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    A Heart in a Body in the World
    A Heart in a Body in the World
    A Heart in a Body in the World
    Audiobook8 hours

    A Heart in a Body in the World

    Written by Deb Caletti

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    SELECTED AS ONE OF THE YOUNG ADULT LIBRARY SERVICES ASSOCIATION’S 2019 AMAZING AUDIOBOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS!

    “This is one for the ages.” —Gayle Forman, author of the #1 bestseller If I Stay
    “A book everyone should read right now.” —The New York Times Book Review
    “A vital and heartbreaking story that brings together the #MeToo movement, the effects of gun violence, and the struggle of building oneself up again after crisis.” —Elle
    “Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful.” —BookPage

    A Printz Honor Book

    Each step on Annabelle’s 2,700 mile cross-country run brings her closer to facing a trauma from her past in National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti’s novel about the heart, all the ways it breaks, and its journey to healing. Because sometimes against our will, against all odds, we go forward.

    Then…

    Annabelle’s life wasn’t perfect, but it was full—full of friends, family, love. And a boy…whose attention Annabelle found flattering and unsettling all at once.

    Until that attention intensified.

    Now…

    Annabelle is running. Running from the pain and the tragedy from the past year. With only Grandpa Ed and the journal she fills with words she can’t speak out loud, Annabelle runs from Seattle to Washington, DC, and toward a destination she doesn’t understand but is determined to reach. With every beat of her heart, every stride of her feet, Annabelle steps closer to healing—and the strength she discovers within herself to let love and hope back into her life.

    Annabelle’s journey is the ultimate testament to the human heart, and how it goes on after being broken.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateSep 18, 2018
    ISBN9781508263302
    Author

    Deb Caletti

    Deb Caletti is the award-winning and critically acclaimed author of over sixteen books for adults and young adults, including Honey, Baby, Sweetheart, a finalist for the National Book Award; A Heart in a Body in the World, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book; Girl, Unframed; and One Great Lie. Her books have also won the Josette Frank Award for Fiction, the Washington State Book Award, and numerous other state awards and honors, and she was a finalist for the PEN USA Award. She lives with her family in Seattle.

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    Reviews for A Heart in a Body in the World

    4.5/5

    264 ratings21 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      I loved this book so much!! . The topics discussed and the amount of times I related to Annabelle and understood where she was coming from. The love shared between all the characters!!! I was just on the verge of crying throughout the whole book, then I read the final chapters and said screw it and balled my eyes out!
    • 1/5
      Dam… I wanted to love this book but the ending was basically about how bad gun violence is. I totally disagree!!! If someone wants to hurt someone, the weapon is irrelevant. Very disappointing.
    • 4/5
      Such a heartbreaking and heartwarming story. Wasn't sure about the narrator at first, but she really grew on me.
    • 5/5
      This was an incredible book. Packed with raw emotion and paired with real-life issues that affect people every day. Paced perfectly with a back and forth plot between past and present, this book kept my attention from beginning to end. The narrator added so much to this story with her voice. She is probably my new favorite and I plan to look up anything else she has narrated.
    • 5/5
      Read this book. Listen to the audiobook. It is such an important story.
    • 5/5
      A must read! Always have loved Julia the narrator, so knew the characters would be played out precisely. However this new author for me, has gone on my “read whatever they write” list! The story was captivating, with in-depth characters. The truth of what happened in the past, I started to sense and felt anxiety coming on, being an experience so close to my life experience. However the lessons learned and strength given to grow gave me relief, and a new perspective, that through tragedy, loss, grief, love of family and friends are your best support.
    • 5/5
      The narrator did a wonderful job and the story is very well written. It will definitely stick with me! Totally recommend it.
    • 4/5
      Ok, so this is not my ideal genre -- emotions! boys! teen life! Contemporary stuff, no magic.

      That said:

      This is a very timely novel, about gun violence and the control of women. The tension of the story is masterfully drawn out over the course of the book -- who is Seth? Where is Kat? Is Belle going to jail? It lays out the details gradually like a line of treats.

      It's hard to put down, because tension, because Annabelle is a fully fleshed character who is all kinds of messed up and we don't know if she can/will heal.

      A tiny thing that vaguely troubled me:

      I am a Seattle-ite. I LOVED all the local details that are spot on (there are many, many). Greenwood Market closed in 2012, so that stood out as a jarring detail.

      Advanced reader's copy provided by Edelweiss.
    • 5/5
      Wow. This book packs a wallop on so many levels combining important contemporary issues in a seamless way. All of the characters are so well drawn even secondary characters. Can't wait to share this with my students in the fall.
    • 4/5
      I decided to read this when I found out that it was a fictional account of running across America, I had read a few non-fiction books about the feat and really enjoyed them so I wanted to see what the writer had to say about this in a fictional universe.
      But as the book unfolded I discovered that it was about something much more important, gun violence and the harm it does not just to the gunshot victims but to the survivors as well. As seen through the eyes of a young woman about to graduate high school, who'd lost her best friend and her boy friend.
    • 5/5
      Gripping tale of life after loss and tragedy.
    • 5/5
      Anyone who has ever read one of Deb Caletti's novels knows that they are going to read something spectacular and highly relevant to modern society. This is especially true of her young adult novels. In A Heart in a Body in the World, Ms. Caletti channels all of the confusion, guilt, and fear associated with being a young woman in a society that sends extremely mixed messages about women. She does so in a way that will tear your heart and shines a light on your own fears and confusion.When Annabelle makes the decision to run across the country, from Seattle to DC, you know she is not only running away from something but towards something equally painful. Her journey is not only her path towards redemption and acceptance but also one of punishment. As any journey tends to do, Annabelle not only learns about herself but also learns more about society and the same fear and confusion that fills her with such dread.However, Annabelle's story is one only she can tell. For me to give anything away would be to undermine Ms. Caletti's careful construction. You need to experience Annabelle's emotions as she wrestles with them and feel her fatigue as she struggles to continue her journey. As you do, you find yourself ruminating about similar experiences and must also come to terms with what it means to be a woman in this day and age.As always, Ms. Caletti's words loudly resonate with the reader. It does not matter that her heroine is eighteen years old. Ms. Caletti knows exactly what it feels like to enter a world where men consider beautiful women to be their right and property and where young women first learn of the unspoken "fine line" between flirting and "leading men on".Annabelle's journey brings about many emotions, the least of which are the ones she feels. And therein lies Ms. Caletti's skill as a writer. A Heart in a Body in the World is one more example of how carefully Ms. Caletti highlights the issues with society and its impact on young women just learning to navigate its perils. If you have not done so already, Ms. Caletti is an author you must read.
    • 4/5
      How can you go on after a tragedy? How can your heart bear it? After an incident at a restaurant that reminds Annabelle of a horrible event in her near past, she takes off running. Literally, she runs across the country. Along the way she struggles with her body, emotions, memories, and other people's expectations. But when she allows herself to get angry...she becomes powerful.

      "It's a harrowing adrenaline blend, being fearless and afraid at the same time." p. 93
      "It's hard to be all that you can be on carrot sticks and criticism." p. 94
      "Music and books stir up emotions. They make feelings rise up and clatter and wreck, and sometimes that's dangerous. But music can make you rise up and clatter and destroy when you need to, too" p. 157

      4.5 stars
    • 4/5
      "Then... Annabelle's life wasn't perfect, but it was full...full of friends, family, love. And a boy...whose attention Annabelle found flattering and unsettling all at once. Until that attention intensified.Now... Annabelle is running. Running from the pain and the tragedy of the past year. With only Grandpa Ed and the journal she fills with words she can't speak out loud, Annabelle runs from Seattle to Washington D.C., and toward a destination she doesn't understand but is determined to reach. With every beat of heart, every stride of her feet, Annabelle steps closer to healing--and the strength she discovers within herself to let love and hope back into her life. Annabelle's journey is the ultimate testament to the human heart, and how it goes on after being broken. " - back cover summaryAspects of the book I really enjoyed: the NW Washington setting, even details of Roosevelt High, the rest of the Puget Sound area (a few insider digs at Bellevue "East siders") and the geography of this young woman's journey across the U.S. The Italian American aspects of Annabelle's family & the warmth /cheer of each member The reality of a long distance runner's physical challenges and brutal realities - way beyond blisters! Annabelle's voice - so real it hurtAspects of the book that were difficult or alternately annoying...but sometimes built suspense: the unknown nature of Annabelle's "crisis"- her emoting in the beginning chapters make the reader uneasy, but few clues are given -feels like a gimmickthe "Taker" and his identity is dealt whit in such a coy manner; it was a relief to finally match a name to him by second half of book the flashbacks - stopping at just a very specific moment - so you cannot get complete understanding of her specific episode/memory from the recent pastNevertheless, when I gave it the time to read in a couple long chunks to the end - wow. It was such a warm hearted and sympathetic story - you're rooting for the protagonist, Annabelle, and all her "team" by the end. Fans of A.S. King or Hopkins or Laurie H Anderson (Gayle Forman writes one of the key endorsements) will appreciate this - an Evergreen Bk Award nominee of 2020.
    • 4/5
      One of the often-heard complaints about young adult literature is the tendency to sensationalize and bluntly overstate the social issues of the day. I definitely succumb to the ugh-not-another-book-about… syndrome at times, and gun violence books are filling that role for me right now. So I approached A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti with more than a little wariness as I contemplated the subject and the horrible title. The incredibly confusing and honestly boring start did not do the book any favors, but a bit of perseverance for this one saved the day. A Heart in a Body manages to be an entertaining, thoughtful and well-done book that explores those left behind after a violent attack. For reasons that unfold as the book continues, Annabelle flees from a fast food restaurant in her hometown of Seattle and begins to run--figuratively and literally. The story follows her journey across the country from Seattle to Washington as flashbacks fill in the backstory along the way. When it finally gets going A Heart in a Body has a lot to like, and readers who enjoy typical YA tropes--romance, high school drama, quirky family/friends, topical political issues with a bit of sadness mixed in--will definitely appreciate this novel.
    • 4/5
      High school senior Annabelle decides to deal with a recent tragedy in her life by running from Seattle to D.C. with the help of her grandpa, who follows her in his RV, and her friends and family, who set up GoFundMe pages and handle the PR side of things. The novel is a chronicle of her journey, both physical and mental/emotional as she works through the deep anxiety and depression brought on by what she's endured. This is one of those I-Wanted-To-Like-It-So-Much-More-Than-I-Did books, sadly. The subject (gun violence and its toll on young people) is so important right now, and I love that there are YA books out there trying to deal with it, but this one fell short for me. Two main things made me not absolutely love it: 1) the actual Tragedy isn't revealed right away, but is instead teased throughout the book, so that the reader only gets hints of it up until nearly the very end. I get that this is a device used to make the reader's experience mirror Annabelle's shyness about dealing with what's happened and her gradual growth into a strength that allows her to face the past, but it's drawn out too much here, so much so that I felt toyed with: okay, okay, I get that we don't get to know what happened just yet; I don't need constant reminders that I'm not allowed to know; 2) Annabelle suffers from some pretty intense anxiety issues, which makes sense based on the character Caletti builds and what she's experienced, but this, too, feels like it suffers from Beaten Dead Horse Syndrome. Again, I get that it's an important part of the story, but I think it needed a lighter touch. As it stands, it bogs down the plot movement and becomes more distracting than helpful. In the end, it's a good story and an important one, but it just trips over itself a bit getting there.
    • 5/5
      Followed by Grandpa Ed in his RV and backed by her brother and friends, Annabelle, eighteen, runs from Seattle to Washington, D.C., becoming a reluctant activist as people connect her journey to her recent trauma.
    • 3/5
      Frankly, much of this book is equally as vague and confusing as the title. On the surface we have an honorable plot. A teenage girl suffers a major trauma in her life and tries to overcome her depression by a cross country run across the United States to Washington D. C. She is aided by her R V driving grandfather and other family and friends. But, the writing is very confusing. Present time to flashbacks (constantly) with no transitions. Imaginings interspersed with real life and back without transitions. There is much choppy dialogue with vague cloudy writing.
    • 4/5
      I wrote a review, but Goodreads ate it.

      I finally mustered the courage to finish this after picking it up and starting it umpteen times. I just wasn't in the mental or emotional place to keep going with it. Even when I made the choice to start again and finish it this time, dammit, I wasn't in the right place, but I realized that I probably wouldn't be in the right place until sometime in 2020, if even then. So I powered through. And I cried through the whole thing. I saw tragedy coming, though I didn't know exactly what form that tragedy would take. And I saw Annabelle's hurt and guilt and self-blame and I recognized them, though I've been lucky to not have experienced anything quite as devastating as what she did. I know that guilt and self-blame because I am a woman in this world and we are all conditioned from an early age to be made to feel accountable for the actions of the men around us. If we are nice to them, we are leading them on. If we dress a certain way, we are distracting or arousing or encouraging them. If we flirt, we must want sex. If we err, we are asking for punishment. So I read this book wanting to tell Annabelle that what happened wasn't her fault, but knowing that she wouldn't be able to hear it. Watching her finally, finally start to put the blame where it belonged and to make something good out of something so awful was beautiful.

      And my apologies (but not really) to those of you to whom I recommended this book before finishing it. I didn't lie, though, did I?
    • 5/5
      I got this through the Amazon Vine program to review. This was a very well done book about a high school senor that survives a horrible tragedy but is still having trouble coping. She ends up just running in an effort to deal with it and decides to run from Seattle to Washington DC. Initially she is convinced that she caused the tragedy and has a ton of survivor’s guilt. This was an interesting read. It's well written and engaging. I loved learning about what someone has to go through physically and mentally to run that long and that hard. I also enjoyed how the population of the US rallied behind the heroine and her goal.This is an emotionally tough read, it will make you laugh and cry. I am glad I read it but couldn't read something this intense all the time! The book is mainly set in the present while Annabelle runs, but while running she has flashbacks to her past that reveal what happened to her.Overall this was a fantastic read that really makes you think about our society’s attitudes and the increasing levels of violence. I would recommend to those who enjoy contemporary YA fiction about inspiring heroines struggling against great odds.
    • 4/5
      Something traumatic has happened to Annabelle Agnelli and almost a year later, she is still not over it. Thoughts crop up at unpredictable intervals, such as when she's ordering burgers and fries at Dick's. The thoughts take over and she runs and runs and runs. That short run turns into a long run...a run from Seattle, Washington to Washington, D.C.Annabelle doesn't know why she wants to run to D.C., a cross country feat accomplished by only a handful of people. She fells helpless and maybe by running across the United States she'll feel lest hopeless. Her mother, Gina, can't talk her out of it.Then her friends and her younger computer whiz brother rally around her and her Grandfather, Ed, volunteers to drive cross country in his RV to make sure she's safe, and the plan falls into place.A Heart in a Body in the World waits until the very last to let readers know what the trauma was, but astute readers will figure it out about two thirds of the way; through the book. Deb Caletti, initially known for Honey, Baby, Sweetheart describes the inner turmoil Annabelle feels throughout the journey, both in miles and in healing. As Annabelle traverses the country, she begins to realize that there are thousands of young women who have felt some degree of the helplessness and anger that Annabelle feels.I admit, I did get a little teary towards the end although I don't think that was Caletti's intent. Her intent was to shows that girls, people need to be strong, that they can overcome adversity, that they can act and they have a voice. I hope young girls everywhere read this book and learn from it.