Except for the times when Emilie was way too whiny and constantly sabotaged herself, the book was enjoyable and fun. I fell in love with Hitch, the adorable service dog, and the perspective of imperfect lives having their own rays of sunshine.

I can't lie to you guys. I dropped this book because the love interest's name is Chatham. It physically repulses me.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel about a teen with epilepsy trying to fit in when she can't help but stand out. I haven't read any other YA novels about epilepsy, so I appreciated the new information/awareness about the disease. The plot and characters in this one aren't anything special. It's all very predictable and, truthfully, the MC drove me a little crazy. Still, the novel teaches some important lessons about compassion, hope, and taking risks. It's clean and uplifting, which are big pluses in my book.

You can read my full review of THE THING WITH FEATHERS here: http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/2017/11/ya-epilepsy-novel-compassionate-hopeful.html

This book is amazing! I loved it so much! It’s a very heartwarming story of a girl finding herself and live life around her disability instead of letting it control her life. I will say again that I loved the book, and 100 percent recommended it!

Originally Reviewed For YA Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/20975-the-thing-with-feathers-2

A refreshing, quality debut--meaningfully woven and beautifully engaging, from the first page to the last.

Emilie Day's "normal" life ended one day in the middle of elementary school, when she suddenly had a seizure. The uncontrolled nature of her newly diagnosed epilepsy meant that homeschooling was the only suitable option--one which worked well for a time thanks to the support of her father and the addition of a beloved service dog. But it's now three years after Emilie's father died, and her relationship with her mother has become strained. Thanks to a stabilizing medication, it is finally plausible for her to transition back into public school--which is precisely what her therapist is recommending. But Emilie has trouble seeing the shift as anything but an ongoing opportunity to embarrass herself in front of new friends and classmates.

The obligation of having to explain to all of her friends and close acquaintances what they need to do and watch for if she experiences a grand mal seizure--complete with possible vomiting and/or loss of bowel/bladder control--is understandably unappealing to her. Especially when one of the people she may need to tell happens to be a surprisingly interesting basketball player who might be vying for boyfriend material. And her mother's recent odd behavior isn't making things any easier in Emilie's mind...

Told in a remarkably unobtrusive first-person present-tense format, THE THING WITH FEATHERS is a coming-of-age story centered around new beginnings, old grief, and coming to terms with an "invisible" disability. I liked the subject matter and voice in the blurb enough to give this a go, but it was the first line that truly snared me: "My mother lost her mind today, and I'm going to prison."
A terrific introduction to the main character, Emilie, in a single (and perplexingly snarky) sentence. From there the author doesn't just grab initial attention, she holds onto it with crisp writing, insightful emotional depth, and a relatably smart, sarcastic heroine.

Kudos to the author on such solid characterization of a service animal. Hitch (Emilie's seizure-sensing golden retriever) feels immediately believable, and his functionality is explained and expanded on at natural intervals. What's more, the additional significance and personality Emilie ascribes to his actions and facial expressions often tells readers as much (if not more) about her own mindset as it does about the dog himself.

"If Hitch were a person, he'd be Mother Theresa or Gandhi or someone who treated all living creatures with the respect they deserve. It's depressing how my dog is a better human being than I am."

I'd never before heard the theory that Emily Dickinson may have been Epileptic--but it would certainly explain both her reclusive nature (especially during an era in which the condition was misunderstood and stigmatized) and her broodingly hopeful compositions. That tie-in was a welcome organic thread, offering opportunity for both educational points and outside literary input; without beating readers over the head with it. There isn't anything surprising about the plot itself--no twists or anything you won't see coming from early on. The primary antagonist (outside of epilepsy itself) struck this reader as almost disappointingly toothless. But the story's execution is charming and the ending pulls everything together with a satisfying and ultimately hopeful symmetry.

Final Analysis:

This is the kind of strong writing and memorable, empathy-expanding content this reader loves to see in contemporary YA. I would unhesitatingly thrust this book into the hands of my goddaughters.

Hoyle is a talented new fiction voice, and an author I'd highly recommend keeping an eye on!

Favorite Quotes:

*"Some people see the liquid and think half full. Others only see the air and think half empty. Sometimes I get the sense Chatham sees it all, which is kind of terrifying. I don't know if I want him to see me--the real me."

"Hope is the thing with feathers--
that perches in the soul--
And sings the tune without words--
And never stops--at all."
~Emily Dickinson

I was pretty disappointed in this book and only finished it because I am cramming to finish my reading goal. I Now understand what people mean by very little plot or character development because this book had it. The characters either had very little development or what development they ended up having was crammed and rushed into the very end. I also don't want to sound insensitive but the way the main character was reacting to her illness, epilepsy, was a little overdone. While I'm sure having epilepsy is a very devastating thing to live with it shouldn't be that hard to Simply tell people that that's what you have it's not something that would affect your friendships that bad I would assume again I'm not trying to downplay such a serious illness it's just that the feels that the character was it displayed in reference to telling people about her illness was that of something I would have expected from a person with schizophrenia or HIV or something that directly affects the person in contact with you if anything you would want people to know that you're epileptic so that they can help you if needed. A lot of the scenes with the male character and the female character were at times cheesy and cliche. actually most of the themes in this book were pretty cliche.

Told with an authentic teen voice, The Thing with Feathers, reads like a true story. Emilie is dealing with grief, managing her epilepsy while also trying to navigate the tumultuous waters of high school AND her mom. Teens will connect with the authentic voice and the struggle Emilie is faced with. While not many students are faced with trying to hide a condition like epilepsy, all teens struggle with some part of their life/identity - so the read will ring true to any young adult who picks up this book.

I like how the protagonists preconceived notions and stereotypes are all challenged, forcing her to take a good look at herself.

Good read.

The Thing With Feathers is a lovely debut. As hinted at by the title, it ties in Emily Dickinson poetry in a really fun way. When her mother insists she return to public school, Emilie Day is wary of how her seizure disorder will affect her in a new environment, and isn't quite sure how to navigate the social landscape of high school after years at home. Emilie's voice was very compelling, and the writing is great all around. I think teens will find Emilie instantly relatable.

Plus, Chatham is very swoony ;)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC!