Heartstream

We all know that there is a growing trend to open up our lives to others, using social media, but what if you could have an implant on your scalp that would allow your followers to feel all of your emotions in real time, even your most personal and heart wrenching thoughts? This is the premis that we are introduced to at the beginning of this story; when Amy is attending the funeral of her mother, having shared the latter’s terminal illness with social media. But just as we think that we know what is going on we are introduced to a parallel story with totally different characters and no sense of how the stories relate in space and time. The only connection is that Cat and her friends, especially Evie, are super fans of a pop group and spend a lot of time tweeting and blogging about them; however Cat has a secret which could tear apart her friendship and spoil the whole fan following for the group.
This was a book that took a while to get in to, especially with the two very distinct stories but it definitely paid off in the end. The author took us on a roller coaster of a ride and provided so many twists and turns that it felt like a ride at a theme park. The gradual realization of how the stories are linked and the relationships that are revealed will have the reader on the edge of their seats. We are asked to question the concepts of loyalty, family, friendship and what impact the advent of social media has on these. It has definitely been a book that has made me think about the way that technology is interfering with and even changing the way we live our lives. It is a really great read for those 14+.