Hearts & Other Body Parts

by Ira Bloom

Overview

Sisters Esme, Katy, and Ronnie are smart, talented, and gorgeous, and better yet . . . all three are witches. They have high school wired until the arrival of two new students. The first is Norman, who is almost eight feet tall and appears to be constructed of bolts and mismatched body parts. Despite his intimidating looks, Esme finds herself strangely -- almost romantically -- drawn to both his oversized brain and oversized heart.

The second new arrival is Zack, an impossibly handsome late transfer from the UK who has the girls at school instantly mesmerized. Soon even sensible Esme has forgotten Norman, and all three sisters are in a flat-out hex war to win Zack. But while the magic is flying, only Norman seems to notice that students who wander off alone with Zack end up with crushed bones and memory loss. Or worse, missing entirely.

HEARTS & OTHER BODY PARTS is a wickedly addictive novel about love, monsters, and loyalty. And oh yeah, a Japanese corpse-eating demon cat.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338030730
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	03/28/2017
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.40(d)
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

Ira Bloom makes his literary debut with Hearts & Other Body Parts. Previously, Ira was a teacher of junior high English, ESL, and Japanese for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Ira and his wife currently operate a fashion and vintage kimono business, and he is something of an expert on Japanese textiles. Ira lives in Northern California with his family and an assortment of furry beasts. None have proven to be demons . . . yet.

Editorial Reviews

01/09/2017
Debut novelist Bloom combines classic monster story tropes and characters with a modern high school setting in this clever if uneven comedy. Esme, Katy, and Ronnie Silver hail from a long line of witches, but their sisterly bond is broken when two very different boys enter their lives. The first is Franklin Norman Stein (yes, Frank N. Stein), who goes by Norm; a highly intelligent boy with acromegaly and various cancers, Norm has been reassembled in true Frankensteinian fashion after being cryogenically frozen by his genius father. The second boy is Zack Kallas, a vampire in search of new blood. All three Silver sisters fall for Zack, jealousy overtakes them, and they set about sabotaging each other’s chances with him via hexes and spells. Little do they realize that winning Zack’s heart means becoming lunch for Zack and his master, the Ancient One. Though the setup in this monster mashup is as slow as Norm’s shuffling gait, the story picks up as tongue-in-cheek humor and sharp-edged dialogue create spiky interactions among Bloom’s supernatural teenage cast. Ages 14–up. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

03/01/2017
Gr 8 Up—Esmeralda "Esme" Silver has a pretty good life. She has two great younger sisters named Katy and Veronica, is on track to attend Stanford when she graduates, and is a practicing witch. Esme becomes fascinated when a monstrous boy named Norman moves to town. She is challenged by his intellect and wit, and the two become fast friends. That is, until Zach Kallas moves to town. He catches the eye of both Katy and Veronica, and Esme falls prey to his charms as well. The only problem? Zach is a vampire with a habit of killing girls who develop feelings for him. Norm struggles to bring Esme to her senses, but will he be too late? This debut novel attempts to modernize and update characters such as Frankenstein and Dracula by changing their names, turning them into teenagers, and placing them in a high school setting. Unfortunately, the dialogue is confusing, with many attempts at humor that fall short. Even more confounding is the inclusion of Esme's "demon cat," Kasha, her "familiar" who speaks English aloud and has served the Silver family for generations. As the story progresses, Kasha's speech and intent are never truly made clear. The cat is obviously an attempt at comic relief that just doesn't land on its feet. VERDICT A supplemental purchase for collections that need additional horror titles.—Ryan P. Donovan, Southborough Public Library, MA

School Library Journal

2016-11-16
Franklin N. "Norm" Stein, a scarred teen with acromegaly, starts at a new school where he meets a trio of sisters who are witches and helps them escape the thrall of two vampires. Tongue-in-cheek humor abounds in this clash of monsters set at a modern high school. Bright, diligent Esme initially falls for hulking Norm despite his outlandish appearance, until preternaturally handsome Zack Kallas arrives with his father and claims the affections of not just Esme, but also her sisters, Katy and Veronica, causing a rift. At the same time, girls begin to go missing, and Esme learns more and more about Kasha, a talking cat who has been a familiar in her family for ages. Teens with a bent toward silliness will be best poised to appreciate the campy humor and fun wordplay of this novel. At times its cleverness overshadows character development, though Norm and Esme are a likable pair. A secondary character who eventually comes out as gay feels stereotypical with his proclamations of "girlfriend" and "fabulous." All of the main characters seem to be white; Norm is Jewish, as is the arch villain, who spouts "Yiddish invective" in the final face-off. A reworking of some classic stories that will entertain its readers even if it doesn't stay with them very long. (Fantasy. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews