Instructions for a Secondhand Heart

British teen Jonny, in need of a heart transplant, describes himself as a "boy with no future." In order to live, he's depending on someone to die--someone with his rare blood type who's also an organ donor. Meanwhile, Neve's family is on vacation when her twin brother, Leo, dies suddenly; their unimaginable loss is Jonny's good fortune. Though his donor's identity is anonymous, Jonny figures out that his new heart is Leo's, and contacts Neve to learn more about him. But Jonny is afraid to tell Neve who he really is, and as their friendship predictably turns romantic, Neve suspects he's hiding something. Co-narrators Neve and Jonny manage to have a remarkably normal teenage relationship, despite Neve's grief and Jonny's secret: they complain about their parents, flirt via Facebook messages, and worry that their crushes on each other aren't reciprocated. At the same time, Murray doesn't diminish the challenges they face. Neve, who has been in her "golden boy" brother's shadow her whole life, is suddenly alone; Jonny, an artist (whose comics and sketches are interspersed throughout the story), worries he's not worthy of Leo's sacrifice. While some elements of the sick-teen narrative are familiar (Jonny's best friend from the hospital, for example, gets worse as Jonny gets better), Neve and Jonny are emotionally complex, vulnerable protagonists who help each other face realities they never dreamed they'd see. rachel l. smith