Heartbeat

Summary
My Heartbeat

My Heartbeat is written by Garret Freymann-Weyr. It is about a girl name Ellen (fourteen-years old) who has a brother name Link. Link has a friend name James, who people think they are gay partners. She thinks maybe James and Link may be in love with each other. Ellen loves James, and Link admits he is not gay so he starts dating. James doesn't admit anything although he has had past relationships with men (bisexual). Then Link and James begin to hang out less often or not at all when confronted if they were gay partners. Ellen and James begin hanging out more and begin a relationship of their own. This story is based on transition, love, and exploring self-identity. My Heartbeat, confronts young people's concerns with refreshing openness and sensitivity.

Characters
Link: Smart (math genius), stubborn, track star

James: Very layback, funny, handsome, affectionate, has had partners with other men

Ellen: Curious, loves James

Poems
 This is written in the vein of the message, as I interpret it, of the book. The Bond of Love With love it’s more than just the sex; Gender and rules only restrain Something pure and true and not complex. The rules we set can only end in pain. Love is unrestricted sharing bliss By brother sister girl and boy. It’s just a link and not a kiss Between a pair who share a common way. When growing up it’s hard enough to get The love and care you need within; Sometimes we try and end up getting bit For the thing our father hid with “sin.” But if you stop and try to look inside, You’ll find it was a lie they tried to hide. -Nikolais Linsteadt

 A poem By Rosie Hopkins "My Heartbeat"

My heart, beats and thumps, rise than fall higher than cumulous clouds, lower than snails on the ground. My heart, Love goes to him, my brother: the protector, the guider, my friend. The one who walks me, down the straight and narrow, he takes the wide and open road. The road I am not used to, the road I have yet to see, the road that leads to alternate endings. Only my crush, his friend, has the key to unlock the gate to the road unexplored. Not me, but his friend has the key, waiting for my brother to come and simply ask: "unlock me, please."

Writer's Note: by Nikolais "I wrote this poem primarily as the only way I could see to express the amount of emotion and feeling that is contained in this novel. This novel was able to express so much more about relationships than sex. There is attachment, love, caring, excitement, pain, frustration, and etc.  The point is that love and relationships do not have to be just about male and female.  James and Link are best friends.  They care about each other and are not sure how they feel about love and sex at this moment in time.  It is the stereotypes of the father and other people around them that put pressure on their relationship and force them to decide their sexual 'preference.'"