Hummingbird Heart

CM Magazine

"A well-written exploration of complex family relationships...Hummingbird Heart will appeal to teenagers who like realistic drama, and the novel may be useful to parents or teachers who want to start a discussion about teenage sex, pregnancy or drug use."

A Gemini's Gems blog

"A well-written story about a teenager being forced to confront questions about her past, her family, her relationships and her very identity. Dylan is a well-developed, realistic character and teens will be able to relate to her dilemma. Highly recommended."

Southwest Ohio and Neighboring Libraries (SWON)

"Stevenson captures the true spirit of Dylan's anger toward both her mother and her father, and the situation in which both parents have placed her...While the issues breeched in this novel are complex and deep, Hummingbird Heart remains an enjoyable read."

CanLit for Little Canadians blog

"Stevenson takes Hummingbird Heart from just a mirror of a young girl's attempt to understand others as well as herself to a piece of artwork, extensive and colourful, deep and enduring, of choices, wonderful or humiliating, like a tattoo, hummingbird or otherwise."

Tri State YA Book Review Committee

"A very valuable book because of the author's honesty in portraying the teen dynamics with friends and families...Highly recommended for inclusion in any high school or public library collection."

Resource Links

"A beautifully told story...Dylan is not a perfect character, which makes her easily relatable for any teenager...Recommended for anyone who likes a good dramatic coming of age story."

Booklist

"The tension this creates between Dylan and her mother is brutal and realistic. Like many teens, Dylan has found emotional safety in keeping distant from others, judging before she can be judged. As Dylan comes out of her shell, she realizes her own power and responsibility in setting the terms of her relationships...Teens who were intrigued with the family drama in Sara Zarr's How to Save a Life (2011) or Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper (2004) will find similarly thought-provoking issues here."

VOYA - Kristi Sadowski

Dylan has never met her father; he has never wanted anything to do with her. When he calls shortly after her sixteenth birthday and wants to meet her, Dylan has one decision after another to make. But her father's reappearance is not quite the reunion for which she was hoping. It turns out that his four-year-old daughter has cancer, and he and his wife want Dylan to be a bone marrow donor. Even worse, she learns that her mother never told her father when Dylan was born—she had been lying for years. Hummingbird Heart is fast-paced and sure to keep readers interested once they pick up this book. The adult role models in this book are lacking—smoking pot, getting drunk, and lying on a regular basis. Dylan's personal life is a shambles, and she makes some pretty bad decisions with her friends, family, and first boyfriend. This makes her a bit of an unsympathetic character. The consequences she faces for these decisions are not representative of her actions; however, this is a perfect book for discussion and the topic will appeal to teen readers. Reviewer: Kristi Sadowski

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—Dylan, 16, has tried to reach out to the father she never met for eight years-or so she thought. When he reaches out to her for a serious favor, her life as she knew it falls into a tailspin. She discovers that her mother never sent annual photos to him as she believed, causing Dylan to question what else her mother has lied about, and her father reveals she has a four-year-old half sister who is dying of cancer. At the same time, Dylan is forced to reevaluate her relationship with her best friend, Toni, who may be pregnant, and decide how far she'll go with Jax, an attractive boy with a shady reputation. The drama in environmentally conscious Dylan's life is paralleled to global disaster. Vividly descriptive language enriches the story—air "full of the thick sour smell of unsaid things" and "corrosive fear." A raw and honest tone runs through the novel; when deciding whether or not to get tested as a bone-marrow match for her ailing half sister, Dylan pauses to wonder if she'd get to see her father more if Casey did die. The book can be described as a blending of Leslie Connor's Waiting for Normal (HarperCollins, 2008) and Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper (Atria, 2004). Teens will relate to the themes of family, love, trust, and moral obligation. Discussion of abortion, sex, teen pregnancy, alcoholism, underage drinking, and smoking marijuana are included, and under the surface this page-turner invites readers to reflect on decision-making and appreciate the fact that actions have deep consequences—Nicole Knott, Watertown High School, CT

Children's Literature - Annie Laura Smith

Through the actions of Dylan Jarvis's dysfunctional family, the story addresses the dynamics of family, love, and responsibility. Sixteen-year-old Dylan seeks to make contact with her father, Mark Wheatcroft (an Ontario lawyer), whom she has never met. She must deal with her feelings of abandonment, and the sense that she feels her mother, Amanda, has been lying about her father. When he finally does contact her, it is for a personal need for his new family. How can she resolve her feelings when the only contact from her father is for his ?need' and not from his ?love'? The dysfunctional relationships are shown in a realistic tone by the author. The story also provides teaching moments about teenage sex, pregnancy, abortion, and alcohol and drug use. The reader follows Dylan as she tries to piece together her heritage and her real identity through the interactions with her mother, father, and his new family. Reviewer: Annie Laura Smith