FEBRUARY 2018 - AudioFile
Soneela Nankani beautifully narrates this heartrending family drama about loss and second chances. Taliah Abdallat is a guarded contemporary teen who meets her father, famous rocker Julian Oliver, when he shows up on her doorstep. Nankani captures the cool laid- back vibe of the aging rock star as he and Taliah embark on an emotional journey to his hometown to say goodbye to his dying father. Along the way, listeners are immersed in flashbacks that detail the rise and fall of the parents’ relationship. Here Nankani subtly switches to a more youthful performance for the parents, giving a genuine voice to the anxieties and excitement Taliah's mother felt as a young immigrant artist and to the yearning of young Julian, a hopeless small- town musician. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
10/02/2017
Sixteen-year-old Taliah has never met her father. Her mother claims that he is someone from her homeland in Jordan, but after gathering some clues, Taliah believes he is rock star Julian Oliver, who grew up in the same Indiana town where her mother attended college. Taliah’s suspicions are confirmed when Julian unexpectedly arrives on her doorstep with a request that she accompany him to meet her dying paternal grandfather. On a whim (and since her mother is conveniently in Paris), Taliah decides to go. In Oak Falls, Ind., she comes to know her father’s mother, her cousins, and an interesting boy who lives next door, while gaining insight into her parents’ relationship and learning something about her own potential as a musician and as a friend. Warga (My Heart and Other Black Holes) skillfully combines three tales: one of introverted Taliah coming out of her shell, one of Taliah’s mother as a young immigrant, and one of Julian’s rising career and unrequited love. Intriguing, romantic, and honest, the book celebrates the new beginnings that can emerge from tragic endings. Ages 14–up. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
A well-executed family drama of the power of romantic and parental love, secrets, regrets, and new beginnings.” — Kirkus Reviews
“An intense family drama that will pull readers in with poignancy, romance, and grief over lost relationships, all set to the beat of scattered song lyrics woven nicely through the narrative.” — Booklist
“Intriguing, romantic, and honest, the book celebrates the new beginning that can emerge from tragic endings.” — Publishers Weekly
“This timely, multicultural novel hits all the right notes in the right ways” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Praise for MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES: “At times poignant, bitter, and funny, this narrative captures [a] unique voice that questions what it means to die—and to live.” — Booklist (starred review)
“My Heart and Other Black Holes is alive with intensity, gut-wrenching honesty, moments of humor, and—of course—heart. This is an extraordinary debut by a striking new voice in YA fiction that left me in awe and moved beyond measure. Not to be missed.” — Nova Ren Suma, author of THE WALLS AROUND US
“With high intelligence and a massiveness of heart, Warga gifts us with a novel that has the music of Mozart, the logic of advanced physics, and the vision to see the link between them. This is something utterly new, a book that is kinetic and beautiful and unexpectedly life-affirming.” — Chris Lynch, National Book Award Finalist for Inexcusable and Michael L. Printz Honor-winner for Freewill
Praise for MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES: “[The book] addresses serious issues with complexity and humor . . . thoughtfully presented.” — School Library Journal
Praise for MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES: “Earnest and heartfelt . . . any teen who’s ever felt like an outsider will be able to relate to Aysel’s and Roman’s fully realized characters.” — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES: “Debut novelist Warga addresses adolescent depression and suicide with honesty and grace” — Publishers Weekly
Praise for MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES: “Debut author Warga unflinchingly tackles the grim subject matter with empathy, sensitivity, and honesty, without trivializing her protagonists’ disturbing thoughts or emotions . . . [with an] utterly endearing romance.” — The Horn Book
Praise for MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES: “Warga delves honestly into the very difficult issues of teenage depression…sometimes sad, sometimes funny, but ultimately filled with hope.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Nova Ren Suma
My Heart and Other Black Holes is alive with intensity, gut-wrenching honesty, moments of humor, and—of course—heart. This is an extraordinary debut by a striking new voice in YA fiction that left me in awe and moved beyond measure. Not to be missed.
Chris Lynch
With high intelligence and a massiveness of heart, Warga gifts us with a novel that has the music of Mozart, the logic of advanced physics, and the vision to see the link between them. This is something utterly new, a book that is kinetic and beautiful and unexpectedly life-affirming.
Booklist (starred review)
Praise for MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES: “At times poignant, bitter, and funny, this narrative captures [a] unique voice that questions what it means to die—and to live.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
This timely, multicultural novel hits all the right notes in the right ways
Booklist
An intense family drama that will pull readers in with poignancy, romance, and grief over lost relationships, all set to the beat of scattered song lyrics woven nicely through the narrative.
The Horn Book
Praise for MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES: “Debut author Warga unflinchingly tackles the grim subject matter with empathy, sensitivity, and honesty, without trivializing her protagonists’ disturbing thoughts or emotions . . . [with an] utterly endearing romance.
Booklist
An intense family drama that will pull readers in with poignancy, romance, and grief over lost relationships, all set to the beat of scattered song lyrics woven nicely through the narrative.
Booklist (starred review)
Praise for MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES: “At times poignant, bitter, and funny, this narrative captures [a] unique voice that questions what it means to die—and to live.
School Library Journal
11/01/2017
Gr 9 Up—A deep dive into the history of a family she did not know she had shows 16-year-old Taliah Abdallat a great deal about things lost and found. Taliah has never known her father, but a few years back she began to suspect her dad was grunge god Julian Oliver (and not, as her mother, Lena, told her, just some guy back home with whom she had a fling). After sending him three years of unanswered letters, he appears while Taliah's mother is in Paris, confirms his paternity, and whisks Taliah off to his hometown in Indiana, where his father is dying. Everything is happening so fast, and while Taliah doesn't want to make it easy for Julian to suddenly be in her life, she is also desperate to learn the truth of her mother and Julian's past. Taliah is a pianist and songwriter, and the two bond over music, as Taliah attempts to take her best friend Harlow's advice and be open to letting people into her life. Julian and Taliah's present and Julian and Lena's past are woven together nicely, slowly revealing the full story of the parents' romance and their falling out. Some secondary characters are underdeveloped and unnecessary, but the main characters are outstanding. The rushed ending, though not dissatisfying, leaves many unanswered questions. A music-packed look at how we grow, change, and define or redefine relationships. VERDICT This thoughtful look at finding one's place, sometimes in the most surprising and unexpected ways, will have wide appeal.—Amanda MacGregor, Parkview Elementary School, Rosemount, MN
FEBRUARY 2018 - AudioFile
Soneela Nankani beautifully narrates this heartrending family drama about loss and second chances. Taliah Abdallat is a guarded contemporary teen who meets her father, famous rocker Julian Oliver, when he shows up on her doorstep. Nankani captures the cool laid- back vibe of the aging rock star as he and Taliah embark on an emotional journey to his hometown to say goodbye to his dying father. Along the way, listeners are immersed in flashbacks that detail the rise and fall of the parents’ relationship. Here Nankani subtly switches to a more youthful performance for the parents, giving a genuine voice to the anxieties and excitement Taliah's mother felt as a young immigrant artist and to the yearning of young Julian, a hopeless small- town musician. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
