Our Chemical Hearts

by Krystal Sutherland

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780594756514
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	10/04/2016
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Krystal Sutherland was born and raised in Townsville, Australia, a place that has never experienced winter. Since then she's lived in Sydney, where she edited her university's student magazine; Amsterdam, where she worked as a foreign correspondent; and Hong Kong. She has no pets and no children, but is fond of naming inanimate objects: in the Netherlands she owned a Dutch bicycle called Kim Kardashian, and a small, inflatable velociraptor called Herbert. Our Chemical Hearts is her debut novel.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Our Chemical Hearts"
by .
Copyright © 2016 Krystal Sutherland.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Young Readers Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

08/01/2016
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. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Our Chemical Hearts:

Indies Introduce Summer 2016 Pick
Autumn 2016 Kids' Indie Next List – "Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers"

“The most romantic read of the season is an arguably anti-YA story… It’s the complex chemistry between Henry and Grace that touches the heart and doesn’t let go.”—USA Today

“The author pulls no punches… emotionally engaging.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Eloquently conveying the complexity of love and grief, debut novelist Sutherland creates a story filled with intriguing and memorable characters.”—Publishers Weekly

“This much-buzzed-about debut captures the messy, awkward, all-consuming emotions of a teen’s first love.”—Entertainment Weekly, Fall Books Preview

“Emotionally complex, funny, filled with well-realized and diverse characters and realistic motivations, Sutherland’s debut will stick with readers.”—Booklist

“This magnificent debut from 26-year-old Australian author Krystal Sutherland tracks the unlikely romance of Henry Page and Grace Town, two very different teens chosen to edit their high school paper together…You could probably learn a thing or two from [Henry’s] and Grace’s emotional odyssey.”—Teen Vogue, “October’s Best New YA Books”

 “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.”—School Library Journal

“Henry is surrounded by well-drawn friends and family, and Grace is a fascinating cipher, in a book that’s anything but a predictable romance.”—B&N Teen, “Most Anticipated October YA Books”

“I'm sorry to have to do this to you, but the love story of Henry and Grace is going to kick you in the emotional gut.”—Bustle, “Best New YA Novels Coming in October”

“Perhaps one of the most entertaining features of the novel is the irreverent and funny teen banter that masks their deeper feelings. Best of all, though, is the engaging story that unfolds at just the right pace, drawing the reader in as the stakes get higher and decisions must be made.”—VOYA

“Henry’s first language is clever, angst-driven wit, and this pair is as sharp and quippy as John Green’s Hazel and Gus … Fans of romance driven by stylized narration are the audience for this.”—BCCB

From the Publisher

08/01/2016
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

School Library Journal

2016-07-20
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)

Kirkus Reviews