The Thing with Feathers is a well written, endearing and hopeful story. It’s full of the normal YA Contemporary tropes we’re used to, but it’s also unlike a lot of others in that it does feature a character with epilepsy (and I didn’t hate all of the secondary female characters!). I flew through it, and look forward reading to what Hoyle writes next.

This was such a light and fluffy contemporary, but there was so much heart! Emilie Day is an epileptic teen who’s nervous about leaving her life of homeschool behind as she starts attending her local high school. She decided to keep her epilepsy a secret.

I loved that we got to have a main character with epilepsy! I loved seeing Emilie talk about her seizure dog, her medicine, therapy, the different types of seizures she has - we really get to see her and I loved it. Emilie and Chatham, her english partner, were really adorable. I loved their dates and seeing them flirting. Plus, Chatham was such a great guy. I also liked seeing Emilie’s friendship begin to develop with Ayla. However, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Emilie’s mom. I really had problems with how she handled the whole dating again situation. I also found that the story was underdeveloped overall. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the story, most of the characters, and the relationships we see, but I wanted more. The Thing With Feathers really is a story of love and hope - it shows the heart and courage and bravery, and was a joy to read.

I DNF half way through. I’d like to preface with, I feel bad for giving a 2 Star review, this is not a bad book, it just wasn’t for me. I get it’s YA, I love YA, but for me this book was too.... shallow? I’m just gonna use that word for now. Being from North Carolina, I was kind of excited to read a book set in the state, that was not Sarah Dessen. She doesn’t so blatantly say NC as much, but still. While in many ways this book mirrored Dessen’s it felt more like middle grade, and lacked the depth that Dessen’s have.

I wanted to like this book. I was really excited about the main character discussing her Epilepsy and how it shaped her into a fearful person, but I never got there enough to make me want to keep reading. Also it really annoys me that the first person she meets is already her love interest and we are just a few pages in. Chatham felt too perfect, and I just wasn’t interested. Honestly this book is probably right up the alley for a 12 year old girl, hoping her crush will notice her. But it doesn’t really have enough umph to stand the test of time.

I wanted more of hitch honestly and didn’t understand why he wasn’t allowed to go to school with her right In The beginning. Seems illogical. And obviously this woman must have gone to UNC because it was mentioned like 3 times just in the first part of the book.

Really I’d give this a 3.5. It’s a nice, easy read with just enough of everything to keep middle school or younger high school girls interested. Emilie & Chatham’s relationship will appeal to fans of relationship fiction, and Emilie’s fear of everyone finding out she’s different (she has epilepsy and has been homeschooled) will resonate with many teens. I did not give 4 stars to this novel because even though Emilie repeatedly points out that life isn’t like the teen romcom books and movies she loves (lots of 80’s movie references), this book is chock full of YA book cliches from the awkward, “ugly duckling” heroine who finds her inner strength, to the impossibly good-looking, athletic boy who falls for her, to the spunky, artistic best friend, to the “mean girl” who starts a slow clap that turns into cheering for the heroine after she gives a speech about having epilepsy. My girls will like this book, and I think it will circulate well among those who are looking for realistic fiction with a little romance.

The last scene made me cringe so bad as a mom. But overall this was a good look at navigating hs with epilepsy

I really loved this book. I thoroughly enjoyed Meet the Sky, by the same author, so I was already looking forward to reading this one, and it did not disappoint.

Emilie is a young girl who lost her dad only a few years prior, and now she's about to go back to school at her local high school after years of homeschooling. And If that wasn't enough to cause stress, this poor teenager feels like she's drifting away from her mom, AND oh yeah....she has a seizure disorder.

The story was written beautifully, in my opinion, and very true to life. Okay yeah, Emilie does get paired with the cutest boy at school right off the bat, and yes, he turns out to be a nice guy, but hey...it could happen!

Overall though, I loved the story and the characters. And I will definitely be looking for more from this author in the future!

Well, that was cute.

This book follows the typical YA romance structure: Emilie starts at a new school and develops a crush on the first boy she sees, Chatham. They end up working together on a school project about Emily Dickinson and Emilie ends up connecting to Emily on a deep level and learns great lessons about herself and the world.

…but…

Emilie has epilepsy, and the driving force of this book is her own desire to completely forget that fact and live (what she perceives to be) a “normal” life. Also, she’s still grieving the loss of her father (it’s been three years) and trying to come to terms with the fact that her mother wants to start dating again.

What I love most about this novel is that it takes the “typical set-up” and manages to make it feel new and fresh. For example:

“My first tutoring session with Chatham was both amazing and horrifying – the way I imagine parasailing world be if I ever had the nerve to try it.”

Emilie’s voice is spot-on, and we struggle alongside her to step outside our comfort zones and trust in others.

Also, I’ve never known anyone with epilepsy, but this book gives me better insight into what it must be like to run constant risk assessment. Emilie’s concerns are among those of any teenager’s: looking foolish in front of one’s peers, but intensified by the possibility of losing physical control during a seizure.

And of course, I am an English teacher with a love of Emily Dickinson and I knew I'd adore this aspect of the book. Definite recommendation for middle and high school classroom libraries.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’m glad I picked it up randomly!

Perspective. So much of how we experience our lives is determined by our own way of thinking. This story illustrates this concept beautifully. It encourages us to hope, especially during the most trying times. ♡

This was such a touching book. Emilie has epilepsy AND she's lost her dad. Now her mom's making her go to school, so she's a bit upset. Normally, I'm not a big fan of YA or new adult because angst isn't my favorite. I couldn't help myself, though. I needed to know that Emilie was going to make it to the other side okay. She has her faithful service dog, but the questions linger: can she reconnect with her mom, make new friends, and fall in love? Great characters, flawless prose, and the references to Emily Dickinson are all icing on the cake.