A Matter of Heart

February 15, 2015
It all comes down to heart for one athlete. Abby is on top of the world. She routinely blows her competition out of the pool and is on the verge of qualifying for the Olympic trials at 16, thus fulfilling her father's thwarted dreams for himself. She's got her loyal best friend, Jen, and her handsome, easygoing boyfriend, Connor, both fellow swimmers. The only problem is Alec, whose questions about Connor's performance in the pool also extend to Abby. But then Abby gets dizzy and faints after a race. A doctor's visit reveals she has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that is often a cause of unexpected death in teen athletes. It's treatable with beta blockers-but Abby can't swim fast on the pills. And without the pills, she risks death every time she's in the pool. Abby makes all the expected mistakes as she comes to grips with her diagnosis, including offering sex to a no-longer-interested Connor. It will take time, support and love for Abby to figure out who she is without swimming. Dominy writes Abby's narration in the first person, giving readers a poolside view to her process; it's not flashy, but it works. All in all, this is a solid look at an elite athlete who gets benched: Only the juicing subplot underperforms, although it helps to define character motivations. An enjoyable read even for couch potatoes. (Fiction. 13-16)

March 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-Abby knows what she wants, and she is seconds away from achieving it: making the Olympic Trials in her premier event-the 100-meter freestyle. Weeks away from reaching her dream, she gets dizzy after a swim meet. Concerned, her coach wants her to get cleared by her doctor before he will let her swim again. Abby and her parents are shocked to learn that she has Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a medical condition that has been responsible for the loss of top high school athletes across the country. Abby and her parents each react differently after the doctor's diagnosis. Her mother incorrectly believes that her daughter's condition is fatal, her father is in denial, and Abby, knowing that she actually has a mild form that likely isn't terminal, decides not to give up on her goals. The teen continues to struggle with her decision to risk her life in order to achieve her dream. Even non-athletes will relate to Abby and her fight to attain a seemingly impossible aspiration. More than a sports novel, this book delves deep into issues of identity-how we identify ourselves separately from what we do well-and the importance of support systems while making life-altering decisions. VERDICT Give this to fans of Catherine Gilbert Murdock's "Dairy Queen" series (Houghton Harcourt, 2006).-Stephanie Charlefour, Wixom Public Library, MI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2015
Grades 8-11 Swimming is Abby's life. She is one of the best swimmers on the team, and if she continues on her current path, she has a shot at the Olympics. All of that changes one day after a race when she becomes light-headed and faints. A devastating diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy brings Abby's competitive swimming career to an abrupt end. Yet Abby doesn't know how to live without being a competitive swimmer: her best friend, her boyfriend, and her entire life revolve around the pool. She is not able to walk away from competitive swimming, even if that decision comes at the cost of her life. This engaging and fast-paced read expertly paints the world of high-school sports and the single-minded focus and commitment that some high-school athletes can have. Readers who play a sport, particularly those involved with swimming, will identify with Abby's dedication to the pool and the identity it gives her. Well suited for middle-school and early high-school readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)