Read May/June 2021.

Chloe has a plan. Cross country running, top grades and a good college. But then she collapses while running, revealing a heart defect that necessitates a transplant.

8 months later Chloe's physical health has improved enough that she's taken up surfing despite no prior interest, but the cute instructor helps! Her mental health however is a little shakier, she's lost her place in the world and she's having strange nightmares and memory flashes she doesn't recognise. What's going on?

I loved this book! It was so well-written and engaging and it really drew me in. I loved Chloe's progression as a character and how she became more accepting and more relaxed as the book went on, that pressure to achieve being alleviated.

The twist near the end was so interesting and so well-written and so heart-breaking and I loved it! The overall story is one of hope and carrying on.

This was interesting and sweet and I really enjoyed it. I found the characters to be meaningful and the storyline was everything I hoped from the description.

Unfortunately unable to review as no matter how I tried it wouldn’t send to my kindle and couldn’t resolve before this archived

Chloe is a normal 17 year old girl till one days she's not anymore. As a reader you find out what happened and why she needed a new heart as you start to get into the book. I really liked the concept and the idea of muscle memory is very interesting. Chloe struggled with the change in her life as she watches all her friends move on with their lives and go off to college.

She wants to know who her donor was? But the family requested no contact which leads to a spiral of events for Chloe to deal with. As she struggles identifying if some of the memories she remembers are even hers.

8 months post op she's learning to surf with a boy called Kai. The freedom of being out on the waves helps her try to escape from what she is feeling. The relationship between her and Kai isn't as it seems as she's kept her transplant and her medical history a secret from him.

I really did enjoy the first 75% of this book. It was easy to read. The nearer I got to end the more confused I became with everything that was happening. The end wasn't for me personally but that doesn't take away from the concept of the story of.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this early✨.

A massive thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this review copy!

I went into this book not really knowing what it was about. I think that is the best way to be with this book. If you know too much before going in, you just won’t appreciate the story as much.

I liked Chloe, and I was thrilled when a heart became available for her. But then strange things start happening.

Chloe starts to have memories that are not her own. This puts Chloe on a new path. A path to find out about her donor, and the memories she now holds.

This was a bittersweet story, and perfect for the teen inside of you.

I loved this book, the storyline and all the characters. Not only did I love Chloe but despite a vast age difference I actually WAS Chloe

I can’t wait for another book by this author

'Everything I Thought I Knew', by Shannon Takaoka, is an introspective study of the nature of existence for our teenage protagonist Chloe following an organ transplant, delicately charting the physical and emotional impact on her as she starts a new life with her new heart. One day, she was a normal girl running and the next, she was waiting for someone to die and provide a heart which would save her life. The existential musings in this book are an interesting insight into how Chloe deals with this new part of herself, particularly when she starts having memories which she thinks are not her own. Is it really possible to be feeling and remembering things linked to the previous owner of her new heart?

This storyline runs alongside a very sweet romance between Chloe and her surfing instructor Kai. Their bonding over the sport, and how the danger helps Chloe deal with her new status as someone officially considered "fragile", is a delight to read. I definitely rooted for this first-love, summer romance.

This is all very well for three quarters of the book... and then the promised 'twist' happens. I must say, I saw it coming from a mile off (SPOILER - thanks to a popular Christmas rom-com you may have seen. Yes, I saw it coming then too!! END OF SPOILER). Despite this, the twist is pulled off quite cleverly. I wish it had been given a little more development to explain the intricacies of how it all worked.

Overall, this book is a joy and has some interesting layers to its exploration of humanity and existence. Definitely worth a read. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Everything I Thought I knew, begins with are main character Chloe who is a 17 year old in her senior year, in the San Francisco Bay area.

At the very beginning of the novel Chloe is competing in a cross country race at school when she collapses unexpectedly.
She is diagnosed with ARVD which means she needs a new heart and fast! She is given  a priory position on the transplant list.

We then cut to eight months time, when all her friends looking forward to their upcoming graduation and are all partying before going off to collage. Chloe feels a little left behind. 
But she is now adapting to life after her transplant, she has new skills, hobbies and interestes like being able to ride a motorbike and even surf with a little help from her new friend Kia. She also has very vivid nightmares. Could all these things be doing from her new heart or the "cellular memories" the body now holds.

But all these new activities have to be put aside while she finishes summer school so she can catch up with all the school she missed while ill. Chloe also has a new friend Jane and they go on a journey of self discovery together.

This novel deals with a wide variety of subjects, from transplantation, loss and change in life's circumstances
I believe any Y/A would benefit from reading this book. However beware the last 25% of this novel changes completely and in my opinion not for the better!

Thanks to Netgallery and the publishers for giving me a digital copy of this book for a honest review of this book.

Chloe had her life planned out work hard to get to a top-tier college then out into the world. But on day while practising for cross country she collapses and finds out that she needs a new heart.

Fast forward eight months and she has had her transplant, but she now feels like a different person. She likes things that before she did not, could she have received more than a new heart from her donor?

Chloe starts to question her plan for life, is what she wanted before still important to her?

This book looks at a lot of big questions - can memories be passed on and how would this make you feel?

Overall the book was good and Chloe was a well rounded character and I liked how she thought through things and what she was feeling, also how she found it hard to talk to people about what was going on - and how they would treat her.

Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen next, a curveball was thrown! I really thought this book was predictable but the things I guessed weren't quite accurate - the actual events were beyond what I'd imagined and kept me hanging on to every word. As someone who was born with a heart condition, it's really great to see this representation in a YA book. I haven't had a heart transplant, but I have had open heart surgery and I have the same scar as Chloe. I really enjoyed Chloe as the main character, and her relationship with Kai in particular. The discussions about hospitals and medication and all of the stuff that comes with having a heart condition were relatable and I hope to see more disability rep in books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Walker Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Seventeen-year-old Chloe had a plan: work hard, get good grades, and attend a top-tier college. But after she collapses during cross-country practice and is told that she needs a new heart, all her careful preparations are laid to waste. Eight months after her transplant, everything is different. Stuck in summer school with the underachievers, all she wants to do now is grab her surfboard and hit the waves—which is strange, because she wasn’t interested in surfing before her transplant. (It doesn’t hurt that her instructor, Kai, is seriously good-looking.) And that’s not all that’s strange. There’s also the vivid recurring nightmare about crashing a motorcycle in a tunnel and memories of people and places she doesn’t recognize. Is there something wrong with her head now, too, or is there another explanation for what she’s experiencing? As she searches for answers, and as her attraction to Kai intensifies, what she learns will lead her to question everything she thought she knew—about life, death, love, identity, and the true nature of reality.

Chloe is written in such a brilliant way that you feel empathetic to her and what she’s gone through, but you don’t feel sorry for her situation. You admire her determination to continue living life. I liked that she wasn’t perfect. She knew she had to follow rules to keep her new heart well and beating for as long as possible, but she still followed her gut and let loose. She allowed herself to be ... well, herself. I felt I could relate to her stresses about the future, the frustration of applying to universities, trying to decide the beginning of the rest of your life. Her friendships felt a little stilted - it would have been nice to see more than just passing conversations to see Chloe’s friends more but that may just be me being picky.

I really like how Takaoka embraced the stress, fear and frustration teenagers feel when it comes to deciding the next stage of their life. It’s real and it’s relatable and I love those things because it engages me in the story. For the majority of this book, I really enjoyed the story. We had a major plot twist which I anticipated a few pages before. Then it seemed to go downhill. There was this major plot twist and then confusion ensued. I’m still not entirely sure what happened. It felt disappointing that this twist didn’t really go anywhere beyond some speculation. I wanted more!

Overall, Everything I Thought I Knew is a story of hope, of loss, and of finding yourself.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Walker Books for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day

A completely different genre for me, YA is a bit of a stretch for a 60year old lady, but i was blown away by such a new and interesting take on the subject of donor transplant. I enjoyed the medical references to authenticate the story, and the lovely surfing days on the beach. Ultimately, I fell in love with Chloe and Kai and was routing for them all through the book.

The book certainly made me stop and question life, death and reality, thank you Shannon Takaoka, a book that will definitely stay with me for a long time.

Everything I Thought I knew follows the story of Chloe, a normal senior in high school. Everything is going great for her.. she’s doing well in school and graduating soon, she has her summer all planned out and then she’s off to college. Everything changes in an instant when she collapses during cross country training and wakes up in the hospital to the news she needs a new heart or she’s going to die.

Let me start off by saying how pretty the cover is, this is what initially drew me to this book. I know we shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover but it definitely helps when it’s as pretty as this one is!

I enjoyed the writing style, it flowed well and it was easy to read. I liked all of the characters, although I didn’t quite understand the relationship between Chloe and Emma, considering they were supposed to be best friends from childhood, they did not scream best friends to me at all. I really liked the dynamic between Jane and Chloe though.

My main issue with the story was from the “plot twist” around 2/3 of the way through. I had been really enjoying the book until that happened. It was so far fetched that unfortunately it ruined the whole book for me.

2.5 stars


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Well I was quite enjoying this book for the first two thirds or so... and then I saw what was going to happen. I’ve seen the movie last Christmas and I was exasperated at that, so I was exasperated at this too. For me, it ruined the story and I wish it had gone a different way.

The literary embodiment of a 'follow your heart' experience!

Despite the majority of the plot of this book feeling quite familiar and predictable, I still really enjoyed my reading experience. Chloe is a beautiful character, and she has been written brilliantly. As you follow her recovery journey, readers will be plagued with the many questions that Chloe cannot answer herself. The light romance between her and Kyle was very nice to see, and the twist at the end made their relationship all the more beautiful.
Overall, a light and heart-warming read perfect for rebels, romantics, surfers, and scientists

I am not able to give a rating to this book as it was not sending to my kindle therefore I have given a neutral rating.

This YA story is something else. Yes there is coming-of-age, love, importance of friendship and family and rebellion, but all of it is nothing like you would expect. The protagonist is a highschool senior, who discovers that her old heart will not carry her any longer. So, for her to carry on, somebody must die, so that she would get a “new” heart. After she has got the new heart, and she is pronounced “well” six months lates, she neglects to tell some things to her doctor - she keeps seeing the same nightmare about motorcycle accident, she is interested in things she wasn’t before and people and places are familiar to her, that should not be.
The story of how donor hearts carry with them the donor’s memories/soul, is nothing new, but it’s not this kind of story where the fact is just believed blindly, like the molecular memory is a real thing and the donor's soul could take over the new owner. There are many questions and not all the questions will be answered, but it just gives readers the opportunity to use their own fantasy.
Once you have started reading the story, you will enjoy the ride, whether it’s with a motorbike or on the waves, it’s enchanting.
A good read!

Unfortunately, the option to download this book on to my kindle wasn't available, however, the book sounds absolutely delightful and I will be picking up a copy the second I can!

Chloe has everything mapped out - a revision schedule to graduate before going to a good university as she has worked hard to achieve good grades. But while out for her usual run with her best friend she starts to feel unwell. The next thing she knows is waking up in hospital with two very concerned parents. Her life is upended and plans temporarily suspended.
Chloe is lucky as planned surgery which could have taken some time to happen is suddenly thrust upon her, so afterwards all Chloe has to do is get her life back on track. But is it as easy as that?
A life changing condition can take some time to process and this includes reassessing priorities. Something Chloe had never given thought to before becomes very important to her. And while her friends leave her behind as they get on with their own lives, Chloe finds new friends and interests.
Every chapter finishes with a lot of white space allowing the reader to digest what has just happened. So when the bombshell drops this white space and thinking time is even more important.

Genre: Young Adult | Romance | Contemporary Fiction

Release Date: 13th October 2020



Heart problems are for other people.

For Old people.

Unhealthy People.

Not for seventeen year old vegetarians who run five miles a day.

But Chloe has been silently and unknowingly getting worse since the day she was born and now her time is running out. She needs a new heart now and she's in the very awkward position of waiting for somebody else to die so she can live. And by a miracle, or a tragedy, it happens just in time.

Now it's all different - Chloe doesn't run anymore, she eats meat and she loves to surf; especially with her new surfing teacher Kai. A boy who has no idea what she's been through, who she was before, and isn't constantly asking her if she's feeling alright in that certain tone of voice.

Unfortunately being a great surfer isn't the only change in her life. The nightmares, the dejavu, it's all since the operation. Is sharing a heart with someone just a medical procedure? Or could it mean something much more than that?

It was so easy to get entranced in Chloes life from the first heartbreak to the very last and I read this whole story in one sitting. Entering into a world of where science and magical realism meet, I was hooked right away and knew I was in for something special.

This kept me in a daydream like haze the entire way through, as we go on a journey of love, loss and recovery that broke my heart and picked up the pieces again and again. So beautifully written, Everything I Thought I Knew was captivating and heart-wrenching and almost totally perfect.

Almost - the one thing keeping me from giving this book a total five star review is that I knew the ending twist almost right away and it felt a little familiar. However, this didn't stop me still wanting to take part in the journey even if I knew the destination and Takaoka still managed to keep me holding my breath in anticipation - she took something fairly common and made it sparkle.

I love the reccuring themes of alternate timelines, parallell universes, the idea that somewhere out there everything is different - all thrown in with the mundane routine of college applications and homework.

Life-Affirming and just beautiful, if you're looking for a 'smile-through-the-tears' kind of story look no further!

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐