Heart Sister by Michael Stewart is a poignant testimony to the power of connection to heal, and that learning to let go is an intensely personal thing. 

Emmit’s sister Minnie died in a tragic accident. Her death gave life/ health to eight others. You see, Minnie was an organ donor. In an effort to help his mother heal, Emmit decides to create a virtual reality film of Minnie ‘talking with’ each of her organ recipients. But to do that, he needs to track them down and those names are kept confidential.

Emmit’s idea was cute, and clever. I admired the creativity. His methods were another story. Patient information is classified for a reason, son! That, and the lengths he went in order to see his heart sister, creeped me out. Dude. Stalker much? There were plenty of times where he came off as pushy and selfish. I adored the little script and screenwriting notes that are interspersed through the chapters. It’s great insight into Emmit’s thinking and perception.

Out of all the recipients, I liked Danny the most. He just felt so open and genuine, and I felt bad for how Emmit mistreated him at times. Stewart did a marvelous job of breathing full life into Minnie. Despite only seeing her through Emmit’s memories, or as a VR recording, Minnie has depth and personality. I want to get to know her. She’s quirky, and sees the world in different ways. She practises taxidermy with cheek. Her room sounds creepy awesome. Minnie feels so real that it’s easy to forget she’s just an echo. Highly recommended!

***Many thanks to the author/ publisher for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.