My Heart Underwater was a difficult book to read, but also an important read. A book about love, family, and growth I can see this book being important for students to read. It wouldn’t fit well in a middle school classroom, but it would do well at the high school level.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

The feelings of ‘in-betweenness’ or ‘internal disorder,’ as the protagonist describe it are so relatable, especially as a reader who is herself a member of the 1.5 generation. I would have appreciated a more in-depth exploration of class/socioeconomic relations beyond the main character’s shame, but also understand that this is perhaps not the function of this particular story.

Loved, loved, loved this book abut a 17-year-old Filipino American girl who is sent to the Philippines to live with her brother after her mother catches her kissing her Catholic high school teacher. Cory’s father is in a coma after falling off a roof. What starts out as a very painful experience, turns into a coming-of-age story of love as she learns more about her mother, father and her half-brother. As an adult reading this book, I found it a emotionally powerful story about the differences between the cultures and how a child learns about her parents, as well as accepting what she needs.

4.5/5 stars

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this e-arc!

I adored this book so much! It felt refreshing and rewarding to know that i could understand the tagalog dialogue as i've definitely struggled in the past with other languages. Idk if this is even a correct comparison but this seems like a lighter version of My Dark Vanessa. (I'll delete if it turns out to not be). I also lowkey felt nostalgic for a bit, having lived nearby QC myself.

My "problem" with this book not personally feeling like a 5 star is how the romance felt a bit rushed. IMO even in both situations

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC of this book.

This is a great novel about finding yourself. In the beginning, I could really relate to Corazon on so many levels: her trouble fitting in, her not knowing what she wants to do in life, and that all-encompassing teenage sapphic crush made worse by Catholic guilt. Flores Fantauzzo does an incredible job portraying the vivid details of an adolescent crush, and i felt like I had been transported back to high school. When the accident happened and Corazon’s world was altered, I got a lump in my throat and nearly cried along with her. And of course it’s wonderful that this is an #ownvoices novel and we get to read about Filipinx culture from a firsthand perspective. Like, the first half of the book is SO emotionally vivid, and at one point I was certain I’d give this book five stars.

But...while the Part Two of the book was still good and included great themes, I felt it was lackluster compared to the first half. The characters we meet in Part Two just...aren’t as vivid as the ones from Part One, and I was disappointed because I wanted them to be. I wanted more content dedicated to Corazon’s family/family friends/new friends in the Philippines. I felt like there were so many characters suddenly introduced, and Part One made me think we’d get to know each one intimately. But we didn’t, and I was a bit let down.

Overall, this is a moving story and one I’d definitely recommend.