Emma's mother is dead. That's what she knows even though her stepfather, Dan, has her kept alive through machines to save his precious baby son still growing in her belly. Emma used to love Dan like a father, but now she can't stand him or her tremendous grief that threatens to break her. Just when it seems like nothing can help, rumored bad boy Caleb Harrison comes into the picture. He might just be the only person who can understand what's she's feeling. Emma has to discover through him and her soon-to-be baby brother what being alive really means.

HEARTBEAT by Elizabeth Scott is one of the most moving and beautiful novels about grief that I have ever read. Emma's narration grips your heart from the first page, and it doesn't let up for a second. Her voice is unique and captures the horrible tragedy of losing someone you love in a way that forces you to read into all hours of the night trying, hoping, and praying to find a happier moment for Emma on the next page. Amidst her grief and through her slow-moving, but extremely powerful conversations with Caleb, Emma's personality shines off the page with the all the hurt, hope, loneliness, and strength she exhibits. The depth of her relationship with Caleb just makes you want to wrap them both in a hug.

Another enjoyable aspect to this story is in the secondary character of Emma's best friend, Olivia. I like how Scott shows her as an exceptional friend, but also a realistic one. She isn't afraid to tell Emma what she's feeling, but she also worries about her more than she lets on. I love the little details about her own life, and I think she should get a best friend award for being so patient.

HEARTBEAT is an exceptional book from beginning to end, and if you enjoy deep, moving YA like Katie McGarry and John Green, then I would highly recommend this.