CONDITIONS OF A HEART, by Bethany Mangle, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Feb. 20, 2024, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
A teen must come to terms with her disability and what it means for her future in Conditions of a Heart, a YA novel by Bethany Mangle.
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 wanted: herself. —Synopsis provided by Margaret K. McElderry Books
It takes a while to get into Conditions of a Heart. This comes in part because some of the key elements aren’t immediately explained, but if you stick with it, you’ll be greatly rewarded. It’s a book I read late into the night with some tears running down my face.
Author Bethany Mangle artfully captures the emotions involved with both living with a disability and living with someone who has a disability. Brynn’s anguish is palpable, and the uncertainty she faces makes planning for the future near impossible.
Conditions of a Heart is not an easy read, but it’s a heartfelt one. Brynn’s relationships — with her friends, her sister, her ex-boyfriend, her mom and her dad — are at the heart of the story. While all are complex and well explored, it’s the one with her dad that makes the book sing.
Conditions of a Heart is a strong YA novel full of love and friendship.
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