I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow Published by HarperTeen on 11/1/22
Genres: Contemporary, LGBT, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 380
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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It all starts when Shani runs into May. Like, literally. With her mom’s Subaru.
Attempted vehicular manslaughter was not part of Shani’s plan. She was supposed to be focusing on her monthlong paleoichthyology internship. She was going to spend all her time thinking about dead fish and not at all about how she was unceremoniously dumped days before winter break.
It could be going better.
But when a dog-walking gig puts her back in May’s path, the fossils she’s meant to be diligently studying are pushed to the side—along with the breakup.
Then they’re snowed in together on Christmas Eve. As things start to feel more serious, though, Shani’s hurt over her ex-girlfriend’s rejection comes rushing back. Is she ready to try a committed relationship again, or is she okay with this just being a passing winter fling?
Short and Sweet Review
During the holiday season, Shani decides to take an internship analyzing fish fossils for a month in DC. While making the drive with her mom to DC her mom accidentally hits a girl with her car. Shani and her mom drive away like it was nothing and the girl walks away. Shani ends up taking a dog walking gig and she runs back into the girl her mom hit with the car, May. Shani and May get closer and they even get snowed in on Christmas. Shani wants to make this work but she isn’t so sure especially because she was just broken up with.
This book starts off with our main character Shani arguing with her mom, which is why mom couldn’t keep her eyes on the road and ended up hitting May. Our first introduction to Shani put a bad taste in my mouth from that moment on I had a problem with her. I found Shani to be incredibly rude, to her mom, and just the way she responds to people. When May sees Shani again she isn’t exactly thrilled, because of the whole car thing. The two start walking May’s dog together and start to hit it off, so much so that even at her internship Shani isn’t doing her job she’s just texting the day away. As I mentioned before Shani wants to be with May, but her last relationship left her with some trauma when it comes to having sex. Shani isn’t completely sure but I feel like the book was hinting at her being raped so here’s your warning this is talked about towards the end of the book. I feel like Hanukkah was mentioned because both characters are Jewish but we never got to lean into that aspect, so don’t expect much from that.
I thought this would be a cute book to read during the holiday season but I was wrong. I talk about Shani being rude but quite frankly so is May, but we see much more of it from Shani because we only get her point of view. I don’t think either character was fleshed out and the plot was very predictable. I’m only giving it two stars because of the cute dog and Shani’s mentor who basically told her to get her shit together.
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