Chloe’s senior year is right on track until she collapses and ends up with a heart transplant.

Nine months later, life is different. Summer school with underachievers. A compulsion to surf. Dreams that feel too real. Recognizing strangers. Memories she didn’t have before. What’s going on?

This book has so much heart! damaged heart, heart transplant, heart tattoos, songs about heart, mystery heart donor, broken hearts, healed hearts, and best of all characters with heart.

All this wrapped up in a story that’s smart and extremely well told.

Hand this to students who love AS King, Nicola Yoon, Meg Medina, Andrew Smith, John Green.

This story had potential - the author did a great job at portraying what it’s like to get a critical health diagnosis and the waves of emotions and events that come with that. The plot twist in the end? Was just not believable and left me disappointed.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick for the ARC copy. This story has a lot of heart, pun-intended. Chloe, a stellar high-school athlete, collapses and finds out she needs a new heart. After her transplant, she starts having night terrors and seeing things she has never physically seen before. She realizes she has received more than just the donor’s heart. The book premise is interesting and the plot is well thought out. The writing style itself didn’t quite grip me as I had hoped it would, but it is easy to read and conversational.

At first, I was slightly taken aback because of how little the book explained about the before-the-transplant stage: one moment Chloe was completely fine running with her friend, then the next moment she had already gone through surgery and six months had already passed. We do get some info about her recovery and how she is coping with her new heart, but I was expecting to see more of her exact feelings as she went through those changes rather than being told about it.

Despite this, the story quickly picked up and became entertaining, more profound and undeniably engrossing. Chloe's personality was really enjoyable, and the things she experienced, her struggles, her own self-discovery and seeing her relate to the other characters around her was very refreshing, fun, and made me reflect on my own life and relationships in ways that only stories like this could.

Even though there is a "magical" or paranormal component to it, the novel deals with realistic themes, and the author's writing, which is simple yet efficient to convey emotions, makes this a compelling, gripping read. It made me happy through and through.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Seventeen year old Chloe receives a heart. She begins to have memories she shouldn't. She has flash backs and greatest urge to learn to surf. Her parents become super protective leaving her to surf in secret with a young man she later discovers was her donor. What's real, what's not? Story of courage. Story you want to finish.

Ugh such a touching book! This one really made me think and tugged on my heartstrings, no pun intended! Takaoka did a fantastic job and I cannot wait to read her other works!

Thank you NetGalley for an eArc in exchange of an honest review!

My rating: 5*

Chloe Russell is your somewhat normal teenager who hopes to get good grades and study at a top-tier college.
She’s a perfectionist and believes anything is possible with a flawless plan. What she does not expect though, is for her to collapse during her cross country practice.
After getting to know about a genetic defect in her heart and that she needs a new heart in order to carry on living, her plans are all laid to waste.
Eight months after having a successful transplant and being stuck in summer school with underachievers, Chloe, takes on a strange interest in surfing. Something she was never interested in before her transplant.
After waking up to strange and vivid nightmares, remembering things that never happened during her life time, memories she doesn’t recognize. Chloe starts questioning her sanity as everything starts to seem disoriented.


What I liked:

How is it even possible for a book to seem like it would be yet another typical YA novel, but turn out to be something incredibly phenomenal instead? Something that I never in my wildest dream thought would happen?

This book. It has my heart in tatters.
I’m so overwhelmed by everything. EVERY SINGLE THING this book put me through.

To start off, this book IS strange.
It’s so strange that even when you reach the last page, you still wouldn’t know what the heck happened.
With a writing that’s benignly straight forward, the concept of this book is way beyond my brains capabilities to understand certain things that are only theoretical till date.

Although it was definitely something that makes no sense or whatsoever and simultaneously a difficult book to love, I still loved this deeply and wholly.
And it’s definitely something everyone should read.

**Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-book in exchange for an honest review**
"Everything I Thought I Knew" by Shannon Takaoka tells the story of Chloe, a highschool senior, after her heart unexpectedly fails and she gets a transplant.
I immediately fell in love with the writing, as it reminded me of "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson, which is one of my favourite books of all time, so it's no surprise that I also loved this book. I'd never really thought about the mental consequences to getting an organ transplant, but the way they were represented in this book made so much sense to me, especially the feeling of wanting to tear it out. It was the perfect timing for me to read this book, so if you're close to finishing highschool too I would recommend you pick this up immediately.
The only thing I was doubtful about was the way the book described the motorcycle riding, which (I'm not an expert) by the research I did was wrong, but this could be fixed in the final copy as it was a very minimal error.
I loved this book so much, and that is why I'm giving it 5/5 stars.

Everything I thought I knew by Shannon Takaoka one of the most difficult to review novels I have ever read. The more I think about this one, the less I know what to write, I loved this and hated it so deeply. All I am going to say, is if you read the blurb and it sounds like something you would enjoy pick it up, as you may enjoy it, and even if you don’t it will make you think.

I loved every page and finished this one in a few hours! I just couldn't put it down! This is what contemporary stories should be! Ones that make you fall for characters while also ripping out your heart. I loved Chloe's journey and how she felt so real. This debut is a real gem!

Es un libro realmente conmovedor y reflexivo que toca un tema delicado que definitivamente les tocará el corazón y la autora manejó muy bien el tema y su manera de relatarla fue fantástica. Te hace reemplantearte muchas cosas de la vida, la muerte y lo que realmente deseamos. Acompañar a Chloe durante su recorrido fue muy interesante.

Quantum physics and romance collide in Shannon Takaoka’s debut Teen/Young Adult novel, “Everything I Thought I Knew,” published October 13, 2020.

After collapsing at a track and field meet, Chloe is rushed into the hospital only to discover that she has a rare form of cardiomyopathy – Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (VRVD) – and has been put on the transplant list. Chloe, a Grade 12 student with more on her mind than anyone realizes, struggles to come to terms with what this means for her. Simply put, she doesn’t have time to press pause. She’s in Grade 12. After the transplant, a week before Christmas, Chloe begins to feel strange. She starts having auditory and visual hallucinations and memory issues. Like any 17-year-old, she Googles her symptoms and decides that she might have what’s termed as ‘cellular memory’ from the heart donor. With wide abandonment, Chloe’s life takes on new challenges as she decides to ‘take the road less travelled’ and use the new lease on life to discover who she really is. She gravitates towards all the things that the ‘old Chloe’ would never have tried: surfing, weed, speed, tattoos, flirting, and questionable friendships. Luckily for Chloe, she meets Kai who becomes her soul mate. Does she pick up the pace and graduate with her friends? Does she get her university applications in on time? Does she find a balance between the ‘old Chloe’ and the ‘new Chloe’? Does this behaviour have anything to do with the 'cellular memory' from her donor?

I loved Chloe right from page one. She walks the line between what she knows is right and what she wants to discover for herself. She questions everything. She wants to live life to the fullest. I appreciated the unique premise of this novel because readers get to see Chloe from different perspectives and see how she grows and navigates the stress of her final year of high school after having major derailment to her planned life.
Part self-discovery, part scientific mystery, you absolutely must read this thought-provoking novel that probes the issues around organ transplant and gives readers an insight into the struggles that teens face as they prepare to leave high school.

Thank you to Shannon Takaoka, Candlewick Press and Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am not certain whether words can do justice to the emotions this book evoked- to be honest I am not entirely sure even I know what I am feeling right now. "Everything I thought I knew" hit the right points and missed very few, leaving me smiling longingly with teary eyes.
Needless to say I finished it in one sitting and I will be revisiting this book in the future 😊
Even though it has the basic elements of a YA content, it reads as a well put-together and mature piece, with well-rounded characters, emotional depth and thought-provoking themes, leaning towards adult fiction with a touch of paranormal elements.
Shannon Takaoka expertly manages to explore the struggles of teenagers, the pains of growing up as well as the heartbreak of feeling left behind. After the surgery, Chloe has to come to terms with the fact that life went on without her, while having to deal with the weird feelings a stranger's heart inside her chest forces on her.
On her way to emotional as well as physical recovery, she matures emotionally and starts making dreams searching for inner peace once again. Kai, the ever mysterious and handsome surf-instructor adds the right amount of spice to the story and being one of the main characters, contributes significantly to Chloe's growth.
Even though I had predicted the ending halfway through the book (thus I was fairly prepared for what was to come) my heart still breaks just a little at the thought and this might just be the sole element I am skeptical towards- if not a little angry about 😐
Nevertheless, "Everything I thought I knew" was an enjoyable read, filled with ups and downs, blending heartbrake with sweetness, quirky dialogues with profound thoughts and was a refreshing break from the classic YA formula.
I am looking towards reading more books by Shannon Takaoka as she is a promising and talented writer.

Thanks to Candlewick for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The best part of this book was the fact that Kai likes The Oh Hellos. But now that I'm thinking about it, that whole scene was a plot device.

EVERYTHING I THOUGHT I KNEW was an interesting concept. Very similar to that of the movie Last Christmas, so it was very easy to guess the plot twist. It was a beautiful book, but I didn't really enjoy the execution.

Everything I Thought I Knew by Shannon Takaoka is an exceptional read that is emotionally wrenching, while at the same time being, ultimately, life affirming and beautiful.

Chloe is only seventeen when she collapses during track practice. When she consequently receives a heart transplant, it seems that she has been given a second chance at life, but she is all too aware that her second chance is the result of the lost life of her donor. As Chloe tries to adjust to her new normal, she is confused by recurring dreams and images of places and events that she knows she has never experienced, but yet seem so tangible and familiar. Chloe knows that she must learn the identity of her donor if she is ever to achieve synchronicity between her mind and body.

This is a powerful read that had me fully invested in Chloe's story from the very start. I would highly recommend it, and look forward to reading more from this author. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for this ARC.

This book exceeded my expectations.
I do not usually read YA contemporary and I was a bit reluctant jumping into the first chapters of this one as I was worried that the themes that came up would not be fully explored as it is common in the genre.

But this was well dealt. Shannon Takaoka definitely writes to look up and have on one's reading radar!
Organ donation is the main subject and all the feelings and experience of a 17-year old that gets a heart transplant goes in.

A beautiful read that made me quite emotional and definitely confirmed that I want to continue being pro organ donation.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Everything I Thought I Knew is a YA novel by Shannon Takaoka. What I enjoyed about this book is its outlook on life from someone's who had almost lost it and now has to live a different life she planned for herself while everyone else around her moves on.
It's sad yes, but it's also uplifting as she learns to live life through the new challenges she faces in her once perfect world and it's one of the reasons do like the character of Chloe, but she does have a lot of flaws. There were times where she was borderline annoying even.
Kai was someone I enjoyed reading about a lot more and his presence in the book is felt a lot more in the entire book compared to Chloe even though she's our main character.
The book starts off a bit slow for my taste and it took quite a while for us to move on from what happened ton Chloe's past and move on with what's more important in her present. Yes the events were the highlight of the story but being reminded of it again and again was maybe a bit unnecessary.
The plot twist at the end - I did enjoy it, and it was definitely something unique but the fact that it was an open ending makes me miss the closure I would have received after going through the process of reading the entire book.
Overall, I would recommend this book for its plot.

What makes us who we are? Do we actually have souls that exist apart from our flesh, blood and bones? Or are our personalities determines by the codes embedded in our DNA? Where do our thoughts and memories fit in?

Chloe is seventeen and she has everything figured out: work hard, get into a good college and life a good life. But then she collapses during cross-country practice her world is turned upside down. It’s her heart, the doctors say. She needs a new one or she will die. When all hope is lost and her heart is on the point of giving up, a heart transplant saves her life. She should be okay but after eight months she still feels weird. She is stuck in summer school with the underachievers while all her friends are preparing to go to college. Next to that the only thing she can think about is hitting the waves with her surfboard (something she never did before her transplant). She also has vivid recurring nightmares of a crash with a motorcycle and memories of people and places she doesn’t recognize. What is happening to her? Are this just strange dreams and hallucinations or is there more going on? Did she inherit more from her donor than just a heart?

Did I like this book? Yes I did! It has a lot of humour, friendship and romance, but also deals with loss, trauma, stress, anxiety and depression. A lot of heavy themes mixed with light ones. What I found most interesting was the science in this book. All the talk about cellular memory and multiple universes really got me thinking about what determines who we are? Our mind, our heart, our body? I don’t know the answer to that question but the fact that the book made me ask myself this question was incredible.

What I also really liked about this book was realistic approach of the author about college applications, the pressures young adults have to face, the competition among them to get to the best schools and to have the brightest future. And that one misstep or one obstacle on the way means you are kind of out of the race.
I also loved the writing. Shannon Takaoka’s writing style really kept me stuck to the story. I did not want to put down my phone because I needed to know what would happen next.

When I read other reviews of the book I saw that a lot of people loved the first 75% of the book and hated the ending. I did like the first half of the book more then the second half, but I didn’t hate the second half and the plot twist. I saw the plot-twist coming from miles away, but I wasn’t able to grasp the full extent of it so I actually ended up a little bit surprised (and confused).

Was it a perfect book? No, it was not. The ending left me with a lot of questions. I Loved and hated it at the same time so I’ll settle for ‘It could have been better, but overall I liked the book’. If you like a genre-bending YA contempory that makes you question your existence a bit and you don’t mind confusing endings with a few lose ends, I would highly recommend this one!

Three and a half heart <3 <3 <3 <

Strong 3.5 stars

If you like John Green's plots this novel might be for you.

"Everything I Thought I Knew" is definitely going to be one of those beloved YA books a year from now. Chloe is a likeable protagonist and her journey through first-love is unlike any other YA story I have read before. Her heart attack and subsequent heart transplant change her life in ways that she is both grateful for and hates completely.

The novel really lives up to the title and I can't say much more without spoiling the entire story.

The writing style is quite strong and easy to read. I would definitely classify it as a sad, summer read and look forward to hopefully watching this book become a YA classic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for allowing me to read a copy of this book for review. All opinions stated are my own.

The story is about a seventeen-year-old girl named Chloe, an only child, whose life was well planned before she collapsed during a cross-country practice and was informed that she needs a new heart. She had a successful heart transplant but was unable to graduate due to her surgery.

Eight months post-transplant, Chloe attended summer school to complete the requirements she needed to graduate. In summer school made a friend with a girl named Jane whom she confided about the strange things that are happening to her like recurring nightmares and memories of people and places she has no knowledge of. She also started to take interest in surfing which she was not so keen to do before her heart transplant. Then she met Kai, her surfing instructor...

The story was well-paced and interesting although there are some unexplained events in the plot that needs to be answered. It has a mixture of contemporary and sci-fi genres which I love and the ending was sort of an open-ended narrative for me. I also find it inspiring as well to know that life is so precious to take it for granted.

I thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. I will surely check out the future works of the author.