Miracles and new possibilities really do happen, as long as the action is as strong as the want. “Iron Heart” follows very hard challenges, and very emotional successes of a walking miracle, Brian Boyle. At the age of 18, Brian was experiencing the whole high school dream. He was a very successful athlete, especially in swimming, and he had solid teammates and friends. Little did he know, his whole future could be changed in one instant. Brian was on his way home from swim practice, when his Camaro was plowed into by a dump truck. Brian was airlifted and rushed to a shock trauma hospital. He lost 60% of his blood, his heart had moved across his chest, and his organs and pelvis were pulverized. He was then put into a medically induced coma. “Iron Heart” follows his journey through recovery with many triumphs, along with various setbacks. Throughout the book, the reader gets an insight into the mind of someone in critical condition with a strong desire to fight, along with learning what a good support system looks like and how to take action for important goals. This book did a superb job of putting me in the author's shoes. Although it is nearly impossible to understand how a person in such a critical condition could be feeling, the author Brian Boyle uses so many descriptive words that brought me closer to understanding. I also really appreciated the internal thoughts. Obviously, when Brian was in a coma, he couldn’t speak, but he did a great job of bringing me into his thoughts and expressing how he felt trapped. I was really surprised with how much of this experience Brian remembered. I would think that because this was such a traumatic experience, some of the details would’ve gotten lost, but I felt that there were no descriptions lacking. This book really challenged me to be honest with myself. I realized that this story is not entirely impossible for me or any one of my classmates to experience, which was a hard idea for me to wrap my head around. As I look back on this book, my eyes and heart have been opened. When my uncle was young, he had an accident and was put in a medically induced coma. At the age I was when I learned about the event, it was almost impossible for me to imagine what him or any of his family members were feeling. After reading this book, I have a new perspective and empathy toward that situation. I am also more aware that in one instant, my whole life could change. I used to have the attitude, “that will never happen to me”, but after reading “Iron Heart”, I realize that I can’t take any moments for granted. Along with feeling empathy for challenges, this book changed my attitude on goals and success. Brian could have easily given up at any moment, but he had goals in life, and he quite literally fought himself back to life, so he could experience those moments. When reading about those successes he had to fight for, I was overcome with new inspirations. Reading this book did show me miracles and possibilities really do happen, I just have to fight for every one. By Leah Holland
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AuthorSTenth grade students at Decorah High School share how they're reading outside of their own experiences and how it has changed them. Categories
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November 2022
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