espeonesque's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I found Ailsa very annoying and her constantly calling her heart apple and personifying it - I got the metaphor but it came across to be as twee and irritating
rhonaea's review against another edition
4.0
A quite delightful story of Alisa Rae whose congenital heart flaw requires a transplant for survival. But that’s not the charm of the story, it’s her battle to enjoy, embrace and make the most of that survival. Lots of strong themes for reading groups to explore- relationships, love, family, ethics and sense of place. I look forward to more by the Stephanie Butland.
ckreads28's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed the blogging aspect of this book. It also brought up the importance of organ donations and other medical laws and how you can try to make a difference. I do think this is an important read.
shellysbookcorner's review against another edition
4.0
*NetGalley Review*
Ailsa has just received a life saving heart transplant and now wants to make up for lost time and take advantage of her new life. During this story we see Alisa’s transformation, triumphs and struggles as she adjusts to her new life. Watching Alisa grow and mature as a person warmed my heart. There is a love interest, Seb but I liked that this wasn’t the main focus of the book. This story also touched on organ donation and really made me think about possibly becoming a donor. It truly is a big life changing decision and one not to be taken lightly. This was my first time reading Stephanie Butland and I really enjoyed this heart warming story.
Ailsa has just received a life saving heart transplant and now wants to make up for lost time and take advantage of her new life. During this story we see Alisa’s transformation, triumphs and struggles as she adjusts to her new life. Watching Alisa grow and mature as a person warmed my heart. There is a love interest, Seb but I liked that this wasn’t the main focus of the book. This story also touched on organ donation and really made me think about possibly becoming a donor. It truly is a big life changing decision and one not to be taken lightly. This was my first time reading Stephanie Butland and I really enjoyed this heart warming story.
nglofile's review against another edition
5.0
I will very much miss spending time with Ailsa Rae.
Butland has a gift for spinning stories with whimsy against a backdrop of the more sobering. There's optimism and hope but there are also scars (sometimes literal) that speak not only of difficult experiences but also of the determination and resilience to move past them. Ailsa is far from one-dimensional, and her journey in embracing a life she wasn't sure she'd be granted inspires without being saccharine. She became very much real to me, and I adore her musings (and amusements), her self-awareness, her character, and her sense of mild adventure.
I would have thought I couldn't be tempted by yet another story using a Romeo and Juliet production as plot point, but if I could find this particular half-mafia, half-tango staging, I'd be there in a...heartbeat.
audiobook note: Though I'm confident I would have been charmed by Ailsa in print, Cathleen McCarron's voicing was utterly divine. The melodious Scottish burr she employs is warm and thick and often laced with a barely contained giggle, and I could be quite content to have her read to me on loop.
Butland has a gift for spinning stories with whimsy against a backdrop of the more sobering. There's optimism and hope but there are also scars (sometimes literal) that speak not only of difficult experiences but also of the determination and resilience to move past them. Ailsa is far from one-dimensional, and her journey in embracing a life she wasn't sure she'd be granted inspires without being saccharine. She became very much real to me, and I adore her musings (and amusements), her self-awareness, her character, and her sense of mild adventure.
I would have thought I couldn't be tempted by yet another story using a Romeo and Juliet production as plot point, but if I could find this particular half-mafia, half-tango staging, I'd be there in a...heartbeat.
audiobook note: Though I'm confident I would have been charmed by Ailsa in print, Cathleen McCarron's voicing was utterly divine. The melodious Scottish burr she employs is warm and thick and often laced with a barely contained giggle, and I could be quite content to have her read to me on loop.
belainey's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae by Stephanie Butland is a bittersweet yet heartening novel.
Ailsa Rae and her mum Hayley have been planning for the worst when Ailsa finally receives the heart transplant she desperately needs. They are a devoted family of two since Ailsa's biological father has never been a part of her life. But now the time has come for her to start living, she and Hayley are at odds over Ailsa's plans for the future. Hayley agreed to move out and let her daughter live on her own, but she is having difficulty letting go. And it does not help that Ailsa still relies on her blog readers to help her make her decisions. But the real sticking point between mother and daughter is Ailsa's quest to learn the identity of the bio dad who deserted them years earlier. Can their once close relationship survive the changes facing Ailsa and Hayley?
Ailsa is a delightful woman in her late twenties who is finding it difficult to navigate her new life. Having lived for so long facing the very real possibility she will die before getting a new heart, Ailsa is a bit adrift as she tries to plan for her future. She has a degree but with no work experience, is she employable? Can she make it living on her own in the flat she has always shared with Hayley? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg as Ailsa attempts to figure out her future.
With so much uncertainty lying ahead of her, Ailsa focuses on the things she knows she wants to do. She is determined to live a healthy life and one of her first decisions is to sign up for dance lessons. She is also enjoying an unexpected friendship with a celebrity who has recently undergone a transplant. Over the course of several months, their relationship has the possibility of turning romantic, but is Ailsa ready to fall in love?
Through a series of poignant flashbacks, Ailsa's relationship with childhood friend and former boyfriend Lennox Douglas tugs on the heartstrings. Their teenage romance ended after they went off to uni, but they eventually reconnect. Ailsa and Lennox shared a close bond as her health worsens and she must now reconcile how differently their medical situations turned out for each of them.
The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae is a stirring novel that offers a realistic portrait of Ailsa's life both before and after a life sustaining heart transplant. Her reactions to her change in circumstances ring true as do her conflicted feelings about other people's expectations. Spanning the first year after Ailsa's transplant, Stephanie Butland has penned an emotionally compelling and surprisingly upbeat novel of new beginnings. A touching and humorous story that I absolutely loved highly recommend.
The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae by Stephanie Butland is a bittersweet yet heartening novel.
Ailsa Rae and her mum Hayley have been planning for the worst when Ailsa finally receives the heart transplant she desperately needs. They are a devoted family of two since Ailsa's biological father has never been a part of her life. But now the time has come for her to start living, she and Hayley are at odds over Ailsa's plans for the future. Hayley agreed to move out and let her daughter live on her own, but she is having difficulty letting go. And it does not help that Ailsa still relies on her blog readers to help her make her decisions. But the real sticking point between mother and daughter is Ailsa's quest to learn the identity of the bio dad who deserted them years earlier. Can their once close relationship survive the changes facing Ailsa and Hayley?
Ailsa is a delightful woman in her late twenties who is finding it difficult to navigate her new life. Having lived for so long facing the very real possibility she will die before getting a new heart, Ailsa is a bit adrift as she tries to plan for her future. She has a degree but with no work experience, is she employable? Can she make it living on her own in the flat she has always shared with Hayley? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg as Ailsa attempts to figure out her future.
With so much uncertainty lying ahead of her, Ailsa focuses on the things she knows she wants to do. She is determined to live a healthy life and one of her first decisions is to sign up for dance lessons. She is also enjoying an unexpected friendship with a celebrity who has recently undergone a transplant. Over the course of several months, their relationship has the possibility of turning romantic, but is Ailsa ready to fall in love?
Through a series of poignant flashbacks, Ailsa's relationship with childhood friend and former boyfriend Lennox Douglas tugs on the heartstrings. Their teenage romance ended after they went off to uni, but they eventually reconnect. Ailsa and Lennox shared a close bond as her health worsens and she must now reconcile how differently their medical situations turned out for each of them.
The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae is a stirring novel that offers a realistic portrait of Ailsa's life both before and after a life sustaining heart transplant. Her reactions to her change in circumstances ring true as do her conflicted feelings about other people's expectations. Spanning the first year after Ailsa's transplant, Stephanie Butland has penned an emotionally compelling and surprisingly upbeat novel of new beginnings. A touching and humorous story that I absolutely loved highly recommend.
kristie5's review against another edition
3.0
I agree with most of the reviews, the book started off slow, but for the most part I enjoyed the story. Good novel overall, but not something I would reread.
wombat_88's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
trm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25