Laura Roppé

Heart Shaped Rock was a really cute story of teenage love. Our MC Shaynee is a sixteen year old girl who lost her mother to cancer. As a result of her grief, she believes she is broken beyond repair. She has isolated herself from most people at school (except for her best friend Tiffany and her boyfriend Kellan) because she doesn't like being on the receiving end of people's pity. She is tired of being viewed as the poor orphan girl whose mother died and it's gotten to a point where she just craves to be "normal" and have a "normal" interaction with someone who doesn't know her sob story. Shaynee is so consumed by her bereavement, her panic attacks and her sorrow, that she believes she is now without a heart and incapable of love. That is until she meets Dean, the motorcycle riding rocker who makes her realize that she can in fact fall in love.

Shaynee makes mistakes and sometimes handles things poorly but nobody's perfect and I believe that in the end, she has learned the lessons that needed to be learned.

I thoroughly enjoyed the songwriting too and once I was finished with the book, I went straight to the author's website. Listening to the actual songs was pretty awesome!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*… (plus d'informations)

I read an excerpt of this book on Such a Novel Idea book blog and I was hooked. I hate reading long reviews that give a full plot summary so I don't write those kinds of reviews. Instead I will tell you that this book explored the complexities of grief, family dynamics, first love, true friendship, and so much more. The story and characters were amazing and I was already reaching for the tissues at the 10 percent mark. There were two things I really loved about this book. First, it wasn't just a poignant story of grief...it was also an inspiring story of healing and the resiliency of the human spirit. Second, I loved that the author used music as both a method of emotional release and as a mechanism for healing. How many times have you heard a melody or listened to a song that resonated with you and seemed to express everything you're feeling better than words alone? I know music has been a saving grace for me more than once. I also thought the metaphor of the chimpanzees was brilliant (you will just have to read it to know what I mean)! In addition, the love story was so moving. I remember falling in love for the first time and I thought the author captured the essence of first love beautifully. I haven't read a book this emotionally charged in a while and I highly recommend to fans of Sea of Tranquility, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Sky is Everywhere.… (plus d'informations)

I read an excerpt of this book on Such a Novel Idea book blog and I was hooked. I hate reading long reviews that give a full plot summary so I don't write those kinds of reviews. Instead I will tell you that this book explored the complexities of grief, family dynamics, first love, true friendship, and so much more. The story and characters were amazing and I was already reaching for the tissues at the 10 percent mark. There were two things I really loved about this book. First, it wasn't just a poignant story of grief...it was also an inspiring story of healing and the resiliency of the human spirit. Second, I loved that the author used music as both a method of emotional release and as a mechanism for healing. How many times have you heard a melody or listened to a song that resonated with you and seemed to express everything you're feeling better than words alone? I know music has been a saving grace for me more than once. I also thought the metaphor of the chimpanzees was brilliant (you will just have to read it to know what I mean)! In addition, the love story was so moving. I remember falling in love for the first time and I thought the author captured the essence of first love beautifully. I haven't read a book this emotionally charged in a while and I highly recommend to fans of Sea of Tranquility, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Sky is Everywhere.… (plus d'informations)

Heart Shaped Rock by Laura Roppe
Wanted to read this book because of the cover, then I read the summary and knew I really wanted to read it.
Karen has died from cancer and her fight. Left behind are Michael-her husband who tries to hold it all together for the kids. Shaynee is now 16 and just gotten her first part time job and Lennox is just 11.
Karen has left them each a birthday gift and some don't want to open theirs. Michael opens his at the familys dinner the kids prepared and it's a picture album of their life.
They are all musically inclined, as was Karen. The book is told from Shaynee's view point and details not only her healing process but her father and brothers'.
Such heartache reading this as I've just lost my mother and just a few days ago my mother in law. Love the gift Shaynee is given and can totally relate to it. I searched through the cookbook I helped my MIL make with her recipes the day my husband took a day off to regroup and we worked together to create one of her recipes.
Meant so much to both of us. The gift she is given in the book is priceless and tells her how to heal and to help the others in the family. Such sound advice that I will use myself within the next month before we have the MIL celebration of life day.
Author also emailled me the songs that go along with the story-very inspiring as I also learning how to play the guitar.
I received this book from Early Reviewers Library Thing in exchange for my honest review.… (plus d'informations)