Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Our Chemical Hearts

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
John Green meets Rainbow Rowell in this irresistible story of first love, broken hearts, and the golden seams that put them back together again.
 
Henry Page has never been in love. He fancies himself a hopeless romantic, but the slo-mo, heart palpitating, can't-eat-can't-sleep kind of love that he's been hoping for just hasn't been in the cards for him—at least not yet. Instead, he's been happy to focus on his grades, on getting into a semi-decent college and finally becoming editor of his school newspaper. Then Grace Town walks into his first period class on the third Tuesday of senior year and he knows everything's about to change.
 
Grace isn't who Henry pictured as his dream girl—she walks with a cane, wears oversized boys' clothes, and rarely seems to shower. But when Grace and Henry are both chosen to edit the school paper, he quickly finds himself falling for her. It's obvious there's something broken about Grace, but it seems to make her even more beautiful to Henry, and he wants nothing more than to help her put the pieces back together again. And yet, this isn't your average story of boy meets girl. Krystal Sutherland's brilliant debut is equal parts wit and heartbreak, a potent reminder of the bittersweet bliss that is first love.
  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Levels

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 1, 2016
      Anyone who has felt the ache of first love will relate to Henry Page, a bookish high school senior unexpectedly swept off his feet. Henry, who has never had a girlfriend, isn’t immediately attracted to new student Grace Town, who enters the school with a conspicuous limp, “dressed head to toe in guys’ clothing” (“I’d seen junkies that looked in better shape than she did that morning,” Henry says). Yet after Grace and Henry are asked to co-edit the school newspaper, his interest in her grows, fueled by Grace’s on-again-off-again flirting. As romance blossoms, secrets about Grace’s past and current situation emerge, and Henry begins to think that Grace may be beyond his help. Eloquently conveying the complexity of love and grief, debut novelist Sutherland creates a story filled with intriguing and memorable characters. Henry’s quirky friends, dry-witted parents, and rebel-turned-neuroscientist sister (who offers sage advice on matters of the heart) add touches of brightness to this dark romance. Ages 14–up. Agent: Catherine Drayton, Inkwell Management.

    • Kirkus

      Two teenagers suffer through their first heartbreak.Henry Page has spent his high school years with his nose to the grindstone, avoiding romantic relationships and focusing on becoming the editor of the school paper. At the start of his senior year Henry is offered the job, but there's a catch: transfer student Grace Town is offered the gig as well, making the two white teens co-editors. Sparks fly as Henry works with the aloof, unkempt new girl, who walks with a cane. As Henry and Grace grow closer, Henry falls deeper for her even as he learns just how broken she is. In her debut, Sutherland mixes her love story with equal parts hope and ominous dread. There is never any doubt that this couple is marching toward romantic oblivion, but it's an effectively drawn journey. The characters speak with a John Green-esque voice, but they are never overbearingly precocious. Narrator Henry's a smartly rendered character, a decent kid who has goals and works hard to achieve them. His new goal is Grace's affection, and the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object that is Grace's emotional unavailability provides the novel some of its sharpest moments. When the walls tumble down, the connection between the two is clearly an unhealthy one, and the author pulls no punches, devastating Henry, Grace, and readers in equal measure. An emotionally engaging and draining debut. (Fiction. 12-16) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • School Library Journal

      August 1, 2016

      Gr 9 Up-Henry Page always thought love would be simple, and then he meets transfer student Grace Town. Grace is a mystery, with her pronounced limp, unflattering boys' clothes, and penchant for intense poetry. When she is recruited to be an editor of the school newspaper, which Henry is finally helming, life gets complicated very quickly. Intrigued by Grace's intelligence and her bizarre behavior, the protagonist is soon way over his head in a relationship that is, by turns, disturbing, charming, and eerily romantic. He tries to unravel Grace's story while surrounded by his family and friends, who are quirky in ways that are mostly delightful and occasionally annoying. There are Henry's oddball parents, his brilliant older sister (formerly an infamous juvenile delinquent), and his best friends Lola and Murray. A heartsick Australian Romeo whose antics provide some comic relief, Murray never becomes more than a sight gag; Lola, however, infuses the book with knowing dialogue and a fair amount of heart. The ups and downs of Henry and Grace's relationship will give students a genuine portrait of what it is like to be drawn to someone who may not be good for you but who will teach you something about yourself and others. VERDICT Despite occasional false notes, this book delves far deeper than the typical high school romance, and its savvy wordplay and Henry's self-deprecating charm will win over fans of Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower and John Green's The Fault in Our Stars.-Sara Scribner, Athens Academy, GA

      Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Kirkus

      August 1, 2016
      Two teenagers suffer through their first heartbreak.Henry Page has spent his high school years with his nose to the grindstone, avoiding romantic relationships and focusing on becoming the editor of the school paper. At the start of his senior year Henry is offered the job, but theres a catch: transfer student Grace Town is offered the gig as well, making the two white teens co-editors. Sparks fly as Henry works with the aloof, unkempt new girl, who walks with a cane. As Henry and Grace grow closer, Henry falls deeper for her even as he learns just how broken she is. In her debut, Sutherland mixes her love story with equal parts hope and ominous dread. There is never any doubt that this couple is marching toward romantic oblivion, but its an effectively drawn journey. The characters speak with a John Greenesque voice, but they are never overbearingly precocious. Narrator Henrys a smartly rendered character, a decent kid who has goals and works hard to achieve them. His new goal is Graces affection, and the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object that is Graces emotional unavailability provides the novel some of its sharpest moments. When the walls tumble down, the connection between the two is clearly an unhealthy one, and the author pulls no punches, devastating Henry, Grace, and readers in equal measure. An emotionally engaging and draining debut. (Fiction. 12-16)

      COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Books+Publishing

      July 11, 2016
      When Henry Page meets Grace Town it’s not exactly love at first sight, but he is immediately drawn to her. Grace is beautiful and damaged and mysterious—she walks with a pronounced limp, wears ill-fitting men’s clothes and disappears every afternoon after school. Henry develops intense feelings for her, but as he starts to learn more about Grace, he can’t tell if he’s falling in love with who she is or who he wants her to be. On plot alone, Our Chemical Hearts could seem too over the top or dramatic. But it is saved by Krystal Sutherland’s writing, which is clean and youthful. It also helps that the characters—not just Henry and Grace, but Henry’s best friends Lola and Mac—are deeply suspicious of the kinds of soap-opera romance that seems to be unfolding between Grace and Henry. The relationship between Henry and his friends also steers the story away from being just a standard romance, and Sutherland opts for a refreshingly realistic ending. Our Chemical Hearts is an easy book to lose yourself in, with plenty of drama to catch your heart and an entertaining cast of characters. Bec Kavanagh is a Melbourne-based writer, reviewer and schools coordinator for the Stella Prize

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:5.9
  • Lexile® Measure:900
  • Interest Level:9-12(UG)
  • Text Difficulty:4-5

Loading