Red Heart Tattoo

Jul 29, 2012 Giselle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, ebook, contemporary

With an eye widening prologue that winds up your emotions, Red Heart Tattoo's powerful beginning sets the ideal mood for the whole book. Told in five perspectives, we experience the before and after of a school bombing that leaves grief at every corner, and loss at every rubble.

With five perspectives, we get a lot of individual consequences to the school bombing. Showing us how different people cope, how they grieve and support each other. Since the book begins a few months before the incident,...more With an eye widening prologue that winds up your emotions, Red Heart Tattoo's powerful beginning sets the ideal mood for the whole book. Told in five perspectives, we experience the before and after of a school bombing that leaves grief at every corner, and loss at every rubble.

With five perspectives, we get a lot of individual consequences to the school bombing. Showing us how different people cope, how they grieve and support each other. Since the book begins a few months before the incident, we get to know each one of these kids from before, when they were relatively happy and life was simple. This builds the characters greatly, getting us to care about them. With so many POVs, it's natural to have a few that will get into your hearts more than others. Overall the cast is well balanced with characters that will make you feel their pain, their heartache, but also their love, and their strength. Morgan, our main perspective, shows us that even though dire consequences may seem like the end of the world, we should never let it break us. I adored her and admired her attitude.

Although a truly emotional book, Red Heart Tattoo potentially could have been a million times more poignant if we hadn't skirted around some of the most powerful scenes. Instead of witnessing the consequences and emotions during a few of the big happenings, we're simply told via memories after the fact. It's disappointing to finish a chapter in a breakthrough, only to start the next once the climax of its reactions has come and gone, leaving us yearning for what their immediate responses and feeling were.

Regardless, the story has great, realistic developments, some predictable though never unaffecting, some that will leave you with pain, some with warmth. An overall very satisfying school bombing story that, surprisingly, has a lot of heart amongst the trauma. As far as the ending, I can't help but feel like the epilogue leaves us hanging. We fast-forward a year, and what we learn feels jumbled and incomplete. I did not see the necessity to include it at all as it adds no real substance to the story, only wonderment. One could argue that that was the point, life is never certain. Yet, I can't help feeling that it would have been better left alone pre-epilogue. I also have to mention the cover; I understand its significance after the fact, but it could be misleading as the romance is not on the forefront of this novel.

School crimes and violence regrettably happen way too often, Lurlene takes a disastrous event and creates an eye-opening, affecting story that, even though it encounters a bit of lost potential, it's certainly worth the read.

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Dec 06, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

Confession time. I might have been looking forward to ripping this book apart. **Hanging head in shame** I know, I know…I’m scum, but growing up Lurlene McDaniel books were just not my style. I skipped right on by to rocker boys, shenanigans, and big trouble! :D I brushed her books off as fluff or Lifetime movies in print. Not that there is anything wrong with Lifetime movies! But…

I was wrong. Red Heart Tattoo by Ms. Lurlene McDaniel surprised, impressed and moved me.

Life can change in...more 3.5 Stars

Confession time. I might have been looking forward to ripping this book apart. **Hanging head in shame** I know, I know…I’m scum, but growing up Lurlene McDaniel books were just not my style. I skipped right on by to rocker boys, shenanigans, and big trouble! :D I brushed her books off as fluff or Lifetime movies in print. Not that there is anything wrong with Lifetime movies! But…

I was wrong. Red Heart Tattoo by Ms. Lurlene McDaniel surprised, impressed and moved me.

Life can change in an instant. A bomb explodes at Edison High School changing the lives of the students and the town forever. Readers are introduced to “always-color-in-the-lines” Morgan, Trent with his “Hey Babe” personality, “trouble-is-my-middle-name” vibe Roth, Kelli, Liza, Max, Carla and many more students and parents before the bombing and travel with them through the grief, loss, and pain of the tragedy. The emotional trauma and changes these characters experienced made such a strong impression and impact on my heart. Most of the plot points and big “secrets” with some of the characters were really obvious. If you cannot figure out what’s up with Kelli, you are living under a rock! I don’t believe surprise or shock was the point though. The focus was more on how each character responded to the life decision, change, pain, or loss in their life.

Every single one of the characters in this book faced a life altering tragedy, decision, or event in their life before or after the bombing. Everyone! How we react to life’s hard decisions and pain make us who we are in this world. The different voices come together to inspire readers to reflect on their own path in this world or how they might affect others around them. Curl up or stand up? Trust someone with your heart or not? Many of the characters made me think, but Roth’s story really touched my heart with warmth, humor, pain, and honesty. His transformation and journey through these pages is truly a joy to experience and take to heart.

There is a lot going on in such a short book. Some points felt underdeveloped and glossed over, but in the end this book did make me think, smile, swoon a bit, and wonder. How would I react? What would I have done?

The scary part--We won’t know until it happens to us.

Thank you to NetGalley for my very first Lurlene McDaniel book. It will not be my last.
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Mar 26, 2012 Debbie (at) I Heart YA Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Red Heart Tattoo ripped my heart to pieces. Lurlene McDaniel has a gift for writing heart-stopping storylines. I definitely knew I had a heart because it was breaking for these six teenagers. Red Heart Tattoo is told from five POV’s with the main prospective coming from Morgan. All the characters in this story will steal your heart. Lurlene McDaniel has taken high school drama to its darkest emotional level. I'm sitting here writing this review through tears. After reading this novel, it will ta...more Red Heart Tattoo ripped my heart to pieces. Lurlene McDaniel has a gift for writing heart-stopping storylines. I definitely knew I had a heart because it was breaking for these six teenagers. Red Heart Tattoo is told from five POV’s with the main prospective coming from Morgan. All the characters in this story will steal your heart. Lurlene McDaniel has taken high school drama to its darkest emotional level. I'm sitting here writing this review through tears. After reading this novel, it will take me a few days to get my own emotions together again. McDaniel is an awesome writer who takes readers deep into the teen world of jealousy, hate, violence and death. But McDaniel also shows you the hope, forgiveness, healing, love and the strength to survive.

Morgan is a senior who has everything going for her: excellent grades, student council president, and her boyfriend Trent is a soccer star. Morgan and Trent are in the elite group along with her best girlfriend Kelli, who’s the lead cheerleader and Kelli's jock star football quarterback, Mark. Everything comes easy for this elite group. But nothing comes easy for the loner group, and this is the group Roth is in. He's a badass with tattoos and face piercing's, but still Roth wants what he knows he can't have. Roth has wanted Morgan ever since sixth grade, and this is his last chance to get what he wants. So to hell with the consequences. There is one more group, the losers, who sit back and watch all the groups. And with their jealousy and hate, they want to get even with the other groups.

At 7:45 a bomb goes off. This will change everything in the lives of these groups at Edison High School. Careers will be destroyed, bad situations that seemed hopeless will be given away out, and love that had no chance will get its chance. But for some, tomorrow will never come.

Red Heart Tattoo will pull at your heartstrings. I never do spoilers, but there’s a scene where Roth said the most beautiful words, and I just have to share: He lowered her onto the pillows, leaned down and kissed her closed eyes. "I'll take whatever you want to give me, he said. "Nothing more." The ending in Red Heart Tattoo was very different and definitely a surprising one. I highly recommend Red Heart Tattoo as a must read.

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Dec 12, 2012 Joan rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: romance readers

Shelves: ya-books

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Sep 28, 2012 readknitread rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-school-reads, middle-school-reads, realistic-fiction, romance, drama, book-club-winter, multiple-views

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Sep 08, 2012 Amy Lignor rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is one of those rare fiction books that speak wholeheartedly and truthfully about some very serious issues that are occurring in our day and age. From terrorism by young adults to bullying, teen pregnancy, and the age old theory of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ - where a guy from one side of the tracks finds himself madly in love with a ‘perfect’ girl from the other side - this tale has it all.

As we begin, the school kids are all assembled in the courtyard excited about the fact that Thanksgiving Brea...more This is one of those rare fiction books that speak wholeheartedly and truthfully about some very serious issues that are occurring in our day and age. From terrorism by young adults to bullying, teen pregnancy, and the age old theory of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ - where a guy from one side of the tracks finds himself madly in love with a ‘perfect’ girl from the other side - this tale has it all.

As we begin, the school kids are all assembled in the courtyard excited about the fact that Thanksgiving Break is upon them and they finally get some time off from school to enjoy a holiday and each other. At 7:35 AM…a bomb is detonated, silencing their dreams…

As the author brings us back to September, we are introduced to a girl by the name of Morgan Frierson. Student Council President dating one of the jocks who’s mainly a soccer star, but in this season he’s also the field goal kicker for the football team - she is one girl who seemingly has it all.

Also in school, when he feels like going, is Stuart Rothman (AKA: Roth). He’s liked Morgan since sixth grade - before he became the ‘bad boy’ of the town. He lives with his Uncle, who has just taken a wife, and spends most of his time at his Uncle’s business - the Ink Spot tattoo parlor. His Uncle is a military guy with a big heart. Roth was orphaned at seven after his parents were killed in an explosion of their meth lad and became a ward of the state before being taken in by his Uncle, who makes sure that Roth knows that he MUST graduate high school no matter what, and drop this whole ‘wicked’ side.

Kelli, one of Morgan’s best friends, is a cheerleader whose parented by a Mom who wants nothing more than to relive her glory days through her child; although Kelli has an issue that will not only erase the cheerleading career but will also cause her to face a break-up.

Roth’s best friend is a girl named Liza who wants far more than friendship. Add into all this a duo called ‘The Watchers’ who hate the popular students and want to make sure everyone knows it - and you have an unforgettable tale with a wealth of emotion.

This author has done a fantastic job of overlapping fiction with fact. So much so, that the reader will be heartbroken when they think about the very real troubles in today’s schools.

A lovely romance locked inside a tale of heartache, determination and a look at having to grow up way too fast!
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Sep 03, 2012 Damaris (GoodChoiceReading) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I actually finished reading this book a couple of days ago and I liked it. It was very emotional and touched a subject that is very close to reality.

It was sad to think about because as a mother we send our kids off to school thinking they will be safe there. Red Heart Tattoo touches a little bit of bullying, jealousy, anger, teen pregnancy, and lots more. I mean for such a tiny book it was packed with a lot of real life issues. Two students at Edison high created a bomb and actually thought it...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary-lit, romance, murder, coming-of-age

3.5

Please excuse me while I stick my foot in my mouth. I have always snickered at Lurlene McDaniel's devastatingly traumatic problem fiction...it's just not for me. I started off this book (her newest publication) out of curiosity and sort of as a joke, and then I became totally wrapped up in the story and finished the novel in one day. It's only 216 pages, so not like that's a major feat or anything, but I guess that fact is worth mentioning since it's coming from someone who likes neither roma...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Radhika rated it 4 of 5 stars

There was and explosion before school started at Edison High School. It created devastation and loss of life. There was confusion who could have done such a terrible act. The story unravels as in every high school story in America. There are popular kids who form a clique , some kids in the middle hierarchy and the others watching them from the fringe totally ignored and feeling left out.

Morgan Frierson, Trent Caparella, Kelli Larson are the social bees. They are goodlooking kids, smart and seem...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Mrs. ReaderPants rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley, pub-date-2012, read-in-2012

More reviews at Mrs. ReaderPants

REVIEW: Let's start by saying that, in this case, I am a biased reviewer. I read my first Lurlene McDaniel novel as a sixth grader, around 25 years ago. I loved her then, and I love her now. McDaniel has decades-long staying power for a reason: she knows how to make readers feel her stories. I recommend McDaniel's books in my library frequently; being short, interesting, and full of romance, her books are an easy sell for girls looking for problem fiction.

Red Hea...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Karla Nellenbach rated it 2 of 5 stars

(Note: I'd actually give this 2.5 stars, but whatevs)

I find myself on the fence about this book. The idea is something that could happen today, which is sad, but I also felt like it's something that's been done before. While reading this book, I couldn't help but think of Columbine, as this had so many, haunting similarities regarding the kids who planned the bombing in TATTOO. I kind of think that the author intended the reader to compare the two, as anyone who remembers that said day in Americ...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Chrissy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was so excited to see Red Heart Tattoo by Lurlene McDaniel offered on NetGalley. Combining a physically and psychologically traumatizing event with a romantic storyline is like literature gold to me, if done well. Let me tell you, she did this really, really well.

First, I want to clarify that the book is by no means focused on the romance. The bombing takes full focus with the lead up and aftermath being explored from multiple viewpoints. Add in all the drama of teenage life into these charact...more I was so excited to see Red Heart Tattoo by Lurlene McDaniel offered on NetGalley. Combining a physically and psychologically traumatizing event with a romantic storyline is like literature gold to me, if done well. Let me tell you, she did this really, really well.

First, I want to clarify that the book is by no means focused on the romance. The bombing takes full focus with the lead up and aftermath being explored from multiple viewpoints. Add in all the drama of teenage life into these characters and you've got a rich story full of everything, which includes romance.

I've never read a novel by Lurlene McDaniel before, so I wasn't sure what to expect from her craft. I was pleased with the amount of depth present in the story, particularly because there were so many characters and viewpoints to juggle. As usual, I'm drawn to the troubled teen character, so I immediately gravitated to Roth and his experiences. Lucky for me, he had a prominent role in the story.

This story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Obviously, seeing as the major storyline involves a school bombing, there is a lot of tragedy and loss present. The heartwarming aspects come from certain individual's reactions to the event. It would be difficult not to be touched by the way the community comes together and supports each other. Beautiful.

If I could've changed anything--and this is real nitpicky, based on personal preference--I would have wanted to get a little bit deeper into the experiences into a few of the main characters. I completely understand that this would have been difficult to do, particularly because there were multiple viewpoints presented, but it's my personal preference. For me, I'd rather get into the deep psychological and emotional experiences of one or two characters than a full look at several characters. That said, I really like the way this was done. It seems like it was important to McDaniels to present the community as a whole (by showing multiple viewpoints) rather than to keep a focus on one or two people.

Overall, Red Heart Tattoo was a super quick read and a very touching story. I'm so glad to have read it.

Final thoughts: Buy it. (less)

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Oct 30, 2011 Tana rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book I’ve read by Larlene McDaniel, I was given a copy to review through NetGallery and find myself now trying to write a review. Larlene has written many novels as far as I can tell, she writes about love, loss, death, illness, and trauma that young people face today face.

The story starts with the explosion, 7:45 am a bomb goes off at Edison High, the explosion happened in a nanosecond, bursting first with a brilliant flash of white, followed by deafening roar....when the blas...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Mitch rated it 4 of 5 stars

Red Heart Tattoo's one of those books that's gonna stay with me for awhile. A high school bombing's obviously a very heavy subject, but, for the most part, Lurlene McDaniel's writing handles it with emotion and poise. McDaniel doesn't exploit the tragedy for shock value and her words aren't dramatic to the point of being a tearjerker but rather subdued, which makes this book all the more emotional.

I have to admit I had trouble at the beginning. The prologue gave me the impression most of this bo...more Red Heart Tattoo's one of those books that's gonna stay with me for awhile. A high school bombing's obviously a very heavy subject, but, for the most part, Lurlene McDaniel's writing handles it with emotion and poise. McDaniel doesn't exploit the tragedy for shock value and her words aren't dramatic to the point of being a tearjerker but rather subdued, which makes this book all the more emotional.

I have to admit I had trouble at the beginning. The prologue gave me the impression most of this book would be about the aftermath of the bombing, but turns out the end of chapter one is just a fake out. Instead, Tattoo follows the lives of five students via four different, alternating points of view before and after the bombing. Once I hit the midpoint of the book, when the bombing actually occurs, I realize it's actually excellently done, looking at how the bombing has changed the lives of all these students through the lens of a few particular characters. I just needed the shock of the blast to realize it.

I really liked following Morgan and Roth, two of the students. They have such different roles before the bombing, the popular class president and the outsider, and all these different issues they're dealing with. Morgan with her best friend Kelli's strange behavior, trouble with her boyfriend Trent, and going off to college in less than a year, Roth with his family issues, outsider status, and the long odds of him even graduating. Even before the bombing, these two are really complex characters.

But after the bombing, I'm shocked at how poignant McDaniel's writing is. It's not a matter of lots of tears being shed or everything being raw and emotional, but just from the way Morgan and Roth behave, I can see how the bombing changes - everything. Morgan's blinded, and just the way she deals with the aftermath of the tragedy, through her actions, I think something caught in my throat while I was reading. Sure, she adapts to sightlessness maybe a little too quickly, and the part with Trent was extremely obvious and not a great twist, but none of that really lessened the impact for me. And Roth, just the way he reacts to the bombing, what he does in the aftermath, and how this tragedy brings Morgan and him closer, it was all really deep. Even what happens to Kelli and her boyfriend Mark, it all shows how the bombing doesn't discriminate - it hits everyone no matter who they are, where they were when it happened.

Of course, there are four different points of view and they switch off every so often, which I didn't have a problem with because it allowed me to digest what had just happened, sort of maximized the emotional impact of the scenes for me. My problem is Kelli, who gets a few chapters to herself early on, sort of fades into the background after awhile, so while I liked her storyline, I really don't think she really needs a separate point of view from Morgan's. As for the last point of view, focusing on the bombers, no. This should have been a book about the victims, I didn't need to spend any time reading about them. And it's not like those two brought anything new to the table beyond a pair of stereotypical high school psychopaths.

If this book would've focused on Morgan and Roth exclusively, I can see myself giving it five stars. Even the epilogue, because even though the bombing changed everything and brought Morgan and Roth together, life's messy and I get it. But the addition of Kelli and the bombers left me less than fully satisfied.(less)

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Jul 03, 2012 Lucie rated it 4 of 5 stars

As soon as I read the back cover, I wanted to dive into this story. I was curious how the author would treat the "after the bomb blast" ... I must confess that this novel has fulfilled all these promises. I eagerly turned the pages, and I was even somewhat surprised by the end.

Of course, the reader in me is excited by the prospect of a sequel to come because I liked the writting style of Lurlene McDaniel.
She managed to link the reader to its main characters before the explosion of the bomb by s...more As soon as I read the back cover, I wanted to dive into this story. I was curious how the author would treat the "after the bomb blast" ... I must confess that this novel has fulfilled all these promises. I eagerly turned the pages, and I was even somewhat surprised by the end.

Of course, the reader in me is excited by the prospect of a sequel to come because I liked the writting style of Lurlene McDaniel.
She managed to link the reader to its main characters before the explosion of the bomb by sharing pieces of their dayly life. Thereby she allows a link to form. Suddenly, I was touched by the death or the injuries of fictional characters as if they were my friends. The author had me involved and so I was more sensitive and steeped in the story.

If the drama has some similarities with the shooting of Columbine High School, the author does not stay focused on the bloody side. No sordid details only subtlety.
The author focuses on the characters. The unexpected behavior that turn out. The people's ability to rebuild their ways into life after traumatic events.

One such stressful and bloody event disrupts the attitudes, behaviors and has serious repercussions for the rest of life. Dreams break for some, others emerge and transcend the fighters.
A tragedy is always a way to mature and question the options and choices left to the future. The survival's instincts get the upper hand too. For as Jane says: "But life goes on. You can't grieve forever." And it is this ability to continue that differs among individuals.
Thus for some, the pain strengthens the bonds, unites people and motivates them to live their lives by not lowering theirs arms and always keep fighting. For others, they are locked in a spiral governs by fear.
Various reactions are studied through the characters to show the diversity and complexity facing the loss, suffering or simply adversity...

I loved this novel for the atmosphere, the characters and the positive message it sends. Be happy to live your lives fully, trying to do your best, nobody knows when it may end ...
To make the story more exciting, there is also some romance and love triangles to complicate things and make them more realistic too.

A very positive reading. A writer captivated by the human reactions. In short, a novel that makes you want to turn the pages ...

Lucie
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Jun 15, 2012 Shawn Lane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Confession time: This is my first Lurlene McDaniel book. Shame on me! As a librarian, I watch her books fly off the shelves everyday. Once a student discovers her wonderful books, they come in everyday picking out the next one! So when I had the opportunity to read and review Red Heart Tattoo, I jumped on it! I completely understand the pull my readers have to her books.

The first thing I liked about Red Heart Tattoo where the characters and how McDaniel’s developed each one. She covered the mem...more Confession time: This is my first Lurlene McDaniel book. Shame on me! As a librarian, I watch her books fly off the shelves everyday. Once a student discovers her wonderful books, they come in everyday picking out the next one! So when I had the opportunity to read and review Red Heart Tattoo, I jumped on it! I completely understand the pull my readers have to her books.

The first thing I liked about Red Heart Tattoo where the characters and how McDaniel’s developed each one. She covered the members of each type of clique and how they relate to each other.
Morgan represented the popular/cheerleading clique. She represented in a naive, innocent way. I loved her character. I loved the way she wholeheartedly tackled life, but had her weaknesses. I loved the way she battled what life handed her and that in the end, she stuck to the values she was raised with, and the goals she had set for herself. I like that even though she allowed her heart to love, she used her head to live her life.
Kelli also represents the same clique as Morgan, but is that one in the clique whose life isn’t going according to plan.
Trent and Mark represent the jock clique. There characters tend to represent the world view of jocks.They are egotistical, they bully, they get the girl, and live life to play ball. It’s a pretty harsh view, but in Red Heart Tattoo, it’s essential, because this is also the view that most “anti-jock” cliques have.
Roth and Liza represent the goth/pierced/tattooed clique. Roth is my favorite character. He is the essential bad boy, and he wants the good girl, Morgan.
The final clique represented is the unnoticed, but highly dangerous group. These are the ones the fly under the radar watching and waiting. These are the ones that observe the other cliques, and decide to rock their world, because they can.
I liked that this could be any high school in America. These characters are the characters in our high schools. The parents are the parents of today’s students.
I also liked the bad boy wants the good girl, and especially that the good girl is strangely attracted to the bad boy.
What I liked most about the story was Morgan’s triumph. Having been blinded by the bomb that was set off, Morgan faces this obstacle in the fashion she faced everything else. She took charge, stayed independent, but determined.
The one thing that I didn’t like about Red Heart Tattoo, was that McDaniel’s used the parent’s names instead of “Mom” or “Dad” and “Mother” or “Father.” This sometimes left me confused, and constantly had to remember that Paige was Morgan’s mom, not sister or friend.
This book will definitely be added to the shelves in my library and I’m sure will be a hit with all of Lurlene McDaniel’s fans.(less)

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Dec 04, 2012 Branigan Teens rated it 3 of 5 stars

Having never read any Lurlene McDaniel, but knowing that her works are about love, loss, and illness I wasn't thrilled when I picked this book up, but I was willing to give it a chance. I’m glad that I did, in the end it was a timely story, with a lot of heart and some good lessons hidden in there. The story is split into two parts. The students at Edison High School have a story before a bomb rocks their world and they have a story of recovery afterward. The story is narrated by 5 characters;...more

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Jan 23, 2012 April Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

A long time Lurlene McDaniel fan since elementary school, I lept at the opportunity to read & review her latest, Red Heart Tattoo. Although my high school days are over, I instantly felt a connection with the main character Morgan, a popular young lady that I'd probably never be friends with in reality. Unlike most novels in which everyone hates the popular kids and the popular kids are jerks, Morgan demonstrates goodness a myriad of times. After a tragic school shooting renders Morgan blind...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Chelesbells rated it 5 of 5 stars

I knew what was ahead - it’s there in the summary, so I began this story, nervously anticipating the tragedy that was going to transpire. What I wasn’t prepared for was how engaging these characters would be. In the beginning of the book, the author does a phenomenal job introducing them and really letting you get to know them. Most are seniors on the verge of graduating and making their mark in the real world. Some have earnest and significant academic goals, and others....not so much. There ar...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Pooja (On books!) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, net-galley

Originally posted on my blog, On books!

A bomb, planted by two unnamed students who resent the school and the people who rule it, goes off at Edison High. Nine die and fifteen others are critically injured. Edison High will never be the same again.

Red Heart Tattoo was a compelling take on the lives of the students at Edison High before and after the bombing. There are the popular kids, the loners and the invisibles. And then the bombing that shakes up the clique system; bringing it to light and t...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Fiona rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, october2012, horror

The day before the students were set free at Edison High, there was a bomb. 9 people died, some severely injured, and 1 blinded.

Morgan was blinded from the bombing. She was sitting at her table for lunch, when she saw an abandonned backpack next to her. She picked it up and then it happened. Her boyfriend, Trent, protected her but lost his life. He pushed her away before the bomb exploded.

Morgan was school president at Edison High. From her freshmen year until senior year when they were going to...more The day before the students were set free at Edison High, there was a bomb. 9 people died, some severely injured, and 1 blinded.

Morgan was blinded from the bombing. She was sitting at her table for lunch, when she saw an abandonned backpack next to her. She picked it up and then it happened. Her boyfriend, Trent, protected her but lost his life. He pushed her away before the bomb exploded.

Morgan was school president at Edison High. From her freshmen year until senior year when they were going to graduate, Morgan had been having a strong relationship with Trent. The moment they caught eyes on each other, they started dating. Everyone called them the perfect couple and everyone knows them as the perfect couple. She agrees, she believes that he and Trent make an amazing couple. Morgan wants to become a lawyer when she's older. She is waiting to see if Boston College has accepted her.

Trent is Morgan's boyfriend. He has been playing soccer since very young. He is waiting for a scholarship to go to an athletic college. Trent admires Morgan fire, red hair and her green eyes. They match perfectly. Trent and Morgan were elected prom king and queen. The night before the prom, Trent gave Morgan a promise ring. He promised Morgan that one day he'll replace the promise ring with an engagement ring after they finish college.

Kelli is Morgan's best friend. Kelli just recently got dumped by her boyfriend. Her boyfriend, Mike, could not accept the fact that Kelli was pregnant with his baby, so he just left her. When the bomb exploded, Kelli was making her way down the stairs and she suddenly fell. Kelli lsot her baby. She was very depressed and didn't want to talk to anyone.

Mike is Kelli's ex-boyfriend. He is an amazing football player. Like Trent, he is waiting for an athletic college to give him a scholarship. Unfortunately, he was paralyzed from the waist down forever after the bomb exploded.

Roth has a secret crush on Morgan. He is best friends with Liza. They met in 6th grade. Roth also saved Morgan from the explosion by pulling her out of the school quickly. During Morgan's recovery, he has been by her side all this time. His childhood has been very rough. He saw his parents die from an explosion and he was helpless because he was locked up in the car.

Liza is Roth's best friend. She secretly hates Morgan because Roth secretly likes her. She's jealous because Roth is spending more time with her than her.

I think this book was really good. I really enjoyed reading it. It gave me mixed emotions. I didn't know if I was sad, happy, proud, etc.(less)

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Dec 20, 2011 Kary rated it 4 of 5 stars

A big thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review Red Heart Tattoo by Lurlene McDaniel!
I’ll be honest and say that I hesitantly requested this book. McDaniel has a knack for teen romances (and many deal with tragedy and difficult topics). Honestly, that is not my typical genre. However, the school bombing storyline is what ultimately drew me in. Let’s face it, this has been happening in our schools. When I was in high school, a bomb w...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-s

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. This was an interesting story about young long, loss and learning to move on after a senseless tragedy. There was a definite Columbine feel to this and anyone who remembers where they were when that story broke will no doubt appreciate the similarities.

"At 7:45 a.m. on the day before Thanksgiving break, a bomb goes off at Edison High. Nine people die instantly. Fifteen are critically injured. Twenty-two suffer less severe injuries. And one is blinded." Life as t...more Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. This was an interesting story about young long, loss and learning to move on after a senseless tragedy. There was a definite Columbine feel to this and anyone who remembers where they were when that story broke will no doubt appreciate the similarities.

"At 7:45 a.m. on the day before Thanksgiving break, a bomb goes off at Edison High. Nine people die instantly. Fifteen are critically injured. Twenty-two suffer less severe injuries. And one is blinded." Life as these students know it is forever changed and they must now figure out how to go on living.

We get a glimpse of their lives before the bombing and we see the usual high school social landscape with Student Council President Morgan, her jock boyfriend Trent, and the rest of their popular friends. Then there are the outsiders like inked up Roth, the guy with the troubled past who can't seem to stay on the straight and narrow and his long time friend "with benefits", Liza who has enough piercings to send a metal detector up in smoke.

Morgan and Trent are the "It" couple of the school but of course, it wouldn't be high school without drama in the love department. Trent loves Morgan, Morgan loves Trent, Roth secretly loves Morgan, Morgan likes the attention Roth gives her and Liza is madly in love with Roth. (Got it all straight?)

From all appearances, Roth and Morgan couldn't be more different and as hard as Morgan tries to unite the student body, even she can't bridge the gap between the naturally occurring cliques. Roth wants to get closer to Morgan but so far is content to watch her from the sidelines. Liza is insanely jealous of the attention Roth pays Morgan and tries desperately to get him to love her back. When he shares a secret with her, Liza makes the mistake of repeating it to some friends, and the information gets back to Morgan. Her decision not only damages Roth's reputation but their friendship as well. (Not the best way to get a guy to love you back.)

This story makes a good point of how "judging a book by it's cover" is often a mistake. Roth and Trent, while physically different in appearance, are both good guys. Trent is the All-American jock who enjoys taking every chance he can to make out with his girlfriend but does show restraint with Morgan. He truly loves her and wants to spend forever with her, after they finish college first. He is willing to do anything for her - literally.

Roth seems to fit the bad boy image but once you look past the ink, you see a boy whose sweet, kind and who wants the love of a beautiful girl just like the next guy. He's lived through a horrific childhood and has acted out over the years as a result. He tries to change but gets pigeon holed a lot because of past mistakes. His sacrifices are surprising to some but not to those who really know him.

Morgan is smart, pretty and a fighter. She's determined to succeed at whatever she puts her mind too whether it's a school function, her relationship with Trent or her future. She has everything planned out and doesn't want anything or anyone to mess those plans up. Roth is the only thing that rattles her. Something about the way he looks at her and makes her insides twist, could throw a wrench in her plans with Trent, if she lets it.

On what seems like an ordinary school day, life changes in an instant when that bomb goes off. In a flash, Morgan's future with Trent is no longer crystal clear and Roth's past will once again come back to haunt him. The only thing that is certain is how Morgan and Roth's lives will be intertwined in a way neither of them ever imagined.

*Normally, I'm a fan of the "Epilogue" but this one felt incomplete somehow like it focused on the wrong characters. This is just my opinion but it would've seemed more appropriate or interesting to have it be the five or ten year anniversary showing where they were now. (less)

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Jul 11, 2012 Rowena rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

When I first read the blurb for this book, I knew that I was going to read it. Whether I was in the mood for something as serious as a school bombing or not, I knew that I was going to read this book. When I finally picked this book up to read, I couldn't put it down. I didn't want to put it down because McDaniels did a great job of sucking me right into the story and while the book was gripping and most things good, there were a few things that I dimmed my enjoyment of this one.

Morgan is an ove...more
When I first read the blurb for this book, I knew that I was going to read it. Whether I was in the mood for something as serious as a school bombing or not, I knew that I was going to read this book. When I finally picked this book up to read, I couldn't put it down. I didn't want to put it down because McDaniels did a great job of sucking me right into the story and while the book was gripping and most things good, there were a few things that I dimmed my enjoyment of this one.

Morgan is an over-achiever who has the total hots for her boyfriend, Trent. They're a great couple. He's good to her, she's happy with him but she can't help but feel goosebumpy all over when this other guy named Roth stares at her. The intense-ness (yeah, that's probably not a word but you know what I mean) of his stares make her weak in the knee and her curiosity where he's concerned confuses her because if she's so happy with Trent, why is she thinking about Roth?

On the day before Thanksgiving break, a bomb goes off at their school and it kills nine people (students and teachers), injures a handful of people and rocks the entire community off its axis. Everyone wants to know who did it and why it happened...and the police suspect Roth. Roth has always had it bad for Morgan and with this year being their senior year, it's his last chance to make it happen so he's going to go for it, whether Trent approves or not...and then the bombing happens and Roth rushes in to save Morgan's life.

The events of that horrific day forge a bond between Roth and Morgan. Morgan is thankful to Roth and Roth is just happy that Morgan is alive. It's weird how things can change so quickly and so devastatingly. One minute, you're having breakfast out in the quad at school with your friends, laughing before class starts and the next, you're rushed to emergency, fighting for your life. This book made me realize just how much I take my everyday life for granted. Bad things happen in life everyday and good people get hurt and bad people walk away with nary a scratch but that's life and that's all brought up in this book. The dark side of life and the bonds that are forged from bad things.

As engaging as this story was (and it totally was), there were a few things that bothered me over the course of the book. One of those things was the way I felt Roth and Morgan didn't wait very long to get together. I felt that in respect to Trent, they should have waited a bit before becoming a couple and I didn't think that Morgan really grieved much over that loss. I wish she would have taken more time to deal with losing Trent before moving on to Roth. Don't get me wrong, I really wanted Roth and Morgan to end up together but I didn't want them to rush into it, so soon after Trent died.

The other thing that I was disappointed with was the development of Kelli and Mark's storyline. It felt a little forced since both Kelli and Mark's characters weren't as fleshed out as Roth and Morgan's characters were. It felt more of a filler storyline than an actual part of the story and then there was Liza's character as well. I wish we could have gotten more from Liza in this story. She's in love with Roth but Roth only cares about Morgan and she hates Morgan because of that. Her character felt one dimensional and while I thought she could have added more to the story (then just being a background character who was thrown in to make sense of things in the end), I'll admit that she was an interesting character.

The way that this story ended left my romance novel loving heart at odds because the story spent a lot of time on Morgan and Roth and then the ending ends like...that? I would have been happier if Liza had moved on from her feelings for Roth, growing stronger as a person without Roth than a person who changed a lot but her change felt like she changed for him and not for herself...if that makes any sense.

Overall, this book was good. I couldn't put it down but even though I couldn't put it down, the story wasn't without its flaws but the flaws didn't take too much away from the story as a whole so I'd still recommend it. I'm glad that I read this book and I will definitely be reading more books by McDaniels.

This review was originally posted on The Book Scoop by me.(less)

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Jul 31, 2012 Mimi rated it 5 of 5 stars

I forgot to change this book for the book I'm currently reading, fuq.
I give this book a 4.5/5. I cried so much while reading it. I'm still honestly at loss for words when it comes to this. Lurlene McDaniel has surely been straying away from her typical genre of tear jerking stories and is replacing it with stories a lot of people have a firm understanding of. This book focused on a school bombing and expressed how affected the lives of the students of Edison high were. I think the characters wer...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Starr Griggs added it

Red Heart Tattoo by Lurlene McDaniel
Delacorte for Young Readers – July 24, 2012
224 pages
http://www.lurlenemcdaniel.net/

Facebook: Yes
Twitter: @LurleneMcdaniel
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Rating: This was an okay read for me. I am disappointed that it did not live up to its potential.
I received a copy of this book, free, in exchange for my honest review.

The lives of Edison High School students are changed dramatically and permanently after a bomb is set off inside the atrium. Morgan, the studen...more Red Heart Tattoo by Lurlene McDaniel
Delacorte for Young Readers – July 24, 2012
224 pages
http://www.lurlenemcdaniel.net/

Facebook: Yes
Twitter: @LurleneMcdaniel
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Rating: This was an okay read for me. I am disappointed that it did not live up to its potential.
I received a copy of this book, free, in exchange for my honest review.

The lives of Edison High School students are changed dramatically and permanently after a bomb is set off inside the atrium. Morgan, the student council president and Trent the football star are the cutest couple. Mark, another football stara dn Kelli, the tumbler for the cheerleading squad are best friends with Morgan and Trent. All are part of the popular crowd. Roth is the local bad boy, an image protected as a shield to cover childhood pain. Liza, best friends with Roth and carries a long-hidden crush and another dangerous secret. Executioner and Apocalypse are students that exist on the fringes of the high school world.
I have to admit that I was really looking forward to Red Heart Tattoo. I was excited that someone had decided to fictionally tackle the violence and terror of school bombings. Unfortunately, it fell flat in way too many ways for me to say that I enjoyed this story. I remember the Paducah, Kentucky School shooting of 1997. I remember the Columbine School shooting that followed two years later. I remember the icy fingers of terror that stretched across the entire United States and the extreme reactions that followed. There were the desperate attempts to protect all the students but also to understand how people could reach this point or terror, violence and deeply-rooted hurt.
I won’t remember Red Heart Tattoo. I don’t want to because it did nothing, it didn’t put me in the mind of the bomber(s) or the victims. While, I don’t think the bombing should be glorified, there should be enough to feel something- anything. Instead, it was treated as if the school shut down for renovations. The bombing barely touched the community surrounding Edison High School, so it’s not surprising that no one else cared about what happened. Even the ending upset me. Out 224 pages, the ending sounds more of a wrap –up summary than a conclusion. I don’t agree with the reason that was given by the bombers and the diagnosis given to the lead bomber. (“Because I can” and sociopath). I think that just shows how little effort the author did to understand the mind of those who perpetuate school violence. While narcissistic sociopaths may exist in high school, they tend to do things more complicated than bombings (tend to be more like a serial killer than a mass murderer). I’m not sure if the reactions of the victims were believable.
Besides not getting into the story, I feel a little offended that this wasn’t handled better. Maybe I feel this way because I remember, I’m not sure.

Recommendation: I would not recommend this book to anyone.
What’s Next? Her website has not been updated with any news of upcoming books.

Cover Art
Always Shine,
Starr K(less)

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Dec 14, 2012 Chelsea Eller rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this book. It had me almost in tears at several points in the plot. The characters are easy to get attached to. I was torn between liking Trent or Roth, two guys in the book that liked Morgan. And then there was Lisa, who liked Roth, but Roth didn't feel the same way. I was shocked when the bomb went off and I only wanted to read more. I had this huge fear that Morgan or Trent would die. Morgan, the main character was left blinded by bomb. It was also inspirational to re...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Joy (joyous reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, net-galley

Ripped from the headlines, Red Heart Tattoo is a story of people coming together after a couple of attention-hungry kids set off a bomb in a high school. And in the centre of the chaos was Roth; a tattooed senior with a reputation for inciting malice. Roth has been attracted to Morgan for what seemed like an eternity. But Morgan was on the opposite spectrum of Roth's world; she's popular, president of the students council and was the other half of the 'IT' couple in school. That didn't deter Rot...more Ripped from the headlines, Red Heart Tattoo is a story of people coming together after a couple of attention-hungry kids set off a bomb in a high school. And in the centre of the chaos was Roth; a tattooed senior with a reputation for inciting malice. Roth has been attracted to Morgan for what seemed like an eternity. But Morgan was on the opposite spectrum of Roth's world; she's popular, president of the students council and was the other half of the 'IT' couple in school. That didn't deter Roth from trying to catch her attention either way, however and Morgan would do just about anything to calm her breathing every time she catches Roth staring at her like he was flaying her skin. When the senseless violence happened, they found themselves at the centre of it all; Roth was the hero, Morgan, the straight A student whose blindness was brought on my PTSD.

This is the story of coping - to perish or to strive. A story about hope and how a traumatic event can change a person. From the beginning of the novel to end, the characters' metamorphosis was astounding. Roth, for example was a completely different person. Gone was the arrogance, the egotism that you'd know of him at the beginning of the novel. Physically he was still Roth, tattooed, pierced and perpetually disheveled. But on the inside, he'd become responsible and a person who actually cared. This was basically the theme of the book: what would become of a person after going through a harrowing experience. It wasn't just the physical damage that was costly. These are high school kids - fragile in some ways. Adolescence is hard as it is, compounded with this trauma and you've got yourselves a succession of appointments with a therapist.

I wish this book was longer. I wish there was a sense of contentment when I finished this book. It wasn't rushed or anything, but I wanted to read more. There were characters here that barely scratched the surface of who they were and who they could be. But I understand. It's difficult to end this novel with rainbows and unicorns. This novel wasn't about a couple of kids who got bullied. These was about them being bored and lacking the attention at home and school. Senseless violence, no matter what the motive, is still senseless. There's no valid reason. (less)

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Jan 08, 2012 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-booklist

Summary: At 7:45 a.m. on the day before Thanksgiving break, a bomb goes off at Edison High. Nine people die instantly. Fifteen are critically injured. Twenty-two suffer less severe injuries. And one is blinded. Those who survive, struggle to cope with the loss and destruction. All must find new meaning for their lives as a result of something they may never understand.

My review:

This is an ARC book from netgalley.

I found this book amazing. I laughed, I cried, I felt pain and sorrow. The story is...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Katie Hill rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book...omg it was soooo good! It's a very easy read and a short book but it was absolutely amazing! It's the story of a school bombing and how it affects those involved. It goes through the pain and hurt of those whos lives were altered or lost and how it affected everyone around. Best friends and loved ones are lost. Lurlene McDaniel has a way of making you feel the characters' pain as they go through the hardest time in their lives. It tells of their struggles to graduate despite all that...more

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