Everything I Thought I Knew is an ambitious, genre-bending, unique young adult novel. I went into the book only knowing it was about a high school student who recently received a heart transplant, and expected a typical contemporary, coming of age story.
The story of struggling 17 years old Chloe whose life completely changes after she collapses her cross country practice and finds out she has rare heart disease and after her successful transplant she is not the same person who she was before because she doesn’t only get the donor’s heart but also the donor’s some special memories or abilities
Her life before the transplant and after the transplant feel like two different worlds. And her memory. The memory of riding a motorcycle, of playing fetch with a particular dog, of a man sitting at her bedside, of a home that she has never seen before. Chloe is an intelligent young woman. These memories did not exist before the heart transplant. Thus begins the true awakening of Chloe, the life she is now creating around her, and the start to a new beginning.
if you like YA contemporaries with genre-bending elements and don't mind slightly open/confusing endings- I would highly recommend this book! However, if you prefer your books to fall squarely into one box and wrap up neatly perhaps give this one a miss. I fell in the middle, but am definitely glad I read it!

I loved the majority of the book and really thought I was going to end up with a favorite. The ending left a lot to be desired.

I received this book free as an ARC from Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

Everything I Thought I Knew is a contemporary story about an academic and ambitious high school girl in America who has rigorously planned out her future. Until life throws her the curveball of a failing heart and a life changing surgery. College on hold, she feels like a very different person from going through all this and the academic life seems much less important with her friends moving on without her. Falling out of love with her old life, she finds solace in her new hobby, surfing (with the help of her fit surfing instructor), which she keeps a secret. But who's heart now beats in her chest and what of the strange nightmares and memories she sees? She has always believed in solid science, but now she might have to believe in something within her instead. Coming to terms with her new life and the guilt that someone else died to have her live, she must figure out what's going on in her head and figure out who she really is.

First off I really liked the message and themes in this story. It was interesting to see an academic obsessed girl come to terms with the idea that school isn't everything and there is more to life. Going in either extreme is never good, but you rarely see this side of things. This is such an important time of life for every teen and it was fun to see this characters life experience change her and her outlook. Big events like this happen to people all the time and it was good to see someone change but maybe for the better. This topic held lots of room for philosophical thoughts, moral questions and pondering over life, death and the universe. This book really leant into that and this characters personal journey of thoughts. I enjoyed a lot of the topics discussed and the journey the character took. It did go a little far sometimes drifting from the story and plot but I still liked what it was trying to convey. Less would have probably been more though and sometimes this wandering did slow down the pacing. Not all of the thoughts I enjoyed, especially when she wrote this essay about multiple universe theory. I see what this was saying about the character and her exploring more fantastical thoughts, but as a reader I didn't need to read an essay in this book and could have been cut right down to the basic idea that the character was exploring.

The surfing aspect of the book was one of my favourite things. I personally surf, so reading this was like being at home. The descriptions of surfing and the process seemed pretty accurate to me and was well written. Even if you are not clued into surfing I think you could really enjoy the atmosphere of this unfamiliar hobby and the beautiful writing that described it. This author really utilised the senses and conveyed such a feeling of peace, thrill and wholeness that surfing really does bring you. I can tell this author has probably surfed or at least has a love for the culture and sport. The writing was really beautiful throughout the book. It brought you into the story well and was very character driven.

This stories main plot was the idea of what is possible for a heart transplant and ideas of life and death. Can a dead person's memories be exchanged through a heart? Science says no, but documented accounts have really interesting cases of memories that shouldn't be possible. The kind of science that is really interesting to explore but completely unproven. That was an interesting thing to watch the main character process and I loved the talks on science vs what's real. Of course this book is completely fictional and verging on the side of impossible, but it was interesting to explore and not completely based of fiction.

Though I enjoyed the story it did have some negatives. The ending being the main one I had. The 'twist' was interesting but I don't think it was executed as well as it should have been. It was an interesting direction to take it but I felt the author hedged it and tried not to 'confirm' anything. This meant confusing the truth of what happened and leaving this weird 'was it, wasn't it?' ending that was confusing. It ends with the conclusion that yes, the theory that was being tantalised was true, however earlier it disproved itself trying to be mysterious. That seemed like a major plot hole to me and I'd rather the author been more clear and honest when the twist came to light and gone fully for that reveal, instead of confusing it for the sake of mystery. Once you reveal the twist it should be one shocking realization of the truth and not a back and forth. It weakened the twist significantly. It's hard to explain without spoiling it, but the ending left me a bit deflated.

Overall it was a nice character driven story with interesting topics to ponder/discuss and pleasant writing. Plus a great hobby experience. It wasn't a fast paced read or an action packed read, but if you like the morally philosophical ideas and character transformations, this was a great book. It had great themes of identity, life, science and friendship. Although the ending was a bit foggy I think this book had a lot to say and was a pleasant meander or journey to experience.

Firstly congratulations to the author with a solid debute. I can only imagine, what she will be able to write in the future.

And now, to my actual thoughts.

I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book, because not every day you can find a book like this for young adults. The story was intriguing and a real page turner, even thoug I have a feeling about the plot twist ( and I guest it corectly) it still made me emotional. I was rooting for Chloe and wished her all the best.
So you can ask me why I gave it 3 stars instead of 4 or even 5. Well, in my opinion, it could have been even better.
There were some parts, were our main character acted not even like teenager, but extremely rash and put not only her, but also others in danger and it was selfish of her. We have to be honest, she wasn't a best of friends there could be. I know she went through a troumatic event, but there are some boundaries of what you can do, when it includes other people.
Also there were parts with scientifik stuff and it was quite detaled, it didn't bother me and was quite interesting, but for those who are not that keen on things like these, it could have been boring.
And the main issue for me was the ending. I don't mind, that it was without some kind of closure, but the last few chapters was just too weird and unnecesery for the story.

Do I reccomend this book? Definitely.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Listening to it was a little different for me but I really enjoyed it.

Compelling story about a teenage girl and what happens when you make plans. I loved the character development and romantic interest, but the ending disappointed me a little. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, and I will definitely be on a lookout for new ones by Takaoka.

I really enjoyed this book and found the characters likeable. Chloe was really easy to like and I liked how she was struggling to fit in with being a transplant patient but also a teenager. It was also great to see Chloe struggling with friendships changing and feeling lost in that sense which is something we can all relate to. Kai was a great character and complimented Chloe perfectly. This book didn't go where I thought it would go and it kept me hanging on until the final page.

There were things I liked about this book and things that I didn't. I liked that it was somewhat of a mystery at times but I didn't like the way it ended. Without ruining it, I'll just say that I wish the theme of "cellular memory" would have been explored more or that it would have somehow ended in a twist that would have been somewhat believable. Because I teach K-8, I can't recommend it to students or use it in my classroom due to lots of underage drinking and poor choices made by the main character.

Everything I Thought I Knew centers around a 17 years-old Chloe who's about to finish her senior year with calculated plans ahead that she will enroll into a prestigious university--and on her way to pave a path for her dreamy job; a scientist. Little did she know, all plans she has invested since she first started schooling have gone down the drain when she is diagnosed with a heart defect; Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD).

Since the defect is killing her slowly, she needs to find a heart donor as soon as possible but luck seems on her side when she's been granted one via a heart transplant surgery. Going through a phase of recovery that has taken her months, ultimately, her big examination is delayed and there's no graduation held for her--the only option for her to continue her studies is by continuing in a summer school, a place that's normally for dropouts. Things change drastically to her dismay.

At this point, I think I can relate with Chloe especially when she's already planned her journey but things won't go in her way. Written from the first point of view, Chloe's contemplation in dealing with obstacles is crafted very well, almost falls into a typical young adult character but that's the truth anyway; you can't expect a girl whose plans have been fallen out suddenly regains back the strength to pursue what she's been dreaming of. It takes time, honestly, and during this healing time, she's been experiencing recurring dreams, the same dreams as if she's living in someone's life before. Curiosity is what leads her to do the surfing.

I'm not gonna lie that I love this book so much particularly when she has met a surfing instructor named Kai, no last name revealed but that's what the author intends to. A big plot twist can be detected from here on and I wished it's the opposite way. Their love is so innocent, not like a fling kind of love, and that's what I like about this book. A little bit of magical realism sprinkled in the last 30% of the story - which confuses me about how the story is executed and I understand most readers would find the ending unlikeable because it's ended in vague with some plot holes. However, to me, I like how it's ended. The impact of its ending stays with me, wired with melancholia and almost tangible enough to feel the perseverance, the void, and the reconciliation experienced by the protagonist itself. Overall, this is a good read. Bonus: if you're a Physic person you'll love this book to the core of how the author interweaves some words/situations with physics' concepts.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc.

3.5 Stars.

Chloe is a senior in high school, on the cross-country team and in the AP classes. It's fall and she's prepping her applications. She's made all the right academic and social moves to guarantee her admission to an amazing college of her own choosing, but a heart defect puts all her many and detailed plans on hold. Near Christmas she is saved by a donor heart, and we fast forward to the summer, because her recovery blotted out the majority of her senior spring and she is now in summer school to complete her courses and graduate. Chloe's friends are moving on, planning a summer of fun before they start college, and she's adrift. Nightmares claim her giving her glimpses of a tunnel and crash. Is this a memory of her own? Or one from her donor?

She's never made time for recreation, but she feels inexplicably called to the ocean, and surfing. She finds a private instructor and plans lessons for a time when she's supposed to be at the library. She also befriends Jane, another senior whose failed school because she just doesn't care. Her family life is broken and she's in need of attention however she can find it. Jane's a party girl and she doesn't mind bringing the staid Chloe on her adventures in San Francisco. But, most importantly, she begins to connect deeply with her surfing instructor, Kai, who has his own secrets.

Chloe's growing strength and independence lead her to reach out to her donor's family--who wants no contact. Seeking closure, and a reason behind the nightmares and memories that are not her own, causes Chloe to impinge on the privacy of the grieving, and alienate herself from those few people who have stood with her. It's a 180 from her "before" life, and it's in ways both empowering and self-destructive.

This story is like others written and reported from organ donors, of the liminal spaces between life and death, memory and experience. There are some odd and different twists here, and I think I struggled with the final reveal of Chloe's true donor. For me, it crossed boundaries that brought in the supernatural--which was beyond what the plot supported. I thought I was getting a romance with soul-searching, but once the twists started to unravel I couldn't shake the feeling those coincidental clues just didn't all add up. That's not to say it wasn't a good read. I think that it was, and there were lots of powerful and poignant moments of connection that teens and adults who like teen reads could appreciate. It's sex-innocent, though there are situations of excessive drinking and getting high, so I wouldn't call it "clean" per se. I recommend it with the caveat that end is not "happy" in the YA romance-sense though the resolution is complete.

I loved this book so so so much and I am not just saying this because I received the arc but truly and honestly I really enjoyed each and every word in the book. It was a very new-to-me plot by a new-to-me author. To be honest, I requested this book because I was intrigued by the cover and the book title. I like to dive into my books without knowing what it’s actually about. But I read the blurb provided so I was expecting so much from the book. And I am so happy that the story actually lived way above my expectations.
I was just so happy from the very beginning of the book. It had that pinch of thrill and excitement that kept me going and it did not end even after the book was finished. I am not at all joking if I say that I cannot erase the words of the book from my head. Firstly, it was a really quick read and so interesting that I really didn’t want to stop at any point. Secondly, it’s just amazing. I cannot say anything else about the book because I am literally in love with the author and her writing and the plot.
It is a complete package of trill, suspense, romance, tension and happiness. Some parts were just beyond imagination yet they felt real as if I want to just believe it does happen and it was so soothing. I actually cried the tears of happiness at the end of the book. As the story progress, there were some parts that gave an ache in my heart and I just wanted to end it there and then because I was so attached to the characters of the story. I could feel their pain and could experience every moment of the book. It was just so magical experience and there are not many books that make you feel this way and I am happy to say that I reviewed one of those beauties. It is a must read.

Title: Everything I Thought I Knew
Author: Shannon Takaoka
Genre: YA
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Seventeen-year-old Chloe had a plan: work hard, get good grades, and attend a top-tier college. But after she collapses during cross-country practice and is told that she needs a new heart, all her careful preparations are laid to waste.

Eight months after her transplant, everything is different. Stuck in summer school with the underachievers, all she wants to do now is grab her surfboard and hit the waves—which is strange, because she wasn’t interested in surfing before her transplant. (It doesn’t hurt that her instructor, Kai, is seriously good-looking.)

And that’s not all that’s strange. There’s also the vivid recurring nightmare about crashing a motorcycle in a tunnel and memories of people and places she doesn’t recognize.

Is there something wrong with her head now, too, or is there another explanation for what she’s experiencing?
As she searches for answers, and as her attraction to Kai intensifies, what she learns will lead her to question everything she thought she knew—about life, death, love, identity, and the true nature of reality.

Solid writing here. I was drawn into the story from the very first page and I cared about Chloe and what she was going through. I loved how she went from an uptight, Type-A person obsessed with grades, achievements, and getting into college to just…not so much. I loved seeing how things with Kai developed. But, the twist towards the end of the book ruined the whole thing for me. Twists are generally a good thing, but I really wasn’t a fan of this one.

Shannon Takaoka is from Pennsylvania but now lives in California. Everything I Thought I Knew is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 1/9.)

This is a fantastic YA novel. The cover is absolutely beautiful, and the plot caught my attention as soon as I read the synopsis. It's a very interesting book that had me hooked from the first page.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

Unexpected in a lot of ways. Throughout the book we're with Chloe who at 17 needed a heart transplant. After which life feels odd, everything she knew is altered or possibly something in her has.

It is a lovely take on what makes us who we are, the choices we make, the plans we set out for ourselves. It questions if who are is more of the connections we have or the ones we are meant to have.

I bargained for a more Sci-fi take on the premise than a lightly scientific book that is vague on the details of it all. Which is possibly my misunderstanding of the premise of the book not the intent of the author.

The pacing of it was an issue, the first half while building a foundation to the themes brought up, was very slow. Then, the later half was better paced and packed all the punches emotionally, felt rushed in a sense we are running out of pages.

Also, I wanted more from the ending, maybe not a happy ending but a more solid of an explanation. It is very heartfelt and emotional, especially the later half of it. The conversations it had and carried meant a lot to me.

I'll be definitely looking for the finished copy and the author's future work.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. 💕

Most of the times I know exactly why a book attracts me. It often has something to do with a specific element or trope but with this book, however, I truly don’t have a clue why I decided to read it. Of course, it has a beautiful cover and an interesting premise but I don’t know if it sounds as something I personally would read. But, well, I did! Something deep inside of me just told me I had to pick it up. Am I thankful for that feeling? Let’s find out!

“Here’s one of many things I thought I knew that turns out to be wrong: you need to fall in love to end up with a broken heart.”

First things first, have you read that quote that’s mentioned above? That’s the first line of this book. As in, I open this book and BOOM. Just like that, I knew I was gonna love this book.

But okay, the writing style was an aspect of this book I really enjoyed. I’m a sucker for lines that can really make you think about things, like the one I quoted already, and are casually scattered throughout the story. Shannon Takaoka handled these kinds of thing exceptionally well and I overall just ADORED her way of storytelling!

I would say this is a rather serious story though. It talks a lot about life and things like that and although I’m absolutely in love with those subjects, I know other readers would rather spend their time with a light, funny story. If you’re looking for something like that, this will probably not be for you but do remember that serious doesn’t have to mean depressing! Everything I thought I knew left me feeling hopeful and with new insights at life (and with tears in my eyes, but that’s just because I’m an emotional wreck).

But, after being so sure I was gonna love this story, I started feeling very hmmm about this book. I don’t know, the story was intriguing and the characters were interesting and nice to follow, but nothing really seemed to carry the story. I just felt like I was reading without knowing where it was going…in a bad way, that is.

So I kept on reading about Chloe and I really, really liked her story. It was unlike anything I had ever read and there was a great dynamic between Chloe and Kai and Chloe and Jane, but it just didn’t feel like enough. I just wanted more. At this point I was at 70% and pretty positive this was gonna be a 2-star read.

Two chapters after that, I was crying.

It weren’t just tears, I was in pain. This book took a turn and it just made up for everything in my opinion. The only problem I had with this story was that it felt pointless and then it got a very, very strong one. It’s definitely something you have to be into, but I was down for the way the story chose to go!

Of course there wasn’t a lot left at this point, but when I tell you I didn’t stop crying, I mean it. I stayed up late just to read this and then I couldn’t sleep because, well, I was crying a little bit. Either way, this was a rollercoaster to read for me. I was sure I was gonna love it, then I felt mehhh, and then I was crying.

But like I said, this book really gave me a new perspective in life and I loved the hopeful aspect of it. It broke my heart and mend it together again and I just straight up LOVED IT!

I’m definitely glad I picked this up because I honestly wouldn’t want to miss this amazing debut, and you don’t want to either! In my opinion more people need to read this so I definitely encourage you to do just that and give me all the updates when you’re a sobbing mess like me. If you’re wondering, writing this review made me think of the characters and I feel like crying again, so it definitely had an impact on me. This beautiful book gets a 4/5 from me! I’m already a fan of Shannon Takaoka!

Love,
Alissa

*Potential spoilers*

I am probably not in the target age range for this book, however, I found the writing and flow engaging and the characters interesting.

My only downside was that I wasn't expecting the level of 'fantasy' element in how the story wraps up, I was expecting a twist but not one of that style.

3.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Candlewick Press for a copy of the ARC in return for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read and review Everything I Thought I Knew by Shannon Takaoka!
Damn good book! Mind-blowing, thought-provoking, and beautiful.
Chloe has cardiac arrest while running during cross country practice. She’s always been healthy but the doctor found her heart defect after her heart attack. She’s placed on the transplant list and receives a heart on December 18th. Chloe’s life changed dramatically after her heart defect was found. She had good grades, college goals, and future plans. Now she has to attend summer school to catch up and, for some reason, she craves surfing. She buys a board and gets the phone number of a young man who gives lessons. His name is Kia. Chloe learns to surf and the two of them build a relationship together. She hunts down the donor of her heart and she questions everything she’s ever known. A magnificent story, 5 stars!

Title: Everything I Thought I Knew
Author: Shannon Takaoka
Pages: 320
Rating: ★★½

Chloe's world is turned upside down when she collapses at her cross country practice and is told she has a rare heart disease. Luckily, she gets a heart transplant pretty quickly and survives. But after the transplant, Chloe doesn't feel like herself anymore. It turns out the heart isn't the only thing her donor left her, they also left her with memories, needs, urges and skills she did not have before.

“Here's one of the many things I thought I knew that turns out to be wrong: you need to fall in love to end up with a broken heart.”

This is a tough one. It's been a while since I've read a book where I liked the first 75% of it, but disliked the rest. I feel like this definitely had potential to be at least a 4 star read for me, until that plot twist... But don't get me wrong, I did enjoy myself reading it and I did like many things about it, but I expected more from that ending.

Now, let's start with the things I did like. First off, Chloe learning to live her life again after the transplant: YES, I live for it! It was interesting to see what kind of effects a lifechanging event like that can have on a person and to see how she tries to cope and deal with everything that's happened. Second: the characters and their struggles in young adult life are written very realistically if you ask me (also really LOVED Kai and Jane). Third: I will admit the plot twist made me cry, so the book definitely moved me. I will also admit that I didn't see the twist coming so it did kind of hit me unexpectedly (hence the crying), so that's a plus.

“We are nothing but specks of dust that have settled,
ever so briefly, on the vast expanse of everything.
All it takes is a single cosmic breath to blow our way and we’re gone.”

So I guess it's time to address the dislikes now, and of course the #1 dislike for me was the plot twist. I know, I know, I just put it in the likes above, so why am I lying?! Well, I'm not. It turns outt that while reading the book, I did like the twist, even though it felt so familiar. After thinking about it for a while I realized this is exactly the same plot twist as a movie I saw this year (not gonna name which one, since that might be a spoiler). So yeah, that was a little (read: VERY) disappointing. A second thing that bothered me was how the story made it seem like the wait for a heart when you're on a transplant list isn't that long, because I can't help but think that's not how it would go in real life... But I guess it had to be grazed over faster for the story purposes. On top of all that, I'm left with a bunch of unanswered questions and I also wasn't really here for the whole "multitude of universes" thing they used here. The story just seemed to have a lot of inconstencies and plot holes near the end and it just made me annoyed because so many things were left unanswered. That's why I just can't give this book any more than 2,5 stars.

I don't like ending a review on a negative note, so I will add this: I look forward to reading more books by this author, because I did enjoy her storytelling and characters. Also, a lot of people seem to like the plot twist and the open(ish)/confusing ending, so you might too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

“I’m working on accepting
that there isn’t always an answer for everything,
no matter how hard I try to find it.”

I know this is a book I will come back to again. Like a painting where you see something new each time you look at it. It won't just be because I want to feel like I am on the water surfing with Chloe- which I do- but because I want to be surprised in the best way all over again. Really enjoying the little clues that flew over my head the first time. I loved Chloe right from the beginning- her voice, her humor, her perspective, and I liked the setting and the friendship themes. Highly recommend. Don't miss this book!

Chloe is 17. She is an outstanding student and has a penchant of turning everything she touches into gold.
Until one day, she collapses.
She is diagnosed with a rare heart condition and she must undergo heart transplant immediately.
When she wakes up, however, she is the same person physically, but mentally, she has changed.
This story tells how Chloe comes to terms with doing something so close to her heart but not her brain.

The premise is very interesting and I was expecting something out-of-the-world. I was disappointed.
Not that the book is not good, but sometimes I felt that the plot was stretched quite a bit to accommodate certain circumstances. The ending left me underwhelmed.

Overall, I'd rate a 3/5. Thanks to Netgalley and Candlewick Press for the ARC.