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 enlarge | Author: Jacquelyn Mitchard
Publisher: HarperTeen
Category: Book
List Price: $16.99
Buy New: $6.99
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New (34) Used (12) Collectible (1) from $6.94
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 27923
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.2
ISBN: 0061345784
EAN: 9780061345784
ASIN: 0061345784
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: New, unread, publisher over-stock copies. Ships out by NEXT Business Day. We have shipped TWO MILLION+ Amazon orders to-date. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee!
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-8 of 8 | | « PREV | | |
 Courtesy of Teens Read Too May 7, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I have read and reviewed many books over the past two years that have impressed me. I have read only a handful, however, that have touched me as deeply as ALL WE KNOW OF HEAVEN. This is a book that's hard to describe in detail, due mainly to the fact that I don't want to give too much of the story away. Suffice it to say, however, that it's a story that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.
Two girls, Bridget and Maureen, who are so similar and yet so different at the same time. They have nearly identical body shapes, have the same colored hair and eyes, and even share many of the same mannerisms and characteristics. They've been best friends for several years, and yet there's a part of Maureen that understands that Bridget considers her to be her friend out of convenience, and for what she can provide for her.
Then there is an accident, a deadly one, and the lives of two girls and their families are forever changed. One girl dies, one girl lives. One family buries their daughter, one rejoices and yet fears over the fact that their daughter, now forever changed, lies unconscious and unknowing in a hospitable bed. Yet through it all, interspersed throughout the pages of the story, are the tangled thoughts of a young woman, who is unable to grasp even the simplest words and put them to the images she sees, yet who understands the concept that she's not the girl everyone seems to think she is.
The wrong daughter buried, the wrong family rejoicing. Fear, regret, heartbreak, happiness, hope -- and with it all, through it all, tinged by it all, lies guilt. Guilt that one girl survived, and one didn't. Guilt that one mother once hoped her daughter might die, to spare them all the pain of a long recovery. Guilt that one family's prayers seemed to be answered, and another's joy was cut short.
Guilt that one girl is not the other, could never be the other, and yet seems to be stepping into the life that girl left behind.
Jacquelyn Mitchard can write. She writes so well, in fact, that the reader is unable to step outside of the story of Maureen and Bridget once they've begun reading it. You can feel the pain, the happiness, the sorrow. You understand, and you grieve, and you rejoice, right along with the characters of ALL WE KNOW OF HEAVEN. This is a story you won't soon forget -- nor will you want to.
Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"
Another Wonderful Story May 7, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
from Jacquelyn Mitchard.
I was drawn in by the premise right away and while I was reading I was drawn in by the characters...I'm a former high school teacher and I think this is a great book to recommend to teens and anyone else who wants a gripping story.
I knew I would be in trouble if I started reading a Jacquelyn Mitchard novel in the evening and sure enough I was still reading at 2 in the morning. Her novels are the definition of "unputdownable."
Engaging and emotional - great for teens and adults! May 5, 2008
I really loved this story, character name notwithstanding!
I have said in the past, and it holds true in her teen fiction as well, Ms. Mitchard is a consummate storyteller. I love that at the end of any of her stories, I know how the characters are continuing to live their lives, in spite of, or sometimes because of, the adversity they faced.
This is a story of many different types of love, the love of friends, the love of family, the romantic love between two people, and most importantly, the love of self. It was inspired in part by several real life events, but it is truly a work of fiction. The feelings ring true and the characters seem like real friends. You can't help but cheer at times, and jeer at others, sometimes simultaneously.
I was deeply touched by this book and ordered an additional copy for each of the teen girls in my life.
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