Every Borrowed Beat

By: Erin Stewart

Narrated by: Phoebe Strole

A 17-year-old girl receives a life-changing heart transplant--and uncovers the truth about her donor all while falling in love in a novel that's "alternately heart-wrenching and heartwarming" (Kirkus). A touching read for anyone seeking a story filled with hope and emotional depth.

What if the heart that saved your life also held the secrets of another's?

* "With its perfect blend of chronic illness representation, mental health exploration, and romance, this is sure to appeal to fans of books like John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars . . . a standout addition to the genre."--SLJ, starred review

Sydney Wells should have died. She was supposed to die.

She never expected, after years of waiting, to receive a heart transplant. Now, seventeen-year-old Sydney doesn’t know what to do with her life. Her daily routine consisted of staying indoors, eating heart-healthy foods, and posting about her transplant list experiences on TheWaitingList with her long-distance BFF (and heart failure buddy) Chloe.

Now, Sydney latches onto the one thing that gives her meaning: learning as much as she can about the person whose heart she inherited. After finding the family of her likely-donor, Mia, Sydney falls deep into her world—and may also be falling for Mia's best friend, Clayton.

But Sydney isn’t the only one hiding something. Mia’s brother Tanner won’t talk to Clayton, and Clayton won’t tell Sydney why. And hundreds of miles away, Chloe’s health has taken a turn for the worse. Sydney needs to face what’s in her heart—the truth, the guilt, and the future—before it’s too late.

Critic reviews

★ "[A]n incredibly emotional story....With its perfect blend of chronic illness representation, mental health exploration, and romance, this is sure to appeal to fans of books like John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars or Shannon Takaoka’s Everything I Thought I Knew; it’s a standout addition to the genre." —School Library Journal, starred review

"A luminous, brilliant meditation on living that will burrow deep into your heart and stay there. This is an emotional and riveting must-read and if you aren't already a fan of Erin Stewart, you will be after finishing Every Borrowed Beat." —Kathleen Glasgow, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces


"Stewart....poignantly explores the occasionally brutal realities of organ donation and transplant for patients and their families, particularly survivor’s guilt and grief....heart-wrenching and heartwarming." —Kirkus Reviews

"Readers looking for a poignant yet funny love story will find it here." —Booklist

"Stewart explores the experience of learning how to begin again in this sincere portrayal of life, loss, and first love." —Publishers Weekly

As a Heart Transplant Recipient, This Book Had Me in Tears

As a heart transplant patient, I’ve read so many books that tried to capture life after transplant, and most left me rolling my eyes — they felt forced, unrealistic, and missed the mark entirely. But Every Borrowed Beat by Erin Stewart was different. It felt raw, honest, and so incredibly real. I found myself crying more times than I can count because it put words to feelings I’ve struggled to explain, and it captured both the gratitude and the heaviness that come with a second chance at life. This book touched my heart in ways I didn’t expect, and I’m so grateful that it’s out for others can read and experience the feelings that I felt reading it!

Satisfying

When a Sydney, a teenage heart recipient, goes looking for her donor’s family, what could possibly go wrong?

Seventeen-year-old Sydney is a sympathetic, yet frustrating protagonist. She befriends the Clayton, the BFF of her donor by telling him she was friends with Mia, the girl whose heart Sydney decides she has. Sydney engages in typical teenage rebellion, which is problematic because she risks her health by taking her medication late, allowing herself to be around crowds and getting caught in the rain. Though she experienced believing she’d die, she’s immature socially.

Erin Stewart tells wonderful stories about teens experiencing health issues in a way that appeals to younger teen and even MG readers.