or their relationships to stay interested. Honestly, I kept reading because I liked Undercover so much, I kept hoping I would get hooked.

tangerineteeth's review against another edition

4.0

Lovely and unpretentious YA novel about two best friends whose volunteer stint in a Mexican border town brings their long-forming tensions and private struggles to the surface. I was so compelled by the two girls, Riley and Georgia. Especially Riley. I wish we could have gone longer and deeper with them, yet I think the smaller frame of the story is probably the right size.

heykellyjensen's review against another edition

2.0

Part 1 gets a 2 and part 2 gets a 3, to average a solid 2.5.

Too much tell and not enough show. Sometimes pages worth. I needed more plot and more weight to the story. The subplots were underdeveloped and felt like filler rather than heart.

pkadams's review against another edition

3.0

Great book for teen girls who are trying to figure out who they are and what they want. It is especially good for girls who are self-aware enough about their motivations. During the story Georgia and her best friend since kindergarten travel on a volunteer trip after their junior year to Anapra Mexico to help build a bathroom while dealing with the teenage angst and challenging issues.

aprilbooksandwine's review against another edition

3.0

The Heart Is Not A Size by Beth Kephart is essentially a snapshot in time. Georgia, the main character, is a junior in high school. She's this husky, solid girl who is prone to panic attacks. One day she sees this flyer for a humanitarian trip to Juarez, Mexico. She decides going to Mexico will solve her problems. She then decides to drag her BFF, Riley along. Riley, has some inner demons of her own to battle.
Read the rest of my review here

hezann73's review against another edition

4.0

I'm not even going to try to describe it, but I thought it was lovely.

lucillemeeps's review against another edition

2.0

A group of teens go to an empoverished Mexican town to build a communal washroom. While there, they combat the regular teen issues (self-image, eating disorders, panic/anxiety) and learn about the different culture. The only thing was, there were so many different characters that I didn't really feel any emotional connection to the members of the group, other than the main three. And even with those, there wasn't much there. It seemed a little typical, and almost left off without a real ending. It took me a while to get into it, and even once I was 'into it' I wasn't all that fascinated.

anna_reads_too_much's review

3.0

I have very mixed feelings on this book. In some ways, I loved it. In others, I just really didn't like it at all.

I love how Kephart creates wonderful settings and characters. Both Georgia and Riley are amazing characters. They aren't fake characters - they have problems, and they aren't afraid to admit that. The one thing that I really love about Kephart's characters is that they aren't all perfect. They know that they have physical flaws, and personality flaws, and they don't think that they're perfect.

The only thing that I didn't really like about this book was how slow and forced it was. I couldn't get into the storyline until halfway through the book. And throughout the whole thing, the writing seemed forced. I don't know what it is about it, but it just didn't seem natural to me.

Overall, it's an amazing book if you can get past the forced writing and slow beginning. C+.