Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart

Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart

Tamsyn Murray,

Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart

Usborne, 2016

ISBN 9781474906500

11-14 Shortlist 2017

 

On this shortlist:

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out of 5
 

 

 

Who Wrote It?

Tamsyn was born in Cornwall in the Chinese Year of the Rat. This makes her charming, creative and curious (on a good day) but also selfish, restless and impatient (v. v. bad day).

After moving around a lot when she was growing up, she now lives in Hertfordshire with her husband, daughter and son. At least her body does. Her mind tends to prefer imaginary places and wanders off whenever it can but that’s not necessarily a bad thing in a writer.

Tamsyn writes everything from picture books to YA. She teaches City University's Writing for Children course in London. She loves hearing funny stories but advises people to be very careful what they say to her, especially if she has a pen in her hand...

What's It About?

Jonny has a faulty heart and his time is running out. Niamh has just lost her twin brother in a tragic accident. As their fates collide, soon Jonny is on the mend - but desperate to know more about his donor. When he tracks down Niamh, he only intends to find out about her brother, the first owner of his heart. He doesn't plan on falling in love...

A stunning, tear-jerking novel about grief, guilt, and the unpredictability of love.

Fact File

  • She was a strange child who believed Guy Fawkes lived in the attic outside her bedroom and that there was a flush monster in the toilet.
  • Her first pet was a hamster called Socks, who she promptly lost. He turned up two days later in her school bag.
  • She sings a lot and not only in the shower.
  • She used to manage a well known burger restaurant.
  • She helps schools make the most of their ICT systems, which isn’t as boring as it sounds. No, really. It isn’t.

To find out more about Tamsyn visit her website www.tamsynmurray.co.uk or follow her on Twitter: @TamsynTweetie

Your Reviews

David from The Co-operative Academy Of Leeds:

It's great how this book can make one book about 2 separate lives into 1.

David gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Troy from Leeds West Academy:

I didn't enjoy this book, For the pure reason that it was too predictable.I knew from the get go that someone was going to die in the End. While yes it was a good book it was too much like other books I have read like 'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Green. It had too much resemblances to the other books in this Genre. I think it did too much of a Job trying to make us Sad that we never got connected to the Characters. There For giving it a 1...

Troy gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 1 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Marika from Leeds West Academy:

For this book is heart wrenching. It made me bawl my eyes out

until they felt like sandpaper.

Couldn't put it down.

Kept me awake until 1am, unable to stop turning the page.

You should read this book if you like sad stories.

Only thing bad about it is sometimes it drags.

Underneath it all there are many layers of meaning.

Marika gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 4 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Kyle from Leeds west academy :

It was a great book. I was really amazed by the storyline and the characters. Thanks for taking the time to make this book, I am thankful to all the people that helped make the book, especially you Tamsyn Murray. I think you are a talented author.

I laughed at parts and almost cried at some.

Kyle gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Evie from Benton Park:

This was a touching real life book that refers to the current issues of transplantation and the donors. In this story a boy named Jonny and a girl named Niamh met through the situation of a transplant. Jonny has been waiting all his life for a heart with a girl named Emily, who has cancer. Together they fight for survival in the hospital until one day the odds are in Jonny's favour. After what seems like forever Jonny can leave the hospital and live a normal life but a question keeps tugging his brain- who's heart is this?

Overall one of the most inspiring and best books I have EVER read. I will definitely be recommending it to a lot of people. 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Evie gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Hannah from King James's school:

I normally don't immediately go for "romance" stories but I love books that have have relatable characters and i don't think that I have related to any of the characters in any of the other books on this list as much as I did to Niamh and Jonny.I myself am a massive fan of comic books manga and anime so I got all of the references Jonny made, I myself am often worrying about what I'm going to do with my life when I leave school and Helen reminded me a lot of my friend Tabbie who spoke very highly of this book I was very emotional when the book ended.

Hannah gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Josh from Bruntcliffe Academy:

it was a really a good book and I would recommend this to another person I like how it changes between the characters perspectives but they both link toghether

Josh gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 4 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

River from Royds :

I believe that this book had some interesting descriptions, it is, however, not my favourite of the books. I did not find it interesting, but I would recommend it to people who enjoy reading about people eventually achieving love.

River gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 3 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Maddie from Roundhay High School:

Wow! Instructions for a second hand heart had just what you need to create the perfect recipe for a five star book. There was romance friendship mystery and death all rolled into one. There were moments that made you want to laugh cry and just generally keep on reading. It also shows what life is really like and that not everyone leads the perfect lives and that one little fault in you isn't the end of the world.

Maddie gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Remade by Alex Scarrow.

Ella from Bruntcliffe Academy:

Although it is not usually my kind of book, this has really been a joy to read. The writing style is brilliant as well as original. I recommend this book to those lovers of The Fault In Our Stars. However, I don't recommend it to those who hate romances and depressing books

Ella gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 4 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Sam from Corpus Christi Catholic College:

This book should definitely not be judged by its cover, except for at the end. For the majority of the book, it tells the story of two teenagers. Leo, who was in desperate need of a heart transplant. And Niamph, whose brother died on a family holiday. It deals well with loss and how different people deal with it and how something good can always come out of it. Closer to the end it is more representative as its cover as it turns into a typical teenage love story. For me this ruined the book but I can see how it is fitting to be in the book.

Sam gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Remade by Alex Scarrow.

Teja from Cooperative academy of leeds:

The book was very heart felt and made me very gripped.

Teja gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

lizzy from bruncliffe :

This is the best book for me so fair it is very intresting and it was very upsetting as well.

lizzy gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

charlotte from bruntcliffe academy:

this book wAS VERY INTRE4STING AND I ENJOYED IT

charlotte gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

millie from bruntcliffe academy:

it was a very touching book and made me cry

millie gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Abraham from Corpus Christi Catholic College:

At the beginning I wasnt really expecting much but as I read further I realised how good the book actually was. This book showed things teenagers go through and I thought it was interesting as it showed Jonny adjusting to the teenage life. The book also shows how Niamh's family cope with grief. The author went in depth into the different characters making the book really amazing to read.

Abraham gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Remade by Alex Scarrow.

Emily from Corpus Christi Catholic Collage:

I really loved this book! It was all about sadness and heart break yet love and how an illness doesn't have to control your life and what you do. There was a very powerful message that came across in the book which is:" Don't let any illness get in the way of your life." A really amazing book definitely one of my favourites. 5/5

Emily gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Darya from Allerton Grange:

Instructions for a Second-hand heart is a fantastic book! I prefer books with more realistic genres, and this book was exactly my type of book. I usually tend not to read the chapter titles most of the time which was an issue later on... The chapter titles tell you which characters point of view it's from; therefore when you read it, you can easily follow along with the story and how the characters personally feel.

Overall, I believe that this is an immaculate book and I recommend it to people ages 10+.

Darya gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Jake from Royds:

AS two stories interwine, Jonny meets NIamh, Who form a bond so close it's like they're related. Little does NIamh know, the heart that keeps Jonny going is what makes them feel related. When secrets are uncovered and events happen, the only thing that can save them is each others love.

My favourite book so far and probably the one that i'll vote for.

Jake gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Icarus Show by Sally Christie.

piotr from bruntcliffe academy:

This book is all about romance , sadness and a journey through out lives. Read this book and be intrigued by the mystery which awaits you.

piotr gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Othinel from The ruthgorse academy:

I didn't enjoy this book as the themes were to complex for me to understand. chapter 4

Othinel gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

JUNAID from THE RUTH GORSE ACADEMY:

I PERSONALLY WASNT INTO THE BOOK AS I DIDNT LIKE ALL THE EMOTIONS OR OWT BUT I WOULD RECOMMENED THE BOOK TO OTHER PEOPLE WHO LIKE STUFF LIKE THIS...

JUNAID gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Misbah from The Co-Oprative Acadamy Leeds:

I loved tis book because it was just amazing. It was a little sad at the end but it was one of the best books I ever read. The pages just turned themselves!

Misbah gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Teja from The co-oprative Academy of leeds:

The book was sad but in a good way and it was very gripping.

Teja gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Tabbie from King James's School:

Don't wear makeup when you're reading this book. Because it will end up all over your face and mixed in with tears.

This book addresses some really hard hitting issues such as death or terminal illness, but it also deals with a large variety of issues that teenagers face all the time in normal life, such as having arguments with your friends.

The way that the book deals with grief is so truthful and relate able. It doesn't take the expected route of being devastated and instead shows Niamh hiding away from her grief and feeling guilty about the true feelings she has regarding her brothers death. It also shows her feeling that she can't tell anyone for fear of being judged.

Also,the love story between Niamh and Jonny was beautiful and so well told. You could understand exactly how both characters were feeling at all times throughout,and it made you feel the emotions that they were feeling.

Tabbie gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Remade by Alex Scarrow.

Gabrielle from Royds:

This book is interesting as it describes each chapter in detail as the book starts to come to life.However,this book could also be better as more language and structural techniques could be used in order to make this book even better.I would recommend this book to ten year old as it would challenge them to read more and up their reading age.I liked reading this book as it's something I would never of thought reading but enjoyed it.

Gabrielle gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 3 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Malaika from Allerton Grange School:

this book was amazing. It was quite confusing at the start with two different characters telling two different stories but towards the middle they connected to each other The story was quite sad but interesting as you got into the book!

Malaika gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Amelia from Ruth Gorse Academy:

I did not like this book, this it why I rated it two stars. It did not have things that I expected.

Amelia gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 2 out of 5 and now plans to read The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Alanis from THE RUTH GORSE ACCADEMY :

I enjoyed this book as it was my sort of book and it was very intriguing. Parts of this book I thought seemed really soppy . However it was good.

Alanis gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 4 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Maz from Ruthgorse:

I loved a lot of these books but this was on of my personal favorites because it is a love story

Maz gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Leah from Ruth Gorse :

This book was so touching and was really sad I really enjoyed

Leah gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Remade by Alex Scarrow.

Rookhsar from The Ruth Gorse Academy:

This book is all about romance , sadness and a journey through out lives. Read this book and be intrigued by the mystery which awaits you.

Rookhsar gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

anya from benton park :

this book was very intresting and i like it because its god loads of detale

anya gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Eli from Leeds West Academy:

I don't know where to start with this extraordinary book. The book itself had been so finely written and certain parts of this book made me laugh, cry and nevertheless intriguing me into the world of Niamh and Johnny. It is an amazing love story and some sections are very relatable like the thought track of Niamh and Johnny. I also love how the book has many solutions yet another problem is just sitting on the horizon. This book is one of the best books I have read and the first book that was over 300 pages that I read in just 3 days. I love how Murray made me feel like I was in the world and I thought it was very creative how two perspectives were shown that then interlocked. It's very heart-warming and would recommend to anyone who likes love stories and, to be frank, loves books in general. I am so happy that I had the chance to read this marvellous book that Tamsyn Murray put so much effort and research into making. I can tell you it was all worth it, every single second

Thanks, Tamsyn Murray. What an extraordinary author.

Eli gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Remade by Alex Scarrow.

Ellie from Leeds West Academy :

This book was amazing. I read it all in one day as it was just impossible to put down. Even though I almost cried at points it was brilliant and had loads of plot twists. Tamsyn Murray definitely knows how to right a fantastic book!

Ellie gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Remade by Alex Scarrow.

alicia from leeds east academy:

its a very good book that makes you feel what the person is. its very detailed with a lot of plot twists and turns. you really don't know what going to happen next

alicia gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Melissa from Leeds East Acadamy:

This is a very good book with twists and turns. Its a must read book. its so interesting and heart-breaking at the same time.

Melissa gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Icarus Show by Sally Christie.

Jake from Corpus Christi:

I loved this book!. it was amazing how the story was written and the emotion of the story was touching. At the end I cried and if you cry at the ending of an emotive story it's obviously good.

Jake gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Anna from Cardinal Hernan :

This was just one of the books that you can't put down. It had amazing characters and plot twists. It was heart breaking, amazing and the type of book that I enjoy reading.

Anna gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Helly from Royds:

This was a very nice book. It was very interesting book with an original idea and theme. I found it quite steady going and really sad as well. I liked the fact that the author had written in two different mind sets, as it really helped to understand the story. It was also really clever how both the people in the story were complete strangers and yet they became good friends. However, this wasn't really my kind of book as it was a bit too miserable and emotional. I still liked the story line, though. It was an okay book.

Helly gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Remade by Alex Scarrow.

Eli from Leeds West Academy:

I simply don't know where to start with this book. It's so interesting, funny, sad and overall extraordinary. Firstly, I absolutely loved that there was two points to the story and they soon started to clash; I thought it was genuinely creative and gave me a greater insight on the book and the messages that Tamsyn Murray was trying to convey to the audience. The plot was perfectly written and I found myself more intrigued as a problem was solved yet another one was ready on the horizon. This is not the sort of book you read one or two pages in a session, I read 50 pages in one session, 75 in the next and 200 pages to finish it off (3 days that was just me nestled in the book and to quote Jill Mansell's review, "I loved every minute"). It made me cry, made me laugh and the character's thought tracking was very relatable. I never thought in my life that I would be so interested in a book but Tamsyn Murray, alongside her brilliantly-shaped writing skills, proved me wrong. And as I read how much thought she put into her book and the research she made I can say, from the bottom of my heart, that it truly paid off. Thanks for making me laugh, cry and have an extraordinary time reading this book. What a great author you are.

Eli gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Remade by Alex Scarrow.

chloe from Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School:

the book had a lot of detail and the plot was very interesting

chloe gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 2 out of 5 and now plans to read The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Pranit from Roundhay Secondary school:

Instructions for a second hand heart is a very good book It is about a boy who's heart stopped and is on a machine to live

Pranit gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 4 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Hamna from Roundhay High School:

I really liked this book because i could relate this book to other stories such as the Wizard Of OZ because the robot in the wizard of oz wanted a new heart like the person in the book who wanted a new heart. I found this book really good.

Hamna gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Oliwia from Cardinal Heenan High School:

I really enjoyed this book.I loved every second of it.I liked how the author did Jonny's and Niamh's point of view.It shows how they felt and what they did.

Oliwia gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Remade by Alex Scarrow.

Atena from leeds city academy:

WOW! When I read my last book, a seven letter word, I thought it was one of the best books ever, but when I finished this book, I realized I was wrong, this book is absolutely wonderful. The storyline is very catchy and partly relatable, it starts off with a lot of problems but ends happily. However, I do not recommend this book to young readers, it contains strong language and is very graphic. Overall, I really liked it!

Atena gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Icarus Show by Sally Christie.

Olivia from Royds School:

Personally, I think this book is good and it has a very good story to it, I recommend this to people who like romance and emotional kind to whoever likes that sort of genuine. This book is written in first person and it changes from someones mind to the other I like that sort of stuff but I am not really into romance so I rate this 3 stars.

Olivia gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Amy from Royds school:

instructions for a second hand is usually something I wouldn't pick up and read and in my opinion this is something I wouldn't read twice I would recommend this book for ages around 11 to 14 and its more for people who like books that are into romance and like books written in first person.

Amy gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 3 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Thomas from Royds High School:

I found this book quite emotional and it made me just want to tell Jonny who his secret doner was and what kind of life he lived. The story was confusing at the start when the chapters converted from Niamph to Jonny but in the end, I saw what the writer was doing. I loved the description in the story because it let you paint a good picture in your mind of the setting and what the people in the story were going through. This book was a great rollercoaster!

Thomas gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Marnie from Cardinal Heenan CHS:

3 words: I Loved it.

Marnie gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Jessica from Benton Park School:

I really enjoyed this book.The author dealt with emotional,important subjects in a brilliant way.This book could potentially raise a lot of awareness towards donating organs and the importance of it.I think that by writing in both main characters point of view,the author really got their emotions and thoughts across.

Jessica gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Icarus Show by Sally Christie.

cameron from leeds city acedemy :

this book was really good and awesome I found a lot of it boring and not needed they could of not been in the book and it would of run a lot smoother without them

cameron gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Icarus Show by Sally Christie.

Firouza from Leeds City Academy:

Having spent the last year in hospital, Jonny needs a heart transplant before it's too late. Niamh's twin brother has just died in a tragic accident for which she feels to blame. Fate brings the two together as Jonny strives to establish an identity for his new healthy self, searching the internet for clues to find out about his anonymous donor. Meeting his donor's sister just makes life more complicated for Jonny, however, as he realises his feelings for her, but Niamh doesn't know the real reason Jonny's sought her out. Told in alternating chapters from the viewpoints of Jonny and Niamh, this is a beautifully-written and sensitive story about the effects of illness and loss, guilt, and different types of love. I would recommend this spectacular book to a friend because the way this story is written is just heart-breaking. There was a part when I started crying. I really love the way that the autor has written the story in two different character's points of views.

Firouza gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Sam from King James's school:

This book really is one of the best I've read in a long time, it almost brought me to tears many times. I think that it deals with this difficult topic very well and I just could not wait to pick it up and read more, it was truly gripping. Also the fact that the chapters alternate perspectives is unique and I think it adds to the book as you get to know how each of the main characters take the important events this book is all about.

Sam gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Phoebe from King James's School:

This book was amazing, at first I wasn't sure but by the middle I really loved it. I felt so sorry for Em, Niamh and Jonny all for different reasons. I was a bit upset about the ending but I think it added so much more depth to the story. This book was really great and I highly recommended it.

Phoebe gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Remade by Alex Scarrow.

Vanessa from Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School:

An inspiring and amazing book. Love this so much- probably one of the best unexpected love stories. Lots of secrets and great decisions. ;)

Vanessa gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Lihem from Corpus Christi Catholic College:

The book is so emotional. My favourite character is Niamh because despite being moody and grumpy she is still insecure and has a soft heart after the tragedy that occurred to her.

Lihem gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Alex from King James's School:

I really enjoyed reading instructions for a second hand heart because it makes all of your problems seem so much smaller than the two main characters. The author was very brave to cover topics like this as many people (including myself) would never have written about serious conditions of hospital patients like this. The fact that the chapters were very short were extremely helpful as I often found the topics difficult so with the chapters being so short I could put it down at any time. When I began reading it took a while but then about half way through the book turned and I couldn't put it down and read through it in one night! This was a book that tore your heart in half and stitched it back together again.

Alex gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Amelie from Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School:

This book has to be one of my favourites I thought it was great how the author dealt with a love story as well as issues with illness and health. It was quite sad but I thought it was really good.

Amelie gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Marinelle from Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School:

A very emotional book, and it really pulls you in. I loved every second of the book and it was very interesting. My favourite character would probably have to be Jonny because he is kind and excellent as drawing (or so I've read). I recommend this to anyone who would likes love stories.

Marinelle gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Remade by Alex Scarrow.

Adaugo from Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School:

THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ.

I love how the author used a very serious disease in this book, it inspires me to think about those who are going through really tough things in the their lives. I have read some other reviews on this book and I agree with one that said that Johnny should have told Niamh about Leo being he donor.

I would recommend this to all my friends this is a very inspiring and interesting book.

Adaugo gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Elisha from Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School :

It's a great book I have a review but I forgot to change the book i would like to read next.

Elisha gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Elisha from Cardinal Heenan High School:

This is a great book to read. It is a book that includes two points of views which makes it very detailed and easy to understand. For me it is a quick read.

Elisha gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Tom from King James's School:

I felt that this book put forward the issues really well about people who have had problems with medical conditions. It talked about friendship and looking out for each other.

I think that Jonny should have told Niamh about Leo's heart, but I can understand why he didn't (I would've wanted to find out who had saved/changed my whole life) because it caused issues of trust between him and Niamh.

Also, Niamh kept ignoring her mother being overly protective, I know why she did but I think it would have been better if she'd understood her mother's point of view.

I liked the ending of the book because it was different and unexpected.

Tom gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Millie from King james's school:

I think this book is at something I would usually read but once I read it I think it made me appreciate the things I have and happy that I have them. It shows how the destruction of one life can lead to the start of another.

Millie gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 3 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Favour from Cardinal Heenan:

It's a really good book - it's very inspiring.

Favour gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P Jones.

Caitlin from Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School:

Okay so this book has to be THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ. Pages full of love laughter and tears as two of my favorite characters come together in an unlikely love. One of my favorite parts is on page 109 (I remember the page number) and Jonny pretends to have ventricular tachycardia. This author has definitely done her research. I love this book and once again I highly recommend this book

Caitlin gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Alice from Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School:

I was an amazing book that I enjoyed very much. I thought it was well written and was definitely my type of book. It was amazing sand I would definitely recommend it to anyone with a good taste in books!

Alice gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Esme from King James's School:

I loved this book! It is beautifully written and the main characters (Johnny and Niamh) were very relatable as their emotions were ones we all experience even if the situation may be different. For me, there was an exciting climax because lots of events happened at once. This book really reminds us that whilst we are thinking of small issues such as break ups and sibling rivalry, we need to be aware of the safety of the ones we love. Also both characters were dealing with a massive change and the book was about it may not be the time of the change that is the hardest but the after effects. Overall I really recommend this book.

Esme gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 4 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.

Jessica from King James's School:

This book was heartbreaking. I really liked Niamh's character as under her tough exterior was a girl who was hurt by the accident. I felt really sorry for her and it made me cry when she talked about her brother. Johnny's character was also heartbreaking. Even after everything it felt like he kept struggling to live a normal life. I think the ending definently made up the whole book. It went from heartbreaking to absolutely gorgeous right at the end. You could definently tell how the two characters felt and how much they both struggled. I really enjoyed this book and would love to read more of Tamsyn Murray's books.

Jessica gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Remade by Alex Scarrow.

Miss from Corpus Christi Catholic College:

What a wonderful heart-warming book!

Each character in the book is facing a life-changing phase so there is a lot of emotion in the story. It certainly makes you sit back and think about life.

I love how the book alternates between Jonny's and Niamh's point of view. It makes it such an enjoyable read.

I found it really difficult to put down as I really wanted to know what happened next.

A box of tissues might be needed for this one!

Well done Tamsyn. It's a 5/5 from me!

Miss gave Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart 5 out of 5 and now plans to read A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater.